First winter olympics were 100 years ago this month

By Tom Emery

Today, the Olympic Games are a behemoth, featuring multi-millionaire athletes in glitzy venues with overhyped media.

The Olympics have come a long way from their roots, particularly the Winter Games, whose earliest editions resembled winter carnivals. This month marks the 100th anniversary of the first Winter Olympics, which were a tiny fraction of the elephantine size of today.

In modern times, the Games are normally held in large metro areas that are able and willing to shell out billions of dollars for the privilege. They’ve become so expensive that the International Olympic Co...