2002 Winter Olympics

The United States’ only recreational ski jumping program and Olympic bobsled ride program is flourishing at the Utah Winter Sports Park. The Sports Park, located four miles north of Park City, opened in January of 1993 and was built in support of Salt Lake City’s successful bid to host the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

Recreational ski jumping is available to the public with lessons beginning on snow bumps in the Park’s ski play area. Most skiers can be jumping on the 20-meter jump after an introductory lesson, with some graduating to the 40-meter jump. The cost of a lesson and a two-hour ski jumping session is $30 for adults, $20 for juniors (ages 13 through 17) and $15 for children 12 and under. The Sports Park is open December through March, Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thousands of people, from four to 74 years of age, have jumped since the Park opened.

The Park’s latest addition is the K120 Nordic jump, or "large hill" as it is termed in international competition. In addition, the Park boasts a K90 jump ("normal hill") and a K65 jump for competitions as well as 20- and 40-meter training jumps. The facility also houses four freestyle jumps and a 15,000 sq. ft. day lodge, complete with a snack bar, gift shop and meeting facilities.

The Park’s bobsled and luge track, a $25 million investment, measures 4,400 ft. (1,335 meters), and is one of only 12 International Bobsled Federation-approved tracks in the world. The track opened in the winter of 1997 and has hosted hundreds of world class athletes and neophyte sliders alike. The maximum speed of a four-man bobsled is 81 mph (130 km/hr.) with a vertical drop of 390 ft. The maximum gravitational force is 5 g’s (5 times gravity) and the average run time is 48 seconds. That, of course, is for the Olympic caliber athletes. However, this state-of-the-art facility is available to the general public for thrill-of-a-lifetime rides, reaching speeds of up to 75 mph. In addition to public bobsled rides, visitors can also enjoy the thrill of speed in individual "ice rockets," self-steering sleds similar to the luge event. Either way, it’s an experience that will not soon be forgotten!

The Park’s summer facilities include all of the nordic ski jumping hills which are covered with a high-tech porcelain in-run and sophisticated plastic mat landing hill. Summer jumping, however, is for training world-class athletes only. A unique summer freestyle aerial pool, also for those who already know what they are doing, with four ramps sends aerialists up to 60 feet into the air before landing in the pool. The pool is one of only three such facilities in the world and features new technology including an air bubbler system to soften the jumper’s landings in the water.

For more information on the numerous activities available at the Utah Winter Sports Park, call (435)658-4200