Ski Jump Turned Waterslide
If you haven’t heard about the Park City summer Slip N’ Soar, watch this video quickly:
Holy cow! Two weeks ago I had the privilege of being able to slide down the various ski jump ramps at the Utah Olympic Park three times. What an adrenaline-rush of an experience! As I reflect on my experience of staring down the beast-of-a-slide, and the sudden launch 20 feet in the air, I can’t recall the last time I have felt so nervous.
During this past month of Olympic fever in Rio and the onslaught of newspaper editorials complaining about the high cost to build one-time use infrastructure, I think this facility provides a positive example. The Utah Olympic Park is located just outside Park City, Utah, up in the mountains near many of the venues originally built for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002. This facility has seen great reuse year-round, every year since the Olympics were held there nearly 15 years ago.
Most of the facility’s use is during the Winter, and the summer-specific facility comprises primarily of the ski jumping pool, which is an official training site for the U.S. Olympic Team. This dual-use type of function had me also thinking about the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, which also serves both recreation users and Olympic athletes in training. What could be better? World class training facilities and world class recreation all in one place. Be sure to check it out next time you are near Park City!
