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Showing 10 articles out of 43.
Be An Olympian
Posted by Ray Grass on March 4, 2010
Okay, you watched the Games from the sidelines. Now be an Olympian. Or, at least, try your hand at an Olympic sport.
Consider this: Get in a few days of skiing and when looking for something to do take a run down a bobsled track, a turn or two on the speed-skating oval, test a downhill course, surf a super halfpipe or ski and shoot on a biathlon course.
That’s the legacy left from the 2002 Olympics that Utah now offers.
I’ve sampled many and, believe me, I hold a lot more admiration for Olympians.
Here’s what’s available:
Ski the slalom and freestyle mogul courses at Deer Valley. Over the years a lot of people have come, asked about and headed in those directions.
Or, visit Snowbasin and take a breathtaking run on the men’s and women’s downhill and super-G courses. Believe me, it takes a lot of nerve not to check speed, even for the very best skiers, on those courses.
Four Utah resorts -- Brian Head, Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort and Snowbasin -- offer NASTAR racing where skiers and snowboarders can test their gate-running skills.
Slide into the Super Halfpipe at Park City Mountain Resort where the U.S. won all three snowboard medals in the men’s competition. Oh, and don’t expect big air and 180-degree spins on first or even 20th try.
Jump into a four-man bobsled, with professional driver, and enjoy the fast-track -- 80-plus miles per hour and 5-Gs in the turns -- on the sliding course at the Utah Olympic Park. Skeleton runs are available, but prior planning is necessary.
Take a spin on the short-track speed skating oval where Apolo Ohno trains on the ice at the Utah Olympic Oval.
Ski the northern resorts -- Snowbasin, Wolf Creek or Powder Mountain -- and then stop by the Ogden Ice Sheet and slide a stone on the Olympic curling ice. There are also other locations offering curling lanes in Utah.
There are three options for the biathlon at Soldier Hollow -- the introductory program with air rifle, the longer session, again with air rifle, or the full Olympic experience with a longer cross country test and shooting on the Olympic range with .22-caliber rifle.
Of course, the Olympic nordic tracks at Soldier Hollow, which drew positive mention from athletes in Vancouver, are open and a real eye opener.
So, of the 15 Winter Olympic categories held in Vancouver in February, it is possible to sample 11 of them between now and then in Utah.
Two of my most memorable experiences came on the downhill run at Snowbasin and the bobsled track at the Olympic Park.
The start house at Snowbasin sits on a cliff. There is no gradual acceleration. It’s zero to 80 in three seconds . . . if you didn’t check the speed, which I did.
As downhill courses go, this one is two miles long. The winning time was slightly more than a minute and a half, which meant Olympic speeds averaged more than 60 miles a hour — top to bottom, over jumps and through gullies and in turns that compressed skiers to half his standing height, all on snow as hard as a rock.
Come anywhere close to that time and you’ve got Olympic potential.
The bobsled run takes less than a minute, but you can feel every turn, every chatter in the ice and every bump on the sled. All passengers have to do is lean and try to catch their breath.
I recommend any of the Olympic opportunities, especially for those who lived the Olympics in Vancouver as I did.
Snowbasin...it's worth the not so long drive
Posted by Jodi Saeland on February 23, 2010
We are set up with day care for the day. Brennan will stay for the day, Emily will be pulled out for a lesson with the ski school. I've mentioned before, Brennan doesn't do well in day care...I've taken a deep breath and gone to meet Becky. Wow! Brennan brings the walls down screaming and Becky is so lovely...she has him under control within 10 minutes. Now, that takes patience. The day care is open daily from 9-4:30 and you can bring in the kids as young as 6 months. They had lunch right away and settled right in. I was a little worried about Brennan. No need, Becky took the time to text me to tell me he ate good, was playing and even had a nap! Now that takes a patient person; thanks Becky for making our day a great experience with day care.
For those that don't know, Snowbasin hosted the downhill, Super G and combined events during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. If you're looking for top notch dining and facilities, you'll definitely find them at Snowbasin. There are special events where the Gondola will bring you to the top for fine dining. This holds true during the summer on the weekends...I need to definitely head back for that under a full moon.
If cross country is your thing; there is 26 km of trails. The best thing...they're FREE!! Yes, if you have your own equipment, give it a try or you can rent when you get there. I admire those who can cross country ski. It is hard! I may have to try again as it is great excercise!
I got a chance to get some good runs in. Most times, I was on the chair or gondola alone enjoying the silence and the scenery. It is wonderful to get up in the mountains on a blue bird day and just enjoy. I had a wonderful lunch outside at the top of the Needles Gondola. I was able to ski a lot of different runs all over the mountain including off the Strawberry Express Gondola. Big, wide open runs with amazing views.
So, the next time you're wondering which resort to head to...don't forget about Snowbasin. It's not as far as you think and you will be pleasantly surprised at the facilities, great snow and laid back atmosphere.
Wrapping up the Dew Tour
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on January 18, 2010
Many thanks to the 30,000 fans who represented a winter Dew Tour record crowd this past weekend at Snowbasin resort. The entire weekend was spirited by good times and of course, big air. To kick off the weekend, Ski Utah and our good friends at Freeskier threw a party in Ogden, complete with the Yeti. Click here for photos of the Yeti out late.
Ski Utah and Ride Utah bellied up to the superpipe to capture each athlete’s style and amplitude with a single snap. Enjoy, these sick photos shot on Super Saturday at Snowbasin.
Local Utah riders produced for the huge crowds. Tom Wallish, of Park City, claimed the top podium spot in the men’s freeski slopestyle while Jen Hudak, of Salt Lake, and Sage Kotsenburg, of Park City, placed second in the women’s freeski superpipe and men’s snowboard slopestyle respectively. Here are all the results:
Women's Freeski Superpipe Results
1. Sarah Burke
2. Jen Hudak
3. Ros Groenwoud
Men's Freeski Superpipe Finals Results
1. Jossi Wells
2, Simon Dumont
3. Peter Olenick
Men's Freeski Superpipe Finals from AlliSports on Vimeo.
Women's Snowboard Superpipe Finals Results
1. Elena Hight
2. Kaitlyn Farrington
3. Queralt Castellet
Women's Snowboard Superpipe Finals at Snowbasin from AlliSports on Vimeo.
Men's Snowboard Superpipe Finals Results
1. Danny Davis
2. Steve Fisher
3. Jack Mitrani
Men's Snowboard Superpipe Finals at Snowbasin from AlliSports on Vimeo.
Freeski Slopestyle Finals Results
1. Tom Wallisch
2. Andreas Haveit
3. Bobby Brown
Women's Snowboard Slopestyle Finals Results
1. Spencer O'Brien
2. Jenny Jones
3. Megan Ginter
Men's Snowboard Slopestyle Finals Results
1. Chas Guldemond
2. Tyler Flanagan
3. Sage Kotsenburg
Ogden Local Skis on His 100th Birthday at Snowbasin
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on January 16, 2010
Dr. Vernal Johnson, a resident of Ogden, Utah, celebrated his 100th birthday enjoying one his all-time favorite pass times - skiing. For 88 years Dr. Johnson has skied the mountains of Snowbasin. "We would drive up an old dirt road to get here," said Dr. Johnson. "We took and old chassis, tied a rope around an old tree on School Hill, put it in reverse, and made a rope tow to pull us up the hill," he said. When asked what he thought of the resort today, he smiled and said that it had changed a bit, but that it was wonderful. Mr. Earl Holding, owner of Snowbasin, extended a congratulatory handshake to Dr. Johnson. In contrast to the make-shift tow rope, Snowbasin now has one of the most advanced lift systems in the west.
What will you do when you turn 100?
Dew Tour Details
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on January 13, 2010
The
national spotlight stokes Ogden and Snowbasin Resort this weekend. The
Winter Dew Tour will stomp its landing tomorrow at Snowbasin! The
event is FREE and runs January 14-17. The Winter Dew Tour will be
bringing all of their Pro friends including Simon Dumont, Steve Fisher,
Hannah Teter and Utah's very own Tom Wallisch to compete in the second
stop of the tour. Watch the best in the world throw down tricks that
will make your jaw drop. If you are inspired by the world’s best, take
advantage of Snowbasin’s reduced lift ticket for Friday only at $30.
You must mention “Dew Tour” when purchasing the ticket to get a
discount. Check out the complete schedule of events (http://www.allisports.com/event-info-snowbasin-2010) ‘cause you don’t want to miss the superpipe and slopestyle action. Parking
is available at Snowbasin Resort during the Winter Dew Tour. In
addition for rider and spectator convenience, FREE park and ride
transportation will be offered. Buses will leave the park -n- ride lots
approximately every 20-30 minutes depending on time of day. The morning
hours they will leave every 25-30 minutes, in peak hours they will
leave for Snowbasin every 15-20 minutes.
Park-N-Ride Lots:
- WSU Dee Event Center - South Side
- Staker Parson Lot - West of UTA South Weber Park-n-Ride Lot
Hours:
- Friday, January 15th: 10 AM - 5 PM
- Saturday, January 16th: 9:30 AM - 8:30 PM
- Sunday, January 17th: 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
See you out there this weekend and don’t forget to stop by festival village and visit the Ski Utah booth.
Don't Waste Precious Dew Tour Time Looking for Parking- Take the FREE Park-N-Ride
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on January 11, 2010
Headed to the Dew Tour at Snowbasin this weekend? So are all of your friends. Save time and gas this weekend by taking advantange of the free park-n-ride.
Parking at Snowbasin during the Dew Tour will be very limited! For skier/spectator convenience, Free park-n-ride transportation will be available from two locations in Ogden. Buses will leave the lots every 20-30 min. Peak hours, every 15-20 min.
LOCATIONS:
WSU Dee Event Ctr. – South Side,
Staker Parson Lot/West Side of South Weber Park-n-Ride on Hwy. 89
Friday, 15th 10am to 5pm, Saturday, 16th 9:30am to 8:30pm, Sunday, 17th 9am to 3:30pm
Win a VIP Trip to the Dew Tour at Snowbasin
Posted by The Ski Utah Yeti on November 18, 2009
Enter to win a VIP Trip to Utah for the Dew Tour at Snowbasin January 15-17 from Ski Utah and Freeskier.
- 2 round-trip airline tickets to and from the Salt Lake International Airport from any major international airport within the lower 48 United States.
- 3 Nights of lodging at the Odgen Marriott. Full breakfast included
- 3 Days of lift tickets and ski or snowboard rentals for two, at the Snowbasin Resort
- Two VIP credentials for inside access at the Dew Tour
- Rental car from Hertz (up to $150)
SNOWBASIN TO HOST WINTER DEW TOUR, JANUARY 15-17
Posted by Jessica Kunzer - Communication Director on July 14, 2009
The Winter Dew Tour, the world’s premier season-long winter action sports tour, announced that Snowbasin, a Sun Valley Resort, in Huntsville Utah, near Ogden Utah, will host the second of three stops Jan. 15-17, 2010 for the Tour’s second season. The Winter Dew Tour showcases top winter athletes from around the world competing in freeskiing (slopestyle and superpipe) and snowboarding (slopestyle and superpipe) for both men and women.Snowbasin, which hosted the Men’s and Women’s Downhill and Super-G events for the 2002 Winter Olympics, is a new host resort for the Winter Dew Tour, which had its inaugural season in 2008-09. ”Utah hosting the Winter Dew tour along with the Summer Dew tour continues to illustrate the growth Utah is experiencing in the action and adventure sports industry”, said Jeff Robbins, president & CEO of the Utah Sports Commission, “Utah will receive significant benefit from this new event providing an anticipated $5 million in economic impact and $6 million in national and international media exposure.”
All three stops of the Winter Dew Tour will be televised Live on NBC and simulcast around the world on Eurosport 2, Extreme Channel and Fox Sports Australia, with additional coverage on USA Network and MTV2.
“Both the Summer and Winter Dew Tours have proven to be well regarded events by fans and athletes alike,” said Kent Lyons, General Manager of Snowbasin. “We are beyond excited to host the Winter Dew Tour, and we feel that Snowbasin will make a great fit.”
“The state of Utah has had a tremendous partnership with the Summer Dew Tour over the last three years which has exposed our beautiful state to millions of people around the world,” said Lieutenant Governor Gary R. Herbert. “Utah is the State of Sport, and we’re looking forward to hosting the world’s best freeski and snowboard athletes this winter at Snowbasin.”
“We are thrilled to be the host community for this event,” said Mayor Matthew R. Godfrey, Mayor of Ogden, Utah. “Ogden’s national reputation as being the Mecca of high adventure recreation is a perfect match for a premier extreme winter sporting event like the Winter Dew Tour.”
“We are extremely excited to have Snowbasin as our new host resort for the second stop of the 2009-10 season,” said Chris Prybylo, Vice President of Events for Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports. “Utah has proven to be a great fit for the Summer Dew Tour and we look forward to continuing that success for the winter competitions.”
The complete 2009-10 Winter Dew Tour schedule is as follows:
Date Location
Dec. 18-20 Breckenridge Ski Resort – Breckenridge, Colo.
Jan. 15-17 Snowbasin Resort – Huntsville, Utah
Feb. 5-7 Mount Snow Resort – West Dover, Vt.
Entering its second season, the Winter Dew Tour had nearly 70,000 fans experience last year’s inaugural season and an average of 26 million viewers tuned in via NBC, USA and MTV2 during 2008-09. The top athletes in the world will take part in this year’s Tour, all competing for the highly coveted Dew Cup that will be awarded in Mount Snow, Vt. at season’s end. The ’08-’09 Dew Cup champions include Shaun White (Snowboard Pipe and Slopestyle), Kelly Clark (Snowboard Pipe), Spencer O’Brien (Snowboard Slopestyle), PK Hunder (Freeski Slopestyle) and Tanner Hall (Freeski Superpipe).
Jason Perry, Jeff Robbins-Utah Sports Commission, Rep. Brad Dee, Torah Bright - Winter Dew Tour Athlete, Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert, Chris Prybylo-Alliance of Action Sports, Kent Lyons - GM Snowbasin
Snowbasin lands Winter Dew Tour
Posted by Eric on July 14, 2009
From the SLC Tribune:
Salt Lake City was such a success as a host for the Summer Dew Tour, organizers decided to come back for more. This time the temperatures will be a little chillier and the background scenery will be mountains, not the downtown skyline.
As previously reported by The Salt Lake Tribune , the Dew Tour announced Monday it has selected Snowbasin as the site of a Jan. 15-17 stop on its three-stop schedule. The tour will also includes events at Breckenridge Ski Resort (Dec. 18-20) in Colorado and Mount Snow Resort (Feb. 5-7) in West Dover, Vt.
"We are thrilled to be the host community for this event," said Ogden Mayor Matthew R. Godfrey. "Ogden's national reputation as being the mecca of high adventure recreation is a perfect match for a premier extreme winter sporting event like the Winter Dew Tour."
All three stops of the Winter Dew Tour will be televised on NBC. Heading into its second season, the Winter Dew Tour capitalized on the growing interest in extreme sports in 2008-09 by drawing more than 70,000 fans to its events and an average of 26 million TV viewers as popular athletes such as Shaun White, Kelly Clark and Tanner Hall showed off their skills.
White is the defending snowboard pipe and slopestyle champion, Clark is the women's snowboard pipe champion and Hall is the freeski superpipe champion.
Other defending champions are Spencer O'Brien (women's snowboard slopestyle) and PK Hunder (freeski slopestyle).
"With the addition of Snowbasin, we look forward to building on the success we had last season and continuing to give fans and athletes alike a great experience," said Chris Prybylo, vice president of Events for Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports.
Firecracker 4th of July Race at Snowbasin
Posted by Tim on July 8, 2009
Forgot to mention that Snowbasin had a slalom race on the 4th of July. Looks like a fun time.
- 4th of July Race at Snowbasin
- 4th of July Race at Snowbasin
- The Winner Aaron Thomas
