Utah Olympic Park opens sliding season with rare appearance by all three sports

Park City's Bobsled, Luge, Skeleton track is now open thanks in large part to R.J. Shannon (L) and Jake Pelger making and maintaining the artificial ice. Between the two Department leaders, they have almost 50 years of experience working on the track. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — Opening day of the sliding season has arrived at the Utah Olympic Park (UOP), and in a rare occurrence, all three sports of bobsled, luge, and skeleton went down the track on Tuesday.

First slider of the season, Logan Barnes of the USA Luge Team at the Utah Olympic Park. Photo: TownLift // Roepke Family

Usually, only one or two sports are in town on Opening Day, but this year saw athletes slid from USA Luge, USA Bobsled, and USA Skeleton.

The track crew, comprised of 14 people and overseen by R.J. Shannon, has successfully spent the past two weeks making and maintaining the human-made ice.

Utah Olympic Park track shovels for bobsled, luge, skeleton, emblazened with Utah 2024, Utah Olympic Oval, and two on the right with Utah Olympic Park. — Utah Olympic Park track shovels for bobsled, luge, skeleton, emblazoned with Utah 2024, Utah Olympic Oval, and two on the right with Utah Olympic Park. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

Jake Pelger is on the crew, managing the process that includes round-the-clock teamwork to ensure the track is ready.

“It’s great,” Pelger told TownLift, “We’re working diligently to create the most perfect sliding conditions possible for all the athletes — buffing out, smoothing out, spritzing down, and shining up the ice to make it as fast as it can be.”

When asked whether the Utah Olympic Park (UOP) tells the three sliding sports’ national governing bodies (NGBs) to come to Park City with the track ready in the fall, or whether the NGBs ask the UOP to have the track ready for their arrival, Shannon told TownLift, “Actually, the USOPC dictates the opening dates of the Olympic Training Site, and we are more than happy to accommodate the athletes every fall.”

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Additionally, the public winter Bobsled Experience tickets are on sale now.

Participants can ride with a professional pilot on a heart-pounding run down the world-class track. Tickets start at $225 per person and vary by season. Holiday rate: $249 per person. Holiday dates are December 26-30 and January 2. Riders must be 13+ years of age and 100+ lbs. to ride. click here to purchase tickets to ride on an available date/time.