The pageantry of the Beijing Winter Olympics’ opening ceremonies Friday morning likely kindled fond memories for Parkites who are in a mood to reminisce about when we welcomed the world for the 2002 Games.
The festivities likely also sparked musings of what it would be like this time of year in 2030 or 2034 if the Utah Olympic region is successful in its push to win another Olympics.
Parkites over the next two weeks will revel in the Games in Beijing, cheering on the more than 50 athletes with Park City ties and enjoying what remains one of the world’s greatest sporting spectacles.
But as the action unfolds in China, we’ll also spend plenty of time looking back, as well as casting an eye to the future.
In some ways, it’s hard to believe it’s been two decades since the Olympic torch arrived in Park City, setting off a celebration unlike the town has seen before or since. The memories of those 17 days, from watching the Americans sweep the men’s snowboard halfpipe competition at Park City Mountain Resort to the nightly revelry along the Main Street celebration zone, remain etched in our minds.
And as our community marks the 20th anniversary of that magical time, we also recall the pride we felt in sharing our home with people from all over the globe and letting them in on our secret: Park City is one of the great resort towns in the world. It was an experience no one who was there is likely to ever forget, and one that enriched our town in myriad ways.
The Games, of course, were also a catalyst for tremendous change in our community. While Park City was growing even before the Olympics, it’s easy to trace many of the challenges of today, such as traffic congestion and the rising cost of living, to 2002.
Against that backdrop, it’s fair to wonder how the return of the Olympics in 2030 or four years later would further transform our town — and to begin thinking about how we could harness the Games for positive changes while limiting the negatives.
Perhaps, for instance, we could tap into federal money for transportation improvements that our local governments could never pull off alone. Or maybe we could construct hundreds of housing units for athletes that would be turned into affordable long-term rentals when the competitions are over.
Those are just two of the ideas that could emerge if our community finds itself in the starting gates of another Olympic run.
Over the next couple of weeks, the world will be transfixed on what is transpiring in Beijing. Parkites, too, will be immersed in the action. But the Games also offer a chance to reminisce about a special time in our town’s history while looking ahead to what will happen if we get a second opportunity to “light the fire within.”