After operating onsens, or hot springs, across Japan under his business Honokanoyu, Shane Inoue entered the American market with SOHO Saunas at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center five months ago.

The idea sprang from Midway entrepreneur Scott Paul, who visited one of Inoue’s onsens in Japan and insisted that Utah needed that kind of relaxing experience.

It was a serendipitous opportunity for Inoue, who wanted to raise his three children in the American countryside. He faced hardship growing up because he was half-American, half-Japanese and wanted his children to grow up in a less collectivist culture.

So, Inoue and Paul became business partners, and Inoue and his family moved to Midway about nine months ago.  

Inoue noted that Soldier Hollow is the perfect space for an onsen because it has the infrastructure to pump water from Midway’s hot springs to the venue. The infrastructure was built before the 2002 Winter Olympics to support Soldier Hollow’s snowmaking and golf course.

The business vision appealed to Luke Bodensteiner, the manager of Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, who rented an indoor and outdoor space to the pair.

“Luke was telling me his guess is that they’re going to want to book this throughout the Olympics, just for athletes. … We’ll have all these buff athletes here wearing these silly hats,” Inoue joked, referring to the bell-shaped wool hats that protect visitors’ hair from the heat.

Right now, SOHO Saunas consists of two Finnish barrel saunas set up on an outdoor deck, along with solo hot and cold plunges into barrels of mineral water pumped from Midway’s hot springs. 

The current buildout is a trial period for Bodensteiner to test the business’s viability before Inoue and Paul construct and open a more traditional onsen by next winter. 

Inoue also hopes to open a restaurant for SOHO Saunas this summer, offering simple Japanese dishes like ramen and curry in the building that now serves as the reception area.

He hopes to open similar onsens at Sundance Mountain Resort and in Ojai, California.

The most noticeable aspect of SOHO Saunas is the silence of the surrounding area, which is broken only by the chirping of birds or the blowing wind. One sauna faces the Wasatch Mountain Range, while the other faces the Heber Valley. Visitors will likely spot birds and butterflies fluttering against the majestic mountain landscape as they bask in the sauna’s heat.

Inoue’s philosophy is to “throw ROI out the window” and focus on how he can ensure visitors are getting the most out of every dollar spent.

That can be seen in how he maintains the area by cleaning each sauna, down to the smallest stray hair, after every session.

“What we do in Japan is that after everyone leaves, our goal is that the next guest feels like they were the first,” he said.

That’s also why a thorough wash in the sauna’s shower before each session is required of all patrons. While not all respected the rules at first, Inoue’s been encouraged by patrons increasingly bringing their own soap and shampoo to their sessions.

“That’s exactly what we’re trying to go for. Everyone’s mindful of the facility, respectful of the facility and of each other, and even more importantly, themselves. … If we can succeed in that, I think there’s hope for America,” he joked.

Beyond the strict rules around cleanliness, visitors are free to experience the sauna however they see fit.

“One thing I’m surprised about with American sauna users is that they’re all talking about, ‘You’ve got to do this many sessions, this many, this time, to get the benefit,’” he said. “The benefit of a sauna is recovery. … You could go outside and exercise and get that benefit. In reality, not everyone’s doing it. So, this is probably the most efficient, effective way to get out all the sweat that’s supposed to come out, get your heart beating the way it should. … Just listen your body.”

Sessions can be reserved at sohosaunas.com.

The post Shane Inoue brings Japanese sauna experience to Midway appeared first on Park Record.

Two-time Olympian Luke Bodensteiner relived the excitement he experienced during the 1992 and ’94 Games as he watched hype men with microphones get attendees out of their seats, dancing and chanting, at the Tesero Cross-County Stadium in Italy during Paralympic competitions earlier this month.

But his visit was for business rather than pleasure. He’d come with a mission: to prepare Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, which hosted the cross-country skiing and biathlon competitions during the 2002 Olympics and Paralympics, for the Games’ return to Utah in 2034.

Bodensteiner, who is the general manager of the Midway venue, participated in the International Olympic Committee’s observer program, which allows future organizers a peek at the Games’ behind-the-scenes organization. 

Bodensteiner left for Val di Fiemme, Italy, on March 6 and returned March 12.

It was not his first time visiting the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, which he frequented for competitions in his 20 years in leadership roles for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. But it was his first time participating in the observer program.

The biggest insights Bodensteiner gained from his conversations with Giovanni Plano, the general manager of Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium, were around accessibility for disabled athletes and spectators.

“I think that was the one area that, in retrospect, they had wished they had done differently. There’s a short gap between the Olympics and the Paralympics, and what they discovered is they hadn’t contemplated well enough the accessibility issues,” he said. “They spent a lot of time in that 10-day gap building ramps and creating accessibility routes and bridges to get people across snow.”

Bodensteiner said Soldier Hollow is accessible for its day-to-day operations, but the Olympics and Paralympics will require additional planning.

“When you put in a lot of temporary facilities and just think through the route, for instance, that an athlete in a wheelchair has to take to get from bus drop off to the snow where they start skiing, that requires a lot of thought, actually,” he said. “They really said, ‘Build the venue for the Paralympics first, and then if there are things that you don’t want or don’t need, you can remove those and put them back for the Paralympics.’”

The Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium fared better in its snowmaking. Increasing the capacity of its snowmaking system was one of several renovations the venue underwent in its $20 million overhaul in the years leading up to the Games.

Bodensteiner said Tesero and Midway have “remarkably similar” climates and face the same snowmaking challenges, particularly in March, when the Paralympics take place. That’s why Soldier Hollow will be doubling the capacity of its snowmaking system over the next five years, a project that is expected to cost nearly $7 million.

The venue is also trying a new snow preservation strategy this year: snow farming. 

“We basically made a pile of snow that’s about 100 yards long and 50 yards wide and 25 feet deep, and we’ve blanketed that with insulation,” Bodensteiner explained.

He expects about 80% of the snow will be preserved until November. If the method, popularized by ski resorts, is successful, the venue will add two or three additional snow farms.

What will help is that the competitions held at Soldier Hollow will likely take place in the morning to accommodate broadcasts in Europe, Bodensteiner explained. He said snow tends to soften after about 11 a.m. on sunny days.

Another challenge Soldier Hollow will face in 2034 is accommodating spectators alongside the trails. Bodensteiner said the International Biathlon Union is encouraging venues to get spectators close to the action during the 2034 Games.

Soldier Hollow accommodated about 20,000 spectators per day in 2002, and Bodensteiner expects 15,000 per day in 2034. Accommodating those crowds on short trails could be tricky for the venue.

“Unlike in 2002, where the longest trail that we used was the 16.7 kilometer trail, there’s much more focus now on shorter laps. And so, the longest trail we actually do in 2034 is 8.3 kilometers,” he explained.

He’s still brainstorming how to accommodate crowds alongside the trails and said the problem will be addressed closer to 2034.

Bodensteiner not only learned how to prepare Soldier Hollow for the Games, but how Wasatch County can welcome them in 2034.

He witnessed how the nearby Italian towns of Predazzo and Cavalese, of a similar population size to Midway, provided a warm welcome to tourists. The Games “didn’t shut down daily life,” but there were plenty of watch parties in the town squares, and businesses had broken out Olympic posters, flags, historic skis and images of Italian skiers. 

“I think that really helped draw people into those towns and into the shops and into the restaurants and kind of keep the party going,” Bodensteiner said. “In Midway and Heber, that was not the case in 2002. It was sort of, drive into town, take a shuttle to the venue, watch the race and then leave for Park City or for Salt Lake.”

Bodensteiner’s hope is that Wasatch County can have a warmer welcome for tourists during the 2034 Games. That’s why he participates in the Heber Valley Community Impact and Legacy Committee, which also consists of representatives from the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, Heber City, Midway and Wasatch County. The group initially formed as a Soldier Hollow advisory committee around six years ago but shifted focus to preparing for the 2034 Games about six months ago. 

“So far, we’ve been identifying the initiatives that the community would like to see it evolve toward in the future. And soon, we’ll start talking about how to use the Olympics to try to activate or even accelerate some of those projects,” Bodensteiner explained.

He provided the Heber Valley bypass and increased parking areas in Heber City as examples.

Executive Director of Heber Valley Tourism Dallin Koecher is also a member of the committee. He participated in the observer program during the Olympics last month and will be presenting his findings to the committee later this month. Bodensteiner will do the same.

Although Bodensteiner learned much from the observer program, the biggest delight of his trip was the performance of the U.S. cross-country skiing team. He thought that bode well for the 2034 Games.

“It’d be phenomenal for us to see the U.S. athletes perform exceptionally. They did in Italy,” he said. “I think that would bring so much to the local spectators who would be visiting here.”

The post Soldier Hollow manager returns from Paralympics with 2034 lessons appeared first on Park Record.

As he stayed in Auronzo di Cadore, Italy, during the Milano Cortina Winter Games, Dallin Koecher, the executive director of Heber Valley Tourism, Economic Development and Chamber of Commerce, was given a glimpse of how the Heber Valley had let the opportunities of the Olympics pass it by during the 2002 Olympics. 

Despite being less than an hour’s drive from the Games territory of Cortina d’Ampezzo, Koecher said that “you would have no idea the Olympics were happening” while visiting the municipality of about 3,300 people.

“There was no major effort to be like, ‘Hey, it’s the Olympics. Let’s stay open later. Let’s do this. Let’s kind of maximize on this.’ It was just business as usual, or no business as usual, as it turned out to be,” Koecher said about Auronzo di Cadore.

During the 2002 Olympics, Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Midway hosted the biathlon and cross-country skiing competitions. But, as Koecher put it, “the community just let people come and go,” without reaping the reward of an influx of tourists to Wasatch County. 

With Soldier Hollow hosting those same competitions during the 2034 Games, Koecher and other Wasatch County representatives are eager not to make the same mistake.

“From a community standpoint, we want to make sure that when visitors come to the Heber Valley, they know that this is an Olympic destination, not just a sleepy little town,” he said.

That’s why Koecher participated in the International Olympic Committee’s Observer Program with other statewide representatives invited to study how communities and venues in and around Cortina d’Ampezzo adapted to the Olympics.

Koecher left for Italy on Feb. 7 and returned Tuesday. He was the only Wasatch County representative to participate in the observer program. Koecher visited Cortina d’Ampezzo instead of Milan, so he could observe the biathlon competition, and watched the women’s 7.5-kilometer sprint at the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena on Feb. 14.

“I think in Europe, they look at cross-country skiing and Nordic events like we look at college football,” Koecher said with a laugh. “Just massive.”

Able to accommodate up to 19,000 spectators, the arena had the highest spectator capacity of any venue in the Milano Cortina Winter Games. Soldier Hollow accommodated about 20,000 people per day over 16 days of the 2002 Games, according to Luke Bodensteiner, the venue’s general manager.

Bodensteiner expects about 15,000 people per day in 2034, a prospect that excited Koecher. This could be a chance for visitors to shop for trinkets, dine, explore the area and enjoy Heber City’s Main Street Park. The city is currently redesigning the park to support increased event programming, with the intention of completing the makeover by the 2034 Games.

Although Koecher said the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena had all the grandeur of a football stadium, he thought that Soldier Hollow had the venue beat in offering a good view of the competition for spectators. 

“In Italy, we’re in the stands, and you can basically see the shooting range and the penalty track and the start and finish line, which are all great and really exciting. But as soon as they leave the stadium, you don’t see them until they come back,” he said, “Whereas at Soldier Hollow, you have the opportunity to watch without having to be out there. … You can watch these skiers through the trails and stuff from the spectator stands.”

However, both venues face a similar challenge of only having “one road in, one road out,” Koecher said.

He explained that the Olympic organizers dealt with that problem in Italy by temporarily operating shuttles during the Games. He said that could be a viable solution in the Heber Valley, but the experience of being stuck on buses for much of his trip led him to dream up an additional idea: a Heber Valley Railroad train route traveling between Heber City, Midway and Deer Valley East Village.

“(It) would be a solution for the Games, but also create a long-term legacy piece that would benefit our community, Soldier Hollow, the railroad, ongoing, not just for the four weeks of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Koecher said. 

He said using the railroad and shuttles would allow people to park in areas like Southfield Park or Deer Creek High School, alleviating traffic and parking congestion in hotspots like Soldier Hollow.

While the biathlon competition was a highlight, the bulk of Koecher’s trip was spent traveling to other Games venues and talking with International Olympic Committee members, volunteers and paid staff about the challenges and opportunities posed by the Olympics.

What stuck out to Koecher most was the lack of lodging dedicated to non-local volunteers.

“Some of the volunteers said that it was just up to them. ‘OK, go find your housing and figure it out yourself.’ So, they turned to Facebook groups. They turned to social media to find housing,” he said. 

He said Utah has the opportunity to do a “better job” of filling that need, perhaps by organizing an online, statewide system that would match people willing to open their homes to volunteers during the Games.

Even if the practice isn’t adopted in such an official capacity, Koecher is hopeful that it can be picked up in the Heber Valley.

“It’s really kind of like hosting a foreign exchange student for only a couple of weeks,” he said. “That’s a really neat way to, one, experience a new culture by having somebody in your home, but also share our culture.”

As for opportunities, he said broadcasting was a big one.

“The biathlon and cross-country events are hugely popular in Europe. So when they are on TV, they’re going to want their new valley-wide shots, maybe even talk a little about the community as the broadcasters are talking about the events,” he said. “There’s an opportunity for us to use this as a marketing tool, or at least a way to showcase our community to the world.”

Koecher was unable to meet Cortina d’Ampezzo Mayor Gianluca Lorenzi with the rest of his group because the meeting took place on Koecher’s date of departure. 

He said that by the time the meeting was set up, he had already planned to fly home early to minimize the cost of the trip, which was about $4,000 and paid for by Heber Valley Tourism’s budget. The bulk of that budget is funded by Wasatch County Transient Room Tax revenue.

Although Koecher was unable to meet Lorenzi, he asked members of the group to share notes about what they’d learned from their conversation with him.

Koecher said being “boots on the ground” during the observer program was an insightful experience he encouraged other Wasatch County representatives to participate in during the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Games and the French Alps 2030 Winter Games. 

Heber City Mayor Heidi Franco has indicated that she is interested in participating in the program during either of those Games. She was supposed to attend this year in Koecher’s place but had to decline when her grandson was born. 

Bodensteiner will be participating in the observer program during the Paralympic Games in Val di Fiemme, Italy, from March 6 to 11. 

Koecher will present findings from his trip to the Heber Valley Community Impact and Legacy Committee — a group made up of representatives from Soldier Hollow, the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, Heber City, Midway and Wasatch County — sometime next month.

The post Heber Valley Tourism executive director returns from Olympics with takeaways for 2034 Games appeared first on Park Record.

Dallin Koecher, executive director of Heber Valley Tourism, Economic Development and Chamber of Commerce, will be attending the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games to gather information that could help Wasatch County prepare for the Utah 2034 Olympics. 

Koecher is participating in the International Olympic Committee’s observer program, which gives future hosts of the Games a chance to plan by watching event organizers behind the scenes. 

When Koecher returns, he will present his findings to fellow members of the Heber Valley Community Impact and Legacy Committee, which is made up of representatives from Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation and Heber City, Midway and Wasatch County.

Heber City Mayor Heidi Franco was supposed to attend, but personal responsibility took priority when her grandson was born. She is planning on attending the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Summer Games or the French Alps 2030 Olympic Winter Games.

The Utah 2034 organizing committee invited several Wasatch County officials to join the program last autumn, with the expectation that they would pay their own way.

Koecher’s trip is funded through Heber Valley Tourism’s budget, which is primarily supported by revenue from Wasatch County’s 4.5% transient room tax. He estimated that his trip, including flights, food and lodgings, will cost around $4,000.

He “hemmed and hawed for a little bit” about whether the expense was worth the reward but ultimately decided it was. The Heber Valley Tourism board agreed.

Koecher will be departing for Italy on Wednesday and returning on Feb. 17. 

The group Koecher is in is the only one of four traveling to Cortina d’Ampezzo instead of Milan, chosen as his home base because of its proximity to the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena. 

Soldier Hollow in Midway hosted the biathlon and cross-country skiing competitions during the 2002 games and will host them again in 2034. 

Koecher will bring observations of how the biathlon event and stadium are handled back to leadership from Soldier Hollow. The venue’s general manager, Luke Bodensteiner, will similarly be participating in the Observer Program March 6-11 at the Paralympic Games in Val di Fiemme to study factors like venue security and accessibility.

Koecher will also be shadowing people working at the games.

“One thing I’m going to be doing is a day in the life of the workforce member. How does it work? How do the volunteers work? How does the paid staff work?” he said.

The focus of Koecher’s group is mountain operations and logistics, security and how various venues organize their events for athletes, the public and the media.

Koecher said he may also be allowed to speak with his Cortina d’Ampezzo counterparts, be it the mayor or representatives of the town’s tourism and economic development board.

Wasatch County stakeholders’ hope for the 2034 Games is that the Heber Valley sees economic spillover from observers visiting Soldier Hollow instead of being passed by like during the 2002 Olympics.

As Bodensteiner put it, “Everybody got bussed in from some other town, watched the competition and never really came to town, just drove right through it.”

This next time around, Koecher envisions watch parties, cultural exchange and bustling businesses and restaurants through the entirety of the Olympics and Paralympics.

Koecher’s trip will be his first in-person Olympics since the 2002 Games. He was 17 at the time and lived in Bountiful.

The opening ceremony is forever etched in his mind, from hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” to seeing an American flag recovered from ground zero of the Sept. 11 attacks.

But a much simpler sentiment stuck with Koecher, too.

“It was pretty cool to see how Utah opened its arms to the world,” Koecher said. 

He hopes the Heber Valley can do the same in 2034.

The post Executive director of Heber Valley Tourism is traveling to Cortina d’Ampezzo during Olympics appeared first on Park Record.

The Anti-Gala garnered community support for the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation last week with its annual fundraiser, which supports the foundation’s scholarships and Healthy Communities program.

Between fire pit reunions and inner tubing down the ski jumps, supporters at the ninth annual Anti-Gala on Aug. 7 reflected on the foundation and the Utah Olympic Park as a place they see as both a springboard for Olympic dreams and an open playground where local kids can discover sports that can shape their futures.

“It’s just part of the community, it’s wonderful,” said Vanessa Conabee, a longtime local and former Nordic ski coach at Soldier Hollow. “They do so much for the town, too. The accessibility for people is insane. My kids grew up on the Nordic course.”

Conabee explained that the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, one of the foundation’s three local facilities, has been a staple of her family’s life for years. For Conabee, the foundation is a rare and valuable community organization for a town where skiing can otherwise be prohibitively expensive.

“Think about what you have to do today to go train at Park City Mountain or Snowbird. It’s very difficult. It’s very hard. And this gives a lot more access to training day and night. It’s great, especially since they’ve opened up the West Hill. That is huge,” said Stephen Balog, an alpine racer in the masters program, who trains weekly at the park.

The Balogs live in Sandy but make the trip to the Utah Olympic Park all year to train. As a masters racer, Stephen Balog said one of the highlights is sharing the hill with national teams and university athletes from around the world. The experience made the park a space where young and old athletes could see and learn from the best in the world on their local hill. 

“When the French alpine team was here, Stephen just loved watching them, because they’re watching their form and technique. It’s not only fun for the kids to see stuff like that, but also old folks love it,” said Kimberly, Stephen’s wife.

Greg Schmidt bears no personal connection to the facilities or the sports they support. But for him, the foundation is a community gathering place for friendship and opportunity. 

“It’s great to support an amazing opportunity for kids to train and young people to get outside. It’s part of Park City,” said Schmidt. “We just come here to join our friends and spend some time together. It’s a worthy cause and worthy of being supported.”

Dr. Stuart Willick is a sports medicine physician at the University of Utah Health and a veteran attendee of the annual event. Willick has seen these venues from multiple angles, he said, as a parent, a doctor and a sports administrator.

“The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation is an extraordinary group that does great things for us. The three venues under the umbrella of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation are truly world-class facilities. The Olympic and Paralympic movement is an extraordinary worldwide movement that promotes not just elite sport, but physical activity, health and wellness and recreation for everybody, and it’s great to be a part of it,” said Willick.

Willick’s ties to the Olympic movement run through every part of his life. His kids have trained at the park, and he’s worked the sidelines of countless events, including 10 Olympic and Paralympic Games as a physician, researcher and administrator. For him, the foundation is the backbone that keeps the Olympic spirit thriving long after the Games have moved on.

“Having the Games come to your town, which we did in 2002, is an experience like no other, and so many people are so excited about having the Games come back; it’s going to be phenomenal,” Willick said. “The Olympic and Paralympic movements are good for all. To see countries like Israel, Iran, Iraq march together, compete together and socialize together in the village is just so important.”

For Susan Ring, her connection to the Utah Olympic Park also started with her love of the Olympic Games. She arrived at the height of the 2002 Games preparations after moving to Park City in 1999, and her husband served as the venue manager for Soldier Hollow. 

“For the next Olympic Games, we’ll be volunteers because we’ll be too old to do anything else,” she joked. 

In the years since, Ring said she’s seen firsthand how those facilities continue to shape the region by boosting tourism, giving local kids access to world-class training grounds and offering non-athletes the chance to try Olympic sports. 

“They are very, very important, absolutely. For tourism, as well as for the community itself, leading people to the Olympics, and also for people who are not even into that, they all have the opportunity to try everything out,” said Ring.

After ziplining, ski jump descents and food trucks, the crowds gathered around the stage to hear from the evening’s speakers, Olympians Shannon Bahrke and Chris Mazdzer, and a lineup of local athletes on whom the foundation has had a profound and lasting impact. 

In the spirit of trying everything, local skiers Alli and Lauren Macuga recalled their childhood years spent at the Utah Olympic Park with the freedom to play, learn, and try any sport they chose. 

Today, Lauren is a member of the U.S. Alpine Ski Team and Alli competes on the U.S. Moguls Team. Both credit their rise to the opportunities they had growing up in a town where world-class training venues doubled as a community playground.

“Almost every day,  growing up, all four of us would come here. Our parents would just kind of throw us all in the pool and say, “All right, go do some tricks.” It was amazing. It’s really fabulous. It’s made for us,” said Lauren.

Alli remembered trying nearly every winter sport possible before narrowing her focus to moguls, the event she felt combined almost every one of them. 

“So I tried a lot of sports growing up. I had to go back and remember all of them, and it was about 10 winter sports. At the Utah Olympic Park, I tried slopestyle, I tried half pipe, aerials, big air moguls, obviously, even ski jumping and racing and ski cross. I tried everything. It was so fun to be able to have that opportunity, and so cool to be able to say that now,” said Alli.

Growing up just miles from the Utah Olympic Oval, national speed skater Casey Dawson first learned the sport through local development programs. Dawson now holds the world record in team pursuit and a bronze medal from the 2022 Winter Games. 

Dawson’s path embodies both the foundation’s mission and Park City’s Olympic legacy, where, for him, access to world-class venues was able to turn childhood curiosity into elite achievement.

“I’m a product of Park City, pretty much,” said Dawson. “The Olympics are coming up fast, and I think having these events, having visibility, is just awesome. My goal is to inspire the next generation, keep speed skating on the map, and make something of this community.”

Following in the footsteps of skaters like Dawson is Ezra Mangum, a young speed skater and Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation athlete already setting his sights on the 2034 Games. 

“The speed skaters lit a fire in my heart, and that fire was telling me to do it and be positive,” he said. “The skaters inspired me, so I started, and now I try to inspire people and light a fire in their hearts, too. Remember what makes you special!”

With Olympic dreams to meet, the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation CEO Colin Hilton said the funding and energy that will come with hosting the Olympics again will directly translate into more opportunities for youth programs, athlete development and community recreation.

“It was about a year ago we got awarded the Games to come back in 2034. How does that impact us? More interest, more support, more ability to have legacy impact, and more ability to help our youth engage in sport, which has so much value to build life lessons like setting goals, building confidence,” said Hilton. 

The post Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation builds springboard for futures at Anti-Gala appeared first on Park Record.

Once a venue in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Midway will again be Wasatch County’s claim to fame in the upcoming 2034 Olympics. 

Six events are slotted to take place at Soldier Hollow: biathlon, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, para biathlon and para cross country skiing.

Four other events — freestyle skiing, Nordic combined, snowboarding and para snowboarding — will be hosted in Summit County at Deer Valley Resort, Park City Mountain Resort and Utah Olympic Park. 

In both counties, Olympic venues are undergoing upgrades to meet modern standards for 2034. According to Luke Bodensteiner, Soldier Hollow Nordic Center general manager, the Midway Olympic venue is ahead of schedule. 

“A lot of the venues at Soldier Hollow are almost ready to go. We’re actually really capable of hosting the Olympics as it is,” Bodensteiner said.

Preparations for the first major project — expanding and renovating the nordic center — began three years ago and is now complete. 

The next phase of improvements will happen over the next five or six years. First is the expansion of Soldier Hollow’s automated snowmaking system. Then, it’s building an additional two kilometers of new trails.

According to Bodensteiner, the upgraded snowmaking system is a surefire way to “future-proof” Soldier Hollow’s Nordic skiing. Once the upgrades are made, he said the system will be more sustainable and efficient.

“We’ll be able to make the entire Olympic trail system within a two-week window,” Bodensteiner said. 

The snowmaking project alone will cost nearly $7 million, but that pales in comparison to the costs of designing the venue for the 2002 Winter Olympics. 

The venue initially cost $22 million to construct. Today, that’s equivalent to about $38.5 million.

Before Soldier Hollow’s construction, Midway was chosen as a venue location because it met altitude and environmental standards for the Utah-based 2002 Olympics. Most winter Olympic events are held at low or moderate altitude levels, and Bodensteiner said the limit has now changed where venues cannot be higher than 2,000 meters. Midway sits at about 1,700 meters. 

Bodensteiner said that the consistent snowpack levels and that Soldier Hollow is part of Wasatch Mountain State Park made it an easy choice for an Olympic venue again in 2034. 

Since its spotlight moment in 2002, Soldier Hollow has kept up with hosting national and world-cup level competitions, as well as providing local accessibility to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. In the summer, Soldier Hollow is host to an international sheepdog competition, which sees competitors from 19 countries and more than 13,000 spectators. 

Bodensteiner said Soldier Hollow hosts up to eight biathlon competitions annually with one national-level competition a year and a world-cup level competition every five years or so. This year, the venue is gearing up for the cross country junior national championships.

The Nordic center also has about 500 kids who participate in ski programs.

“I can see that number going up as kids get more interested in the Olympics. … We’ve expanded the venue into mountain bike competitions as well,” Bodensteiner said. “I think one of the things that the community appreciates is it brings a lot of people to the area. Holding these events gives a real economic boost to the Heber Valley.” 

The city of Midway, affectionately dubbed “Little Switzerland” by locals, saw a boom of tourism with the 2002 Olympics and up to 99,000 spectators at the peak of the Winter Games. That was when Midway had half the population it does now with about 2,560 residents total. 

And Midway’s involvement in the Olympics is building. As of Sept. 14, 2023, the U.S. Biathlon announced its intention to relocate headquarters from New Gloucester, Maine, to Soldier Hollow. 

“We are excited to expand our footprint westward and join the Utah Olympic Community,” U.S. Biathlon President and CEO Jack Gierhart said in a press release. “We are looking forward to engaging with the greater Heber Valley and Utah community and expanding our support of the vibrant and growing biathlon communities around the country.”

They completed the move in summer 2024. U.S. Biathlon Communications Manager Sara Donatello said that by relocating headquarters to Midway, there is a presence in each region around the country. U.S. Biathlon’s national team is based in Lake Placid, New York, and the junior national team is based in Bozeman, Montana. 

“The Western region has a thriving Nordic community and a growing biathlon population, so moving our headquarters to Soldier Hollow allows us to more effectively support and grow our clubs and development programs,” Donatello said. 

As far as the 2034 Olympics go, Donatello said that Soldier Hollow has “done a fantastic job keeping the 2002 Olympic venues at Olympic standards. Donatello said that could be seen at the 2024 Soldier Hollow BMW IBU World Cup Biathlon, which saw more than 11,000 spectators during the three-day event. 

“Utah has the means to host the world again and we applaud the bid committee’s work to bring the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games back to the U.S.!” Donatello said. “We will see the release of the next international biathlon calendar this spring, and expect to see Soldier Hollow back on the IBU stage in the years leading up to 2034.”

The post Soldier Hollow will again be an Olympic hot spot appeared first on Park Record.

For kids looking to test their skills or gain new ones on snow, Soldier Hollow Nordic Center offers opportunities for any skill level.

The Kickers and Gliders program in particular is for 6-11 year olds looking to get into cross country skiing. Participants learn the basics of skate and classic skiing, and build a foundation for continued growth and participation in the sport. 

Last year, 120 kids participated in the program, which begins Jan. 6 and ends the final week of February. This year the program hopes to bring the number of participating kids closer to 150, said Gerrit Garberich, senior program manager and COMP Biathlon head coach.

“Mostly we’re targeting kids in the Heber Valley who are in that elementary and middle school range,” said Garberich, “trying to get them to come out and at least give it a try. And then, if they like it, hopefully sign up for a program and do it for life, because it’s a great lifelong sport that’s easy on the body and keeps you fit and healthy.”

Identifying obstacles kids might face in joining the program, Garberich explained that they are able to provide some transportation from schools and pickup spots. 

“We have a 44-passenger bus and three 12-passenger vans that we are eager to drive around to the local schools if needed to pick up kids to come ski,” he said. “We’re currently planning on running it to the Soldier Hallow charter school on Monday and Wednesday, and to Midway Elementary on Tuesday and Thursday. But definitely open to adding a few more schools, and we’re also trying to get the district to run a school bus from each school having a drop off spot be at Soldier Hollow.”

This year, parallel with the goal to increase participation, they aim to reach more Latino families. 

“We have some underrepresented populations. The Latino community is certainly underrepresented in skiing programs out here,” said Luke Bodensteiner, two-time Olympian and general manager at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center. “That’s something we’ve been working to change.”

With eyes on the 2034 Olympics, Bodensteiner said they want to increase diversity in their programs and get kids excited about participating in sport. 

“The vision of the Olympics is really to elevate our communities, elevate sport and elevate the Games experience,” he said. “When we talk about elevating our communities, we need a few things. One is inspiring the youth, right? Having that event come to our community is going to be inspirational for a lot of kids, they’re going to want to figure out how to take part in the sports before or in particular after the Olympics, and we’re here to open the door for kids to participate that way.”

Bodensteiner said they want to channel the energy of the Olympics and Paralympics into opportunities for kids to participate in sport while embracing all abilities and interests, and “give them a home out here to participate in what we think is a really healthy winter sport.”

Under the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, Soldier Hollow Nordic Center aims to create accessibility by offering scholarships to families that need financial assistance. 

This year, through the financial support of the Wasatch Community Foundation, there are 20 spots available to Latino kids at a cost of $25 for the season. 

As a coach, Garberich is able to share not only his experience with the kids but also his enthusiasm for the sport, which has led him to many places, including Soldier Hollow from his home state of Minnesota. 

“Learning to ski and learning to recreate in Utah with some of the greatest snow on Earth I think is an important thing to be healthy and happy in the winter months,” he said. “But then also, they’ll learn skills like problem solving, develop habits like exercising regularly and challenging themselves, both physically and mentally at practice.”

In addition to the Kickers and Gliders program, two other ski programs are offered at Soldier Hollow. DEVO is designed for 10-14 year olds just starting out cross country skiing or for those who want to progress their skiing from Kickers and Gliders. And COMP for athletes 14-22 years old to further develop their skills. 

“We also have biathlon for middle school-aged kids and high school-aged kids, so that would be cross country skiing and precision shooting of the 22 long rifle,” said Garberich. “We’re one of the only places in the country where you can do that, so it’s pretty cool. And we also have a program for cyclists who do a little cross training with us in the off-season. So they’ll cross country, ski, weightlift and ride their bike indoors, and that runs from January to May.”

For more information, visit utaholympiclegacy.org/location/soldier-hollow.

To register for the Kickers and Gliders program, visit the following links:

• Monday and Wednesday Program, Jan. 6-Feb. 26: Pick up will be offered from the Soldier Hollow Charter School for anyone who registers for the Monday/Wednesday program. (74 spots available) bondsports.co/activity/programs/CO_ED-youth-SKIING/2578
• Tuesday and Thursday Program, Jan. 7-Feb. 27: Pickup will be offered from Midway Elementary School for anyone who registers for the Tuesday/Thursday Program. (55 spots available) bondsports.co/activity/programs/CO_ED-youth-SKIING/2581
• A Spanish translated registration program that runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays and with financial support from the Wasatch Community Foundation, $25. (Only 20 spots available) bondsports.co/activity/programs/CO_ED-youth-OTHER/5340

The post Soldier Hollow cross country ski program aims to reach more kids this season appeared first on Park Record.

Sweden’s Anna Dyvik skied to her second gold of the week, winning the women’s 10k freestyle at the USANA FIS U23 Cross Country World Championships at Soldier Hollow on Thursday. Dyvik took a 16.8-second win over Norway’s silver medalist Tirol Udnes Weng with Lovise Heimdal winning bronze.

It was the second gold for Dyvik, who won the opening classic sprint on Tuesday – her first career U23 medals. In 2014, she was a part of the gold medal relay for Sweden at Junior World Championships and won bronze that same year in the skiathlon.

It was the first U23 medal for Weng, who is a four-time Junior Worlds medalist. Heimdal also has a Junior Worlds relay bronze to her credit.

The race was run under overcast skies with light rain during a portion of the race, but track conditions remained firm.

Kelsey Phinney (Sun Valley, Utah) of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation was the top American in 30th.

For the second-straight day, Russia came away with a podium sweep – this time in the men’s 15k freestyle on Thursday afternoon. Alexander Bolshunov took gold with a 21.8-second margin over teammate Alexey Chervotkin, who took silver. Bronze went to Denis Spitsov.

Running last in the field for the interval start race, Cervotkin provided drama in the final stage of the race, crossing the line to take silver and bumping Andorra’s Irneu Esteve Altimiras into fourth, completing the podium sweep.

The Russian U23 team had been motivated by the similar podium sweep by the Junior Worlds team from Russia a day earlier in the 10k freestyle.

The gold was Bolshunov’s second medal of the U23 Championships, having won silver in the classic sprint two days ago.

The USA was led by Paddy Caldwell (Lyme Center, New Hampshire) of Stratton Mountain School, who was ninth. He had been 21st and 15th in the same event the last two years at U23 World Championships.

The post Swede earns second U23 gold, Russia sweeps men’s race appeared first on Park Record.

The Park City High School golf team won their ninth-straight state championship at Soldier Hollow Thursday afternoon, Oct. 6, 2016. (Tanzi Propst/Park Record)

The post PHOTOS: PCHS Wins 9th-Straight Championship appeared first on Park Record.