Do-it-yourself Olympics
by Peter Rosen“It’s beautiful. It zigzags. It’s very open,” says Valerie Ciptak, a first-time skier who’s more accustomed to navigating New York’s sidewalks. “The buzz is really here and you can feel it.”
Ciptak glides across the snow at 4 to 5 miles per hour, 15 if she’s really motoring. The Olympic skiers could reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour — in grueling competitions from intense sprints to 50-kilometer marathons to ski-and-shoot biathlons.
Site: Soldier Hollow, Wasatch Mountain State Park.
Cost: Adults $15, children under 12 free. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Season: December to January.
Details: (435) 654-2002,
www.soldierhollow.orgthe olympic winter games of 2002the games commence february 8 and run through february 24 in
salt lake city and surrounding areas. more than 2,300 athletes from some 80 countries are expected to compete. it might take a miracle or a small fortune to get tickets for some events, but for details, call (800) 842-5388 or log on to
www.saltlake2002.com. the salt lake organizing committee is selling individual tickets, packages, and ticket and lodging combinations through various vendors. there are also online ticket auctions. —
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