Dig out that old Roots 2002 beret and find the green jello pin. The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation and local Olympic venues are hosting special events during the next couple of weeks to commemorate the 20-year anniversary of the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Here are six ways you can reignite your Olympic spirit.
Visit the Olympic Cauldron at Rice-Eccles Stadium
Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Cauldron Park • 451 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, 801-581-8849, saltlake2002.com
Located at Rice-Eccles Stadium, visitors can see the Olympic Cauldron up close and see the art gallery and video kiosk that displays stories and images honoring the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Games.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Olympic cauldron is lit up on the 20-year anniversary of the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Opening Ceremony at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022.
Skate or Curl on the fastest ice on Earth at the Utah Olympic Oval
Utah Olympic Oval • 5662 Cougar Ln., Kearns, 801-968-6825, utaholympiclegacy.org
On Friday, Feb. 18, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Salt Lake Olympic Games, there will be an ice skating show and demo from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. before public skating begins. In 2002, 10 speed skating records and nine world records were set there during the Winter Olympic Games. This 400-meter ice oval holds more Olympic world records than anywhere else, but you don’t have to be an athlete to take advantage of its glory. The Oval is open for public skating Monday through Saturday. 2-hour on-ice curling classes are available Friday and Saturday evenings and use the same stones that were used in the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Ski the Olympic Downhill Course at Snowbasin Resort
Snowbasin Resort • 3925 Snowbasin Rd., Huntsville, 801-620-1000, snowbasin.com • Adult Single-Day Tickets start at $135
(Kim Raff | The New York Times) A skier descends Grizzly, the course where the men's 2002 Olympic downhill competition was run, at the Snowbasin resort in Utah, Feb. 1, 2020. Head north from Salt Lake City to visit Snowbasin and Powder Mountain, relatively undiscovered gems of the state's ski scene.
There are few places you can still ski Olympic Downhill Courses and fortunately, Snowbasin Resort is home to one of them. Advanced and expert skiers can take the Allen Peak Tram atop the John Paul quad to start the Men’s Grizzly Downhill course at 9,289-feet and descend two miles down to the bottom of the run. The nearby Women’s Downhill Course, also known as Wildflower, is frequently groomed and is slightly less steep, but is just as much fun to speed down. Less advanced skiers and snowboarders can partake of the resort’s other snowy slopes and all levels can enjoy the lodge amenities, such as the many fireplaces and tasty fare.
Enjoy a staycation at the Grand America Hotel
Grand America Hotel • 555 S. Main St., Salt Lake City, 800-304-8696, grandamerica.com • Rooms and Suites are available from $379
Built to welcome the world to the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, The Grand America Hotel remains Salt Lake City’s only five-star hotel. This 24-story hotel features 775 rooms and suites and has 700 chandeliers — some hanging above the indoor pool and hot tub. Make time to dine at the newly opened Laurel Brasserie & Bar. The European-inspired restaurant is open for early morning coffee, breakfast, lunch, happy hour, dinner, and Sunday brunch. Visit the Gibson Girl Lounge for after-dinner drinks in a classy atmosphere that subtly elicits Olympics reminiscing.
Ride the Comet Bobsled at the Utah Olympic Park
3419 Olympic Pkwy, Park City, 435-658-4200, utaholympiclegacy.org • $195 per person (riders must be 16+ years of age and 100+ lbs. to ride, through April 10, 2022)
(Grayson West | Tribune file photo) The German team of Andre Lange takes their third run of the four-man bobsled at the Utah Olympic Park during the 2002 Games. Team Germany won the gold medal.
The track hosted the bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton events during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Visitors can get a taste of the Olympic spirit by taking a ride on the Comet Bobsled at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City. Hitting speeds of 70 to 80 mph means the experience lasts less than one minute, but what a minute it is. Riders are paired with professional drivers who safely steer the sleigh down the race track. While at this venue, visitors can also explore the Eccles Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games Museum, which features a virtual reality ski theater, games, topographical maps, and galleries of visual highlights from the 2002 games.
Try the Biathlon Experience at Soldier Hollow
2002 Soldier Hollow Ln., Midway, 435-709-3469, utaholympiclegacy.org • $125 - $195 per person
On the final day of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, athletes raced 50 kilometers on the course at Soldier Hollow. Today, visitors can go Nordic (cross-country) skiing, winter tubing, or try the biathlon experience. Visitors can challenge themselves to a Grand Tour of between 12 and 16 kilometers or choose something more casual on the Nordic track. To have an authentic biathlon experience, cross-country skiers or snowshoers can hire a private coach and learn to shoot a .22 caliber rifle during a short competition biathlon course.
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