PARK CITY, UTAH
OLYMPIC ASPIRATIONS
V iewing a 28 degree ski slope from the side is daunting. It looks like the kind of slope you’d like to take smooth, wide turns in, your skis gripping into a nice layer of groomed powder. Seeing the skiers coming down and negotiating the narrow 28 degrees of pitch on the freestyle mogul course at the Visa Freestyle International Ski World Cup was quite the contrast - it bordered on terrifying. Out of the gate, they go right into a set of moguls, being judged on technique and speed. Then, there’s a waist-high kicker ramp, landing
resorts located within 10 minutes of downtown and an average of more than 25 feet of annual snowfall, it’s no wonder the U.S. Ski Team calls Park City home. The competitors this year featured former and future Olympic athletes competing to be the best in the world, with a rousing crowd at the bottom of the hill, VIP party tent, and loudspeakers pumping up the skiers, adding to the festive winter atmosphere. It’s just another facet of this fabled ski town that loves to have a good time.
immediately into a middle section of moguls, another ramp, moremoguls and then the finish line, with 20 percent of their score placed on tricks performed off the jumps. The event requires razor sharp concentration, strength, and nerves. In 2018, Deer Valley, an upscale, skiers-only resort in Park City, hosted the 20th year of international and world ski competitions, including events of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, two World Championships, and 16 World Cups, cementing the resorts and town’s credibility as both a producer and host of world-class talent. With several ski
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