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Utah's Unique Bobsled Track
On January 10th, 1997, Olympian Jon Owen got on a luge sled and was first to rocket down the track at the Utah Olympic Park. Since then, over 80,000 runs have been made on this icy track. Alema Harrington reports.
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(Nov. 10, 2001)------Craig Lehto/Utah Olympic Park Director: "WELL, YOU HAVE A VERY BIASED OPINION WITH ME. I THINK IT'S THE COOLEST VENUE OF THE WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES."
It snakes it's way down the mountain-- over 4300 feet long.
It has a lot of curves-- 15 in all-- 7 to the left, 8 to the right.
Sixty-two water hydrants feed this thin, white serpent, and you can see almost every inch of that unforgiving ice with any one of the 36 course cameras.
Every spring it melts away and dies. Every fall, it is resurrected once again.
All of it couldn't make Craig Lehto prouder.
CRAIG: "OH, VERY MUCH SO. WE WORKED VERY HARD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS BEING HERE AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS FOR AFTER THE GAMES, MAKE SURE IT WORKS BEFORE THE GAMES, AND MAKE SURE IT WORKS REALLY WELL DURING THE GAMES."
The Utah Olympic Park bobsled track in Park City belongs to an exclusive club. It's one of 15 used in the world.
CRAIG: "BUT BEING STATE OF THE ART, BEING THE NEWEST TRACK IN THE WORLD, OR ONE OF THE NEWEST TRACKS IN THE WORLD, IT'S , IT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED. IT'S STATE OF THE ART AND WE GET VERY, VERY HIGH SPEEDS."
CRAIG: "WE'VE ACTUALLY SET A WORLD RECORD IN LUGE RIGHT NOW."
And even though it's a bit shorter than most, it will test the best come February.
CRAIG: "WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE QUITE A LONGER TRACK IT MAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFERENCE. BUT I THINK THAT'S A KEY TO THIS TRACK IS GOOD STARTS AND GOOD PUSH TIMES FOR THE COMPETITIVE ATHLETES."
Sleds rip down this course at over 85 miles per hour.
That's right. Top to bottom, it's over in well less than a minute.
And even though rain currently falls instead of snow, Craig isn't bothered a bit.
CRAIG: "WELL IT'S NOT A FEAR FOR US. WE HAVE A GOOD ABILITY TO BATTLE MOTHER NATURE, THAT'S FOR SURE."
CRAIG: "SO EVEN A VERY WARM FEBRUARY DOESN'T INTIMIDATE US VERY MUCH."
There are over 60 miles of refrigeration tubing wrapping itself in and out and all around this "quick-strip." It's all used in making that important ice.
CRAIG: "THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SECRETS BUT THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF HARD WORK. WE'VE GOT A BIG CREW ON THE TRACK THAT DOES A FANTASTIC JOB. AND REALLY, EXPERIENCE DOES HELP. THE ONE UNIQUE THING THAT WE HAVE ABOUT THIS TRACK IS WE'RE FIVE YEARS, FIVE AND HALF YEARS, OF BUILDING ICE ON IT, WHICH IS NOT TYPICAL FOR AN OLYMPIC TRACK."
So for the lucky souls with a ticket, this venue will simply rock your world.
CRAIG: "YEAH, IT'LL BE FANTASTIC! EVERYBODY WILL HAVE A FRONT ROW SEAT. THAT'S WHAT IS SO UNIQUE. YOU'RE WITHIN FIVE TO SIX FEET AWAY FROM A SLED GOING 85 MPH, SO YOU GET TO SEE AND FEEL WHAT THE SPORT IS ALL ABOUT. YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET RIGHT UP AT THE START AND SEE ATHLETES START. WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT VIEWING AREAS AT THE FINISH WHICH IS VERY UNIQUE FOR A TRACK AS WELL. SO YOUR EXPOSURE TO THE SPORT--START, FINISH AND MIDDLE, WILL BE FANTASTIC."
Hopefully most of you will have tickets to either men's or women's bobsled up at the Utah Olympic Park come February.
