Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Soldier Hollow in the Heber Valley hosted Nordic Skiing and the Biathlon during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Utah. You can still ski there in the winter, but Soldier Hollow can be a bustling place all year-round.
The world's best Nordic skiers and biathletes thrilled crowds at Soldier Hollow in 2002. Six years later, many biathletes swear it's the best place to train. The National Guard has a program that trains past and future Olympians there, and community groups regularly get their first feel for the sport there.
Sgt. 1st Class Shawn Blanke said, "I don't know where else I'd take my team to train other than Soldier Hollow, a place that has roller, ski, and a live fire Olympic-class range where we can combine the skills."
More unusual is the phenomenally popular sport of sheepdog competition. The Bank of the West Soldier Hollow Classic is now the largest event of its kind, drawing more than 20,000 spectators last year. The event director, Mark Petersen, said, "This event has become the premier event of its kind because of the venue."
Working dogs start their show there a week from today. "Utahns love the Olympics, Utahns love this event; 85 percent of our spectators come from the Wasatch Front," Petersen said.
One of the ongoing uses for Soldier Hollow that may surprise you is that there's a charter school there for children from kindergarten to eighth grade. Fourth-grader Jessica O'Hara said, "It's an awesome school. We get out, we exercise, we ski and hike and do lots and lots of things."
The broadcasting tower is the school house. The ski course is their outdoor lab. It opened six months after the Olympics. Howard Peterson, the Soldier Hollow general manager, said, "It's grown every year, there's a waiting list to get in. About 200 students, all of whom ski up to four times a week."
Soldier Hollow is self-sustaining and adding to its activities all the time. Last year it welcomed more than 120,000 paying guests. "One thing that was so important to us as a legacy is that there's something for everybody, every age, every ability."
The Soldier Hollow Classic Starts next Friday and runs through Labor Day.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
