Get ready to have your kids’ socks blown off. The US Luge Association/Youth Sports Alliance After School Luge Program kicks off at the end of October so if you’ve got boys and girls with nuts of steel sign them up now. The luge program at the Utah Olympic Park is designed specifically for youth ages 8-13 (minimum height 52 inches), who have never been on a sled before.

Athletes start at Curve 12, the lowest point on the track to run sleds, and move up from there. They’ll take the first few runs on the last 4 curves (bottom 1/4) of the track. Once everyone is comfortable, they move up the track to the Tourist Start (one curve and straightaway higher).
The Learn to Luge program runs for three consecutive Fridays with registered participants sliding on all three of the dates. Athletes who drool for more are then invited to continue training with the Wasatch Luge Club’s Youth Training Program (meets Saturday nights). If you haven’t figured it out, this program can lead directly to national level competitions, maybe even the Olympics.

Transportation to the Utah Olympic Park (UOP) and athlete pick up from the UOP after sliding will need to be done by parents. For students attending Ecker Hill Middle School transportation to and from the UOP is provided. All athletes (students) need to be at the UOP by 2:00 PM. They will slide from 2:30-4:00 and be available for pick up at 4:00 PM. Parents are gladly invited to stay and watch.

PROGRAM DETAILS

Dates: October 30, November 6, and November 13

Time:
Arrive UOP 2:00 PM
Slide 2:30-4:00 PM
Available for pick up 4:00 PM

Cost:
$100, includes all equipment, coaching, track fees, and membership to USA Luge.

For questions or to get a registration packet call Jon Owen at the USA Luge Park City office, 435-647-3800 or email parkcityluge@usaluge.org. Registration deadline is October 16th.

To make sure everyone knows that you can get a drink in Park City the semi-annual PC Cocktails Contest is back. Park City bars (or restaurants) will sign up online to show off their stuff. Two hundred bucks, a marketing campaign and bragging rights are up for grabs in this summer’s semi-annual event.

Mixologists who think they’ve got what it takes to craft the top cocktail of the season will vie for a chance to be crowned Park City’s top bartender, take home a cool $200, and other perks. But visitors get the real treat. Starting July 1, drink enthusiasts will have four weeks to sample and then vote online for their favorite libations, rating each they taste on a 1-to-10 scale judging both flavor and presentation. Online voting will run through July 31 on the PCARA website, www.parkcityrestaurants.com.

Last year, High West Distillery & Saloon’s “Mustang Shandy” took the top prize, beating out more than a dozen other competitors with a combination of High West Son of Bourye, High West Campfire-infused honey syrup, fresh lemon juice and Boulevard Tank & Farmhouse Ale.

“Online voting was a huge success last year,” PCARA executive director Ginger Ries said. “We are very excited to see how the contest unfolds, and we can’t wait to crown the winner.”

Previously, the PCARA’s cocktail contests were held on one night at a venue in downtown Park City where a panel of guest judges picked the winning libation from just 16 participating bars and restaurants. You had to buy a ticket to the event.

Under the online-voting format, everyone gets a chance to participate in mixing or drinking around town and crowning Park City’s summer cocktail champion. “Any PCARA bar and restaurant can enter, and any patron can vote,” Ries said. “We think this approach works out really well for both our members and for all their guests — and we’re especially looking forward to tasting each of the entries.”

The winning cocktail and its creator will be featured in a marketing campaign following the contest leading into PCARA’s popular Fall “Dine About” event. He or she will also walk away with a cash prize and some serious bragging rights. You can bet there will be some ‘stiff’ competition. J

I’m not built for 300 bottles of wine. But if I must make an effort, so be it. It’s been 11 whole years since the first Park City Food and Wine Classic Stroll debuted on Main Street and the support its gotten is impressive. It started as a down-home, locally organized shindig to drum up some numbers for Park City pre-August but the event has actually earned the respect of more established wine events.

Filled with an unusual collection of seminars and tastings like the SUP and Suds (standup paddleboarding and drinking), Hike and Hops, Phat Tires and Phat Wines, and Veuve and Vinyasa, the Classic does an effective job of melding what Park City’s known for (outdoor adventure) with what most people don’t expect (drinking alcohol).

I barely scratched the surface of the vineyards decorating Main Street for the Stroll of Park City last year. I was the rare bird, bee-lining for the food before the wine. I’m a total lightweight. After just my first three mini glasses things were starting to taste alike. It would be more of a wobble than a stroll without food in my system.

The ticket prices for the Park City Food and Wine Classic Stroll are hefty ($95) and there’s a time limit (3 – 7 p.m.). I had to move quickly. I picked up my pass at the Kimball Art Center, busted over to Zoom, where I enjoyed the Irony red and the mushroom puffs, then decked the deck at Butchers Chophouse sipping a fruity Bacardi mixture along with my wine tastings. At High West distillery, I popped a fried popper and dragged on a whiskey lemonade and Pinot Noir, etc. The “epicurean extravaganza” was definitely more of an oenophile extravaganza with at least three wine stations at each of the nine restaurant stops. By the time I made it to upper Main Street, 350 Main and Gallery MAR had run out of food and more than a few guests were complaining. Personally, I had filled up on bacon-wrapped steak at Butcher’s Chophouse, chips at The Mustang, melon gazpacho at Riverhorse and – my favorite – beef panang curry from Bangkok Thai.

Chicken skewers at Zoom.

The three-day Classic brings in master winemakers, culinary greats and distinguished guests from Baltimore to San Diego; giving them an excuse to vacation in Park City in July. It culminates with a Grand Tasting event but if you ask me the Stroll is way more fun!

The “spittoon”

Photo courtesy Hugger Industries

High West Distillery, Utah’s first legal distillery since 1870, will host four signature events including the opening-night party of the Park City Food and Wine Classic to highlighting High West’s award-winning all-American spirits and it’s new spot at Blue Sky Ranch.

“We’re really looking forward to the return of the classic this summer,” High West Proprietor David Perkins said. “It’s such a blast every season, bringing together so many top chefs and food enthusiasts from around the world, and we’re especially excited to be showcasing four events this summer.”

The July 9 opener will showcase Perkins’ new state-of-the-art distillery at Blue Sky- as yet unopened to the public. High West executive chef James Dumas and his kitchen crew will serve an array of culinary creations, each crafted to complement High West’s award-winning spirits and Blue Sky’s stunning views and ranch experience. Wine experts will also be around with a selection of international and domestic wines and they will have live music to boot. Tickets cost $165, and the event runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Another classic event returns to Blue Sky on Friday, July 10, from 12-2:30 p.m., for “Moonshine on the Mountain.” Spend the afternoon in a veritable whiskey academy, learning about (and tasting) single malts, bourbons, and ryes, paired with food. Perkins will be on hand, and a VIP tour of the new distillery will follow the luncheon. Tickets cost $95.

On Saturday, July 11, join High West for “Reds, Rye and Ramble,” a hike led by High West ambassadors that offers breathtaking views of Park City. The trek starts at Park City Mountain Resort and weaves through dramatic aspen forests, ending at High West for lunch and winetasting with Moniker Wine Estates. After the meal, enjoy a signature High West cocktail and tour of the distilling operation in the historic building. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and tickets cost $95.

Join High West in closing the weekend with the “Hair of the Dog Road Ride” on Sunday, July 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dumas, Perkins and festival founder Jason Ornstein take you on an intermediate-to-advanced 25-mile road ride through scenic stretches of Park City and Deer Valley. Then after sweating out those ‘toxins’, wolf down lunch – and one last irresistible cocktail to cap off an indulgent weekend. Tickets cost $95. Riders are asked to meet at High West Saloon at 703 Park Avenue at 9:45 a.m.

Unlike other food and wine festivals, Park City’s incorporates our mountain adventure lifestyle so you don’t have to feel guilty imbibing. More than two dozen food and wine tastings, seminars, bike rides, hikes, fishing excursions and more are all led by world-renowned experts in Park City’s famous Wasatch Mountains. “This event blends the absolute best of Park City: outstanding food and drinks, and world-class outdoors,” said Jason Ornstein, owner of Team Player Productions, which organizes the Food & Wine Classic.

Ticket prices range from $50 to $225, and can be purchased by visiting the Classic’s website. Act fast – most events sell out quickly.

Proceeds from ticket sales benefit the People’s Health Clinic, a nonprofit that provides healthcare for uninsured individuals and families in Utah’s Summit and Wasatch counties. Last year, the classic raised more than $30,000 for the clinic. In all, Team Player Productions has raised more than $2 million for local charities.