Hi Jackson and Riley.  Are you ready for today’s report?

This is where we went today.

This is where they had the 2002 ski jumping, bobsled, luge and skeleton races for the Olympics.

They now use it to train athletes on the U.S. Olympic Team.

This is a four man bobsled.  It costs $100,000 to build!  They build it then cut it

into two pieces (see where it is apart in the front.)  After they cut it apart

they put it back together with some rubbery stuff.  That lets the driver turn the

front part of the bobsled so he can guide it.

The red piece of equipment is a 2-man luge.  You lay down on your back.  Looking at the picture, your feet would be next to that silver thingee and your head would be at the back.  You wear

a strap hooked to your chin to hold your head up so you can see where you are going.

The one in the middle is a one man luge.

The one on the right is for a skeleton race.  On that one, you lay on your belly

with your head AT THE FRONT so your chin is just inches away from

the ice.  Our guide told us those athletes always have bruised chins.  I guess so!

If you google "luge photos" you can see people on a luge -- for skeleton you need to add

"olympic skeleton photo" or you'll get real pictures of skeletons!

Now we'll talk about ski jumping.  This is where they learn to ski jump.

They start teaching them at 7 years old.  They are usually around 10 or 11 when they

get to these jumps!  That would be some brave ski jumpers!

At the bottom there is a ramp that launches them up

into the air so they can do their flips.  It's hard to read the signs, but the little

ramp on the right that says Park City is for the younger kids. 

The big ramp on the left that says Salt Lake City is for

the real athletes to practice their jumps.

And this is where they land while they are learning.  Their skis, boots and

poles all go in the water with them!  You would think because the going

downhill part is so steep you would go out of the pool.  But, the ramp shoots you

up so high, they never go past the red ball in the center.  They must go

really high!

This is the ski jumping area they used at the Olympics.  The one on the

left is for girls and the one on the right is for boys.  The narrow part

at the top is where they take off and the wide part is where they land.

If you have a great jump you will land in the part that has blue

on the sides.  (You'll probably have to double click the pic to see that.)

The building on the left is where the judges sit.  It is right where the skiers jump so they can see the jump perfectly.

It looked tall from the bottom, but boy of boy did it look tall from the top!  Do you

see the bottom part where the white strip ends?  That's where they take off and fly!  They can't see

where they are going to land.  That's why they learn in the pool.  It doesn't hurt if

you don't get your jump exactly right.

You put your skis in these tracks to be sure you don't go crooked.

It's kind of like the rails in the gutters at the bowling alley. 

I would DEFINITELY need those.

This is the green stuff they land on - layers and layers of it.  It is very smooth and keeps

skis moving.

This is a picture of this very ramp at the 2002 Olympics.

They built temporary stands around it that held 20,000 people!

The skiers are at the top and the stands are at the bottom.

That would be so much fun to watch!

 

The next two pictures are of the top of the luge/bobsled track.

It goes down fast!

 The track is VERY long.  It is made our of materials that are

connected to a "freezer."  It causes water to freeze, covering the track.  In

October they put 80,000 gallons of water on the track to freeze.  Then

they leave the freezer "on" until March.  It costs between $8,000

and $10,000 A DAY for the electricity to run the freezer.

There are people who work at the park that are constantly

inspecting the ice and smoothing it out with tools by hand

so the athletes can go faster.

Uncle Murray LOVES to watch the Olympics on tv, so he knows how to

get in this 2-man sled from the 2002 Olympics.  First you push it to get ready to

jump in while it's moving.

Then you jump in.  He has that second step just right.  Can't quite complete the

third step of sitting in the bobsled.  Let's just say it wasn't

built for him!

Uncle Murray is in the museum with his all-time favorite winter olympic

sport - curling.  It is a cross between bowling, billiards, and mopping/sweeping

the kitchen floor.  For me, it's kind of boring - but so is Nascar.  What

do I know?  (I think the real reason he likes it is because it's on for about

ten days while he is working.)

And finally, here is Uncle Murray with the torch used to light the flame. 

Wouldn't that be cool to actually carry the flame?

Well, that's our adventure for today.  Stay tuned tomorrow for more!

Love you - Uncle Murray and Aunt Donde