BEAR HOLLOW -- Brian Tolbert is an Olympic "wannabe" in the best way.
The 17-year-old Heber City mountain-biking and skiing enthusiast was recruited recently by SLOC youth sports director Bob Bills to host a winter "Wannabe" camp program, in which adults participate in sports activities at venues sites for the 2002 Winter Games.Bills tabbed Tolbert as a natural for skeleton, the new-for-2002 Olympic event in which sliders ride a 100-pound sled headfirst down a bobsled/luge track -- in this case, the mile-long Utah Winter Sports Park track.
Less than two weeks into the test program, Bills had two success stories. First, he was sure the Wannabe clinics would be a hit. And second, this Tolbert kid -- with his aggressive, competitive nature and knack for following downhill lines in cycling and skiing -- was tearing up the track with his fast runs.
Bills arranged for Tolbert to work out for national coaches, and the result was an invitation for the Heber teen to join the U.S. Skeleton development team. Not only has Tolbert been taken in by older teammates as one of their own, he's posting some impressive times -- regularly in the 53-second range.
So, how does the senior at Wasatch High School describe his newfound sport to his friends? "It's hard to explain," Tolbert said. "I usually have to bring them up here and show them."
And their response?
"You're nuts."
Not with the chance to compete in this year's national skeleton championships, scheduled for early January at the Utah Winter Sports Park. That's Tolbert's short-term goal, and he has his eye on vying for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team two winters from now.
That's even four years ahead of what Bills has envisioned as he tries to increase exposure of Utah's Olympic venues. "We want to keep Utah youth in the sport so we can have local athletes in the 2006 and 2010 Olympics," said Bills, a former world-class aerials skier.
To help with the sport and venue exposure and the funding of youth programs, SLOC has kicked off its Wannabe Program for adults, with the high-energy, rapid-talking Bills as its coordinator. Fees from the Wannabe Program fees first cover venue and personnel costs (coaches and team members double as coaches and trainers at the Wannabe clinics), with proceeds then directed to the SLOC youth programs.
Wannabes can choose their level of participation in sports such as skeleton, bobsled, freestyle aerials or ski jumping. "Not everyone is going to want to control their own destiny," said Bills. "But there are those who want to jump right in."
And drive, whether it be a two-man bobsled down the Olympic course at the Utah Winter Sports Park or -- get this -- a 9,000-pound Zamboni as it resurfaces the rink at The Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, another Olympic venue.
A four-hour clinic to learn to drive the Zamboni is already attracting considerable interest in its first-year offering, said Bills, who likens it to operating "a giant power tool."
Peggy Ann Smith of Park City is another Wannabe veteran. After watching her daughter, Jill Bakken of the U.S. Bobsled Team, train at the Utah Winter Sports Park, Smith jumped at the invitation to try her hand -- and, for that matter, her whole body -- at the sport of skeleton.
A wide-eyed Bakken tried her best to dissuade her 51-year-old mother from hurtling face forward down the icy track, but Smith asked her daughter to be as supportive as she had been with bobsledding. "Skeleton looked like something I could do for fun," says Smith, ever trying to get others to give the sport a shot.
If the hands-on experience and train-with-the-team opportunities of the Wannabe Program seems daunting to the faint-of-heart, the public passenger-ride programs are also available -- a single-person "Rocket" ride or a two-passenger ticket in a four-man bobsled down the Utah Winter Sports Park track.
Pat Brown, coach with the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, points to the park's course a one-of-a-kind opportunity in the United States for the public to get a taste of Olympic bobsledding, since the entire track at Lake Placid, N.Y., isn't open to the public. "This is the full ride down the Olympic course," said Brown.
For local winter-sports enthusiastics or those willing to give new sports a go, additional clinics and camps are available in biathlon, curling, luge and ski jumping.
Other alternatives for the can-do individual are the Utah Winter Games clinics, which are being offered for the eighth year.
Most of the free-instruction clinics provide free equipment if participants don't have their own. Some clinics require the purchase of a discounted lift ticket.
Preregistration started earlier this month for the Utah Winter Games clinics. All participants must preregister at www.utahwintergames.org or by calling 975-4515. Information on specific session times, equipment needs, instruction and possible required fees or lift tickets can be obtained through the phone or Web site.
Following is a brief summary of the SLOC Wannabe Program and passenger-ride events, other local clinics and camps and the Utah Winter Games clinics, with dates, locations, instructors and specifics noted:
WANNABE PROGRAM CLINICS
BOBSLED: Why merely ride a bobsled when you can actually drive one down the Utah Winter Sports Park track? After initial dryland practice, participants pilot a two-man bobsled down the bottom half of the one-mile course, with speeds reaching nearly 50 mph. And, relax, you're not alone, since your coach is on board as the brakeman. Cost for the program, which runs now through February, is $198, with a guarantee of two runs. Call 212-2098.
FREESTYLE AERIALS: In what seems to be a mismatched collection of equipment and facilities, participants sport helmets, ski boots, skis and a life preserver to head down a plastic-mat ski ramp and, after performing an aerial maneuver, land in the crystal-blue waters of the Utah Winter Sports Park splash pool. Much of the four- to five-hour program involves working in harness on a trampoline, practicing the aerials. The summer program costs $125. Call 212-2098.
SKELETON: In the newest of Olympic sports (added for the 2002 Games), it's head first, with your arms at your side and your stomach lying on the 100-pound sled that separates you from ice. Unlike the more "laid-back" sport of luge, where sliders go down feet first, skeleton provides participants a face-forward view as they scream down the Utah Winter Sports Park track. The program costs $148 and runs now through February. Call 212-2098.
SKI JUMPING: Work your way up from a 5-meter jump to 18 and then 40 meters -- and maybe you'll be one of the few to advance to the 65-meter jump at the Utah Winter Sports Park. For you metric-challenged jumpers, that would be jumps of 16, 59, 131 and 213 feet. The program runs from Christmas through February, at a cost of $35. Call 212-2098.
ZAMBONI DRIVING: OK, so it's a far cry from short-track speedskating or nailing that triple-toe loop. But after a three- to four-hour class, you can be operating the 4 1/2-ton Zamboni and resurfacing the ice at Peaks Ice Arena in Provo. Afraid of literally crashing into the boards? No problem, since you'll have a rider alongside. Program runs Thanksgiving through March. Cost is $75. Call 212-2098.
PUBLIC PASSENGER RIDES
BOBSLED PASSENGER RIDE: With a qualified driver in front and an able brakeman in back, two passengers squeeze in the middle of a four-man bobsled for a sub-minute ride that reaches an average speed of 75 mph on the Utah Winter Sports Park track. Riders experience the same G forces the Olympians do and are only about a half-dozen seconds behind gold-medal time. Passengers must be at least 16 years of age. Rides run now through Feb. 20. Cost is $125 per person; call 435-658-4200 ext. 0 for reservations.
ROCKET: At speeds of up to 50 mph, single passengers ride the big, red "rocket" sleds down the Utah Winter Sports Park track. Available now through Feb. 20. Riders must be at least 50 inches tall. Cost is $27, with reservations recommended. Call 435-658-4200 ext. 0.
OTHER PUBLIC PROGRAMS
BIATHLON: The combo sport of cross country skiing and marksmanship requires real skill when trying to hit a target the size of a half-dollar from 50 yards with a .22-caliber rifle while trying to quell the physical affects of racing. A Dec. 18 clinic at the Soldier Hollow area of Wasatch Mountain State Park is expected to conclude with a 4.5-mile race with standing and prone shooting mixed in. Although targets are expected to be a bit bigger than Olympic-size, participants may be forced to ski a penalty loop when missing a target in the mock race. Scheduled as a Utah Winter Games clinic, increased demand may result in additional sessions this winter. The clinic is free, with rifle and ammo provided; participants should bring their own skis. Call 212-2574.
CURLING: Participants learn how to slide and glide the 42-pound granite stone, how to broom and sweep in front of the stone to control its direction and speed, and how to score points in the "house" at the end of the 146-foot playing ice. Clinics are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays at The Ice Sheet in Ogden. Cost is $5. Call 778-6300.
LUGE: November and December are the months to ride a 40-pound sled down the bottom half of the Utah Winter Sports Park track. Participants are given three or four runs, which reach speed of up to 50 mph. Cost is $20 to join the Wasatch Luge Club and $40 for the clinic. Call 435-647-3800.
RECREATIONAL SKI JUMPING: The public can soar by working up to the 40-meter jump at the Utah Winter Sports Park. Available from Nov. 22 to March 15, with a cost of $30. Call 435-658-4200 ext. 0.
UTAH WINTER GAMES CLINICS
BIATHLON: Dec. 18, at Soldier Hollow, Wasatch Mountain State Park; instruction by Utah Biathlon Club coaches.
BOBSLED: Jan. 12 and 14, at the Utah Winter Sports Park; limited to youths ages 8 to 17; participants attend one session only; instruction by Pat Brown, national development coach for the U.S. Bobsled Federation, and staff.
CROSS COUNTRY: Dec. 11-12, at White Pine Touring Center in Park City; instruction by White Pine Touring instructors. Also Dec. 18-19, at Sundance Nordic Center; instruction by Sundance Nordic Center instructors.
CURLING: Dec. 3, at The Peaks Ice Arena in Provo; instruction by the Ogden Curling Club.
FIGURE SKATING: Friday, Nov. 19, at the Bountiful Ice Rink; instruction by Bountiful Figure Skating Club professions. Nov. 27, at Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center; instruction by Cottonwood Heights Figure Skating Club professionals. Also, Dec. 4, The Ice Sheet at Ogden; instruction by Ice Sheet Figure Skating Club professionals.
ICE HOCKEY: Nov. 30, The Peaks Ice Arena in Provo; instruction by Utah Grizzlies players and coaches.
LUGE: Jan. 11, 12 and 13 at the Utah Winter Sports Park; participants attend one session only and must meet the 5-foot minimum height requirement; instruction by Jon Owen, Olympian and U.S. Luge Association program coach. Also, Dec. 4, 5 and 20 at Brighton Ski Resort; participants ages 10 through 14 who meet the 5-foot minimum height attend one session only; instruction by Jon Owen.
SKELETON: Jan. 11 and 13, at the Utah Winter Sports Park; participants 18 and older attend only one session; instruction by Pat Brown of the U.S. Bobsled Federation and staff.
SKIING: Dec. 11 at The Canyons; instruction by The Canyons Perfect Turn ski professionals. Also Jan. 11-12 at Sundance Ski Resort; instruction by Sundance Ski School.
SKI ARCHERY: Dec. 4, at White Pine Touring Center in Park City; instruction by the Utah Ski Archery Club. Dec. 4 and 18 at the Salt Lake Archery Center; instruction by the Utah Ski Archery Club.
SKI JUMPING: Dec. 15, 18 and 22, at the Utah Winter Sports Park; participants, who should have basic skiing skills, attend one session only; instruction by Winter Sports Park jumping instructors.
SKIING MOGULS: Dec. 11 at Deer Valley Resort; participants should be intermediate skiers; instruction by Deer Valley Elite Freestyle Team members; requires discounted UWG lift ticket ($42 for adults, $29 for seniors and children).
SKIING FOR SENIORS: Nov. 27 at Brighton Ski Resort; for participants 50 years and older; instruction by Brighton Ski School; requires discounted UWG lift ticket ($27).
SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING FOR WOMEN: Nov. 28, Dec. 11 at Brighton Ski Resort; instruction by Brighton Ski School female instructors; requires discounted UWG lift ticket ($27).
SNOWBOARDING FOR FIRST-TIMERS: Dec. 4 at Park City Mountain Resort; instruction by Park City Snowboard School. Dec. 11 at the Canyons; instruction by The Canyons Perfect Turn snowboard professionals. Also Dec. 4 and 12 at Snowbird Ski Resort; participants attend one session only; instruction by Snowbird Mountain School.
SNOWBOARDING ('CHOPPERS'): Dec. 4 at Park City Mountain Resort; for young riders ages 6 to 10; instruction by Park City Snowboard School.
SNOWBOARD (GIANT SLALOM): Dec. 11 at Park City Mountain Resort; instruction by Park City Mountain Resort snowboard instructors; requires discounted UWG lift ticket ($28).
SNOWBOARD (HALF PIPE): Dec. 16 at Park City Mountain Resort; for intermediate snowboarders; instruction by Park City Mountain Resort snowboard instructors; requires discounted UWG lift ticket ($15). Also, Dec. 18 at Brighton Ski Resort; for intermediate snowboarders; instruction by Brighton snowboard instructors; requires discounted UWG lift ticket ($27).
SPEEDSKATING: Nov. 19 at The Peaks Ice Arena in Provo; instruction by U.S. national team member Todd Porter and staff. Also, Dec. 2, at The Ice Sheet of Ogden; instruction by Todd Porter and staff.
TECHNICAL SKIING AND GATES: Dec. 18 at Deer Valley Resort; instruction by three-time Olympian Heidi Voelker and Deer Valley instructors; requires discounted UWG lift ticket ($42 for adults, $29 for seniors and children).
TELEMARK (FIRST-TIMERS AND BEGINNERS): Dec. 18 at Alta Ski Area; instruction by Alta's Alf Engen Ski School; requires lift ticket ($24). Dec. 21 at Sundance Ski Resort; instruction by Sundance Ski School.
TELEMARK (INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED): Dec. 19 at Solitude Mountain Resort; instruction by Solitude Ski School and Wasatch Telemark Association; requires lift ticket ($30.50).
MONO-SKI DISABLED SKIING: Jan. 2-3, the Huntsman Race Camp at Park City Mountain Resort; open to all mono-skiers; instruction by 1998 Paralympics gold medalist Chris Wadel and staff; $40 fee includes lift ticket.