Summer Sports, Winter Snow: The Battle Begins

Last Wednesday (Sept. 22nd) was the official first day of fall, but Park City is obviously ahead of the times when it comes to the seasons, as well as everything else. When trees have been bursting in fiery orange and red explosions for weeks, and the air has been steadily chilling, everybody know it's fall here. What not everyone knows is that those burning trees are the first volley in the yearly battle between snow and sports. Soon, huge snowstorms will come in like hulking battleships and bombard the hills with great drifts of snow. Most of the town will rejoice, "Ski Season!", and the rest will grown and pull out their shovels. Because the key to sports is practice, but the problem with practicing is that generally, it's much easier to practice on a field that's NOT covered with icy piles of snow. So the dutiful teenage athletes will troop out to the frontier, armed with shovels and gloves, to try to reclaim the precious fields. But it seems the winter gods take a spot of dead grass or green astro-turf as a personal affront, and will immediately retaliate with salvos of freezing winds and sleet. The brave jocks will resort to any means, any trick to keep those fields clear. Tarps, wheelbarrows and sleds are all converted to ambulances to carry away the defeated snow drifts. Parents, siblings and any unfortunate passerby are drafted for the war effort. Various coaches debate strategies like general, whether to start on the outside and work inwards, or cut stripes through the middle to let the ground heat up underneath. Basin Rec officials  prevent war crimes against the innocent grass fields caught in the middle. The sports teams hold out as long as they can, bravely shoveling and hauling the snow away, then retreat from the fields in shame or glory at the end of the season, and pull on their ski-boots. Until spring, that is.

Main Street: Cool Air and Hot Deals

Teens need a place to hang out. Or places, preferably. In Park City "the place" seems to be Redstone. With its mix of fast food and fine dining, of movie theaters and toy stores, it seems to be the favorite place for teens to go and stand around instead of actually using any of the fun attractions. However, Redstone isn't the only cool spot in Park City. Main Street is often overlooked when it comes to places to "hang out". It has a bit of a bad reputation of being full of tourist shops and overpriced clothing, but Main Street has much more to offer than most kids realize. Besides the tourist traps, it also has unique art exhibits, some really good food (i.e Cows), and some killer deals. Park City Film Series' "Dinner and a Movie" deal is one of the best. Go to one of the many restaurants that offers it, great places like Main Street Pizza and Noodle and the Silver Star Cafe, and pick from a special menu. After a delicious dinner, cool off in the wonderfully crisp air as you stroll down to the Jim Santy Auditorium, where you will be treated to one of the many excellent movies they show there as part of the Park City Film Series. Whether a romantic dinner and intimate movie with a date, or just as some quality food and a flick with friends, you're in for a good time, and cheap too. $30 will get you spaghetti for two at Main Street Pizza and Noodle and two movie tickets. Not a bad price for a memorable night on the town. The next time instead of "hanging out" you feel like you actually want to do something and have a good time, remember to incluide Main Street in your list.

Winter Rush: Grab ski passes while you can.

There's a nip in the air and a bustle on the mountains as winter approaches and the resorts hurry to prepare. But the resort employees aren't the only ones getting ready for ski season. As any teen in Park City knows, the time to get ready to rip it up is now, before the crush of tourists and price-hikes. Kids everywhere are on the lookout for new gear and new passes, and of course they want the cheapest they can get. All sorts of tips and tricks abound to keep that cash in your pocket and your skis on the hill, and the devoted rider can save enough to even afford a lunch or two. Passes are the easiest . Academic or enterprising students can get discount passes, for everything from good grades to signing up early. Another much-looked-for option is a connection in the business. Anyone is worth getting to know if they can hook you up with a free or discount pass, whether it be relatives, neighbors or someone you meet on the street. There's also that rush for resort jobs, ski patrol for the lucky and lift-duty for the rest, that provide the best benefits: free passes. There are even kids who will try to use last year's passes, or photocopy someone else's pass, and invariably will not end up on the mountain anytime soon. But whatever you do, hurry up, because those deals are ticking down and tourists are planning their vacations. <i>To be sure you don't miss out, check out Andrew Kirk's story on discount passes in Saturday's Park Record (September 18th).</i>