Here are some of Utah's young jumpers, who compete in the Junior Olympics. These are some of the athletes you may see jumping in 2002.

The sport is called Nordic Combined. It involves two very different sports combined into one. First is the Jumping , the second is a cross country race. The kids involved love it. They ski and they jump and they say its just like flight! he jumping is also mental:

Brian Miller, Nordic Combined: (("Usually your mind is on technique, focusing on ski jumping, flight position, landing. Ever once in a while you get a little more effect, you get more on top of the air its just sorta oh - oh boy, and its really fun."))

(("You get to jump, you get to go out there and fly, then you get to do cross coutnry skiing, puke your guts out and its a lot of fun."))

Brian Miller is a 17 year old from Park City. He's not kidding about getting sick after the cross country race, it can be very physically demanding.

(("The idea of the cross country skiing is that when you get to the end you don't want to ahve anything left, you want to go as hard as you can, if anybody, if you've ever done anything, where you work as hard as you possibly can, you arent feeling too hot afterwards."))

Its strenous, and thrilling... which keeps these kids coming back for more, year after year, hoping to become the best, so they can compete right here in Utah for the 2002 Winter Games. This competition you're looking at is part of the Junior Olympics, with jumpers from all over the world, and a few of these kids will go to the top.

(("My goal is to go to the 2002 Olympics."))

And it won't be an easy task, this is Dillon Keate, a 15 year old from Salt Lake City. When the going gets tough, he just keeps on going. Here's why:

Dillon Keate, Nordic Commbined: 7 (("For the adrenaline, when you go far its the biggest adrenaline rush you can have."))

Its also a skill that you develop over time.

(("To have good style you want a good take off and you want to have a good flat position , really far forward ina big V, for your landing you need to be in a telemark position."))

(("Its taken a ton of practice, 2 1/2 years of practicing 5 days a week, or 6. I've pretty much dedicated my entire life to it already."))

Dillon even goes to school in the summer at Park City Winter School, so he can have the winter off to ski. Like a lot of these serious competitors:

Race Price, Nordic Combined: (("Just the speed you get and the thrill of flying through the air and just doing well in competition is a nice thrill."))

Trey Oxford, Nordic Combined: (("I like the feeling of being able to go the distance.'))

Maybe we will see some of these athletes go the distance in 2002!

Here's a look at some of that history, and efforts underway to preserve our ski heritage...from the first chairlift ever built, to 2002:

Utah has a deep history in the evolution skiing with the second chairlift in North America. One man greatly responsible for the progression of skiing in this state is Alf Engen. This video tells his story.

Alan Engen: (("It shows the soul behind the human being, it shows through nicely in the video."))

Some of the history is pretty entertaining, for example: Alf Engen was on his way to compete in the Olympics until he was kicked off the team for appearing in a wheaties ad, and he wasn't even paid for it.

Alan Engen: (("No, I wasn't paid, but all of Salt Lake City had Wheaties."))

Now a book is in the works as well.

(("With a little luck, we should have it out in the next year, with a comprehensive look at the history of skiing in the intermountain region and how it developed from the outset.'))

The book project comes with a lot of help from the Utah Ski Archives, a group with a mission:

Joe Arave: (("Gathering collections, oral histories, photographs,, the neat thing aobut skiers, they are visual., they like pictures and they clip newspaper articles, but a lot of that information is in people's closets, there was no place to archive a common resource for that, thats why the utah ski archives was founded."))

(("A lot of people don't realize the level of involvement Utah has had on this sport historically, from the miners to the norweigen jumpers and competitors, there are many olympic level competitiors from Utah from the '30's on up."))

And when the 2002 Winter Games come to Utah, The granite state goes down in Olympic history.

Mike Korologos, Salt Lake Organizing Committee: (("The Olympics are obviously going to be the biggest thing that has ever happened in our state, ski wise and other wise."))

Korologos is a big supporter of Utah's ski history and the Utah Ski Archives. The Archives are based at the University of Utah's Marriot Library. Historians would also like to see a ski MUSEUM in Utah, in time for Olympic visitors from all over the world.

(("Of course, we need a place to put all these records, there will be a lot of records from the Olympics, but there is also volumes of old equipment that needs storing. So the poeple can see and appreciate it, what went on before.'))

To make all of the history preservation efforts a reality, Utah Ski Archives is looking for volunteers and donations.

(("Our ski archives are funded by small donations, its those donations that make archives possible, its expensive to archive and process film, we wellcome involvement from anyone who's interested."))

And why should Utahns be interested in the olden days in the mountains?

(("Its a major industry in the state, it started as something non existent , during the mining era when skiing started, then the scandinavians brought ski knowledge and started ski jumping, now its a major industry in Utah, we have a great heritage here, all of Utah can be proud of."))

Every year the Utah Ski Archives has that big event to raise money. Dinner, a silent auction, and every body from the ski industry will be there. Its October 23rd at the Little America.

We hit Utah's slopes to ask you... Why Ride?

Jason Trato, Snowboarder: (("I just love it, Its the funnest sport I 've ever done. What's fun about it, Its just the sensation of riding, I don't know how to explain it you just have to try it."))

Ben Smith: (("Why do you board? Because I love it, theres nothing like the feeling you get when you're coming down the mountain, especially in the pow, its just... nothing can compare to it. Its fun."))

Brian Pickles: (("Because its fun, You get to go fast, you get to jump and it doesnt hurt when you fall."))

Casey Hall: (("I love it, I'm addicted to it, why? Cause, I don't know, I can't get enough, the adrenaline or something. I just cant get enough."))

Chris Newman: (("Once you initially buy your pass, its free for the season, I love it and the weather.. I can't skip snowboarding, never, I wouldnt give it up for anything. its the best feeling I can get."))

(("I ride six days a week, my job is scheduled around my riding, there's nothing better than it, If I think of any sport I want to do nothing comes close to this."))

This rider is on the radio...here's why he is so into snowboarding, especially here in Utah.

"Uncle Nasty" 101 The Bear: ((" I really love carving and copping air, my favorite thing, I surf too, I get that feeling when I'm carving it up you get an adrenaline rush. It beats two planks any day, you live in this beautiful area, the best snow in the world, I've done, maine, vermont, nmex, this by far is the best. Some bigger places, but Utah rules."))

Okay, we get it...you ride and you love it. So now, how do we master this bold sport?

(("What I did, I took a half day lesson, when I first started. That was really helpful. You need to learn how to turn, thats the hardest part of it. When you get that down, you progress from there. then you learn how to jump and do all that fun stuff."))

(("Put your knees together and bomb it, just go straight down , put your fears aside and go fast."))

(("You take your licks, your first season is all about falling down, and you know, just put your fear aside and say that guy over there is doing it, I can do it too."))

((You don't want to push yourself, get yourself injured, don't come up here to be awesome, just come up and ride thats what its all about."))

(("Just give it time, it will come, give it time, give it ten hard days, ask my wife, ha ha."))

Kristen Incognito: ((Stick with it, its so hard at first, but it gets easier, your butt firms up, you feel really good after, but you have to push it, keep pushing it."))

In fact, this season, the number of women riders has been catching up to the number of guys who ride. Last year, 24 percent of boarders were women, this year, its 30 percent.

(("I just started this year, its my first season, its a blast, the first few days are hard, but once you get it, its great."))

Sheralyn Hunt & Kaelenn Fuller: (("It kind of gives you a natural high I think, skiing never did that for me. Ya, I never picked up on skiing that easily and this is just fun."))

In some places like up the hill at Brighton, they can air it all out in the half-pipe.

Check out the encoded video to see them "air it out" at Brighton!

Many Utah Ski areas have the equipment and instructors for special needs, Susan shows us how the program here at Park City works:

These mono skiers are tearin it up.. and having a blast. They have more speed, more control, and more fun than a lot of regular skiers and boarders. This group is made up of skiers and instructors with the National Abilities Center based at the Park City Ski Area.

Michelle Nicholson (("Its the most amazing thing. You feel free. You almost can't describe it. You're on top of the world."))

(("Everyone should do it. You have no excuses! I can't even feel my legs but I can do it. People who can't even have feelings in their hands can do it, there are even blind poeple who ski. With the guides and the equipment, it lets you do anything."))

One of Michelle's instructors is Scott Graves. Scott was injured in a motorcycle accident, but as you can see that doesn't slow him down:

Scott Graves (("I love it. Its an exhilerating experience to get out on the hill and ski with other people who aren't disabled and to be able to out ski a lot of my friends and family."))

This instructor tells us there's a very big advantage to skiing in a chair.. and that's the thrill of face shots on a powder day.

(("What's waist deep on you is chest deep on me. I get a face shot a lot easier than most people."))

Jarem Foie (("I'm more active now, than ever before I lost my leg. You've gotta try it. Get out in the fresh air in the outdoors! Its the best way to live life."))

The one thing he wants you to know about disabled skiers is:

(("We're skiers just like anyone else. We're not here to overcome anything or show we can do it, we're just out here to have fun ."))

All these skiers encourage anyone with disabilities to come out and play.

Meeche White, National Abilities Ctr. (("We're out here for children, adults, people with mental or physical disabilities. There is a whole range of activities that include the whole family, not just the person with the disability. Everything is very affordable, and no one is ever turned away from an inability to pay."))

Gary Milne (("I think its pretty darn good. I've learned a lot, met other mono skiers, learned an awful lot."))

Gary Milne was injured in a rock climbing accident.Now he's learning to mono ski through the national abilities center. He says he's looking forward to becoming a more advanced skier. His goal is to start racing. Considering this group's determination and drive, don't be surprised if that dream comes true. These skiers love a good challenge.

(("On a ski, I can go anywhere and nothing keeps me back."))

Serious skiers crave powder over any other condition...But it does take a little practice to learn how to ski it. And many beginner or intermediate skiers really struggle in the deep snow. Here's how to stop struggling.. and learn to love Utah powder!

Some people just can't deal with deep snow:

(("I don't ski powder, laugh.")) (("I don't like it!"))

Maybe these poor people have had some bad coaching! Ever hear that the trick to skiing powder is to lean back????

(("you just have to be, lean back."))

Craig Panarisi Solitude Ski School (("A comment you hear in the lift line is.. just lean back a little. That's not really what you want to be doing."))

Here's another big bad piece of advice: Go steep when its deep... well, if you're an expert that's okay but for beginners...uh un.

(("That's my advice , find the steepest stuff you can.")) (("Oh yeah, go to the steepest run on the mountain, laugh, no don't do that!"))

Okay.. That was the bad advice. Now, how about some good advice. How do you ski in a snow storm and love every minute of it?

(("The first thing, everyboody who skis in the sun, when they powder ski, they cant see. The first thing you want to do is go to a run where you can see. Go off to the side or edge of a run, not in the trees, but next to the trees where theres a little shadow, you get some definition and you can see where you're going."))

Craig recommends wearing a good pair of goggles, a neck gator and good ski clothes . So if you do wipe out, you don't get snowy, wet and miserable.

(("I notice you're in a one piece, its a powder day, those are good."))

Now that you won't get chilly... more good advice is to chill out! Don't freak out.. don't jerk your body around.

(("You see a lot of powder skiers throw an arm or step a foot quickly, any moevement like that weights one foot more than the other. It throws your body off, soonas you do that, one ski sinks deeper than the other into the deep snow and you have a hard time turning."))

And that brings us to yet another super secret to deal with the deeps.

(("In powder, you don't stand so much on one ski. You can stand on both skis a little more."))

Here's a short cut to get great at all these powder skills, try out a pair of fatter skis. They are much more forgiving than skinny skis.

((Fat skis are great, they're great. Grab a snowboard! the bigger the snow, the bigger and wider the platform. a narrow ski acts like a spear, it goes to the bottom, a wider ski makes the rise to the top of the snow and the initiation of your turn easier. Go with a wider ski. If its really deep, grab a snowboard!"))

And here are a few more pointers from your fellow skiers and boarders we found out on the hill: (("Try to stay on top of it. Don't get underneath it."))

Shelly Barlow, Sandy (("I go on top of it, and carve into it."))

John Paton, Wenatchee WA (("Have a good time, go for it, relax, turn left and right."))

Bruce Caslowitz, New England (("You can't fight it. Channel through the snow, don't muscle it. You've got to look way ahead, anticipate your turns, especially if youre in the trees, and certainly do not cut your skis stright across the fall line."))

Okay... now you have all kinds of advice. How about some inspiration.. WHY is it worth your while to learn to ski powder??? Because once you learn it, you love it.

(("There's no doubt about it, there's no doubt about powder skiing, it is like no other skiing, especially here in Utah. There's no doubt about it."))

(("Its snowing out here, its snowing but its beautiful."))

Jeremy Green Bennion Boarder (("You're making your own trails, you know, thats whats fun about it."))

Shelly Barlow Sandy, Boarder (("Oh I love it, ha, I love it.")) (("I think its like floating on a cloud or something, I love it."))

Jeremy Ritchie, Boarder (("Especially if you get fresh tracks, nobody's out there, take your turns, look back up at your tracks, see what you did.")) (("Its the best."))

To most resort skiers these "out of bounds" signs mean go back. But to skiers embarking on the Interconnect Adventure, this sign is a gateway to another world. The Interconnect tour is about enjoying the prestine beauty of Utah's backcountry.

Because of the rugged terrain and unpredictable snow conditons, it's an area usually left to the experts. But with experienced guides, like Rod Keller, the thrills of the backcountry become accessable to most intermediate and upper-level skiers.

((You just need to be able to handle adverse conditions. You never know what you're going to find in the backcountry.))

ROD KELLER, LEAD GUIDE ((We end-up cancelling a number of tours because of the conditions, And if it's not safe we just don't go out.))

So safety is where the Interconnect Adventure tour begins. Before leaving, we all strap-on avalanche becons. These becons send a signal to the guides, just in case a slide were to swallow somebody.

((So as you're skiing in the backcountry allways ski one or two at a time.))

Rod gives us a short lesson on avalanche safety and how to use the becons.

((Any questions about that kind of stuff? Well from here we want to get our skis and start walking up to the "Ski Team" chair and be on our way.))

Another beauty of the Interconnect tour is use of the chairlifts at each resort. We're starting this tour from the top of Park City. Just a short traverse takes us out of the resort where the adventure begins.

ROD KELLER, LEAD GUIDE ((Basically, we just crossed the line from Park City to Big Cottonwood Canyon. And we are looking, if you look down you can see Solitude down that way.))

MARK MENLOVE, SKI UTAH ((With the proximity of all our resorts and having them this close, it's really the only place in North America that the potential exists to ski that many areas in one day.))

((You can make out "Twin Lake Pass", that's that low saddle you're loking at. You can actually see some power poles there. That's our passage to get from Big Cottonwood Canyon to Little Cottonwood. We'll be doing that after lunch.))

ROD KELLER ((Farther to your left you can make out some darker black cliffs in the background. That's "Devil's Castle" at Alta. Later on this afternoon we'll be skiing some of that terrain that's inthe foreground of that, The "Catherine's Pass" area, comming back into Brighton.))

From here it's all down-hill. We're lucky to be out on such in ideal day. Skiing deep, light Utah powder under a blubird sky is an experience beyond words. But skiing the backcountry isn't allways smooth sailing... Even with use of the chairlifts, we still need to traverse and sidestep to get from one resort to another. This traverse at the top of Solitude is called "Highway to Heaven"; it connects Big and Little Cottonwood canyons. The highway part definately maked us earn our turns...but the heaven part is most rewarding!

If the saying is true about Utah having the greatest snow on Earth. The mountains along the Interconnect tour are where you'll find it.

MARK MENLOVE, SKI UTAH ((WHAT A DAY. TODAY WAS JUST INCREDIBLE CONDITIONS, AND FOR MOST PEOPLE THAT'S THE BEST SKIING THEY'VE HAD IN THEIR ENTIRE LIFE.))

So from Park City to Solitude... to Alta, Snowbird and Brighton...the Interconnect hits them all. It's breath-taking to see the assorted peaks and valleys that make up Utah's Wasatch mountain range, but it's absolutely amazing to ski them. The Interconnect Adventure is the best way for someone without backcountry skills or knowelege to intimately meet Mother Nature. And besides, the next time you pass a sign like this, you can say with confidence: "been there, done that!"

There are a total of 6 different resorts in Utah where you can night ski. This ski season, for the first time, you can ski under the lights at Snowbird on the Chickadee lift. As Becky and Eric here found out, its a nice quiet time to learn how to ski.

(("Yahoo, nice wedge, very nice."))

(("Brush that wedge out, hey eric, look at me, heels out a little, good, good."))

These beginners moved from a wedge, to turns, to the lift, in no time...

(("Up and forward, just right."))

(("Its all in the feet. Wedge, look where you want to go, guide the feet there."))

Becky and Eric could link turns before our very eyes...

(("How was that for your first run? Fun. Eric, great job, yeah."))

Eric Cordner Night Skier: (("I love skiing. Al was great . He made it so easy. I recommend this to anyone who wants to have fun."))

Night skiing definately has its advantages, and disadvantages. At night, you don't have the entire mountain, just the runs that have lights, and finally, sometimes it can be a little colder. But the great side to night skiing.. is that its a lot of fun. The instructors advise everyone to bundle up and have a blast:

Al Kreiver Snowbird Ski School: (("I think a lot of people are surprised. Its a lot of fun out here at night, and its not that cold, dress warm and make some turns."))

Night skiers should wear a good hat, a neck gator, light colored goggles, and good warm gloves. And if you've ever thought about learning a new winter sport, you might have good luck at night.

(("Come up after work, get out for a few hours, get on a snowboard, learn your turns, its great terrain, telemarking is nice, this is where I learned to telemark."))

If you're busy during the day, night time, is the best time. That's how it is for this Brighton night skier:

Jo DeGo Night Skier: (("I was busy with family, it was the only time I could get away, they have 2 for 1, we knew there wouldn't be any lines and its snowing!"))

Night Skiing
Brianhead: $5
Brighton $20
Nordic Valley $10
Park City $15 or $5/children
Powder Mountain $12.50 or $8/children
Snowbird (Free Jan 30th) $5 or $20/family

Here's a quick rundown on Utah's night skiing. Brianhead has night skiing for five dollars.. You can also rent gear for five dollars, and take a lesson for 5 dollars. So its 15 dollars for everything! Brighton has the most night skiing terrain in Utah, tickets are twenty dollars. Nordic Valley charges ten dollars. Park City has the longest run on Pay Day. Tickets are fifteen dollars or five dollars for children. Powder Mountain: charges twelve-fifty and eight dollars for children. And finally here at Snowbird, Thursday the 30th you can night ski for free. The rest of the time, its just five dollars for each skier or boarder and twenty dollars for families. Snowbird's night skiing is open thursdays, fridays and saturdays. And now you know everything you need to get out at night and ski utah!