USA Luge Search Tour to make rare stop in Salt Lake City for aspiring lugers ages 10–13

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — USA Luge Slider Search, the official nationwide athlete recruitment tour of USA Luge, tailor made for athletes ages 10-13, is making a rare stop in Utah.

Athletes who progress through the team development ladder have hopes of one-day becoming members of the National and Olympic Luge Teams.

The Salt Lake City dates are May 17, 18. Near the University of Utah Campus, the location is on Colorow Road between Colorow Drive and  Huntsman Way. The clinic times are held at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. However, only one 2-3 hour clinic is necessary to attend.

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Besides SLC, this summer’s tour stops include Columbus, Ohio May 3-4 and  Glens Falls, NY May 17-18. 

Over the years, the White Castle USA Luge Slider Search has traveled over 250,000 miles and introduced the sport of luge to more than 25,000 eager young athletes. At each series stop, guided by U.S. Olympic and National Team coaches and athletes, participants are taught the basics of riding a luge sled, including positioning, steering and stopping. Once these skills are developed, athletes take several runs down a paved luge course on wheel-equipped luge sleds. Finally, athletes test their physical skills through a battery of fitness tests.

Those who show promise in the summer program are invited to The Utah Olympic Park to try luge on ice and the top young athletes from this group are selected for the next year’s development team.

Currently, most of the U.S. Junior National Team was recruited through the Slider Search. At least 70% of the past Olympic teams since 2002 have come from the program, Park City’s Ashley Farquharson being one of them.

Also from Park City are current Team members Emma Eriksen and Matthew Greiner. Youth Sports Alliance offers luge lessons via its after school program in Park City, but if children were busy during the winter participating in other sports, here’s a chance to experience one of the fastest sports on earth.

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By: Michele Roepke

Contact: mroepke@townlift.com

I’ve lived in Park City for 30 years but right off the starting line, my journalism professors expressed plaudits after class for writing more so about the small-town sports in the surrounding mountains than the urban updates they assigned. Therefore, I’m on par punning and penning Parkites’ pastimes. Turning high and early through my career, I’ve worked communications for The Olympics, the Paralympics and the Special Olympics. Additionally, there’s been National Geographic, Patagonia, NCAA, USA Nordic and the United States Library of Congress, so I guess you could say this ain’t my first rodeo.

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