Carl and Flip at the entrance to the Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. Flip and Laura want to try out for the curling team. Laura as a sweeper and Flip as the stone. The 2002 Winter Olympics was the most profitable Olympics ever because most of the venues were already built, allowing them to establish a legacy fund for continued improvements and maintenance for the park.

Flip and Carl try their hands at keeping the ball on the right track.

Flip only looks a little scared.

Living vicariously by watching the virtual downhill jump.

Part of the 2002 Winter Olympic’s opening ceremonies, this massive buffalo head was attached to a humongous body that contained other critters floating around inside. Flip wonders if his tribe was represented.

Yep, that’s the torch!

Speaking of Flip’s tribe …

Flip tries on one of the Olympic ceremonial headdresses.

We finally get Marilyn in the picture!

Flip certainly agrees: There’s no need to be shy. Exhibition skiers. Hot doggers, Stuntmen. They bucked the system at every turn — every fashion. While professional downhill skiers work black, freestyle skiers shook up the slopes with wildy colored body suits, as well as their airborne antics.

 

 

Rock’n down the hill, Flip takes his team to a win.

Ever the adventurer, Flip tries out the luge and wishes his legs were a tad longer.

I think Flip’s found his niche. Nice air!

Looking across the valley.

Looking up the ski jump. Most of the snow is disappearing (can you say 60 degrees?) and the green underneath is a plastic matting, covered by rope mesh to help hold the snow in place. Think about it, snow goes downhill, too.

Marilyn listening to our tour guide Patrick, who turned out to be from Bozeman, Mont.

Flip’s not thinking he’ll try it this time. He’s just glad he doesn’t have to climb to the top.

Finally at the top of the ski jump.

Flip reconsiders thinking that the climb up would be worse than the trip down.

Guide Patrick explains that the bobsled, luge and skeleton track is being shut down so they can do repairs and not incur the $10,000-$12,000 in keeping the tube frozen. Then, they will set up for the  summer runs with bobsleds on wheels. He says the bobsledders – men and women – are pretty crazy, but the truly amped up athletes are the luge athletes.