I am 15 years old and attend the Picabo Street Academy. I am writing today to encourage our community to approve the bond proposal coming for vote this fall that will add more resources for community recreation. I am particularly interested in the opportunity to expand our ice skating facilities.
For the past several years I have been pursuing figure skating at a competitive level and am proud to represent the Figure Skating Club of Park City. We are so fortunate to have top level coaching here, and each year our athletes consistently represent our club at sectional and national championship events. While an impressive accomplishment for any club, it’s especially unique for a club our size and one without a designated ice sheet.
To make this work, we are often at the rink by 5 a.m. and when there are conflicts with hockey, we have to go down to Salt Lake to train. This makes it particularly challenging to balance school and other activities. Having an additional ice sheet — even just for part of the year — would give all ice sports more flexibility for training. Plus, having a permanent and well maintained outdoor skating rink is a wonderful addition to our community activities for locals and tourists alike!
Park City is known for being a world-class training environment for snow sports and with the right investments, we can continue to build our reputation for ice sports as well!
Samantha Shuflit
Park City