Over the past few days, crews have been hard at work constructing jumbo screens, speakers, curling lanes and fire pit areas at Park City Mountain, which has transformed into the ULTRA Village, in collaboration with Michelob Ultra, the official beer partner of Team USA.
Thanks to Mother Nature this week, the space dedicated to bringing the Winter Olympics closer to home for Canyons Village guests actually felt like winter, with bright, fresh snow becoming part of the photo opportunities. The festivities began Thursday afternoon around 2 p.m., though technical difficulties and small crowds made for a slow start to the après environment.
It’s all meant to foster that Olympic spirit in the days leading up to the Milano Cortina closing ceremony, said Michelob Ultra brand representative Ricardo Marques. And where better than Park City, its undeniable Olympic legacy not just as the home of the 2002 Winter Games, but also as a future host for 2034, he said.
Thursday, as the party was just getting started, the Olympic spirit was still flickering to life as skiers and boarders wandered off the hill. Part-time residents Desi and his wife, Davies, were doing their part to be sure.
They were some of the first to take on the curling lane with plastic “ice,” miniature plastic stones and lack of brushes far from regulation. It’s still fun, though, they said. The trick is to really wail on them so they slide. Or do what another group was doing, slide them upside down so they’ll go farther.
The couple had seen the setup over the week from their second home across the street, so they figured they’d check it out after a morning ski. The two are in town for a month or so until heading back to Pennsylvania for responsibilities like being with grandkids.
So, Olympic watch parties and free merch? Great!
Husband and wife Andrew and Monika Graff had a similar story. They were back for some time at their second home in Canyons before returning east to North Carolina. The Michelob Ultra event seemed like a fun activity, they said, especially for 2-year-old son Hudson and months-old daughter Scarlett.
As a family, they’d been following the Winter Olympics pretty closely, and were sad to have missed the overtime minutes of the women’s hockey gold medal game to come down to the village ski beach.
“We have a first-timer here, been loving all the sports,” said Monika, gesturing to Hudson.
The young family said knowing the Games are coming to Utah again in 2034 is exciting, but also a little daunting as homeowners.
“We were having that talk yesterday. We’re like, it would be really cool to go, but also, the town’s going to be so nuts. We never (went) the last time it was out here, so it’s kind of a new experience for us,” said Andrew.
Monika agreed: “We really would love to go, but like, do we rent it, or do we go?”
They’re not sure, but can’t deny the hype, even nine years out, Andrew said.
“The airport’s ready,” Monika admitted, “It’s so nice.”
Julia and Petr, visiting from Moscow along with their daughter, Alina, weren’t as sure that the area was ready to host another Games. As frequent skiers in Europe, it was their first visit to Park City, which their research suggested was the best place to ski in the United States.
And while they caught good snow — lucky them — they said their experience so far was underwhelming: With uncomfortable, unheated lifts and passes that must be scanned manually, is this what people can expect from an Olympic venue?
But the slopes were nice, Julia said. It’s just that they should have checked prices first.
“They didn’t check the ticket prices. Mostly they ski in Europe, where it’s like 35 euros a day,” Alina translated.
Regardless, the three were enjoying their vacation full of firsts, like trying root beer for the first time.
“Not the same as Europe, but really nice,” said Petr. “There are friendly people.”
As for the Michelob Ultra event, the family was making the most of it, already donning Michelob Ultra beanies, watching the curling and dancing to tunes from the DJ.
“We actually stumbled on this. The afternoon ticket was really expensive, and then we saw the event was being set up, so we just wandered over,” Alina said.
Of course, they’re not exactly rooting for Team USA — though Alina now lives full time in Connecticut. This year, the family hasn’t followed the Winter Games much.
“They are not really showing the Olympics in Russia since Russia has been banned,” Alina said. “But when we came here, we immediately watched figure skating and all. We normally do.”
Seeing the U.S. excitement about the Games, though, was a nice addition to their trip.
“It’s great that people support their own country, and it’s really nice to see,” Julia said.
The ULTRA Village, open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, will culminate in a bigger celebration on Saturday for the Games’ closing ceremony. That day, DJ performances run from 2 to 6 p.m., followed by a torchlight parade at 6:30 p.m. led by ski and ride school teams, instructors and young athletes. A fireworks show at 7 p.m. will cap off the evening.
With the weekend of events, Marques said Michelob Ultra hopes to round out this Olympic season with opportunities “where fans could come together and celebrate the competitive spirit that defines these iconic sports moments.”
But this ULTRA Village is just the start, he said.
“Our Winter Olympic Games programming is part of a larger strategy that ultimately leads to LA28. In milestone years when major sporting moments collide, we see an opportunity to showcase America’s competitive spirit on the biggest stages in the world,” he said. “With the Olympic Games returning to home soil for LA28, we’re continuing to build long-term equity in a space that sits at the heart of our brand.”