Thursday, March 28, 2024

Loup Loup Ski debuts natural luge on Bear Mountain

First in the Western U.S.

Posted

OKANOGAN COUNTY – The Loup Loup Ski Bowl has debuted a new twist to its miles of lightly used groomed Nordic trails with the introduction this season of natural luge sledding.
Luge, popular in Europe and our neighbor to the north, is also a high-speed, hair-raising Olympic sport that has been throttled down and tamed by the Loup Loup designers to make it not only safe and accessible for sledders of all ages, but also a unique experience for most who give it a go.
The evolution of luge on the Loup actually began with the original construction of the Nordic trail network some 20 years ago, said Loup Loup Ski Bowl General Manager, CP Grosenick. Dale Longanecker, the Loup’s current Nordic manager, helped build the Bear Mountain Nordic trail system in the off season when he wasn’t smoke jumping. As he has for the past 16-plus years, Longanecker continues to groom all the trails weekly on a volunteer basis, Grosenick said.
“So, we have this trail system that has just not been used,” said Grosenick “We’d maybe earn one thousand bucks a year selling tickets for Nordic trails.”
Then, Loup Loup board member Steve Nelson and wife, Julie, took a trip to Red Mountain Resort in Rossland, British Columbia.
At Red Mountain Nelson noticed “people riding up the chair at the end of the day with sleds,” said Grosenick “and they weren’t sleds like we have.”
The B.C. sliders were using luge sleds, and that gave Nelson, who also chairs the board’s Marketing Committee, an idea.
Nelson approached Grosenick with the proposal to incorporate luge sledding into the Loup’s Nordic trail network. Last spring, the Nelsons and Grosenick with wife, Marty, took two sleds up some of the Nordic trails and tried out the concept.
“It was so much fun,” recalled Grosenick who told Nelson: “We gotta do this!”
“The Loup Loup is a small non-profit ski area and we get about 15,000 visitors a year,” said Grosenick. “Costs keep going up, so we’re trying to expand our base of users.”
With luge sleds purchased from the manufacturer in Austria, natural luge sledding was introduced this season on some 12 kilometers of Bear Mountain Nordic trails.
“Already this year we’ve sold $6,000-$7,000 in tickets,” said Grosenick who predicts the trails should be good through mid-March if temperatures remain cold.
Despite the popularity of luge sledding in Europe and Canada, the Lower 48 has been slow to adopt the sport. Slow enough that the Loup Loup can now boast the only such course in the entire western U.S.
“There is only one other ski area in Michigan that offers it,” Grosenick said.
Safety plays a big part of the new program so instructional clinics are available to acquaint novices to the finer points of handling, steering and braking the one and two-person luge sleds. Even though the groomed trails are wide and unbanked, proper attire including protective crash helmets are strongly advised and only luge sleds are allowed.
Sledders access the run drop-off point by way of a 45-minute snowcat ride. Following the 1,200-foot elevation trip a ride of some 45 minutes winds through the timbered slope to the trail terminus near the lodge.
Last Saturday, Feb. 10, three-time Olympic luge competitor Christian Niccum visited the new Loup Luge and as he was heading out for another run, offered his assessment of the new venue.
“There’s an amount of netting up and some sharper turns and you could really go for it if you want,” said Niccum, of the course is user-friendly enough that novices of all ages can enjoy the experience.
Niccum, from Woodinville and Mukilteo, is a former Junior World Champion, six-time World Cup medalist and member of the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Olympic teams where he competed in both men’s single and double luge. While at the Loup, Niccum addressed skiers competing in the Wolf Chase junior alpine ski race underway the same day.
Niccum said that natural luge is under consideration as a future Olympic sport.
“So, our timing couldn’t be better,” Grosenick said of the Loup’s proactive adoption of the sport.
“We are so excited about it and hope to expand it,” Grosenick said.
The coincidental single luge silver medal won for the first time by an American, Chris Mazdzer, at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, has also helped raise public awareness of the sport.
Additional information about natural luge at the Loup Loup Ski Bowl is available online at www.skitheloup.com.Mike

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