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Tony Gill

Tony Gill is the outdoor and Park City editor for Salt Lake Magazine and previously toiled as editor-in-chief of Telemark Skier Magazine. Most of his time ignoring emails is spent aboard an under-geared single-speed on the trails above his home.

Oct 31
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Don’t Call It Ping Pong

By Community

I thought I was reasonably good, but then I was completely overpowered by a 12-year old,” said Adam Davis. “The game’s all about speed, agility, touch and the mental aspect, not strength. That’s why it can be appealing to such a wide variety of people.” Davis is the owner of Salt Lake City Table Tennis (SLCTT), a 4,000 square-foot, 24-hour facility on the west side of the city devoted to the sport where an opponent of diminutive stature can easily humble you.

Inside SLCTT are six professional-level Butterfly Centrefold 25 tables that run about $2,500 each. As someone who spent a significant portion of his childhood locked in hyper-competitive, basement ping pong clashes against my brother wherein the most important things to know were which table irregularities would work in your favor and which angles could turn the adjacent wall into your ally, I was in heaven. Whether you’re looking to take a Forrest Gump-style leap in your game or are simply looking for a new outlet and a little fun, SLCTT is the place.

Membership at SLCTT is only $40 a month. For $1.30 a day, you get round-the-clock keycard access to the club to play any time their schedule allows. Day passes are $10 per person, and drop-ins are encouraged. Even if nobody’s around, you can give Davis a call at 801-886-1415 and he’ll open the door remotely for you so you can play. Just fill out a liability waiver, drop your payment in an envelope and get paddling.

Table Tennis has been an Olympic sport since 1988, so it’s fair to say some people take it pretty seriously. If you’re on that end of the spectrum, you can take lessons from former professionals like ParaPanAmerican Games 5th place finisher Valentin Letelier, Chinese National Team veteran Sun Beih and Ukrainian National Team veteran Ruslan Riabokoniev. SLCTT’s weekly Wednesday night round robins help match people up with fun, competitive matches to test your progress against the club ranking system.

Don’t be intimidated by visions of cutthroat competition, however. Davis reminded me the club’s main goal is to help people find enjoyment by chasing down and hitting a little plastic ball. “Above all else, people just have fun here,” Davis said. “We’re such a friendly club, and everyone’s here to get a little exercise, learn a little bit and have a good time, regardless of their level.” 

Don’t Skimp on the Paddle. A paddle is all you really need to get started in your table tennis career, so it’s worth splurging just a little. Davis recommends spending Between $30 and $60 on a pre-assembled paddle from a reputable brand like Butterfly. “The main thing is to get a paddle where the rubber actually has some grip to it,” Davis said. “At the big box stores, you’ll spend $30 for garbage.” Davis can order product through the club to get gear at a discount.

See all of our city life coverage here.

Oct 31
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Experience the Best of PC Cuisine with Park City Plated

By Eat & Drink

High-end, high-altitude food is what Park City does best. Such are the spoils of a quaint resort town and tourism hot spot tucked in the mountains of the Wasatch back. But between seasonal population surges and relatively high price tags, sampling a wide swath of the epicurean bounty can be a challenge. That’s where Park City Plated comes in. The new program, launched by the Park City Area Restaurant Association (PCARA), highlights a different local restaurant each month by offering incredible deals on special menu items.

“Park City Plated is a brand-new way for guests to sample our community’s diverse dining scene,” says PCARA executive director Ginger Wicks. “Exclusive monthly specials from a rotating collection of some of Park City’s finest restaurants give guests the opportunity to experience new, local flavors and unique menu items all year long.”

There are two upcoming Park City Plated events in November, first on November 7 at Escala Provisions Company in the Hyatt at Canyons Village and November 13 at Powder at Waldorf Astoria. The Escala Provisions Company dinner features a four-course meal of local Utah flavors for $50, along with an optional $20 beer pairing from Epic Brewing Company. Powder’s Plated event features a “Farmer’s Table” dinner of elevated comfort food with sustainably sourced local ingredients for $60 per person along with an optional $30 wine pairing. The Waldorf Astoria is offering a lodging special with the event for those looking to make a quick getaway out of it.

Additional Park City Plated events will be announced throughout the year, and two more are already scheduled for December. Red Rock Brewery is hosting a deliciously educational dinner with three dishes and corresponding beer pairings on December 6. Brewmasters will be on hand to share food and beverage pairing tips with guests. A ticket for the event costs just $25 and includes an appetizer, entrée and dessert course and pairing. On December 19, High West is hosting a Plated event at Nelson Cottage. Details for the evening are still to come, but with High West’s food and beverage pedigree, it’s sure to be a can’t miss evening.

Space is limited for Park City Plated events. Visit the PCARA website for full details and to make reservations.

See all of our food and drink coverage here.

Oct 31
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Worth the Trip: A Weekend in Sun Valley

By Adventures, Travel

I could vaguely make out the center line as I headed north on U.S. 93. The oxidized headlights I’d been neglecting struggled to illuminate much beyond the snow falling directly in front of my windshield, but the perilous weather provided ample motivation to make it to Ketchum, Idaho. Sure, I could have avoided the five-hour ordeal with a 50-minute Delta flight from Salt Lake City to the Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey, but there’s something about a white-knuckle drive through a blizzard that gets the juices flowing for a powder day at Sun Valley.

Why, Exactly, Drive North in a Snowstorm?

Utah’s rarely wanting for snow, so it takes more than some heavy flurries to get me out on the road. But Sun Valley, home of the world’s first chairlift, is quite literally the birthplace of American resort skiing. The area has a pioneering mountain-sport legacy, and now it’s more convenient and affordable than ever for Utah skiers to experience. 

Sun Valley travel

Sun Valley­: winter sports under a summer sun.

Epic Pass holders have seven days of skiing at Sun Valley included with their 2019-2020 season pass, allowing them to venture north without buying a day ticket. Other passholders or those seeking a little variety can spring for the new $399 Sun and Snow Pass, which provides three days of skiing at Sun Valley as well as three days of skiing at their sister resort in Utah, Snowbasin.

Back to the Trip

I found refuge in the climate-controlled parking garage of the Limelight Hotel in Ketchum. The hotel’s eccentricities—my room had a View-Master stereoscope (think steampunk Instagram)—and contemporary art collection may not match Sun Valley’s sepia-toned aesthetic, but it’s a wonderfully comfortable place to spend the night. In the lounge I grabbed a cocktail and some Idaho Truffle Fries while watching live, local music—featured at Limelight every Friday through Sunday night—before turning in.

Sun Valley travel

Limelight Hotel

Limelight Hotel: 151 Main St. S, Ketchum, ID, 208-726-0888, limelighthotels.com

Hit the Slopes

I was up early to grab a quick breakfast downstairs before heading to River Run Plaza at the base of Sun Valley’s Baldy. For all their virtues, resorts in the Wasatch Mountains tend to have benches breaking up the fall line. Baldy’s defining trait is its consistent gradient over 3,400 vertical feet. I headed straight up to the top of Christmas Lift for untouched turns down Christmas Bowl and Rock Garden before heading out Lookout Lift towards Easter Bowl. When it was time for a break, I let gravity take hold down Limelight towards the Warm Springs base area.

Sun Valley travel

Mt. Baldy’s defining trait is its consistent gradient over 3,400 vertical feet.

The Warm Springs day lodge is a perfectly serviceable—luxurious even—ski lodge with excellent food. That said, I’d recommend walking right past it and going to Irving’s Red Hots. The quirky red shack on Picabo St. is anathema to profiteering ski resort developers. Less than five bucks gets you an authentic Chicago-style kraut dog and a bag of chips, and there’s a bucket of Double Bubble to help get the poppy seeds out of your teeth. Multiple ski patrollers strolling up to get lunch while in their boots reinforce the establishment’s local credibility.

Sun Valley: 1 Sun Valley Rd., Sun Valley, 800-786-8259, sunvalley.com

Irving’s Red Hots: 204 Picabo St., Ketchum, 208-720-1664

R&R

After a couple more leg-burning laps off Challenger Lift, I was ready for some rejuvenation. I headed to Zenergy Health Club and Spa. For $25, Limelight guests can get a day pass to Zenergy, which includes a gym, Pilates and yoga studios, personal trainers, spin classes, comprehensive spa treatments and more. All I wanted was a soak in the hot tub for my sore muscles and a relaxing stint in the Himalayan salt sauna and eucalyptus steam room.

A Brief Historical Aside

At its inception, Sun Valley was a ploy to get people to buy train tickets. Union Pacific Railroad Chairman W. Averell Harriman wanted to increase ridership on passenger trains in the West by capitalizing on the winter sports boom following the 1932 Winter Olympics, so he enlisted Austrian Sportsman Count Felix Von Schaffgotsch to help him find a location for a mountain resort similar to St. Moritz in the Swiss Alps. Central Idaho, with its ample snowfall and generous sunshine, was christened the place to enjoy “winter sports under a summer sun.” In the fall of 1936, U.P. engineers designed and installed the world’s first chairlifts on Dollar and Proctor Mountains, and Sun Valley, the first ski resort in the U.S., was off and running. Walls of the lodge are lined with photographs of celebrities—Bruce Willis owns property nearby. The best are those from the 30s and 40s, with Hollywood stars bundled up in wool sweaters on those long old skis.

Ready for some more traditional après, I headed to The Ram Bar at Sun Valley Village for a beer and a smoked trout plate. The Ram is steeped in a bit of history itself. One of the walls was adorned with traditional Austrian Doppelmayr Cowbells to commemorate each of Sun Valley’s lifts, and though I saw little dancing, the Hokey Pokey is said to have originated there. Fine dining abounds throughout Sun Valley and Ketchum, but I eschewed hyperbolic Yelp reviews in favor of ordering prime rib from the bar at Main Street’s famed Pioneer Saloon. You probably should too.   

Zenergy: 245 Raven Rd., Ketchum,
208-725-0595, zenergysv.com

The Ram: 1 Sun Valley Rd., Sun Valley, 208-622-2266

Pioneer Saloon: 320 N. Main St., Ketchum, 208-726-3139, pioneersaloon.com

Exit Strategy

I grabbed a couple European-style pastries and a cup of locally-roasted coffee from Konditorei Restaurant before heading back over to Baldy. I was greeted by sunshine and immaculate corduroy at the top of Challenger Lift and proceeded to run a few seemingly-endless, two-mile laps down Warm Springs. From there, it was time to steer the car back towards reality. But I’d only scratched the surface, and it is safe to say I’ll be back.

Konditorei: 1 Sun Valley Rd., Sun Valley, 208-622-2235

See more Travel content here.

Oct 30
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Three Desert Getaways Near SLC

By Adventures, Outdoors

The days are getting shorter, there’s a hint of snow in the forecast and ski resorts fewer 40 days away from opening. Still, the specter of shoulder season’s doldrums looms. Don’t cower under a blanket and succumb to a Netflix binge, because shoulder season just so happens to be desert season! These three desert getaways near SLC all feature the warm weather and unique geology Utah’s desert landscapes are known for but with shorter drive times and fewer crowds than the Fab Five National Parks.

Vernal

Photo Courtesy of Utah Office of Tourism

Vernal is oft overlooked as an oil and gas town with dinosaur statues along on Main Street that’s on the way to Colorado. It’s also a sneaky good desert destination for families and adventurers of all types.

Drive Time from SLC: 3 Hours

Ride: The Mountain Bike trails at McCoy Flats are right off U.S. 40 on the outskirts of Vernal. The trails there replicate the chunky, rock-strewn character of Moab’s Mag 7 trail system with punchy climbs, ledge-filled descents and Dali-esque red rock formations. Slippery When Wet is a must hit for all riders intermediate and above. There’s dispersed BLM camping in the area for those looking to slumber near the trails.

Hike: The Dinosaur Trackway hike into Red Fleet State Park is a relatively easy 1.7 mile out on back hike along slick rock and through desert washes. As the name implies, there’s numerous spots to see dinosaur tracks along the route. The turnaround point is Red Fleet Reservoir, where you can take a dip if the weather’s warm enough.

Check Out: Nearby Dinosaur National Monument straddles the Utah and Colorado border at the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers. Hike trails along exposed rock walls while searching for fossils and petroglyphs, and be sure to check out the “Wall of Bones” dinosaur quarry. Hundreds of fossils have been chipped away at and are visible embedded in the steeply-tilted quarry wall.

Photo Courtesy of Utah Office of Tourism

Eat Pizza: Antiqua Forma’s artisan, wood-fired pizzas are a delicacy you wouldn’t expect to find tucked into the same building as the Dinosaur Inn. A couple slices from here will hit the spot after a day exploring the trails around Vernal.

Cedar City

Photo Courtesy of Utah Office of Tourism

Best known as the home to Southern Utah University and the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Cedar City is an underutilized recreation destination that’s an easy drive south of Salt Lake City.

Drive Time from SLC: 3.5 Hours

Ride: The Iron Hills trail system is accessible right off I-15 in Cedar City. The iron lending its name to the area is present in high quantities in the soil as well, resulting deep red colors throughout the trails. The Greens Lake Trail features berms and flow you won’t usually find in the desert.

Photo Courtesy of Utah Office of Tourism

Hike: Cedar Breaks National Monument may not be a secret, but there’s a reason it’s such an attraction. Hike out the Spectra Point Trail. The full trail is a 1.9 mile out and back with  stunning vistas from Spectra Point, but if you’re feeling a bit more leisurely you can see incredible views of the amphitheater just a few hundred yards from the parking lot at Point Supreme Overlook.

Check Out: Frontier Homestead State Park Museum features pioneer artifacts from when early Mormon settlers attempted to create an iron industry in the area. See historic cabins, horse-drawn vehicles and farm implements and the ruins of Old Iron Town.

Eat Pizza: Centro Woodfired Pizzeria uses traditional Italian methods to crank out delicious thin-crust pies along with gourmet salads and an impressive wine and beer selection.

Price

Photo Courtesy of Utah Office of Tourism

Most cars pass right by Price on the way to Moab or the San Rafael Swell, but there’s a lot to do in Price itself. It’s close enough to Salt Lake City that ambitious folks can make a day trip out of it.

Drive Time from SLC: 2 Hours

Ride: Luke’s Loop is a nice intermediate singletrack trail that starts right off 900 N in Price in the Wood Hill Mountain Bike Trail system. A few technical sections and expansive views of the surrounding Book Cliffs will keep you on your toes. Add on Allen’s Alley for a little extra distance and keep an eye out for the Tin Can Man.

Hike: Nine Mile Canyon is just a few miles from Price and is home to thousands of Native American petroglyphs. Many people take a driving tour through Nine Mile Canyon, but you can stretch your legs at sites throughout the Canyon’s fifty-plus miles and link together short hikes to see historic rock art.

Check Out: Just up the road in the nearby town of Helper—named for the helper engines formerly housed there to help get freight trains over the pass—is the world’s tallest coal miner. “Big John” is as tall as a two story building and is every bit as impressive as promised in the Jimmy Dean song.

Eat Pizza: Big Don’s Pizza is there to help you indulge your more esoteric tastes. Their extensive specialty pizza menu features enough options like Kaluan Pig and the Toninator to steer you away from the section they’ve titled “Boring Classics.”

See all our outdoors coverage here.

Oct 30
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Bartending Tips from Park City’s Top Mixologist

By Eat & Drink

You needn’t be an award-winning resort-town mixologist like Tupelo’s Trevor Brown to mix a decent drink. The back-to-back PCARA Cocktail Contest winner took a moment to share a few tips on crafting the kind of elegantly classic cocktails that will keep your next shindig from having the aesthetic of luau night in a frat house basement. Among other pearls of wisdom, Brown said, “It’s very easy to add too much sugar to a cocktail, so err on the side of a touch too bitter or citrusy and add more as preferred,” and, “Practice makes perfect.” There’s your excuse for the extra cocktail next Tuesday night. Tupelo: 508 Main St., 435-615-7700, tupeloparkcity.com

Three Classic Drinks It’s Time to Stop Messing Up

To mix like a pro, start by mastering these three standards.

Margarita “The beloved cocktail that’s often brutalized.”

  • 2 parts tequila
  • 1 part orange liqueur
  • 1 part lime juice
  • ½ part agave nectar

“A margarita needs a salted rim, so do that first. Shake the margarita in a tin shaker for 15 seconds, then pour it over rocks in the salted glass and enjoy.”

Manhattan “It’s a straightforward cocktail, but one that’s easily messed up.” 

  • 2 parts rye whiskey
  • 1 part vermouth
  • Dash of angostura bitters

“Put it in a mixing glass with just enough ice that the liquid covers it. Stir it up for a nice dilution to take the alcohol harshness out of it. Serve it up or on the rocks depending on preference with a lemon twist or cherry.”

Negroni “A cocktail drinker’s cocktail that’s boozy and bitter but goes down easy.”

  • • 1 part gin
  • • 1 part Campari
  • • 1 part sweet vermouth

“Stir in a mixing glass with ice for 10 seconds. Serve it in a rocks glass with a single large rock, if possible, and a twist of orange.”

Bar Essentials

Base Spirits

  • Rye Whiskey: “It blends better in cocktails and adds a little more depth with a spicy character.”
  • Vodka: “You’ll need it for light, easy summer drinks.”
  • Tequila: “A margarita never hurts.”
  • Gin: “A good, dry gin makes a big difference.”
  • Rum: “Start with a good Jamaican rum if you want to get a little crazy.”

Flavorings

  • Orange liqueur of any preference
  • Campari
  • Grenadine
  • Sweet vermouth
  • Sugar cubes
  • An orange & a lime
  • Angostura bitters

See all of our bar coverage here.

Oct 30
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Join Park City’s Push for Sustainability with Eco-Friendly Ski Gear

By Community

Last week Park City played host to a meeting of the minds from ski communities around the country at the Mountain Towns 2030 Conference. Community and business leaders from Park City, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Vail Resorts, Alterra Mountain Company, Powdr Corp and more addressed the uncomfortable reality that the lifestyles many of us lead in mountain towns are contributing to climate change and threatening the future of those very communities.

During the Conference, Park City Mayor Andy Beerman described the town’s efforts to reach net-zero carbon emissions from the town’s municipal operations by 2022 and a similar community-wide goal by 2030. Representatives from crested Butte detailed efforts by the town to electrify 100% of their municipal transportation fleet and reduce municipal building emissions by 50% by 2023 during the conference’s anonymous comment period. People from Frisco, Durango, Deer Valley and Steamboat echoed similar sentiments. The conference at the Jim Santy Auditorium was a refreshing moment of unity wherein rival mountain communities outlined tangible plans to combat the biggest existential crisis the ski industry faces.

What can you do to join in the effort? Choose products that emphasize sustainability. With temperatures dropping, many of us are frothing for some powder skiing and fueling that fire by buying ski gear for the upcoming season. Like it or not, many of the plastics, synthetic fibers, epoxies and more in our ski gear have a rough environmental impact. You can mitigate most of your impact by squeezing another season out of your functioning gear, but considering these eco-friendly ski gear options when upgrading is a step in the right direction.

Mountain Flow Eco Wax

Most ski waxes are made from petroleum, which ought to be concerning as the wax on the bottom of our skis and snowboards eventually ends up in our local streams, rivers and drinking water. Most ski waxes also contain fluorocarbons, which are carcinogenic chemicals that don’t biodegrade in nature. That’s bad. Mountain Flow Eco Wax is made entirely from plants, so it’s non-toxic, and after years of testing and refining it performs just as well to traditional high-end ski waxes. That’s good.

Pick up Mountain Flow Eco Wax locally at Skimo Co and Sports Den, or online from backcountry.com, REI or EVO.

Soul Poles

Soul Poles are produced right here in the Beehive State from sustainably-sourced bamboo and 100% recyclable materials. Bamboo produces three times more material per harvested acre than lumber, doesn’t have the negative environmental mining and processing impact of carbon fiber and it’s far more durable than traditional aluminum ski poles. Plus, they look cool and a bunch of people on the lift will ask you questions about them.

Order your custom-engraved, responsibly-produced, guilt-free Soul Poles from their website.

Scarpa Ski Boots

Scarpa is a renowned Italian brand known for producing high-quality ski boots and mountaineering footwear. For the past decade they’ve embarked on a planet-friendly initiative to produce their ski boots in a more environmentally conscious manner. One result of their effort is Pebax Rnew, a plastic used in their ski boot shells that’s made from plant-based castor oil, instead of petroleum like most other boot shell materials.

Some boots, like their telemark-specific TX Pro are made entirely from Pebax, while others like their award-winning Maestrale RS use Pebax for some aspects of construction. Whatever flavor you choose, you can feel good knowing there’s less non-renewable petroleum in your new boots than in your friend’s.

You can purchase Scarpa products locally at Skimo Co or Freeheel Life, or online from retailers like backcountry.com.

Niche Snowboards

Based right here in Salt Lake City, Niche Snowboards specializes in high-performance snowboards produced with as little environmental impact as possible. 98% of their materials are locally sourced—including sustainable poplar, paulownia and bamboo cores as well as recycled base, edge and sidewall materials—before being put to use in their 100% hydro-powered Austrian factory on the river Gail.

Pick up Niche Snowboards online from a retailer like EVO or backcountry.com.

 

See all our outdoors coverage here.

Oct 24
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Join Park City for 24 Hours of Giving with Live PC Give PC 2019

By Community

Park City is gearing up for the annual Live PC Give PC event on Friday, November 8, 2019. The 24-hour fundraising smorgasbord supports more than 100 local nonprofits in Summit County. Last year’s Live PC Give PC raised in excess of $2.4 million through donations from thousands of Utahns in support of issues important to them.

Support the community causes that are important to you. Photo Courtesy of Live PC Give PC

Live PC Give PC 2019 aims to mobilize at least 5,000 unique donors to give whatever they can to help strengthen their community through charitable acts. 2018’s average gift size was $231, but individual donations ranged from just a few dollars to impressively sizable sums. Katie Wright, Executive Director of the Park City Community Foundation stresses it’s the spirit of involvement and community giving that’s important. “It’s about participating, giving what you can—no matter what amount—and seeking opportunities to help spread awareness about causes you feel passionate about supporting,” she says.

That call to action should resonate in Park City, where people are rarely shy about issues they hold near and dear. Support affordable housing efforts by giving to Mountainlands Community Housing Trust, adaptive sports initiatives through the National Ability Center, open lands protection with the Summit Land Conservancy or animal welfare along with Nuzzles & Co. Head to the Live PC Give PC website to see a full list of participating organizations.

To participate Live PC Give PC, visit livepcgivepc.org and choose the cause important to you. You can donate any time during the actual 24-hour giving marathon between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on November 8 or any time in advance of the event that’s convenient.

Since 2011, Live PC Give PC has raised $10.3 million to support the community. That’s a cause for celebration, so you should do exactly that. The public party honoring this year’s  donors will be hosted by High West Distillery and Saloon. It starts at 8:00 p.m. and features live music along with High West’s famous food and drinks until midnight. Help build the community you want to live in. Support your favorite causes, share in the efforts with your friends and celebrate as the donations are tallied.

High West: 703 Park Ave, livepcgivepc.org

See all our community coverage here.

Oct 22
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Talisker Club’s Courchevel Comeback

By Eat & Drink

Talisker Club is embarking on a multi-faceted new phase in Park City. The public-facing centerpiece is a new restaurant, Courchevel, housed in the heart of Old Town in the historic Coal and Lumber building on Main Street. City regulations mandate the street level be available to the public, so the Courchevel restaurant and bar is the everyman’s slice of the Talisker Club lifestyle. Courchevel is both Talisker Club’s public-facing landmark and its year-round anchor to downtown Park City, though the downstairs lounge and patio is for members only. 

Talisker Club Courchevel

Photo by Adam Finkle / Salt Lake Magazine

Courchevel is only part of the new chapter. Talisker Club is investing in new amenities across several properties. Tuhaye—which overlooks the Jordanelle Reservoir and is home to a Mark O’Meara signature golf course—will feature an expansive family-friendly outdoor park and pool complex, while the Tower Club at Empire Pass will feature a spa expansion and renovation. New real estate offerings will be available at both Tuhaye and Empire Pass, and for the first time Talisker Club will offer shared ownership opportunities, which could significantly broaden its customer base. 

Sister City

Park City has a long-time but little known sibling—Courchevel, also a world-renowned ski resort town, is located in the French Alps and the two towns officially united in 1984. Their popular student exchange program has strengthened their ties, and municipal interaction helps each city with new ideas for solving mutual problems, like retaining small-town charm in the face of growing tourism.

The Talisker moniker has a bit of complicated history in town—including a fraught stint while operating the Canyons Resort—which the modern incarnation of Talisker Club hopes to shed after being purchased by Georgia-based real estate firm Storied Development in early 2018. “We want to tell our story again,” Storied Development Partner Mark Enderle said during an interview at the Tuhaye Welcome Center. “Talisker Club is a living, breathing thing. We have more than 450 members who all understand we’re not on an island but are part of the fabric of this community.” 

Naturally, the real estate expansion and new restaurant requires a workforce increase. Enderle didn’t provide specifics about how Talisker Club would help address the growing workforce shortage and dearth of affordable housing in Summit County, but he reiterated that Talisker Club had already met Park City’s affordable housing quota and pledged the company’s continued charitable efforts in the area. “Nearly all of our staff live here in Park City, and they want to do the right thing for the community and the company,” Enderle articulated. 

201 Heber Ave, mytaliskerclub.com.

See more Eat & Drink content here.

Sep 30
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Park City Looks to Reclaim Shot Ski World Record Glory

By Eat & Drink

Every hero needs a villain. True virtue shines brightest in the face of unadulterated wickedness and all that. Superman had Lex Luthor. Luke had Vader. Park City has Breckenridge. The high-elevation Colorado strip mall masquerading as a ski town usurped the shot ski world record from Park City in January 2019, but under the direction of the local distilling heroes at High West and the Park City Sunrise Rotary Club, Parkites are looking to reclaim their place atop the throne on Saturday, October 12 at 2 p.m.

In 2018, Park City set the bar by lining up 1,275 people to tip it back with a 2,570-foot long shot ski down Main Street. Breckenridge may have upped the ante ever so slightly with 1,299 shot ski drinkers of their own, but the Park City is looking to set the number even higher with 1,310 participants and 2,610 feet of shot ski.

Not content with merely crushing the spirit of our counterparts in Colorado, the organizers of the Shot Ski World Record Attempt aim to raise $40,000 for the Sunrise Rotary Club’s community grant program. $25 gets you a shot at glory along the massive shot ski, a token for a High West specialty cocktail at one of several after-party locations and a clear conscience knowing your money went towards bettering the community with your affinity for booze.

For complete event details and to purchase tickets online, visit the Park City Shot Ski Event website.

See all of our community coverage here.

Sep 26
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Performance Lab Training for Outdoor Adventure

By Adventures, Outdoors

Deacon Andrews didn’t move to Park City to spend time in the gym. That may seem like an odd stance for a professional trainer and fitness coach, but it was the mountains that drew him in. “The gym is just a tool where we can practice perfect movement,” Andrews says. “Everything we experience outside is reactionary, and the gym helps us prepare for that.” Andrews runs SISU Strong, a specialized fitness program for mountain athletes, which is to say all of us who spend our free time biking and skiing around the Wasatch while we’re dodging work emails.

There’s an
App for That

TrueCoach makes it easy to squeeze every ounce of fitness from your limited time. Andrews creates a profile in the app, which delivers a detailed training program to your email inbox. Miss a day? TrueCoach keeps you honest with reminders if you fail to log your prescribed workout. Andrews includes video tutorials that show exactly how to perform each movement, and you can upload a video of yourself so that Andrews can provide feedback on your form and progress.

Andrews’ training methods are an amalgam of what he’s learned through a diverse background as an Army Veteran, a professional mix of martial artist and CrossFit coach. He’s trained elite mountain athletes—including Park City native Haley Batten, who recently won the under-23 UCI XC Mountain Bike World Cup in Nove Mesto in June—and brings the lessons he’s learned to train the rest of us. “Life can be hectic, so I want to help people train more efficiently,” Andrews explains. “I want to help the parents who have to pick up their kids every day and the 35-year-olds who work a lot and are a little beat up to adventure further and play outside more with the time they have.” 

The goal of SISU Strong training isn’t to exhaust you. Andrews builds customized programs to add specific strength and stability, helping clients increase longevity and avoid injury when chasing their passions in the mountains. Members at Silver Mountain Sports Club & Spa can participate in Andrews’ mountain sports conditioning classes three days a week as part of the $77 per-month membership fee. Alternatively, Andrews can build a customized SISU Strong program to suit your goals and schedule starting at $200 per month. In addition, you can train periodically with Andrews as your schedule allows and work on the rest at home with in-app video feedback.

I opted to experience the latter option first hand. During the 30-minute assessment with Andrews, he helped me understand how I fail to keep tension throughout my torso when fatigued, putting extra stress on my lumbar spine and aggravating my increasingly creaky back. He also taught me proper breathing techniques, which I wish I’d learned 34 years ago. Tying it together, he created a personalized training plan in the TrueCoach app, which included targeted exercises as well as video tutorials and feedback. 

“Two to three days a week for 30 minutes is enough to perform better while optimizing training and recovery. The entire objective is to help people do what they love,” Andrews says.

435-649-6670, sisustrong.com, silvermountainspa.com

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