Ice, Access, and Indifference

One observes a certain flattening of the social landscape with these ‘Olympic Day’ events at the Park City Ice Arena. While the Kimball Art Center opening last week managed a respectable assembly, this feels… open to all. The Park City Curling Club, predictably, was the first to achieve capacity – a clear signal of good taste, even if one couldn’t actually participate. Registration, I am told, was handled via some digital portal – a decidedly un-bespoke arrangement. It’s amusing, of course, to see the masses attempting pursuits once reserved for the Vanderbilts and the, shall we say, more established skiers. Though frankly, the presence of food trucks feels less ‘après-sport’ and more ‘state fair.’ The Series, even at its most congested around The Eccles, maintains a certain aesthetic cohesion; this? A swirl of fleece and slightly damp enthusiasm. One imagines the Park City Institute would shudder. The color palette is entirely unflattering - muted blues and the stark white of the ice, with only the occasional flash of a Patagonia puffer. A distinctly un-flute-glass gold atmosphere. One hopes they at least had the foresight to limit the number of selfie sticks.