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Show A-10 The Park Record Marketplace C Nightly Lodging Tally N r h Occupancy Report for week of December 23-29, 2018 Couple skids into new business idea Skiers can use the treadmill to better their techniques 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% CAROLYN WEBBER ALDER 10% The Park Record Philipp and Michele Koch are fairly spontaneous people. They moved to the U.S. from Switzerland on a whim and purchased their kitchen cabinets and appliances before they found a house. So the idea of buying a cross-country ski treadmill without any idea of where to put it was, in a way, normal for the family. The couple did end up finding a place for the treadmill, and now they are the owners of a new business in town called Park City XC Skiing Treadmill. It opened in October. The treadmill allows skiers to practice their technique and train year-round as skiers use roller skis on the treadmill. Philipp moved his family from Switzerland to Park City in 2014. The Swiss company he was working for was acquired by Adobe and, while visiting Philipp’s former boss who had moved to Salt Lake City, Philipp and Michele decided to try living in the U.S. as well. “Our plan was only to stay here for 12 months and then go home, but we ended up being here permanently,” Philipp said. When the Kochs started to settle in Park City, they began looking for outdoor activities for their children to participate in. Two of their three kids took a liking to cross-country skiing, and Philipp and Michele quickly became involved in their children’s training and competitions. Last year, two Swiss professional cross-country skiers visited Park City and the Kochs offered up their house for them to stay in. While discussing their training, the skiers mentioned cross-country treadmills, and Philipp was intrigued. Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, December 22-25, 2018 Sun Mon Tues 2018 - As of 11/30/18 2017 - As of 11/30/17 2017 - Historic Actuals Wed Thurs Fri Sat Week High 2018 ..........Sat 81% Week High 2017 .... Fri/Sat 88% Weekly Average 2018 ....... 66% Weekly Average 2017 ....... 77% NOTE: This is not a forecast of bookings. Data presented in this report represents occupancy on the books as of the report date. Source: DestiMetrics & Park City Chamber/Bureau © 2018 CAROLYN WEBBER ALDER/PARK RECORD Philipp and Michele Koch purchased a cross-country ski treadmill and opened a business earlier this year. The treadmill is used by skiers recovering from injuries or aiming to improve technique. “We started to do a little research about it,” Philipp said. He learned that Norwegian Olympic cross-country skiers regularly train on ski treadmills and that a cross-country team excelling in the sport in Sun Valley, Idaho, had one as well. So, Philipp thought that Park City should have one, too. He called different stores to see how he could get his hands on one. In December of 2017, he found a company in Texas that sold ski treadmills and, a few months later, ordered one. While waiting for the treadmill to ship, Philipp searched for a place to put the equipment. A commercial real estate agent suggested that Philipp find a space to share with another business. His agent told him about the new business Enlighten Wellness, which provides fitness and health services, and Philipp partnered with the owners to bring his treadmill inside the recently renovated space. Philipp and Michele had no ex- perience starting a business, but they said the chance to have a ski treadmill for their kids and other athletes was not something they could pass up. “Whenever we feel like there’s an interesting opportunity, we go after it if we can,” he said. “We didn’t know how to start a business. We just did it.” The treadmill can be used by professional athletes or people who ski recreationally. The only requirement is that skiers using the treadmill have someone with them to help operate the machine. The Kochs said they also help pair skiers with coaches. The treadmill can be used for different purposes as well, Michele said. She said skiers can practice maintaining a certain speed on hills, since the treadmill can be adjusted to a grade of up to 30 percent. “It is a pretty efficient method to become faster on hills,” she said. Philipp said the treadmill can help skiers improve their tech- nique quicker. Traditionally, skiers improve their technique by having a coach take videos of them while skiing and then analyzing the video. Then, the skier goes back out and tries to correct their technique, Philipp said. On the treadmill, skiers can make corrections in real time because there is a live video showing them their form. Trainers can also more easily test biochemistry such as lactic acid production, and injured athletes can use the treadmill to steadily get back into shape. So far, a few athletes use the treadmill, including several members on the USA Nordic team, Philipp said. The Kochs hope to educate the community about the advantages of ski treadmills and see them regularly use it. Park City XC Skiing Treadmill 1912 Sidewinder Dr. 435-901-2587 www.pcxctreadmill.net Nonprofit hooves it toward growth It rescues horses and rehabilitates them in Wanship CAROLYN WEBBER ALDER The Park Record What Barb Phillips saw in 2013 forever changed her. She still shudders when she thinks of the herd of neglected and malnourished horses she committed to save. She remembers loading up a trailer with hay and water and regularly driving down to Spanish Fork to feed them. And the moment she purchased 13 of the horses is a memory she can never forget. It was the incident that pushed Phillips to found the Saving Gracie Equine Healing Foundation, which aims to rescue and rehabilitate horses on a property in Wanship. Phillips, founder and executive director of the foundation, is l r s a A e o a S M a e o r g h r t i l h n c s proud to see the horses she has a helped over the course of a few v years. She and her small team t have put thousands of hours n and dollars into the nonprofit, h she said, but Phillips knows she h cannot complete her goals alone. For that reason, she and Hattie Cole, the director of marketing and fundraising, recently held the foundation’s first organized fundraising event through Live PC Give PC. Saving Gracie Foundation raised $10,000. Phillips and Cole said they participated in the fundraiser in order to raise community awareness about the foundation, which formally began in 2015. Cole expected to raise a few hundred dollars, so she was shocked to see the final amount. “It gave Barb and I a lot of hope,” she said. The group plans on hosting regular fundraising events in the future, as well as launching a volunteer program for people to work on the ranch. The nonprofit has come aB E Please see Nonprofit, A-11h |