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Show WASATCH COUNTY COURIER September 7, 1999. | Big Hairy Creatures — Wasatch Dance Center Dancers — Seen on US 40. Llama and alpaca festival feature big cuildiy- investments By Jean Croasmun “I wanted an investment | could hug,” So Gardner -says Linda Gardner. her partner, Ed - Heintz,. decided alpacas. Now, a year later, Gardner Heitz have a small herd of alpacas. sardine couldn’t be happier. . oie those not familiar with the -_€reatures, and .on : and And cs an alpaca is a member of the five to 10 alpacas per acre, plus they Selected for ESP AIRWAVE only eat one bale of hay per animal each month,” says Post. — Apacs and llamas aren’t necessarily native to Utah, but at one time their species did roam throughout North America. Fossil records indicate that 40 or 50 million. years ago, the animals’ -Camelid family, a distant relative of the -camel. But if they look more like little ancestors migrated from North America to South America, and became residents of the high mountains of Peru, Chile ~llamas, . it’s because: both of the animals *: and Bolivia. ae are members of the same species... : “We have members ranging in age from two to too-old-to-tell,” says Ellis. She ~ attributes the animal’s popularity to its personality and versatility-llamas can be | While related, alpacas and {lamas are quite different; during the Intermountain West Alpaca and Llama Festival last weekend in Heber, participants got to see just how different they were. and, of course, our dancers Wasatch Dance Center.” said. “I wasn’t expecting the same type of thing here, but when we reviewed the tapes of these guys, I was stoked. They’re totally cool, and just the type of thing that will really fill out the show.” “show” Worthington, Champion and freestyle skiing, retiring from are softer,” says Post. acne Alpacas are also 115 and 175 for an adult Post also says that alpacas are pretty easy to care for, not requiring a lot of room and eating very little. “You can have is something _ that a 5-time World former Olympian in seems to live for. After the sport. in 1993, at the Winter Sports While visitors can also check out al stunts, which dazzle any crowd, it was. The Sprint Ultimate Airwave begins at 1:00pm on September 11 with the freestyle aerials qualifying round. Shuttle service leaving from ae . Canyons begins at noon: The exhibition, with live music, dancers, skaters, snowboarders and BMX riders begins at and the Ultimate Airwave was born. “The Airwave has got it all going on. It starts off with a freestyle aerials competition, with the best aerial skiers in the world | 6:00pm. Tickets are $8 at the gate. The Sprint Ultimate Airwave will be broadcast on the ESPN Sports Network. Show Us Your Sled This weeks sleds are courtesy of Midway’s Swiss Days parade. From the Loertscher Little Family Train to Tom Whitaker’s horse and wagon to Henry Kohler the Swiss Bear, an array of interesting sleds were out in honor of Swiss Days. The parade was held both Friday and Saturday | nights on Midway’s Main Street. Wanna’ show everyone your sled? Call The Courier at 654- 2661. LARRY J. COET - 9015S. Malin Chevrolet © Pontiac ¢ Buick « Heber City ¢ 654-5120 HEBER Get CITY’S 4-WHEEL DRIVE ready for the hunt... ANY MAKE OR MODEL! the and nordic ski jumping competitions during the 2002 Olympics. “a natural fit. Last year, though, Worthington partnered with the U.S. Association, and skaters, dancers. _ Park will be home to the bobsled, luge 2 Since freestyle skiers regularly train on the trampoline, and are capable of aeri- Snowboard ‘bikers snowboarders, Park, sport of freestyle skiing to the masses. and the bobsled and luge track, and the nordic ski jumps, which are currently under construction. The Utah Winter Sports Worthington began to produce trampoline shows as a way of promoting the Ski from For anyone sat hasn't witnessed -Olympic-caliber athletes in action on the freestyle jumps, this is an excellent _ opportunity. The best aerialists in the country will be on-hand, as well as top had some'‘really awesome dancers,” he | The Post aed he festival three years ago as an educational tool-to get people: familiar with alpacas. The first year, Post limited the festival to just alpacas, but kept asking her if they. were [lamas. She added llamas to the festival the next year to show the differences. smaller, weighing between pounds, compared to 450 male llama. ists will be breaking out new tricks, we tl have skateboarders and in-line skaters in the half-pipe, BMX bikers and snowboarders going off the jumps and into the pool, guys doing tricks on the trampolines, rock bands and techno music, in New York and Las Vegas, wasn’t sure tect her smaller animals. ing the two animals. ting, the exhibition begins. The aerial: 7 what sort of dancers he would find for his upcoming show at the Utah Winter Sports Park in Park City. “In Vegas, we used as pack animals, for their fleece, or * Alacer Worthington. “And then when the competition is over, and the sun is set- od nese guys are totally hip!” said Trace Worthington, the man behind the Airwave exhibition. Worthington, who has produced Airwave style exhibitions growing. This is the third year “i ihe Apa a Llama Festival and organizer Tami Post — couldn’t be more pleased. Post started taising alpacas four years ago in Heber with just one pair. Now she has 29 alpacas along with a guard llama to pro-- doing tricks like a. quad-twisting triple, and landing in. the - pool,’ said SERVICE let us fix your eras 4- wheel drive. e UNDER NEW SERVICE MANAGEMENT! aa tion, Wasatch. County has one of only two 4-H Llama clubs in the state, and the animals’ popularity is constantly | just as pets. ~ Champions) rung iy | Ohne prisingly, Wasatch ‘County is already home to quite a few llamas and alpacas. According to Sarah Ellis with the ‘Wasatch County 4-H Llama organiza- and Olympic flying 80 feet in the air, 7 World | Gant dancers, Alison Aezer, Janessa Brown, Sarah Lovett, Ashley Lucking, Nicole Parker and Jamaica Sweat were selected at the Wasatch Dance Center Performing and Competing Teams and Companies Audition to perform in the Sprint Ultimate Airwave on September Bie Fe oho | Hhae TEN Six local Heber brought dozens of both creatures — to Wasatch County. But, perhaps sur-_. “iil “Last weekend's 1999 tirceiountain: ; “West Alpaca and Llama Festival in |