Village of Westmont
Date Issued: Sept. 18, 2017
The U.S. Olympic Luge Team returned to Westmont for the fourth time to conduct their Midwest search for future Luge Olympians. Based on the success of this year’s tryouts, they are already looking to come back to Westmont in 2018.
“I want to say thanks for all your effort in helping make our event a success this weekend in Westmont,” said Fred Zimny, who coordinates the U.S. Luge National Slider Search Tryouts. “The attendance, media coverage and even the weather were ideal and helped make it the most successful Slider Search of this year’s tour. I have nothing but universal praise for everyone involved from Westmont.”
“Working together to promote this event, we were able to secure news coverage from ABC-TV Ch. 7, FOX-TV Ch. 32, WGN-RADIO 720, and WGN-TV Ch. 9,” said Larry McIntyre, Westmont Communications Director. “With all of the success we’ve had hosting the event here in town, the U.S. Luge Team has offered to promote Westmont as one of their 2018 tryout locations during this year’s Olympic Winter Games. This is a very exciting opportunity for us.”
The regional Slider Search event brought more than 100 Olympic hopefuls from throughout the Midwest to Westmont. The USA Luge Slider Search is a program that introduces the sport of luge to boys and girls ages 9-13 all across the USA. The clinics utilize actual luge sleds equipped with wheels for summer use and participants are taught the basics of how to ride and steer a luge sled by a US National Luge Team athletes and coaches.
For more information regarding the U.S. Olympic Luge program, please visit their website at
usaluge.org. To see photos from the Slider Search in Westmont, visit our photo gallery by clicking on the link below.
