When the word Olympics comes to mind most people think about summer. Although the Winter Olympics were created after the Summer Olympics, this event gets little to no national recognition. According to Business Insider, the viewer ratings of the Summer Olympics are nearly triple the Winter Olympics ratings.

That is not the case in Des Moines.  Several students and staff at Grand View University watch the Winter Olympics for various reasons.

Student Jake Thompson explained that he liked to watch the Winter Olympics in his free time. “They (Winter Olympics participants) do different stunts than you’ll see in the typical Olympics. The idea that you’re on snow is kind of funny,” Thompson said.

Although Assistant Director of Resident Life Robby Patterson loves the Summer Olympics, he enjoys finding time to watch the Winter Olympics as well.

“I would never watch speed skating if it wasn’t the Olympics,” Patterson said. “It’s like a big spectacle.”

He also said that watching this event helps him stay caught up with current events.

This year, the Greater Des Moines Partnership is bringing a part of the Winter Olympics closer to home. On February 9, the 2018 Winter Olympics will kick off at 7 p.m. in PyeongChang, South Korea, and will conclude on Sunday, February 25. The Winter Olympics consist of 16 winter sports such as snowboarding, figure skating and cross-country skiing.

While there are many exciting things about the Winter Olympics in South Korea this year, the Greater Des Moines Partnership has been working hard on an exciting event for locals looking to get out and have some winter fun. The Greater Des Moines Partnership has organized a two-day event at Brenton Skating Plaza that gets started during the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

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How the event was created

“The partnership helps runs Brenton Skating Plaza and we thought it would be a great idea to tie in and get people excited for the Winter Olympics in South Korea this year,” Sam Hoyle, media relations manager for the Greater Des Moines Partnership said. “So, we thought we could put on some events, get people outdoors especially during the winter and really embrace the season, get active.”

Hoyle said he thought this would be a good reason to cheer on your country as they compete against other nations.

“This is the first one, but we are expecting this to be very popular,” Hoyle said. “The reception we have had so far has been great. People are really embracing it. Also, (this will) remind people what a great facility Brenton Skating Plaza is, and that there is a lot of things to do in Des Moines during the winter.”

What to expect at the event

Friday, February 9, the event will start at 5 p.m. and go until 11 p.m. There will be live music from Randy Burke, The Prisoners, and Theodore Roosevelt High School will be doing a live performance of the National Anthem. There will be several food trucks, glow ice skating, a professional ice carver, heated tents with TVs in order to watch the opening ceremonies, and fireworks to close out the night.

Special guests include the Des Moines Curling Club and two former Olympians, Jean Racine Prahm and Dan Steele. Prahm was an Olympic bobsledder who competed from 1996-2006. Steele was an Olympic bobsledder and track and field star who competed from 1990-2002.

Saturday, February 10, the event will begin at noon and end at 5 p.m. Guests can enjoy a winter sports playground, local mascots, prizes, and learn about the sport broomball. The Des Moines Figure Skating Club will perform, and have a meet and greet. The Des Moines Curling Club will also be back to demonstrate the sport for a second time.

Thanks to the sponsors, the event is free and open to the public. However, if you would like to skate, it will be Brenton Skating Plaza’s usual price. More information about the event is available here.