Every four years, we get to watch world-class athletes who are really, really good at doing stuff in the cold and snow.

And because Maine is the home of cold and snow, it’s easy for us to imagine being really, really good at winter sports ourselves. Even if we’re not.

The Winter Olympics in Beijing start this week, and there’s plenty of ways for Mainers to get into the games. There are several Mainers competing, so we have someone to root for. There are also places around the state where you might try your hand at one of the sports you love watching at the Winter Olympics. You will have the chance this month to watch some free live ice dance performances at locations around Maine, and take free skating lessons.

Here’s a look at some of the ways to make the most of this year’s Winter Olympics. Coverage of events is scheduled to start Wednesday, with the formal opening ceremony on Friday.

Yarmouth High grad Sophia Laukli is on the U.S. Olympic Nordic ski team. Photo courtesy of flyingpointroad.com

WHO TO WATCH

Sophia Laukli of Yarmouth was selected by this newspaper as the Varsity Maine girls’ skier of the year back in 2018. You’d think there would be no way to top such an honor. Well, Laukli, 21, did it, she made the U.S. Olympic team and will compete in Nordic skiing. Former University of Maine track and field teammates Frank Del Duca of Bethel and Jimmy Reed will be competing for the U.S. bobsled team, with Del Duca doing the driving. Emily Sweeney, who was born in Portland and lived in Falmouth until she was 10, will be part of the U.S. Olympic luge team. Cape Elizabeth native Clare Egan will be competing in her second straight Winter Olympics in biathlon – Nordic skiing and shooting – after competing in Nordic skiing and track and field in high school.

WHERE TO WATCH

So how and when can we watch all these Mainers go for the gold? Well, if you have an extensive cable package, you probably get NBC and its affiliated networks – including USA and CNBC – that are carrying the games. But many thrifty Mainers might not have cable. Luckily, the NBC-owned streaming service Peacock has all the coverage of 15 sports, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. The service is $4.99 a month, and you can unsubscribe when the Olympics are over, so it’s a pretty good deal. Coverage of non-medal competition begins Wednesday at 7 a.m. with curling mixed doubles. The opening ceremony can be seen live at 6 a.m. Friday or recorded at 8 p.m. The closing ceremony will be Feb. 20.

Maine-based Ice Dance International will be offering free performances and free lessons around the state this month. Two-time U.S. National figure skating champion Alissa Czisny (center, in purple) will be at all the events. Photo by David Murray: ClearEyePhoto.com

LIVE AND IN-PERSON

While the Olympics are on TV, you can also see some world-class figure skaters right here in Maine. You can also have them teach you how to skate, or skate better. The Kittery-based organization Ice Dance International is putting on free performances of an ice ballet for children called “Solstice,” sponsored by L.L. Bean. After the shows, families can get a free skating lesson from a cast member. One cast member is two-time U.S. National figure skating champ Alissa Czisny. The events are scheduled for Feb. 16 at Mid-Coast Recreation Center in Rockport, Feb. 21 at Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn, Feb. 22 at Piscataquis County Ice Arena in Dover-Foxcroft, and Feb. 23 at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center in Carrabassett Valley. There are also free lessons – without performances first – on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at L.L. Bean Discovery Park in Freeport. People need to register in advance for classes and sign a liability waiver. For a complete schedule, information and more events, go to IceDanceInternational.org.

Could you do this on ice? Maybe, if you take some skating lessons this year. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

LET THAT BE A LESSON TO YOU

If you can’t make one of the free classes above, there are other places in Maine and people to contact about learning a Winter Olympic sport. Portland’s William B. Troubh Ice Arena, for instance, offers multi-week lessons for people wanting to learn to skate or to learn some nifty hockey skills. The next basic skills skating class for adults starts Feb. 20 and runs five weeks. It costs $85 for Portland residents and $90 for nonresidents. The five-week hockey skills class, for youth and adults, starts Feb. 19. The cost is also $85 to $90, and there are groups for both beginners and people who already play. For more information, go to portlandmaine.gov and search for skating lessons.

Speed skating is a whole different ballgame than figure skating. The athletes use longer blades and soar around a track at breakneck speed. So where does one learn? Well, Maine’s only short-track speed skating club, the Great Atlantic Speedskating Club, meets at Family Ice Center in Falmouth and holds occasional events for people who want to try the sport. The club is in the process of planning one or more “Try Speedskating” events for sometime in February, because, members say, there’s always a lot of interest in their sport in an Olympic year. The number of participants will likely be limited to 12, and the cost is usually about $20, with skate rentals available. If you’re interested, contact the the Great Atlantic Speedskating club by emailing gascmaine@gmail.com.

Maybe this is the year the Winter Olympics inspire you to go skiing across the Maine countryside. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal

Nordic or cross-country skiing is something people do all over Maine – on farms, through the woods and over fields. You don’t need to drive three or four hours to a mountain. Still, if you’ve never done it, it can be tricky and you might want a lesson. One place to take one in southern Maine is at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester. One-hour lessons are available for beginner, intermediate or advanced skiers. It’s $50 per person for a private lesson, or $40 for a two-person lesson and $30 for a group of 3-5 people. Lessons include a day pass for the trails. They are by appointment only and have to be scheduled by calling 207-688-6599. For more information about cross-country skiing at Pineland Farms, go to pinelandfarms.org.

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