The Whistler Sliding Center, built for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, is where world-class competitors raced for gold in the bobsled, luge and skeleton events.

The athletes reached speeds of nearl

y 100 mph on the winding track that’s just under a mile long.

They looked like superheroes, defying the ice at each turn at blazing speeds. They trained for years, risking injury, even death, if they made a wrong move.

The tragic death of Nodar Kumaritashvili, 21, a Georgian luge rider, during a pregame practice run cast a pall over the 2010 games. In the wake of the death, athletes still hurled themselves onto the track and left audiences speechless with their prowess, speed and skill.

Now, a year after the Games ended, ordinary people have an opportunity to ride the track. For $130 Canadian dollars ($132 U.S. right now), you can ride the skeleton.

No, it’s not quite the same and certainly the danger is limited. For one thing, the only way down is head first on a skeleton. Gravity does the steering.

By comparison, luge riders go down feet first and must steer their sleds. People will only ride the lower third of the track with no running starts.

Still, promoters are calling it a “thrill of a lifetime,” and it surely looks that way.

Participants take a three-and-a-half hour lesson, then don a full-face helmet, hop on the sled and head down the track face first. Each person gets two thrilling rides, reaching freeway speeds of about 55 mph.

The track only offers one session a day, open to a maximum of 20 people, through March 20. Reservations are recommended.

No luge rides are offered. They plan to offer bobsled rides in the fall, said Kerry Duff, a spokeswoman for Tourism Whistler.

Whistler and Blackcomb mountains are popular destinations for Northwest skiers, offering acres of terrain and lots of hotel options.

What used to be a harrowing drive north of Vancouver along the Sea-to-Sky Highway now is faster and easier, thanks to improvements made for the Olympics.

Plus, there’s lots to do and see at Whistler besides the skeleton rides.

Start by taking a tour of the sliding center and simply watch people zoom by on the ice. It’s located near the Blackcomb base.

Up on the mountain, Dave Murray Downhill and Franz’s Run are now open to the public for skiing and snowboarding. These are the same runs used during the games for the super G, giant slalom, slalom and combined events. (They continue to be used for ski racing.)

If cross-country skiing is more your speed, the Whistler Olympic Park, just south of the town in the Callaghan Valley, has nearly 60 miles of groomed trails for beginners and people who want to emulate the Olympic athletes.

If you cross-country ski at Lost Lake, right in town, be sure to check out Lost Lake Passivhaus. It was the headquarters for the Austrian Olympic Committee and Austrian Public Broadcasting Corporation during the games. Now it’s a state-of-the art day lodge, which also will be open during the summer when people ride mountain bikes through the city park.

Over time, more features built for the Olympics will be woven into the fabric of what makes Whistler worth the trip.

Construction already has begun to convert the Whistler Medal Plaza into an entertainment venue that will be able to hold 3,000 people.

Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3447; jholtz@heraldnet.com.

Take a big slide

Public sliding sessions at Whistler, B.C., are offered 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, now through March 20.

Reservations are suggested and can be made by e-mailing wscguestservices@ whistlersportlegacies.com.

For more information about the Sliding Center go to www. whistlerslidingcentre.com.

For cross-country ski information, go to www. whistlerolympicpark.com and for downhill information, go to www.whistlerblackcomb.com.