STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Olympic Gold Medalist Nathan Chen, who has been performing at Sun Valley since he was a young boy, will headline the July 16 show of Sun Valley on Ice.
The 2022 Sun Valley on Ice shows get underway on Saturday, July 2.
Chen decided he wanted to pursue Olympic glory at age 11, spurred on in part by coach and choreographer Stephanee Grosscup, who coached Chen as he was growing up in Salt Lake City and has been a longtime coach at Sun Valley Skating School.
Grosscup had him in her Snowplow Sam Learn to Skate Class when he was 3. Chen held his first competition at the Utah Winter Games six months after he started skating.
She beamed as Chen performed a dazzling performance that included two quad flips, a quad salchow, a quad lutz and a quad toeloop at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
Sun Valley on Ice will kick off with U.S. Gold Medalist and U.S. Silver Medalist Mariah Bell on Friday, July 1.
Olympic Gold Medalist Nathan Chen, who has been performing at Sun Valley since a young boy, will head line the July 16 show.
Olympic Silver Medalist pair skaters Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier will be featured in the Aug. 6 show.
The July 23 and Aug. 27 slots have yet to be filled., but two-time U.S. Gold Medalist and World Bronze Medalist Alysa Lui will star in the final show on Sept. 2.
Guest skaters often comment how they love performing on Sun Valley’s outdoor skating rink—one of the few outdoor rinks in the country that offer live performances.
“There’s something simply magical about watching the world’s best skaters performing live, under a blanket of stars that you can’t find anywhere else,” said Scott Irvine, the producer of Sun Valley on Ice. “It’s what sets Sun Valley on Ice apart from any other skating production.”
Tickets to Sun Valley on Ice start at $79 and can be purchased online or at the Recreation Office in Sun Valley Village.
Spectators can also avail themselves of terrace seating, which includes a buffet, and bar service by calling 208-622-2135.