How's this for a deal? Gold medal-round hockey tickets for just 10 bucks a pop.
No, it's not the best scalping deal in town — it's the price of a ticket to the Paralympic Games ice sledge hockey finals. Actually, it's the price of a ticket to nearly every 2002 Paralympic Games event.
You'd better hurry, though. Paralympics organizers crossed the 100,000 mark in number of tickets sold earlier this week and believe that as the second-biggest-ever sporting event in Utah approaches, tickets will be harder and harder to get.
"It's not a Winter Games milestone, but it's a milestone in terms of reaching that 100,000 tickets sold," said Joy Kohnken, spokeswoman for Salt Lake's Paralympic Games. The Paralympic Games open March 7 and continue through March 16. At least two events — the March 9 men's downhill event and the March 15 gold-medal ice sledge hockey — are nearly sold out, Kohnken said.
Despite a growing field of athletes in both summer and winter Paralympic events, the Paralympics remain one of the better-kept sports secrets. In Salt Lake, some 1,000 athletes and team officials from 36 countries are set to participate in more than 100 medal events, Kohnken said.
The athletes, whose disabilities range from blindness to amputated limbs, compete on nearly identical courses as able-bodied Olympians.
Events include ice sledge hockey, men's and women's cross-country at short, mid and long distances, men's and women's downhill, slalom and super G.
Events will be held at Snowbasin, Soldier Hollow and the E Center.
"These athletes are as serious and dedicated as any Olympians, and they are motivated by going for gold," said Kohnken. "It's a by-product that they have amazing and inspirational stores that move us to do more ourselves."
The two-hour Paralympic opening ceremonies are scheduled for March 7 at 7 p.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium, with closing ceremonies at 7:30 p.m. at the Olympic Medals Plaza in downtown Salt Lake. Tickets range from $20 to $100.
Some 235,000 Paralympic tickets were made available for sale last November, Kohnken said. As organizers expected, early sales were a bit slow, but as the the 2002 Winter Games began, the interest in the Paralympic Games grew and ticket sales took off.
The number of visitors to the official Web site www.paralympics2002.com has tripled since the first week of Salt Lake City's Games. "The buzz is out there," she said.
Group ticket purchases bring ticket prices down to as low as $5.
Some Paralympic events will also be seen on TV. Earlier this week, organizers announced a broadcast deal with the A&E Network for a one-hour highlight program. The show will air March 9-16.
"What's going to happen is that people are going to see more and more of what's happening every day on TV and realize that it's happening right in their back yard. Then they are going to want to go and see the events," she said.
E-MAIL: jdobner@desnews.com