Skiing at Park City Mountain wasn’t the only thrill to chase Friday in town, with Woodward’s Bubly Tubing Park also opening for the season in the afternoon. The sporting complex plans to operate the park everyday through April, the same as their skiing and snowboarding terrain, which is set to open next Friday. The park has seven lanes — four long lanes for added speed and three for slower-paced rides. The long lanes are the longest in Utah. Tickets are available in two-hour intervals, ranging in prices depending on the day. Woodward didn’t change their winning formula this year, sticking with the same park setup as years prior. Senior Parks Manager Benny McGinnis and his team have been hard at work in recent weeks shaping the park. McGinnis and the team are currently working on getting the skiing and snowboarding terrain into form. Woodward is hosting a tubing opening day ceremony Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be music via the Red Bull Sound Vehicle, free hot cacao and s’mores, and Subaru giveaways. “We made some technological advances in our snowmaking system,” said McGinnis. “We have a fully automated system. … They can flow less or more water through them and be more efficient.”McGinnis said Woodward aims for pretty moist snow that they can mold for their tubing and other features. He added that while the tubing park is set to last the winter, any added Utah snow will help refresh it and slick things up for riders. Woodward will hope the warm spring weather will hold off as long as it can. Multiple Woodward employees touched upon the unique thrill of tubing, saying its one of the only uncontrollable winter sporting experiences. McGinnis said it’s typically a great foray for the uninitiated into other winter sports. He thinks some of the complex’s best tubing clientele comes from Salt Lake non-skiers or snowboarders. Woodward Park City’s snowmaking efforts as of Thursday morning. Credit: Jack Singer/Park Record“It’s funny, the warmer the weather, the worse the winter is in the Valley for sledding, the better we do,” added McGinnis. “Everybody wants their winter experience.”Woodward sells both tubing and all-access complex passes. They find that people who try tubing with them tend to stick around and try their hands at skiing or snowboarding. Woodward hopes to convert as many tubing riders into winter sports enthusiasts as they can. Woodward also finds that tubing is extremely popular for corporate or other events. It’s easy to access, and the complex has employees monitoring the two lifts and seven lanes. Woodward plans on having some tubing events throughout the winter. “We see 80 year olds that want to get into the sport showing up here for the first time,” said McGinnis. “This is a great place to learn because it’s smaller and easy to navigate. … It’s not as hard as going into Park City.”The complex believes their variability is a huge draw for tubers and non-winter sport participants. Guests can have food, a drink and keep an eye on their family or friends from inside if they so choose. Woodward isn’t considering switching up or adding to the tubing experience just yet, although McGinnis didn’t rule out any future changes. For tickets, future event information and more at Woodward, see their website.The post Woodward opens tubing park for the season  appeared first on Park Record.