Go insanely fast - in any season

"The best way to describe it is like a whip," said employee Matthew Spataroa, a Melbourne transplant. "Afterward people say 'Never again,' or 'Where do I sign up next?' "

Instead, I was on the park's stress-free Olympic Odyssey Tour, an audio tour that takes visitors through the 206-acre park.

While it has been decades since Calgary hosted the Winter Games, the site has become a huge all-season draw as well as a training center for athletes. Next year, Vancouver hosts the XXI Winter Games, practically next door in British Columbia. The Calgary Olympic Development Association, which owns and oversees the park, last year launched a $276 million expansion of the training facilities. The centerpiece of the project is a new state-of-the-art sports complex that includes four hockey rinks, a gymnasium, and a high-performance fitness center.

The park draws about a million visitors, making it Alberta's second-largest tourist attraction after the Rocky Mountains. Many only sightsee, which could include the audio tour, a look at the Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum, and a glass elevator ride to the top of the ski jump tower. At 296 feet, it's the highest vantage point in the city. From there you can see all of Calgary and the Canadian Rockies an hour north.

From the tower's observation deck, you can board the Skyline at the Park, a zipline ride designed to simulate the feeling of ski jumping. The gnarliest of the three ziplines is 1,640 feet long with a vertical drop of more than 328 feet at speeds up to 87 miles per hour. That's like falling from a 25-story building.

Or you can just watch. The ziplines, which opened in 2007, are year-round; most other outdoor activities are seasonal. In winter, about 300,000 people visit to ski and snowboard. Competitions are held on the ski jumps, moguls, and a half-pipe said to be the largest in the world. It has a 22-foot radius and a slope pitch of 17.5 degrees. Lessons are available for skiers and boarders, and equipment can be rented.