MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — Running a business entirely dependent on the weather is tricky. Jim Rudicil, the executive director of the Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park, would know.

He said there is a lot of planning behind the scenes to get their 850-foot luge track, two-acre outdoor ice rink and quarter-mile ice skating trail ready to open.

“I think the most important thing is when that magic of winter arrives, you just got to get out and get after it quickly,” Rudicil told News 8.

Last winter, that magic didn’t arrive until January, causing the park to miss the peak holiday season. 

“Last year was a struggle,” Rudicil said. “Really we had essentially two weeks of winter with one of those weeks being like extreme cold which isn’t all that great for, you know, to get the masses out.”

He expressed gratitude for the park’s season passholders and sponsors, saying without their support, they would be in trouble, but with large snowfall over the past week, Rudicil is hopeful that the park’s 40th season will be better. 

“We’re just hoping for consistent weather,” Rudicil said. “We have an amazing staff here that is ready to go. It’s kind of like our bull pet, they’re ready to start sculpting and building this facility and bringing that magic.”

The executive director said Muskegon Luge is one of four luge tracks in the country. The track can take people up to speeds of 40 miles per hour. It takes staff around two days to build the track and they need around four to six inches of snow to build it.

While they don’t have enough just yet, Rudicil hopes the cold will stick around so they will be able to open up their ice rink and give people a unique winter experience.

“To learn how to ice skate for the first time with the kids, those special moments to learn how to cross country ski or perhaps learn how to luge for the first time. We offer those experiences,” he said.

You can check conditions and learn more about the park and their season passes here. While the rink and luge are closed, the park is offering an experience called Hike the Lights every night, where you can walk on their ski trails lit up by lights.