Elite Athleticism Across Disciplines at Modernized Venues
The New York Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) announces a series of major competitive events coming to ORDA venues this fall, 2022, bringing hundreds of athletes to the Olympic Region in the disciplines of ice skating, Nordic, biathlon, ski jumping, bobsled, skeleton, running, and hockey.
U.S. Figure Skating Classic
The 2022 International Figure Skating Classic kicks off the International Skating Union (ISU) Challenger Series, September 12-16, with a slate of 10 international competitions around the nation happening throughout the 2022-23 season. This major international competition will feature all four figure skating disciplines (Women, Men, Pairs, and Ice Dance), and results will count toward each competitor’s International Skating Union (ISU) World Standing Points and is widely recognized among skating enthusiasts as an opportunity to discover emerging talent and see the year’s new skating programs of rising stars.
In conjunction with this senior-level event, the U.S. Figure Skating Association is also holding a Junior Skating Challenge featuring both competitive skating and classes. Novice and junior skaters are invited to participate as part of their development and preparation for senior-level international competition.
The four days of competition will be held in the Olympic Center’s 1980 Herb Brooks Arena, and a detailed schedule and tickets will soon be made available at lakeplacidlegacysites.com.
Castle Conquest
The Castle Conquest is a trifecta of Nordic events over a full weekend at the world-renowned Lake Placid Legacy Sites, co-organized by ORDA, New York State Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF), and the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA), and welcoming many US Ski Team athletes. The weekend kicks off with the Keys to the Castle race Saturday, September 24 at 10:30 am at Mt Van Hoevenberg’s paved roller ski trails. In a race of both endurance and speed, athletes will earn the “Keys to the Castle” by battling for a podium position in this spectator-friendly race. All participants will compete in morning qualifying heats in rounds of four athletes.
Also, at Mt Van Hoevenberg Saturday, September 24 at 2:00 pm, athletes will demonstrate a combination of skiing skills and precision of rifle marksmanship in a 4.5k biathlon competition on roller skis. On Sunday, September 25, the NYSEF Climb to the Castle race will ascend Whiteface Mountain via the Veterans Memorial Highway in a grueling 13k uphill roller ski race that starts at 8:00 am.
This challenging weekend of summer, Nordic ski racing is open to all. Spectators are also invited to come to cheer on the field of elite and amateur ski racers as they go head-to-head with the stunning early fall backdrops of mountains and forest at ORDA’s Lake Placid Legacy Sites. Other information, race entry, and venue details are available at lakeplacidlegacysites.com.
Jumpapalooza
The USA Nordic National Championships, U.S. Ski Jumping competition, and U.S. Nordic Combined National Championships all converge at Lake Placid’s Olympic Jumping Complex Friday evening, September 30, and Saturday, October 1. Jumpalooza not only showcases elite athleticism in the sports of Nordic and Ski Jumping but is also a family-friendly event with live music featuring the Big Takeover and Annie in the Water, activities, attractions, and fireworks. Tickets and a detailed Jumpapalooza schedule are available online at lakeplacidlegacysites.com.
USA Bobsled and Skeleton Push Championships
The competitive bobsled season officially begins with the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation’s Push Championships coming to Mt Van Hoevenberg on Friday, Saturday, September 30, and October 1, and the skeleton on October 22. This elite sliding competition for best start times takes place on the new state-of-the-art push track in Mt Hoevenberg’s icehouse facility. The competition is decided by the lowest combined time from the best two heats of each discipline. Public viewing for this event is made possible via live stream at mtvanhoevenberg.com, and schedules for each can be found on the respective event page for each bobsled and skeleton.
Lake Placid Trail Challenge and Inaugural Spartan Race
The stage is set for Mt Van Hoevenberg’s first ever Spartan trail race series – the Lake Placid Trail Challenge – offering races of 10k, half marathon, and 50k distances on Saturday, October 15. Athletes at all levels will take to the historic cross-country ski trails used in the 1932 and 1980 Olympics, winding through pristine pine and birch forests with views of both Adirondack High Peaks and this same venue’s world championship bobsled, skeleton, and luge track. Athletes will start and finish in the Nordic stadium adjacent to the biathlon range and just outside Mt Van Hoevenberg’s Mountain Pass Lodge. The event is open to the public, and race start times are as follows: 50k start | 7:00 am, Half Marathon start | 7:30 am, 10k start | 8:00 am. More information, event registration, and venue details are available at lakeplacidlegacysites.com.
Women’s Collegiate Hockey Association Ice Breaker Tournament
The Women’s Division I Eastern Conference of the Collegiate Hockey Association kicks off their 2022-23 with the Ice Breaker Tournament at Lake Placid’s Olympic Center from October 20 through 22. Syracuse, St. Lawrence, Clarkson, and Holy Cross are tournament teams. The schedule is as follows: Friday, October 21 (St. Lawrence versus Holy Cross at 4:00 pm, Clarkson versus Syracuse at 7:00 pm) and Saturday, October 22 (third-place game at 2:00 pm and championship game at 5:00 pm.)
All games will be held in the Olympic Center’s 1980 Herb Brooks Arena. Single-day tickets that include two games are $15 for adults (18 to 64), $10 for both juniors (2 to 17) and seniors (65+), and $8 for college students (18-25, not including faculty). A special $5 single-day, two-game ticket is available for youth groups and high school hockey teams with a maximum of five adult chaperones when sold in advance by October 1. An all-event ticket is $25 for adults (18 to 64), $15 for both juniors (2 to 17) and seniors (65+), and $12 for college students (18-25, not including faculty). Tickets will be available at lakeplacidlegacysites.com and at the Olympic Center Box Office.