All Events Are Free and Open to the Public

The New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority has a full slate of sliding events scheduled for March at the Mt Van Hoevenberg Sliding Center. The grand finale for the month will be the North American Cup (NAC) bobsled and skeleton races March 21-26, which will close out the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) season and make final determinations for NAC’s overall season rankings.

The following is a list of sliding events scheduled at Mt Van Hoevenberg in March:

  • March 4-5 | Norton USA Youth Nationals | Luge
  • March 7-15 | OMEGA IBSF Youth Series, Youth Olympic Games Qualifier | Monobob and Skeleton
  • March 11-12 | Norton USA Junior National Championships | Luge
  • March 14-18 | USA Para Nationals | Bobsled and Skeleton
  • March 14-19 | USABS Nationals, USA Team Trials | Bobsled and Skeleton
  • March 21-26 | IBSF North American Cup | Bobsled and Skeleton

Norton USA Youth Nationals, March 4-5; Norton USA Junior Nationals, March 11-12

The USA Youth and Junior Nationals are two-day luge competitions, with Junior Development Team athletes competing against Junior Candidate Team athletes. The sliders will race on both Saturday and Sunday, with the combined results determining the final championship results. Sponsored by Norton, the Youth Nationals are for youth under 18 years old, while the Junior Nationals are for ages 18-21. Sliding will take place between 9 a.m. and noon for each event.

OMEGA IBSF Youth Series, Youth Olympic Games Qualifier, March 7-15

This is the final IBSF youth sliding event of the season for young monobob and skeleton athletes, and is required for those looking to compete in the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, Korea. Many of the sliders are from the Adirondack region and are products of the Olympic Authority’s Junior Sliders Program. This is also an opportunity for the sliders to display their talents in front of U.S. senior national coaches.

USA Bobsled and Skeleton Nationals, March 14-19; USA Para Nationals, March 14-18; USA Skeleton Team Trials, March 17-18

This is an important competition for skeleton athletes who will be battling for a national championship while at the same time finalizing their positions for the 2023-24 season. It is the second of two races that determine who will be on the U.S. National Team and at what level – World Cup, Europa Cup, NAC, Intercontinental Cup, etc. – they will compete next season. The event is expected to draw approximately 20 athletes, a group that will include all levels, from Olympians to rookie sliders.

The U.S. Bobsled Team generally holds its Team Trials in the fall, but this March event provides developing athletes an opportunity to race against one another and continue to learn. Nine to 10 sleds are expected to compete.

IBSF North American Cup, March 21-26

The North American Cup races in Lake Placid will be the final chance for bobsled and skeleton athletes to earn points toward the overall season rankings and will close out the 2022-23 sliding season. With no other conflicting races happening around the world, the event is expected to draw a competitive field. It will also offer a valuable opportunity for many European sliders to familiarize themselves with the track where the 2025 IBSF World Championships are to be held.

The NAC circuit is a step below the World Cup level, providing developing athletes a chance to compete internationally and sharpen their skills to advance to the next level.

American Lauren Brzozowski will be fighting for the top spot on the NAC overall podium in monobob. An NAC overall title would further bolster her resume and help solidify a coveted spot on the national team roster next year. Brzozowski will have two former Olympic brakemen – Kaysha Love and Sylvia Hoffman – nipping at her heels as they attempt to continue the transition from the back of the sled into the driver’s seat. Love is coming off a World Championships bronze medal in St. Moritz, Switzerland and a third place overall in the World Cup with teammate Kaillie Humphries driving.

Mystique Ro, Hallie Clark and Austin Florian are among the top skeleton athletes to watch in Lake Placid. Ro racked up several impressive results this winter, bouncing between the Intercontinental Cup, Europa Cup and World Cup tours this winter. She was crowned as the 2022 World push champion in December, and finished third overall on the Europa Cup and sixth overall on the Intercontinental Cup circuit. Clark, an 18-year-old who recently transferred to the U.S. from the Canadian program, is looking to cap off an incredible year in which she won two World Cup silver medals. Florian is the top American men’s skeleton athlete and a mainstay on the U.S. World Cup team.

Venue:

The mile-long luge, bobsled and skeleton track at Mt Van Hoevenberg will be the site of the 2025 IBSF World Championships March 3-16, 2025. The newly modernized facility at 31 Van Hoevenberg Way in Lake Placid also includes a world class Nordic Center with 55 kilometers of cross-country skiing trails, as well as a refrigerated push start ice house inside the Mountain Pass Lodge. Guests can recreate on the cross-country skiing trails and indoor climbing center and spectate the sliding events each day. The sliding competitions are free and open to the public.