More than 100 years ago, the Sno Birds club was created to seize on the opportunities for winter sports provided by Lake Placid’s natural setting. The Lake Placid Ski Club was established in 1921 and still going strong, focuses on youth and has offered programs in alpine and cross-country skiing, ski jumping. and Nordic combined.  

These clubs have been a driving force in shaping the character of the Village and advancing its position as a winter sports destination. For their leaders as well as those who offered their volunteer service to make it all happen, a sense of community was paramount in their lives. The greater good of the community and the wellbeing of its residents are what gave their hard work purpose.  

The Legacy Continues 

After the 1980 Games, the Olympic Authority was created, in part, to carry on that purpose.  In addition to maintaining and operating the original Olympic venues as well as Gore and Belleayre Mountains, our purpose today still prioritizes activities and events that continue this legacy.  

In this bold new era with renewed venues, opportunities abound to compete and recreate together in a multitude of sports and activities.  

Here are highlights of current programs:  

  • After school skating programs in the Olympic Center 
  • Middle and high school hockey practice and competition in the Olympic Center 
  • Jobs and Career Training (JACT program) at the Olympic Center 
  • Inclusive skating programs for youth with disabilities 
  • Art of the Olympian creative programs with award ceremonies 
  • Olympic Day activities each June offering sport, cultural, and educational options  
  • Community ice time at the Olympic Center rinks, including for skating clubs and the Learn to Skate Program 
  • Ice time for athlete training 
  • Northwood School hockey team practices and competitions 
  • Northwood School physical education classes 
  • Lake Placid Schools physical education classes (curling, skating, broomball) 
  • Regional youth hockey organization practices and games 
  • Early morning youth skating and Stick and Puck sessions 
  • Keene Valley Central Schools Learn to Skate programs 
  • North Country Unified School District art with sports programs 
  • Olympic Museum virtual field trips for schools around New York State 
  • Teacher resources from the Olympic Museum (in-classroom activities for all education levels) 
  • Community Speedskating on the Olympic Oval 
  • Hall of Fame community collaboration facilitated and housed at the Olympic Center 
  • Community Ski Programs at Whiteface, Gore, Belleayre, Mt Van Hoevenberg, and the Olympic Jumping Complex (includes Lake Placid Ski Club, NYSEF, Youth Commission, Golden Opportunity Program, Ausable and Keeseville Schools Programs) 
  • Ski School at Whiteface, Gore, Belleayre, Mt Van Hoevenberg, and the Olympic Jumping Complex (programs for youth and for 50+) 
  • Northwood School Student Athlete Program at Whiteface 
  • School field trips 
  • Youth Sport Fundamentals at Mt Van Hoevenberg (development activities in running, biking, climbing, and sliding) 
  • Discover Biathlon at Mt Van Hoevenberg 
  • Lake Placid third grade program at Mt Van Hoevenberg 
  • Lake Placid High School Cross-Country Team training and competitions 
  • Indoor climbing programs for youth at Mt Van Hoevenberg 
  • After hours open climbing and daily climbing at Mt Van Hoevenberg 
  • Team 31 Ride at Mt Van Hoevenberg (community youth ride with pro UCI teams) 
  • And many more 

How It Gets Done 

Some of these programs the Olympic Authority provides independently while many are made possible by collaborating across our communities. In fact, we accomplish all we do, thanks to combined efforts with our communities and local clubs, schools, businesses, and other organizations.  

Working together, we all make possible the many individual and collective benefits our communities derive from the sport and recreation that made Lake Placid famous.  

Benefits include:  

  • Coaching and training provide what youth need to learn their sports and develop lifelong passions 
  • Access to world class venues creates opportunities for ongoing training, athlete development, and lifelong recreation for people of all ages and abilities 
  • Events and competitive opportunities bring a community together, motivate, and showcase the caliber of what we continue to offer the world of sport 
  • Working together, training together, and recreating together maintains the Olympic spirit of cooperation, friendship, and unity  
  • Participating in programs maximizes the use of facilities and maximizes the collective enjoyment of the place 

These benefits are incurred across all our communities, from Lake Placid and Wilmington and the entire Olympic Region to North Creek at Gore Mountain in the central Adirondacks and Highmount in the Catskills at Belleayre Mountain.  

Today, Lake Placid’s long community legacy continues bringing people together to grow together. These programs and others connect our citizenry, elevate our individual and collective human potential, and create positive impacts that ripple through everyone involved at every age and every level of ability. The opportunities are year-round, and the benefits last a lifetime.