History of Events (1932 to 2023)

The 1932 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid marked the first time the Olympic Winter Games were held in North America – and the first outside Europe – and brought worldwide recognition to Lake Placid. Then the 1980 Olympics put Lake Placid on the map internationally as a destination resort while providing some of the most inspiring performances and unforgettable moments in the history of winter sports.

The international appeal and world-class events continue today with hundreds of championships and competitions across multiple sport disciplines. As a result, the Olympic Authority has brought millions of athletes and spectators to the State of New York.

Olympic Winter Games

1932 and 1980

World University Games

1972 and 2023

World Championships

Bobsled – 1949, 1961, 1969, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1995, 2003, 2009, 2012, 2021 (cancelled due to Covid-19), 2025
Skeleton – 1997, 2003, 2009, 2012, 2021 (cancelled due to Covid-19), 2025
IBSF World Push Championships – 2022
Parabob – 2019
Luge – 1983, 2009
Junior Nordic Combined – 1986
World Masters Cross-Country Ski Championships – 1986, 1998
Biathlon – 1973, 1987
Freestyle – 1991
Women’s Hockey – 1994
Junior Alpine – 1994
Junior Luge – 1995, 2000
Sled Dog – 1995
World Short Track Team Championships – 1995
ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships – 2020 (cancelled due to COVID-19)
ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships – 2023

World Cups

Ski Jumping – 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2023, 2024
Alpine – 1984, 1985
Bobsled – 1986, 1987, 1995, 1999, 2002, 2004-2019, 2022
Parabob – 2018, 2020, 2022 (2)
Skeleton – 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2004-2020, 2022 (2)
Luge – 1983, 1987, 1988, 2001, 2002, 2004-2006, 2008, 2013-2020, 2022, 2023
Speed Skating – 1987, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995
Nordic Combied – 1989
Freestyle – 1985-2019
Biathlon – 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004
Figure Skating – Skate America 1979, 1981, 1982, 2009, 2017
Snowboard – 2005, 2006

North American Cup, World Cup B, Continental Cups, Nor-Ams

Intercontinental Cup Ski Jumping – 1994, 1995, 1996
Continental Cup Ski Jumping – 2022 (women only), 2023
Freestyle NorAm – 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2006, 2010, 2013, 2015-19
Continental Cup Nordic Combined – 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2022
Biathlon NorAm – 1998, 2009, 2011, 2014-2018, 2022
American Cup – Long Track – 1998, 2019
American Cup – Short Track – 2020
Age Group Nationals – Short Track – 2022
North American Cup Bobsled & Skeleton – 1998, 2000-2013
Intercontinental Cup Skeleton – 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2019, 2020
Alpine NorAm Cup – 2008, 2009, 2022, 2024
New Year’s Masters Ski Jumping – 1995-2018
Flaming Leaves Ski Jumping Festival – 1995-2018, 2022, 2023
Fourth of July Ski Jump – 1948-2013, 2022, 2023

International Events

North American Freestyle Championships – 1986-1993
International Precision Figure Skating Championships – 1994, 1999
Lake Placid International Ice Dance Competition – 1995, 2021, 2023
International Short Track Competition – 1995, 1997, 1998
European Short Track Championships – 1995
Pacific Rim Short Track Championships – 1995
Can-Am Long Track Speed Skating – 1995
Deaflympics – 1975
Three Nations Cup – Women’s Ice Hockey International Tournament – 1997
Four Nations Cup – Women’s Ice Hockey International Tournament – 2008
Goodwill Games – 2000
ESPN Great Outdoor Games – 2000, 2001, 2002
USA Men’s Waterpolo Tournament (USA, ITL, SPN, RUS) – 1998
USA Women’s Water Polo Tournament (USA, CAN, RUS) – 2001
ISP Board Frenzy (Halfpipe & GS) – 2000
ISU Junior Grand Prix Figure Skating – 2007, 2009, 2012, 2019
World Airline Ski Championships – 1985, 1995, 2005, 2017
International Children’s Winter Games – 2019
ISU Adult Skating Championships – 2019

National Events

Lake Placid Summer Figure Skating Championships – 1957-2019
Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships – 1982-2019
North Atlantic Figure Skating Championships – 1995, 1998, 2005, 2018
Eastern Sectional Synchronized Skating Championships – 2011
National Junior Alpine Championships – 1987, 1989
U.S. Junior Freestyle Championships – 1991, 1992
U.S. Jr. National Cross-Country Championships – 1991, 1995, 1996, 2004, 2014, 2017
Junior Olympic Boxing Eastern Qualifier – 1994
U.S. Biathlon World Team Trials – 1983, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999
U.S. Biathlon Winter National Championships – 2022
U.S. Bobsled Championships – 1982-2020
Adult National Figure Skating Championships – 1995
U.S. Biathlon Championships – 1996, 2003, 2004, 2022
U.S. Ski Jump Championships – 1996, 1999
U.S. Ski Team Gold Cup (Olympic Trials) – 1997, 1998
U.S. Speed Skating Short Track Olympic Trials – 1997, 1998
Cross Country Junior Olympic Qualifier – 1997, 1998, 1999
Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Junior Olympic Qualifier – 1999
U.S. Olympic Trials: Ski Jump & Nordic Combined – 2021
U.S. Nordic Combined Championships – 1999
Eastern Freestyle Championships – 1999
U.S. Canoe & Kayak National Championships – 1999
U.S. Synchronized Team Skating Championships – 2002
U.S. National Luge Championships – 2002-2021
U.S. Alpine Championships – 2003, 2010
U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships – 2008
Ski Jump & Nordic Comb. North American Jr. Championships & World Junior Team Trials – 2010
Winter National Senior Games – 2000
U.S. Ski & Snowboard SuperTour: Nordic – 2016, 2019, 2022
NWHL Season (women’s professional ice hockey) – 2021
U.S. Ski & Snowboard Holeshot: Snowboard & Freeski at Gore Mountain – 2019, 2022
USASA Futures Tour: Snowboard & Freeski at Gore Mountain – 2022

Collegiate Events

NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championships – 1970, 1984, 1988
NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championships – 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2022
NCAA Division I Women’s Ice Hockey Championships – 2007
NCAA Division I Skiing Championships (Alpine & Nordic) – 1980 (co-host with Stowe, Vt.), 1982, 2015, 2023
ECAC Men’s Ice Hockey Championships – 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024
Holiday Hockey Tournament – 1984-1988
High Peaks Hockey Classic (Collegiate Women’s Tournament) – 1999
Halloween Face-Off (SLU, Clarkson, Union, RPI) – 2010
Festivus Face-Off (SLU, Clarkson, Union, RPI) – 2011, 2012
RPI vs. Clarkson Men’s Ice Hockey – 2017
St. Lawrence vs. Clarkson Men’s Ice Hockey – 2018
St. Lawrence Winter Carnival (Alpine & Nordic) – 1995-2020
U.S. College Ski & Snowboard Association National Championships – 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022
FISU University Championships: Long Track – 2022
FISU University Championships: Beach Volleyball – 2022

Public Competitions

Whiteface Mountain Uphill Footrace – 1977-2015
Lake Placid Loppet – 1982-2019, 2023
Indoor Soccer Tournament – 1983-1991, 1994, 1997-2002, 2004, 2006
Empire State Games – 1980-2020
Lake Placid Triathlon – 1982-1990
Can/Am Hockey – 1967-2020
CHE Hockey – 1987-2020
Ironman USA – 1999-2019, 2021, 2022
Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race – 2001-2019, 2021
Whiteface Wilmington 100K – 2011-2019
Whiteface International Pond Skimming Championships – 1996-2019
SkyRunner Series – 2015-2019
PeakToBrew Relay (start) – 2015-2019

Festivals

Whiteface Oktoberfest – 1984-2019, 2022, 2023
Flaming Leaves Festival – 1987-2019, 2022, 2023
Native American Festival – 1994 – 2004
Scottish Festival 1999 – 2004
Brewfest – 2013-2017

Entertainment

Scott Hamilton in “Symphony on Ice” – 1984
Brian Boitano & Katarina Witt – 1992
Stars on Ice – 1993-2005, 2008, 2011-2012, 2014-2018
Disney on Ice – 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2011, 2015
Champions on Ice – 2002
Harlem Globetrotters – 1984, 1986, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2014-2017
WWE Wrestling – 1985, 1986 (2x), 1988, 1989, 1996, 1997
George Hubler’s International Circus – 1996, 1997
Curious George Stage Show – 2010
Coronation Ice Show
Cats – Broadway tour show – 1991
Sesame Street Live – 2003

Concerts

(held at the Olympic Center unless noted otherwise)

1963

Judy Collins
Billy Faier with Bob Carey & The Breen Briar Boys

1965

Louis Armstrong & his All-Star Band

1979

The Marshall Tucker Band

1980

Chuck Mangione
Closing Ceremonies of the XIII Olympic Winter Games

1982

The Beach Boys

1983

Grateful Dead
Kenny Rogers with Helen Reddy & the Righteous Bros.
An evening with James Taylor

1984

Loverboy” & “Streets
.38-Specia’ & Night Ranger
Air Supply
Daryl Hall and John Oates
Rush & Fastway
Kenny Rogers with Eddie Rabbit & Sawyer Brown
Scott Hamilton in Symphony on Ice

1985

Foreigner & Joe Walsh
Tina Turner & Glenn Frey
Bryan Adams & New Man Band
The Beach Boys
Alabama & “harlie Daniels Band
James Taylor
Argyll Highlanders & Royal Marine Band
Bill Cosby

1986

Anne Murray
.38 Special & Honeymoon Suite
Eddie Murphy & The Weather Girls
Willie Nelson & Family
Barbara Mandrell & Johnny Rodriquez
Alabama/Charlie Daniels/Bellamy Brothers
Kenny Rogers & Lee Greenwood

1987

Huey Lewis & The News
Ricky Scaggs & Louise Mandrell
Bryan Adams & The Hooters
Whitney Houston
Charlie Daniels-Marshall Tucker-The Outlaws
Tina Turner & Wang Chung
Def Leppard & Tesla
Aerosmith and Dokken
The Judds-Randy Travis-Forrester Sisters
1988 Anne Murray
Bonnie Raitt-Karla Bonoff-J.D. Souther
Huey Lewis & The News
1989 Doobie Brothers and Fabulous Thunderbirds
Reba McEntire and Earl Thomas Conley
Alabama and Ricky Van Shelton
New Kids on the Block
Torvill and Dean and the Russian All-Stars”

1990

The Judds and Highway 101
Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies
New Kids on the Block
10th Anniversary Celebration for the 1980 Winter Olympic Games
Ice Capades 50th Anniversary” Shows
Summer Ice ’90-Starring Scott Hamilton and the Carruthers

1991

Yes

1992

The Beach Boys
B52’s – rehearsal and concert

1995

John Denver
Closing celebration of the New York Run for ’95 – Torch Relay

1996

Alan Jackson & Wade Hayes
Phish – 2 nights
Blues Traveler

1997

Phish

1998

Tim McGraw
Shania Twain – rehearsal and concert

1999

Bob Dylan with Natalie Merchant

2000

Bruce Hornsby with Edwin McCain – Goodwill Games Opening Ceremonies
Brooks and Dunn with Lonestar
Kenny Rogers – Christmas

2003

Syracuse Symphony

2004

Songs at the Lake Music Festival – Olympic Speed Skating Oval
Little Feat
Kenny Rogers – Christmas

2006

Snoedown with Moe and others – 2 nights

2007

Little Feat

Snoedown with Moe and others – 2 nights

2012

Assembly of Dust

2014

Lake Placid Blue Grass Jam

2018

Third Eye Blind – Olympic Jumping Complex

Celebrations

1990 – 10TH Anniversary Celebration of the 1980 Olympic Winter Games
2000 – 20TH Anniversary Celebration of the 1980 Olympic Winter Games
2005 – 25TH Anniversary Celebration of the 1980 Olympic Winter Games
2009 – 75TH Anniversary Celebration of the 1932 Olympic Winter Games
2015 – 35TH Anniversary Celebration of the 1980 Olympic Winter Games
2020 – 40TH Anniversary Celebration of the 1980 Olympic Winter Games