Snowboard into a Bubbly Pool of Water in Lake Placid

or Watch Top Snowboarders and Skiers Do it for Your Entertainment, Summer Wednesdays and Saturdays in Lake Placid, NY

by Lauren Traub Teton


Ride Your Snowboard into the Pool
Ever ride down a ramp on your snowboard, do an aerial trick, and land in a 750,000 gallon swimming pool with bubbles to aerate and soften the landing?

That’s how the snowboard instructors of PSIA were trained at the Lake Placid NY pool complex in summer 2007. The clinic was one way for them to earn the credits they need toward their certification and the Professional Ski Instructors of America clinic will be held again this year September 15 & 16, 2008 at the pool. If you're in PSIA and want to join the pool group in September contact Melissa Skinner in Albany, NY at 518-452-6095 x107.


Here’s the big Snowboard Secret: the jump complex pool is open to individuals and sanctioned groups for this kind of jump and pool training as long as it is arranged in advance. So even you may have the opportunity to do some summer snowboard jump training if you are so inclined!

Watch Snowboard and Ski Rock Stars Throw Tricks in the Summer on Wednesdays and Thursdays

Even if riding down the dry-slope ramp and immersing yourself and your snowboard boots in the pool is not your idea of fun, there’s a lot of spectator excitement to be had at the Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid as world class winter athletes train for next season. Some competitors soar from the breathtaking 90 meter ski jump, while others plunge into the 750,000 freestyle pool throwing tricks usually only seen in top competitions. Imagine watching these winter sports in the comfort of shorts and tee shirts!

Though summer training is serious business to these athletes, they do let their hair down for the entertainment of visitors to the jumping complex. Into October, snowboarders. ski jumpers, aerial skiers, mogul skiers, and freeriders train daily at these sites, operated by the NewYork Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA).


As part of this summer and fall action, ORDA presents Wet and Wild
Wednesday and Soaring Saturday when these young fliers throw down for the
masses in competitions and exhibitions. Weekly events in both activities
continue through August 20. Imagine watching winter sports like ski jumping
and freestyle skiing in the comfort of shorts and tee shirts as riders slide
down a ramp on skis and then launching up to 60 feet in the air,
executing various spinning and twisting tricks.

The best way for visitors to experience this Olympic region is with the Olympic Passport. Just $29 buys entry into the Olympic Jumping Complex, including the elevator to the skydeck on top of the 120m jump tower, the Olympic Sports Complex, home of the world class combined bobsled/luge/skeleton tracks, and a tour of the facility.

Also included are a Scenic Gondola Ride to the top of Little Whiteface and access to the summit, castle and look-out point via the Whiteface Mt. Veterans Memorial Highway. And the1932 and 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum. Plus discount coupons for a bobsled ride, Gold Medal Adventure, "Be a Biathlete", photos and more. The Passport is good for one year after purchase in case you don’t fit everything into the first visit.

Visiting Beautiful Lake Placid

Lake Placid is a mountain lake resort town nestled in the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Mountains. You can easily imagine you are in a Swiss or Italian lake village and life is just as sweet. It was home to the 1980 Olympics, which included the astounding defeat of the Russian Hockey team by the Americans, that became known as the Miracle on Ice. The 1932 Olympics were also hosted here, making it the (only) town to host 2 Olympics ever.

Many Olympians came and never left, and the place is crawling with star power athletes of all ages. Some run hotels and restaurants, and the younger ones are here from all over the world to train. Whiteface Mountain, with the highest vertical skiable drop in the East is just 10 miles from Lake Placid for winter riding and skiing.

Lake Placid is a democratic type of resorts, with lodgings and restaurants in all price categories. In warm weather even the budget traveler can dine outdoors perched right over spectacular Mirror Lake at inexpensive restaurants like The Cottage, or Ere’s Pizza.

Snowboard Secret: We had to wait for a table at The Cottage restaurant on Mirror Lake, so the hostess gave us a buzzer to let us know when our table was ready. We went outside and brought our drinks down to one of the 2 tall tables on the little dock deck, to the left of the restaurant’s front door. The spot was so perfect at sunset that we ignored the buzzer several times. We even had our picture taken by a photographer from the Manchester,NH Union Leader while we were sitting there. He thought the spot was perfect too!

There are plenty of luxury lodgings and restaurants too. The Mirror Lake Inn Resort Spa, The Lake Placid Lodge, and The Whiteface Lodge are among the finest lodgings you will find anywhere. Bill Gates has been a guest. The Lake Placid Courtyard by Marriott right in town is more lush and beautifully situated than any Marriott Courtyard you’ve ever seen. The Hilton Lake Placid Resort has an annex right on the lake and a couple of rooms have decks that hang right over the lake, and are not terribly expensive considering the view.

If you’re saving up your bucks for lift tickets and snowboard gear, there are 2 low-priced hostels in Lake Placid; the Jackrabbit Hostel $22-$58– and the High Peaks Hostel at $30. There are loads of old school family run motels too like the Town and Country Motor Inn, Placid Bay Inn, and, The Town House Lodge. Some have wireless internet, hairdryers, or bikes to lend so take your pick.
A list of Lake Placid lodging, some with links, are listed here. The major chain hotels are here too.


Details for Wet and Wild and Soaring Saturday

This week's Wet and Wild Wednesday show is presented by the Four
Diamond Mirror Lake Inn, inviting you to dine in style at any of their
restaurants. The View Restaurant, Lake Placid's only Four Diamond
restaurant, offers the finest in elegant, comfort foods in a warm and
inviting atmosphere with outstanding, friendly service. Taste bistro, also
part of the Mirror Lake Inn, offers the best bistro burger in town. For
lighter fare, try Lake Placid's meeting place, The Cottage, on the lake
shore, for lunch, supper and your favorite cocktail! Visit them for more
details and restaurant menus at
www.mirrorlakeinn.com.

On Wednesday, the music rocks with Official Radio Station Y-106-FM.
There is a live MC, and audience participation before the festivities, with
a cool atmosphere for everyone.

Soaring Saturday is presented by the Lake Placid Courtyard by Marriott.
Featuring 96 spacious guest rooms and suites, an indoor pool with two spas,
plus a complimentary fitness center, 24 hour business center and a cocktail
lounge, the Courtyard is sure to meet your every need. Guest rooms offer
plush bedding, complimentary high speed internet and other great amenities.
In addition to standard rooms, Courtyard also offers over sized king and two
queen rooms, luxury or fireplace suites, and Jacuzzi rooms. Our a 100%
smoke-free environment just minutes by car or a free trolley ride away to
downtown Lake Placid. Visit
www.CourtyardLakePlacid.com.

Soaring Saturday features the top eastern jumpers sailing from the
90-meter ski jump tower in a king-of-the-hill format. These athletes,
aspiring to secure future spots on the United States National Team, make use
of Lake Placid's artificial jumping surfaces to emulate winter speeds and
distances. It's a summer activity dating back over 20 years.

Get the latest updates by listening to Soaring Saturday's Official
Radio Station, Rock 105-FM. ORDA concessionaire, Centerplate, serves a tasty summertime fare each day to satisfy your lunchtime appetite.

Admission is $14 for adults and $8 for juniors and seniors. This
includes the chairlift alongside the ski jump landing hills and the 26-story
elevator ride to the top of the 120 meter ski jump tower for unparalleled
views of the High Peaks.

ORDA also offers the Gold Medal Adventure from 9 am to 12:30 pm
Wednesday through Sunday. For $35, participants can try wheeled luge and the
bobsled push start. The price includes a tour of the complex and an Athlete
Meet and Greet session. You can register in advance by calling 518-523-2202
at the ski jumps on the day of participation.

For more information on these series as well as all ORDA events and
activities, please click here

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