The Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid, N.Y. (file photo: ORDA)
World Cup

Snow Woes Scrub World Cup Stop in Lake Placid

Leave a comment

Lake Placid, NY – The International Ski Federation (FIS) announced on Tuesday that the FIS Freestyle World Cup event scheduled to take place Jan. 14-16 in Lake Placid has been canceled. While Lake Placid’s Whiteface Mountain is open to the public and new snow is expected, there wasn’t sufficient time to build the venues necessary for a World Cup.

Throughout much of November and December, New York State’s Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) worked around the clock to make Whiteface Mountain one of only two ski resorts open in New York for public skiing and riding. But unusually warm temperatures and lack of natural snowfall has made it impossible to produce enough snow for a moguls course. Inclement weather has also limited snowmaking at the aerials site at the Olympic Jumping Complex.

The Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid, N.Y. (file photo: ORDA)
The Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid, N.Y. (file photo: ORDA)

“ORDA’s goal is to always provide the best venue and conditions possible for any and all events,” stated ORDA President and CEO Ted Blazer. “Given the recent weather challenges, ORDA felt that there just was not enough time to prepare Whiteface Mountain and the Olympic Jumping Complex to accommodate this World Cup. We look forward to hosting the best freestyle athletes in the world in the future.”

As host of the 1980 Olympic Winter Games and the 1991 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships, Lake Placid is a region rich in Olympic history and spirit. The town has been a stop on the FIS Freestyle World Cup since 1985 and has seen many great performances from U.S. athletes.

“ORDA and the community of Lake Placid have put on many events for our athletes,” said U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) Vice President, Events Calum Clark. “Difficult weather situations are a part of our sports and ORDA has done everything in its power to prepare the World Cup sites. We appreciate those efforts and commitment to our event partnership and look forward to returning in the future.”

FIS has not yet announced a reschedule of the event. The World Cup tour’s second U.S. stop, the Visa Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, is set for Feb. 4-6, 2016.

Leave a Reply