Lake Placid Olympic Ski Jumping
Complex
Between Albany and Montreal, two
giants have taken home. These
friendly giants greet Adirondack
visitors as they dominate the
eastern sky. Known as the Lake
Placid Olympic Ski Jumps, these
goliath meter jumps have been the
proving grounds for many World
Champions and Olympians alike. A 90
-
and 120-meter ski jump towers
were constructed for the 1980
Olympic Games held in Lake Placid,
Essex County, New York.
The Lake Placid Club constructed the
first ski jump back in 1917. The
hillside itself was first used as
the jump surface for the skiers. In
1923, the jump was further enlarged
to fifty meters; and in 1927, a new
steel tower was constructed, raising
the jump another 25 meters totaling
to 60 meters. In 1928, as a venue
for the upcoming 1932 Winter
Olympics, the tower was raised to 75
meters. In 1977, the old tower was
torn down to make way for two new 70
and 90-meter high jumps, used for
the 1980 Winter Olympic Games.
In 1994, the landing hills were
reconstructed and re-graded to bring
the complex into compliance with
current Olympic standard rules thus
increasing their total height to 90
and 120 meters. The 120m jump tower
features a skydeck - easy to get to
by chairlift and elevator - that'll
give you a sky-high perspective on
the art of the Ski Jump. It also
offers a breathtaking view of nearby
John Brown's Farm and the
surrounding High Peaks of the
Adirondacks.
There are Nordic jumping
competitions throughout the course
of the summer and winter months.
Here you will see the nation's
finest take to the air as they “out
jump” competitors. The Freestyle
Aerial Training Center is located
near the base of the jump towers. |
