LAKE PLACID’S OLYMPIC LEGACY

25th Anniversary of the Winter Games

by Mimi Wacholder

This February will mark 25 years since the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Winter Games. Aside from the fact that the Olympics were set before the backdrop of our own, pristine, Adirondack Park, there are other factors that make these Games one of the most memorable in history.

First, Lake Placid is a small village. Few believed such a small community, that had already hosted the Games in 1932 could pull off such an event. Of course, it did happen — with thousands of workers and event volunteers banding together to transform a sleepy, small-town resort, into a modern-day, athletic Mecca. The existing Olympic Center was expanded to include two new ice arenas, a complete snowmaking system was installed at Whiteface Mountain, the old ski jump was torn down and replaced by the existing 90- and 120-meter towers, and an Olympic Village was built to house the athletes.

As far as events, there was the unforgettable and still legendary victory: the USA hockey team reigned victorious in one of the most dramatic upsets in sports history, beating the former Soviet Union and subsequently Finland to capture Olympic gold. Indelibly carved into our memories are images of the exhausted players embracing one another, wrapped in the American flag, as the spontaneous poetic words of announcer Al Michaels, “Do you believe in miracles?” instilled a pride that still draws tears over two decades later.

History was made again, as the U.S. earned a total of 12 medals — tying our record set in 1932. Five of these medals were earned by the heroic efforts of the American speed skater Eric Heiden. The 21-year-old Heiden won every event on the majestic, mountain-surrounded, outdoor speed skating oval, while breaking five Olympic records and one world record. Other U.S. medalists included slalom skier Phil Mahre; figure skaters Charlie Tickner and Linda Fratianne; and speed skater Beth Heiden (sister to Eric).

These magical moments have gone down in history. Lake Placid, today a community of only 2,800 year-round residents, is still a quaint village known worldwide as a result of hosting two Olympic Winter Games. By hosting both the 1932 and 1980 Games, Lake Placid is one of only three communities in the world to have hosted two Winter Olympics. Only Innsbruck, Austria and St. Moritz, Switzerland share this distinction.

“Twenty-five years after the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, the memories are still vivid,” commented Governor George Pataki. “The USA hockey team’s ‘Miracle on Ice’ and the achievements of Eric Heiden still resonate throughout the sports world. The village, with its bustling Main Street, rustic Adirondack charm and unparalleled scenic beauty, has become a year-round haven for outdoor enthusiasts and an economic catalyst for the entire region. Our continued investments in our sports venues has ensured that Lake Placid will not only retain its unique place in sports history, but build on that legacy by continuing to attract world-class events and visitors from around the globe.”

Lake Placid is proud of its rich sports heritage that now reaches far beyond an impressive historical resume. After the 1980 Games, New York State initiated the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA). The concept was to combine facilities owned by the State of New York including Whiteface Mountain Ski Center, the bobsled, luge, cross-country ski and biathlon facilities of the Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg with those of the venues in the town of North Elba which includes the Olympic Center, Olympic speed skating oval and the Olympic jumping complex for effective management. ORDA assumed management, operation and promotion of the Olympic facilities in October 1982. ORDA’s mission is to institute a comprehensive, coordinated program of activities utilizing the Olympic facilities in and around Lake Placid, in order to insure optimum year-round use and enjoyment of these facilities by residents and visitors alike.

ORDA has hosted literally hundreds of major national and international events during its 23-year tenure, including several hundred world championships and world cup competitions in bobsled, luge, alpine racing, ski jumping, speed skating and freestyle skiing. This year, ORDA will host a world cup freestyle ski tour, snowboarding tour, world cup men and women’s bobsled and skeleton, and other high profile events that continue to draw spectators and media from around the globe.

When Lake Placid is not hosting events, it is the home of year-round, world-class training. In addition to the training facilities in the region Lake Placid unveiled the U.S. Olympic Training Center in 1988, one of only three in the country. The OTC includes a 96-room dormitory, which sees over 6,000 athletes annually. Beyond housing the athletes, the training center includes the sports science and technology research lab, sport medicine center, strength and conditioning room, a 20,000 square-foot gymnasium, meeting rooms, gift shop and a dining facility. Elite athletes from various sports call the training center home throughout the year, including 20 of the U.S. medalists and over 80 percent of the U.S. team from the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games.

All year long, on any given day at the venues, you’ll see both athletes from the OTC and local development programs training at the facilities. The unique sports offered in the region however, are not reserved for the competitive athletes. There are also opportunities for interested youngsters and enthusiastic adults to demo a sport such as luge, bobsled and even freestyle aerial skiing.

Olympic Center — The Olympic Center includes four ice surfaces: the 1932 Arena, the 1980 Arena (home of the “Miracle on Ice”), and two practice rinks. It is a year-round training facility for speed skating, figure skating, hockey, curling, and is available for recreational skating, conventions and concerts. In 1994, the 1932 & 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum opened in the Olympic Center and it is the only official Olympic museum in the U.S.

Sheffield Olympic Speed Skating Oval — This outdoor oval is one of only three refrigerated 400-meter skating ovals in the U.S. and the site of Eric Heiden’s gold medal sweep in 1980. It is open in the winter months for speed skating training, competitive events and daily recreational skating. When not covered in ice, the oval also the site for gym classes for the Lake Placid Middle and High Schools.

MacKenzie-Intervale Ski Jumping Complex and Kodak Sports Park — This complex is home to winter and summer ski jumping and freestyle skiing. The large (120-meter K point) and normal (90-meter K point) jumps were used for the 1980 Games and decorate the skyline as you drive into Lake Placid. In addition, there are three smaller hills used for development programs. A combination of ceramic tiles and plastic mats allow the jumpers to train and compete on the 90-meter jump in the non-snow months.

The Kodak Sports Park, completed in 1988, is America’s foremost water ramp training and competitive facility for freestyle aerial skiing. Summer aerialists land in a heated 750,000-gallon pool. Here, any intermediate and above skier can take a lesson to learn the basic ramp jumping techniques of freestyle aerial skiing. The pool and trampoline training also attracts freeskiers and freeriders who come to try out new tricks. In the winter, launching ramps and a steep landing hill are utilized for training and world-class events in freestyle aerials.

Verizon Sports Complex at Mt. VanHoevenberg — The attractions include the 1980 bobsled track, the new combined bobsled/luge/skeleton track and 50 kilometers (31 miles) of cross-country skiing/mountain biking trails which were built for the 1980 Games, and an Olympic biathlon target range. Athletes train year-round at the facility. Visitors can take a bobsled ride, a luge rocket ride, tour the complex, and ski or snowshoe the extensive network of groomed and set track trails. There are local developmental programs for new sliders of any age in bobsled, skeleton and luge. In the summer months, wheeled bobsled rides are available, as well as a mountain biking center and a summer biathlon training facility.

Whiteface Mountain Ski Center — In Wilmington, Whiteface has the greatest vertical drop east of the Rockies at 3,350 feet. In addition to being a favorite among recreational skiers and snowboarders, the race courses are fully sanctioned for international competition. There are 73 trails ranging from beginner to expert, plus out-of-bounds, tree and terrain park skiing and riding. In the summer, Whiteface operates as a mountain bike center and as a site for festivals and tourists who can enjoy a summer gondola ride or drive the historic Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway to the summit.

Aside from the specific Olympic venues in Lake Placid, the Olympic spirit in the community has attracted other events: Ironman USA Lake Placid Triathlon, ESPN Great Outdoor Games, canoe and kayak training and much more. The 2.5-mile sidewalk around the perimeter of Mirror Lake is always full of walkers and runners taking in the scenery, and local roads and backcountry trails are filled with the activity of runners, skiers, bicyclists, snowshoers, hikers, inline skaters and roller skiers. One such road, Riverside Drive, adjacent to the ski jumps, has yellow traffic signs that say, “Slow — Athletes In Training.” In the summer, if you kayak or canoe on Mirror Lake, you’re likely to meander by a posse of wetsuit-clad swimmers.

If you didn’t see an athlete training on the roads, trails or lakes, you probably just bought a cup of coffee from one on Main Street. The area is home to over 50 past Olympians, currently disguised as shop owners, real-estate brokers and teachers. Building on its Olympic heritage, Lake Placid continues to sustain the reputation and idyllic setting of a true athletic wonderland.

On Saturday, February 12, the kick-off event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid will be held at the Horse Show Grounds (the original site of the opening ceremonies). A number of 1980 Olympic athletes and mascot Roni Racoon will be on hand for a relighting of the torch. During Presidents’ Week, each venue will be hosting special anniversary events. For details, see the Calendar of Events, call (518) 523-1655 or visit www.lakeplacidwhiteface.com.

Mimi Wacholder resides in Lake Placid where she is a freelance writer, marketing consultant, yoga instructor and figure skating choreographer. She enjoys hiking, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, triathlon and everything about the Adirondacks.

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