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Lake Placid Olympic Ski Jump»
Lake Placid, New York hosted the Winter Olympics in 1932 and 1980. While staying in the area, we visited as many of the Olympic sites as possible. We headed over to the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex, about two miles outside of town, not far from the 1980 cauldron.
The two ski jump towers replaced the 1932 Olympic tower just before the 1980 Olympics. Then they were extended to 90 and 120 meters in 1994 to make them compliant with new regulations. We rode the glass elevator to the top to take in the view.
At the base of the towers, we watched athletes practicing acrobatics off of a water slide jump. Instead of landing in snow, they landed in a large pool.
At the foot of the jump stands a statue of Art Devlin, an Olympic ski jumper and Lake Placid native. Devlin was a five-time Olympian, a TV sports commentator and VP of the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Committee. the statue was dedicated to him in 2008, four years after his death.
Lake Placid Posts:
- Olympic Boblsed Complex
- Olympic Ski Jump Complex
- Olympic Center (Coming Soon)
- High Falls Gorge (Coming Soon)
- Little Whiteface (Coming Soon)
- Whiteface Mountain (Coming Soon)
- Rainbow Falls (Coming Soon)
- Ausable Chasm (Coming Soon)
Location: 5486 Cascade Rd, Lake Placid, NY 12946
Date of my visit: July 25, 2011
I was there many years ago. I am sure there had been many changes since then.
This was 9 years ago, so I’m it’s changed even more
Yup. Even the photo from the top makes me feel dizzy.
I can’t imagine voluntarily going down that on skiis😳
It is truly a beautiful region. Having grown up in Tupper Lake which is 22 miles from there I was blessed to have attended the 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932. There is something to be said about witnessing an event in person… the sights, smells, sounds, taste and feel will always be with me.
I can imagine! You were lucky to go in person! For the summer ones that year, my dad ran an extension cord out to the screenhouse he’d built so our whole family could watch it on the TV outside. I’m not much for sports, but I love the Olympics
That was creative of your Dad. We too aren’t big on sports but like to see ones like the Olympics or Kentucky Derby…