Posts Tagged ‘Empire State Games’

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Empire State Games Beginning in Lake Placid

esg-logoThe 2013 Empire State Winter Games kick off today.  A Lake Placid tradition, the games include alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsled, cross country skiing, figure skating, luge, Nordic combined, skeleton, ski jumping, skiercross/boardercross, ski orienteering, slopestyle, snowshoe, long and short track speed skating, women’s ice hockey, and several sports for adaptive competitors.

The Empire State Games were previously organized and sponsored by the State of New York until budget constraints cancelled the games in 2011.  A group of local sponsors, including the Lake Placid Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the Olympic Regional Development Authority, and the Village of Lake Placid, stepped forward to host the event themselves.

The Empire State Games start officially at 6 pm today, with Opening Ceremonies that feature the Parade of Athletes and a 2012 highlight video. The keynote speaker this year is 2010 Olympian and 4-time Norton U.S. National Champion, Chris Mazdzer. The Opening Ceremonies are a chance for the athletes to celebrate the beginning of an exciting weekend of competition. » Continue Reading.


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Thursday, February 2, 2012

Empire State Winter Games Begin

For the 32nd year, the Empire State Winter Games, formerly hosted by New York State, will be held in Lake Placid February 2nd through 5th. Organized by the Lake Placid CVB and the Olympic Regional Development Authority, the Games incorporate winter sports including alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, biathlon, figure skating, luge, speed skating, bobsled/skeleton, women’s ice hockey, ski orienteering, and freestyle skiing.

In 2011, the state of New York did not follow through in their commitment to hold the Games due to severe budget cuts. Several local organizations, including ORDA and the Lake Placid CVB, stepped up to finish organization of the event and were able to rescue the Empire State Games from extinction.

This year marks the second year of the Games as a community event, and will feature over 1,000 athletes. The entire region, not just Lake Placid, will be utilized for sporting events.

The Empire State Winter Games start on Thursday. At 6:00 pm, the Opening Ceremonies are held in the 1980 Herb Brooks Arena. This offers the athletes a chance to parade into the arena as a representative of their sport. The Key Note Speaker will be well-known actor and Lake Placid resident James Tolkan, who is best known for his roles in the movies Back to the Future and Top Gun.

After the Opening Ceremonies, the Games are officially open. The competitions will resume at various facilities including Mt Van Hoevenburg, Mt Pisgah, Whiteface and the Olympic Center.

Information about schedules, sports, news, and more can be found online.


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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Empire State Games, Jack Shea Sprints in Lake Placid

Winter sports of all kinds are taking place in Lake Placid this weekend when the 2011 Empire State Games kick off on Friday February 25th, giving New York State athletes the opportunity to compete in their winter sports. The Olympic Style Opening Ceremonies, in which the athletes march into the arena with their respective sport teams, will be on Friday at 6 pm in the Olympic Center 1980 Herb Brooks arena. » Continue Reading.


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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Local Hosts: We’ll Run Empire State Winter Games

Officials from the Village of Lake Placid, the Town of North Elba, the Town of Wilmington, the New York State Olympic Development Authority (ORDA) and the Lake Placid CVB, and the Whiteface Regional Visitors Bureau have announced that they will host the 2011 Empire State Winter Games, which were canceled this week due to state budget cuts.

According to a statement from the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation on November 16, the summer, senior, physically challenged and winter Empire State Games were canceled after being cut from the 2011 budget. The 31st annual Empire State Winter Games were scheduled to be held in February 2011 in Lake Placid. The website for the games has already been removed.

The cancellation led to discussions among community leaders about a solution that would allow the Games to resume as scheduled this winter according to an announcement issued today by the Lake Placid CVB. Representatives from the Towns of North Elba and Wilmington, the Village of Lake Placid, the Lake Placid CVB and the ORDA made a joint decision Wednesday evening to work cooperatively to ensure that the games would continue according to the announcement.

“We’ve made this decision on behalf of the greater Lake Placid region, just as Lake Placid decided in 1928 to pursue the 1932 Olympic Winter Games during the Great Depression, ” said Mayor Craig Randall. “This situation is actually an opportunity for Lake Placid, as it jump-started our existing plans to convene a leadership committee that will facilitate programs to support the communities’ sustainable future.”

“We’re pooling all of our collective talents, and are prepared to aggressively pursue funding to make this happen,” said James McKenna, President of the Lake Placid CVB. “We have already and will continue to communicate closely with the former Empire State Games staff to guarantee a rewarding experience for our New York State athletes.”

The event will be held on the weekend of February 25, 2011, and includes competitions in the disciplines of alpine and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ski jumping, ice skating and more.


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Monday, February 22, 2010

30 Years of The Empire State Winter Games

In 1978, the first Empire State Summer Games were held at Syracuse University. In 1981, Lake Placid hosted the 1st Empire State Winter Games, in which amateur winter athletes from the state of New York can compete in winter sports such as ice hockey, figure skating, skiing, speed skating, and more. The Empire State Games celebrated their 30th Anniversary in Lake Placid this past weekend.

Each year in February athletes of any age compete at events held at the Olympic venues in the Lake Placid. The State Games in general give the athlete an experience similar to the Olympics- they can participate in Opening Ceremonies in the Olympic Center (during which the “Empire State Games” torch is lit), receive their own warm up suit and hat, and compete in Olympic Style competition. The sports include adapted skiing, alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsled, cross country skiing, figure skating, women’s ice hockey, luge, skeleton, skier cross, snowboard cross, ski orienteering, snowshoe racing, ski jumping, and short track speed skating. The Games are conducted by the New York State Office of Parks Recreation & Historic Preservation.

Athletes compete in the Empire State Games for the thrill of competition, and also for the chance to compete in the State Games of America. Held biennially, the State Games of America are held in various locations in the United States, which are selected by a bid process. In 2009 the State Game of America were held in Colorado Springs, Colorado; in 2011, they will take place in San Diego, California.

For more information on the Empire State Winter Games or the State Games Organization, visit their websites at http://www.empirestategames.org/winter/index.htm and http://www.stategames.org/.


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