The Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex sliding track, in Lake Placid, opened for the season today for U.S. sliding athletes. The U.S. luge team took to the ice at 8 am, followed by the skeleton squad at 10:30 am. American bobsled athletes slide for the first time at 2 pm.

In December, the mile-long, 20-curve course will play host to Viessmann Luge World Cup racing and Viessmann Bobsled and Skeleton World Cup action. Luge World Cup racing returns to Lake Placid for a second consecutive winter, when the world’s top sliders tackle the track, December 2-3, 2016. This marks the 15th time that Lake Placid has hosted a luge World Cup event. Action will be held in men and women’s singles, doubles and the fan favorite, team relay.

Once the world’s top luge athletes leave town, the world’s best bobsled and skeleton athletes will pull in for their World Cup event, December 16-17, 2016. Returning for a 16th consecutive year of either World Cup or World Championship racing athletes are slated to race in two and four-man bobsled, women’s bobsled and men and women’s skeleton.

Additional events on the track this season will include North American bobsled and skeleton racing, January 15-27, 2017 and the 37th Empire State Winter Games, bobsled, luge and skeleton racing, February 2-5, 2017. Plus visitors to the Lake Placid region can enjoy bobsled passenger rides. With a professional driver and brakeman, rides begin at the half-mile point of the track and can reach speeds in excess of 60 miles-per-hour.

For more information about all of the events being held at ORDA’s Olympic venues, click here.

Photo: 2015 Luge World Cup (courtesy ORDA/ Whiteface Lake Placid).