Posts Tagged ‘ORDA’

Monday, September 24, 2012

2012-2013 Winter Sports Events Schedule Announced

The Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) has issued its winter 2012-13 events. Dates and schedules are subject to change, but here is the basic run-down.

Nov. 5-10 – FIBT World Cup Bobsled and Skeleton. The 2012-’13 World Cup season opens for bobsled and skeleton where last season ended, on the combined bobsled/luge and skeleton track at the Mt. van Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex. Last February, the United States bobsled and skeleton team captured a record five medals, including four gold, when the one-mile long track played host to the 2012 FIBT world championships. » Continue Reading.


Monday, September 17, 2012

Oktoberfest Celebrates Foliage Season at Whiteface

The 21st Annual Whiteface Oktoberfest, in Wilmington, N.Y., is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 29-30. During the two-day festival, includes family activities such as original vendors, arts and crafts, children’s amusement rides such as a hayride and inflatables, Bavarian food, drink and entertainment.

Whiteface Oktoberfest will offer traditional German music from Die Schlauberger, performing under the entertainment tent outside the base lodge each day and Ed Schenk on the accordion. The Cloudspin Lounge also features music from Schachtelgebirger Musikanten (Scha-Musi) and, performing at their forth Oktoberfest, will be Spitze and The Alpen Trio. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, June 14, 2012

Gore Mountain: New Summer Amenities, Renovations

Gore Mountain is introducing new activities and installing several new attractions for visitors this spring, with a Grand Opening slated for Saturday, July 7. Several amenities have become available during June weekends, including “The Rumor Climbing Wall,” the “Wild Air Bungee Trampoline,” disc golf, and daily hiking excursions.

Other attractions coming soon include a huge inflatable obstacle course, base area and Bear Mountain interpretive walks, several educational opportunities featuring cooking classes, yoga retreats, photography camps, and jewelry workshops, and Friday evening Happy Hours. The Northwoods Gondola Skyrides and downhill mountain biking will also be open. » Continue Reading.


Monday, May 28, 2012

Lake Placid Hall of Fame Seeks Nominations

Lake Placid Hall of FameThe Lake Placid Hall of Fame Committee is seeking nominations of full or part-time residents of the Olympic region (Essex, Clinton and Franklin Counties) for 2012. The Lake Placid Hall of Fame began in 1983 and has inducted over 100 individuals including members of the 1948 U.S. Olympic four-man bobsled team and the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. Permanent plaques commemorating each member are on display in the Olympic Center’s Hall of Fame.

To be considered for membership, individuals should be past or current residents of the Olympic region or have some significant connection to the area. All nominees must have made significant sports, cultural, or civic contributions to the region, or have enhanced Olympic region heritage. » Continue Reading.


Monday, May 14, 2012

Jeff Farbaniec: 2011-12 Ski Season Worst in 20 Years

Skiing the Essex trail at Whiteface, December 14, 2011It’s official.  The 2011-12 ski season was the worst in 20 years.  That’s according to the National Ski Areas Association’s (NSAA) preliminary end-of-season survey released last week.  Nationwide, skier visits were down by more than 15%, to their lowest levels since the 1991-92 ski season.  The season was characterized by low snowfall and mild winter weather across nearly the entire U.S.

All this comes as no surprise to skiers or anyone who enjoys winter outdoor recreation in the Adirondacks.  Natural snowfall was sparse, and a lack of cold temperatures hampered snowmaking operations all season long.  By the end of March, every ski area in New York State had closed for the season, casualties of the month’s record-setting warmth. Jon Lundin, Public Relations Coordinator for the Olympic Region Development Authority (ORDA), which operates the Gore and Whiteface Mountain ski centers, estimates a 14% decrease in visitation across all of ORDA’s venues for the 2011-12 season. » Continue Reading.


Monday, April 30, 2012

Slush Pile: Whiteface Skiing and Climate Change

What follows is a guest essay by Kirsten L. Goranowski, a 2012 graduate of Paul Smith’s College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies. This is part of our series of essays by young people from Paul Smith’s College.

It was a rainy wait for the Face Lift chairlift at the base of Whiteface Mountain on March 9th. I overheard a woman complain to her husband about the unpleasant weather. There was mention of an alternative plan for the day. I myself contemplated an alternative, yet I had bought a season pass and still had to get my money’s worth. Winter of 2010-2011 was the first time I picked up the sport of snowboarding, and I’m now questioning whether any of it was a worthwhile investment. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, February 23, 2012

Sliding Sports Museum Plans, Hall of Fame Inductees

With the bobsled and skeleton 2012 World Championships wrapping-up in Lake Placid, sliding sports enthusiasts will be gathering to celebrate the history of the sport at two events on Saturday. The U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (USBSF) will induct its second class of Hall of Fame members at 2 pm this Saturday, Feb. 25 following the first two heats of the World Championship four-man bobsled race at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Lamy Lodge. Then, at the same location at 2:30 pm, the Lake Placid Olympic Museum and the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) will unveil plans for a planned International Sliding Sports Museum (ISSM) and a related Science and Technology Park to be located at Mt Van Hoevenberg. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, December 22, 2011

Holiday Outlook for Adirondack Ski Areas

It’s no secret that it’s been a difficult start to the ski season. Besides a notable lack of snowfall, the cold temperatures that ski areas need for snowmaking operations have so far been hard to come by.

I started my ski season on Thanksgiving weekend, when both Gore and Whiteface opened for the 2011-2012 season, and I’ve now got several days at both mountains under my belt. Although trail choices have been limited (both mountains are about 20% open as of this writing), conditions have been surprisingly good, thanks to efficient snowmaking plants and modern grooming equipment. You can check out my most recent visits to Gore and Whiteface here and here. » Continue Reading.


Monday, October 31, 2011

Commentary: ORDA Privatization Not The Answer

In a recent editorial, the Glens Falls Post-Star stated “it’s time for officials to re-think the financial and ownership model” underlying the New York State-owned winter sports facilities managed by the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), including the Gore and Whiteface Mountain ski centers.

The Post-Star argues that declining taxpayer support for these facilities (the state currently contributes $4.6 million dollars to ORDA’s $30 million annual budget, down from a $7 million contribution in 2008-09), jeopardizes their future viability. “For the sake of the Adirondack economy and for the towns and counties that thrive on the successful operation of these venues” the Post Star’s editorial staff suggests “a different approach is needed.” » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Bobsled, Skeleton World Championships to Return

Lake Placid will once again be hosting the 2012 FIBT Bobsled/Skeleton World Championships February 13th-26th.

Lake Placid has been a trendsetter in hosting events. They became the first village outside of Europe to host a world championships event in 1949, and the village has staged eight world championship races since then. The most recent Bobsled/Skeleton World Championships was in 2009 when the “Night Train”, led by Steve Holcomb, rocketed to the first US World 4-Man Bobsled title since 1959. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, June 23, 2011

Lake Placid Celebrates Olympic Day Saturday

The United States Olympic Committee’s Lake Placid Olympic Training Center and the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) are teaming up to present Olympic Day, Saturday, June 25, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Olympic Training Center, 196 Old Military Rd., in Lake Placid. Village of Lake Placid Mayor Craig Randall will open Olympic Day with the Olympic Day Proclamation.

The free event gives families and youngsters the chance to try Olympic sports and meet athletes from biathlon, luge, bobsled, ski jumping and Nordic combined, freestyle aerials, speed skating, figure skating and canoe and kayak. Plus participants can try luge on the fully refrigerated indoor start ramps at USA Luge’s headquarters. Visitors can also watch athletes train, including 2010 U.S. bobsled Olympian John Napier. » Continue Reading.


Saturday, June 18, 2011

Lake Placid Conference Center Grand Opening

The Conference Center at Lake Placid is open for business. The finishing touches have just been completed, the brass has been polished, art hung and the windows cleaned. Everything is shined and ready to go – the entire 60,000 square foot facility is complete.

On Tuesday, June 21, the public is invited to conference center’s grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony, between 4-6:30 p.m. Tours will also be available, staff will be on hand to answer questions, hor d’ oeuvres from CenterPlate will be served and there will be live music. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, June 2, 2011

Commentary: ORDA Should Run Belleayre

Belleyare Mountain Ski Center, located in the Catskills and currently operated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), could instead be managed by the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), according to officials at ORDA. The idea comes from Governor Cuomo’s Commission on Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE), and could be implemented as early as next winter. If implemented, the proposal stands to benefit skiers and the economies of the Catskills and Adirondacks. » Continue Reading.


Saturday, May 28, 2011

This Summer at Olympic Venues

The New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) will soon be re-opening the Olympic venues for the summer and fall seasons.

The Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway in Wilmington, N.Y. kicked-off the openings on May 20th. The highway allows visitors to drive to the top of the fifth-highest peak in the Adirondacks, one of only two whose summit is accessible by car. The highway is an eight-mile drive from Wilmington to the summit, where a castle made of native stone and an in-mountain elevator await. The highway is open daily from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. thru Oct. 10. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, April 27, 2011

ORDA Venues Enjoy Strong Winter Season

Despite some setbacks in January, the winter 2010-2011 season appears to be a successful one for the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) and its venues. The skiing and riding season at Whiteface and Gore officially came to a close on Sunday, April 17. As many as 480,080 guests visited the 1932 and 1980 Olympic venues in the Village of Lake Placid, Town of North Elba, the Town of Wilmington and North Creek, according to an ORDA press release. Last season there were 454,920 visits to the venues. These numbers do not take into account CanAm Hockey, Canadian Hockey Enterprise and several group tours. » Continue Reading.



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