After a 23-year hiatus, Lake Placid is getting ready to host its second straight Federation of International Skiing Ski Jumping World Cup. “We’re really excited to have the World Cup back here in Lake Placid,” said Rebecca Dayton, the Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex venue manager. “We’re hoping to become a regular stop. So far, that is going well, and hopefully, that will be the path we go down in the future.” The fifth event in the FIS World Cup series for the sport is back in the Olympic Village. Everyone involved, including athletes like Team USA Ski Jumping National Team member Casey Larson, is excited to see a good turnout this year after seeing thousands of fans down at the lower deck. “To have that many people here from all over the place … Having 10,000 to 15,0000 people here was absolutely bonkers,” Larson said. “Hopefully, we can get another taste of that this year.” Entertainment additions will be sure to keep fans engaged with the jumping, with a Fritz’s Polka Band and a live DJ providing the music alongside several food vendors serving a variety of options such as Polish cuisine and the traditional American offerings like burgers, fries and waffles. The competition field features a variety of powerhouse countries such as Poland, Austria, and Germany, but also some nations with a few representatives getting a chance to make a name for themselves at Lake Placid this weekend. “Our goal is to have more nations in our sport,” said FIS technical delegate and former Germany National Team coach Andres Blaser. “We are happy that one or two athletes from Romania are here. Also, Turkey has a ski jumper and Bulgaria … this is really important that we are not only two, three, four big nations, but to make a really big family.” The first four FIS World Cup races have all been in Europe, but with the United States getting its first chance to host the world this weekend, it’s a much different change of place that American athletes like Larson truly appreciate. “Getting to jump the K 120 was my first ever large hill when I was 12 years old,” Larson said. “Being able to jump it now in World Cup events is special … It’s more special than I even realize … to be able to come here to train well here and jump well here and have that swagger with it, it’s pretty cool.”
After a 23-year hiatus, Lake Placid is getting ready to host its second straight Federation of International Skiing Ski Jumping World Cup.
“We’re really excited to have the World Cup back here in Lake Placid,” said Rebecca Dayton, the Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex venue manager. “We’re hoping to become a regular stop. So far, that is going well, and hopefully, that will be the path we go down in the future.”
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The fifth event in the FIS World Cup series for the sport is back in the Olympic Village. Everyone involved, including athletes like Team USA Ski Jumping National Team member Casey Larson, is excited to see a good turnout this year after seeing thousands of fans down at the lower deck.
“To have that many people here from all over the place … Having 10,000 to 15,0000 people here was absolutely bonkers,” Larson said. “Hopefully, we can get another taste of that this year.”
Entertainment additions will be sure to keep fans engaged with the jumping, with a Fritz’s Polka Band and a live DJ providing the music alongside several food vendors serving a variety of options such as Polish cuisine and the traditional American offerings like burgers, fries and waffles.
The competition field features a variety of powerhouse countries such as Poland, Austria, and Germany, but also some nations with a few representatives getting a chance to make a name for themselves at Lake Placid this weekend.
“Our goal is to have more nations in our sport,” said FIS technical delegate and former Germany National Team coach Andres Blaser. “We are happy that one or two athletes from Romania are here. Also, Turkey has a ski jumper and Bulgaria … this is really important that we are not only two, three, four big nations, but to make a really big family.”
The first four FIS World Cup races have all been in Europe, but with the United States getting its first chance to host the world this weekend, it’s a much different change of place that American athletes like Larson truly appreciate.
“Getting to jump the K 120 was my first ever large hill when I was 12 years old,” Larson said. “Being able to jump it now in World Cup events is special … It’s more special than I even realize … to be able to come here to train well here and jump well here and have that swagger with it, it’s pretty cool.”
