So Much to Do in the Olympic Region

One of the big pluses to living here in Lake Placid is the myriad of cool events and activities we have at our disposal. For those of you who recognize the name "Lake Placid" only from the movie about the lake monster, well, wake up and smell the coffee. (Drive through Mt. Java - hurry.) The Olympic Winter Games were held here in Lake Placid, New York in 1932 and 1980. As a result of hosting two Olympics, we have a plethora of facilities ably maintained by the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) specifically to host world-class sporting events. Speaking of which; an FIS Freestyle World Cup hits the Olympic Region January 18-20, 2008. The Nature Valley Freestyle Cup - FIS Freestyle World Cup is a must-see event. The mogul competition happens at Whiteface on Friday and Sunday, and the aerials will be held at the Olympic Jumping Complex on Saturday. If you have never seen world-class freestyle skiers, you really should plan on coming to the Adirondacks over MLK weekend. You will be treated to some very impressive skiing. Just watching the mogul skiers makes my knees hurt and the aerialists are the ones who do the upside-down tricks - extremely cool. It is sure to be a fun weekend as ORDA has also booked bands for each day, so there will be live music at each site. The coup de grace for that weekend is the world-famous, full moon cross-country ski party to be held Saturday night at Art Jubin's Cascade Ski Touring Center in Lake Placid. For the uninitiated, the full moon parties are a North Country tradition of unparalleled fun. As the name implies, the parties happen on full moon weekends. Revelers can ski to kegs of beer and bonfires placed along the touring center's lit cross-country ski trails. There will also be live music and dancing inside at Knicker's bar at Cascade Ski Touring. Be forewarned however, the bouncer on duty for full moon night at Knicker's is downright menacing!