LAKE PLACID — The new “SkyRide” gondola attraction at the Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex is now open to the public, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced in mid-January. The SkyRide is a six-cabin gondola that can carry as many as eight athletes, coaches, officials, visitors, and items of equipment per cabin. It travels from the […]
LAKE PLACID — The new “SkyRide” gondola attraction at the Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex is now open to the public, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced in mid-January.
The SkyRide is a six-cabin gondola that can carry as many as eight athletes, coaches, officials, visitors, and items of equipment per cabin. It travels from the complex’s base lodge to the 90-meter and 120-meter ski jump towers.
“The SkyRide gondola is the latest piece in our continued effort to modernize the Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex for not only the world-class athletes that train and compete there, but for the thousands of guests that visit the complex year-round,” Cuomo said in a release. “With this new gondola, the Olympic Regional Development Authority will continue to attract and support large-scale, global events at this facility.”
The SkyRide gondola was supplied and installed by Doppelmayr Garaventa Group, which is based in Switzerland. The $2.9 million project was completed in less than one year, the state says.
Other recent additions to the ski-jump complex include new top-speed frost rails in both the 90-meter and 120-meter outruns, a multi-color LED system that tracks jumpers as they descend, and a new communication system connecting event officials, judges, and the public-address announcer during training and competition.
The state says a new zip line adventure ride for all ages is under construction and expected to be finished this summer, along with a series of site work that will make snowmaking on the venue more efficient.
The Olympic Jumping Complex is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The governor says he has committed nearly $240 million in funding to support the state’s Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) properties since taking office. The funding on capital projects is improving the infrastructure of Olympic venues to ensure they continue to attract and support large-scale, global events, and operate as year-round attractions.
Established in 1982, the ORDA was created by the New York State to manage the facilities used during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid. ORDA operates the Whiteface, Belleayre, and Gore Mountain ski areas; the Olympic sports complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg; the Olympic speed skating oval; Olympic Jumping Complex; and Lake Placid Olympic Center, which includes the Herb Brooks Arena. As host to international and national championships, the ORDA says it has brought millions of athletes, spectators, and participants to the region, resulting in “significant economic development.”