It’s a Lake Placid summer holiday tradition dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. Summer ski jumping returns to the Adirondack Olympic town with a pair of competitions as some of the featured activities over the upcoming holiday period.
Both events will present some of the top US national and eastern ski jumpers, including U.S. Olympian Anders Johnson and World Junior Team members Nick Fairall, Chris Lamb and Mike Glasder. Top women jumpers will also compete in Lake Placid when Alyssa Johnson and Jessica Jerome soar from the 90 meter hill.
Summer ski jumping actually began on snow many years ago. Blocks of ice were removed from area lakes and stored until needed for the competitions. This ice was brought to the jumps and crushed into the hill. Crews laboriously spread this “snow” along the length of the site to allow the event to occur.
However, beginning in the late 1980s, this all changed when artificial surfaces, introduced in Europe for summer training, made their way to Lake Placid. Now the in-run, where the jumpers gain speed, is made of porcelain tile troughs, while the landing hill features a synthetic surface layered like a thatched roof. When the in-run and landing hill are watered, the result is a winter replica of speeds and jump distances.
The biggest difference between summer and winter ski jumping is the weather. Lake Placid is one of the few sites in the world where you can see this winter sport whilst
wearing shorts and a polo shirt.
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