Are you going through Winter Olympic withdrawal? You’re in luck, because Lake Placid is hosting two major international sporting events in the coming weeks. And at GO-Cottage, we still have availability for both of them! First up is the Viessmann World Cup for Luge on November 27th through December 1st.
Here’s a little trivia: Records of sled racing go as far back as the 1400s in Norway. But American luge actually has its roots in Lake Placid. In the mid-twentieth century, luge athletes trained at the 1932 Olympic bobsled run in Lake Placid. That track ranked as one of the most difficult in the world! Hosting the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid lead to the construction of the nation’s first refrigerated luge run here in 1979. Now, Lake Placid is home to one of only two full-length, certified, Olympic-style luge tracks in the U.S.
All set to watch the sport where athletes can exceed 90 mph? Come cheer on team U.S.A. in four events: men’s singles, women’s singles, doubles and the BMW Sprint World Cup. Tickets for the Viessmann World Cup for Luge will be available soon.
Next, December 9th through 15th sees the return of the BMW IBSF Bob and Skeleton World Cup. Events include Women’s Skeleton, Men’s Skeleton, 2-woman Bobsleigh, and 4-man Bobsleigh. Bobsleigh crews used to consist of five or six friends, but they were reduced to two or four per team in the 1930s. Now each crew has a pilot, a brakeman, and, in crews of four, two push athletes.
We’re lucky enough to have the “home track” to nation’s top sliders in our own back yard, so to speak. Since its completion in 2000, the Lake Placid Combination Track is considered one of the most technically demanding and features twenty challenging curves.
Check out this video to get a literal insider view to the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Combination Bobsled, Skeleton & Luge Track. Have we piqued your interest? Book your stay with us now so you can get in on the action this season!
