LAKE PLACID, N.Y. --- United States and Swiss ski jumpers will soar off of the 90-meter ski jump when the summer jumping series opens, Saturday, July 4, at the Lake Placid, N.Y. Olympic Jumping Complex.

A field of 25 men and women jumpers will take part in the event, each launching off the 160 foot high tower and its porcelain tile troughs, at speeds in excess of 55 miles-per hour.  They’ll soar through the air, the length of a football field, before touching down on a landing hill that features a synthetic surface layered like a thatched roof.

The top U.S. finisher will have a leg up on the 2015 Art Devlin Cup chase.  This is a season-long series that includes the July 4 event, the Flaming Leaves meet in October and the Masters Ski Jump in December.

The opening round of the July 4 event begins at 1 p.m. and in between the first and final round there will be plenty fun activity for the whole family with great prizes and giveaways.

This event will also kick off Lake Placid’s Summer Jumping Series in which ski jumpers and freestyle aerial skiers perform each Wednesday and Saturday at the Olympic Jumping Complex. During the series, freestyle aerialists will defy gravity and launch themselves as high as 40 feet in the air, performing flips and twists, before splashing down into a 750,000-gallon pool below.

Meanwhile, many of the country’s best ski jumpers as well as the up and comers, will soar off of the 90-meter, 48-meter and 20-meters jumps

Tickets for the July 4 competition and 2015 summer series are $16 for adults and $10 for juniors and seniors and include a chairlift ride and an elevator ride to the top of the 120-meter ski jump. Entry is also included with the purchase of the Olympic Sites Passport.

For more information about the summer jumping series and all of the events and activities at ORDA’s Olympic venues, log onto www.whitefacelakeplacid.com.

-- ORDA --

Established in 1982, the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) was created by the State of New York to manage the facilities used during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid. ORDA operates Whiteface, Belleayre and Gore Mountain ski areas; the Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg; the Olympic speed skating oval, Olympic jumping complex and Olympic arena. As host to international and national championships, the Authority has brought millions of athletes, spectator and participants to the region, resulting in significant economic development.