BY: USSA & ORDA

LAKE PLACID, NY – Lake Placid’s Olympic Ski Jumping Complex will be the site of the U.S. Ski Jumping Championships Sunday, Oct. 11. The normal hill championship will take place on the HS100 meter hill in Lake Placid as part of a full weekend of ski jumping during the annual Flaming Leaves Festival, Oct. 10-11, which also features a warmup USSA ski jumping competition Saturday, Oct. 10.

Headlining the weekend will be Lake Placid’s own Nina Lussi, who picked up her first U.S. title in August on the large hill at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City, UT. Last weekend, Lussi scored her first World Cup-level points with two top-30 finishes in Chaikovsky, Russia and two more in Almaty, Kazakhstan with the FIS Ski Jumping Summer Grand Prix. She will face a challenge from teammate Nita Englund (Florence, WI) who took third overall in the summer tour.

The battle for the men’s title is expected to be close with Will Rhoads (Park City, UT) coming in on the heels of his first title a month ago. He’ll be challenged by Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, IL), fresh off a point-scoring finish on the FIS Summer Grand Prix in Japan.

“The Flaming Leaves Festival is one of my favorite events not only because it's in my hometown but also because of the atmosphere,” said Lussi from the Summer Grand Prix in Kazakhstan. “The fall foliage is beautiful and there is live music and barbecuing at the jumps. It will be great to catch up with the rest of the U.S. again and I'm sure it will be a great competition.”

“U.S. nationals in Lake Placid is always an awesome event and atmosphere to be a part of,” said Rhoads. “Having won the large hill championship earlier this summer I am looking forward to this event as a chance to earn another title. It is always exciting to compete in a place with so much Olympic heritage and history and I am looking forward to bringing my best performance to Lake Placid this October!”

The Flaming Leaves Festival, which begins at 10 a.m. both days, features a wide array of live music plus barbeque and a full weekend of fun mixed with ski jumping.

U.S. Championships in ski jumping are traditionally held during the summer and fall on all-season jumps, such as Lake Placid. Ski jumping is one of the few winter sports that can be conducted in in summer with virtually the same type of competition as in winter.

The Championship is jointly organized by the New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF), the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA).

"Lake Placid is proud of its ski jumping legacy beginning with Art Devlin, who blazed the trail that so many who have followed including the likes of Jay Rand, Peter Frenette, Nina Lussi and so many others,” said ORDA President and CEO Ted Blazer. “Lake Placid is proud to be hosting this event again during the Flaming Leaves Festival."

SKI JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE

Flaming Leaves Festival – Lake Placid, NY

Saturday, Oct. 10

10:00 a.m. – Flaming Leaves Festival opens

12:00 p.m. – Trial Round NYSEF HS100 meter USSA ski jumping competition

1:30 p.m. – NYSEF HS100 meter USSA ski jumping competition

Sunday, Oct. 11

9:30 am – Trial round HS100 meter U.S. Ski Jumping Championships

10:00 a.m. – Flaming Leaves Festival opens

11:00 a.m. – U.S. Championship HS100 meter competition round (two jumps) begins

Afternoon – Flaming Leaves Festival continues featuring live music, BBQ and more

HIGHLIGHTS

• Lake Placid HS100 meter Olympic ski jump will be the site of the U.S. Ski Jumping Championships normal hill event Sunday, Oct. 11.
• Festival Showcase: The Championships is a showcase event of the Oct. 10-11 Flaming Leaves Festival.
• What’s at Stake: Top ski jumpers from around American will vie for U.S. championship normal hill titles.
• Who to Watch: Reigning large hill champions from a month ago, Will Rhoads (Park City, UT) and Nina Lussi (Lake Placid, NY) will highlight the field of top ski jumpers from around America.

TOP SKI JUMPERS

MEN

Will Rhoads, 20, Park City, UT (Park City Nordic) – A strong winter season that included a second at a Continental Cup in Japan put Will Rhoads onto the World Championship team last season. This summer he broke through with his first U.S. title, winning the U.S. Championships large hill crown on his home hill in Park City.

Kevin Bickner, 19, Wauconda, IL (Norge Ski Club) – Kevin Bickner has had a busy summer with nearly a dozen comps, including his first World Cup points in a FIS Summer Grand Prix on the Olympic hill in Hakuba, Japan. He was also 12^th in a Continental Cup and sixth in a FIS Cup in Europe. He finished second to Rhoads in the large hill U.S. Championships in August.

Christian Friberg, 21, Roseville, IL (St. Paul Ski Club) – Christian Friberg had a strong summer and winter at the FIS Cup and Continental Cup level. A year ago he won his first U.S. title on the large hill and took bronze in August.

Mike Glasder, 26, Cary, IL (Norge Ski Club) – Mike Glasder just missed the podium in the large hill Championship in Park City. He then went on to compete in the FIS Continental Cup tour in Europe, scoring a top-30 finish.

WOMEN

Nita Englund, 23, Florence, WI (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) – Wisconsin native Nita Englund burst onto the scene last winter with five top-10 World Cups including a podium and a trip to the World Championships. Earlier this month she scored four top-10 FIS Summer Grand Prix finishes, including a podium, to take third in the summer World Cup level series. She skipped the large hill U.S. Championships to train in Slovenia but is coming back to Lake Placid.

Nina Lussi, 21, Lake Placid, NY (New York Ski Educational Foundation) – Nina Lussi grew up on the Olympic jumps in Lake Placid. This summer has seen her make another breakthrough, taking her first U.S. title on the large hill in Park City and scoring her first World Cup points with four-straight top-30 finishes in the FIS Summer Grand Prix in Russia and Kazakhstan. She took silver on the large hill at U.S. Championships in August.

Tara Geraghty-Moats, 22, W. Fairlee, VT (Lebanon Outing Club) – Former biathlete Tara Geraghty-Moats came back to ski jumping last season in a big way, working her way onto the World Championship team and scoring a top-20 and turning in a top-10 World Cup in her debut season. She took bronze in the large hill U.S. Championships in August.

Abby Hughes, 26, Park City, UT (Park City Nordic) – Veteran Abby Hughes carries the experience of three World Championships. In August, she contended for the U.S. large hill title, taking fourth.

QUOTES Will Rhoads, Park City, UT, reigning U.S. large hill champion

U.S. nationals in Lake Placid is always an awesome event and atmosphere to be a part of. Having won the large hill championship earlier this summer I am looking forward to this event as a chance to earn another title. It is always exciting to compete in a place with so much Olympic heritage and history and I am looking forward to bringing my best performance to Lake Placid this October!

Nina Lussi, Lake Placid, NY, reigning U.S. large hill champion

The Flaming Leaves Festival is one of my favorite events not only because it's in my hometown but also because of the atmosphere. The fall foliage is beautiful and there is live music and barbecuing at the jumps. It will be great to catch up with the rest of the U.S. again and I'm sure it will be a great competition.”

Clint Jones, USA Nordic men’s domestic coach
 
Will Rhoads has continued to look solid throughout the summer. Kevin Bickner was able to score his first FIS Summer Grand Prix points in Japan a few weeks ago and he will be looking to get his first U.S. title in Lake Placid. Mike Glasder and Christian Friberg should also be in the mix. Lake Placid is known for its unique hill design and there always seems to be some surprises on the podium, so it should be an exciting event. 

Alan Alborn, Women’s Ski Jumping USA domestic coach

The normal hill U.S. Championships will set the tone for the remainder of our preparation into the winter season. With Nita landing herself on the podium in Kazakhstan, this for sure will raise the level for all of the team. She will be the clear favorite but I hope to see the other team members close behind her heading into the season. The Flaming Leaves weekend always proves to pose its challenges with changing fall winds and varying temperatures making it more difficult for the athletes.

Robert Lazzaroni, USSA Nordic Program Director Lake Placid continues to exude a great spirit as an Olympic community. Bringing the U.S. Championships to the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex is a great opportunity to showcase the best ski jumpers in America.

Ted Blazer, President and CEO, Olympic Regional Development Authority

Lake Placid is proud of its ski jumping legacy beginning with Art Devlin, who blazed the trail that so many who have followed including the likes of Jay Rand, Peter Frenette, Nina Lussi and so many others. Lake Placid is proud to be hosting this event again during the Flaming Leaves Festival.

PHOTOS: Autumn photos of the Lake Placid Olympic Jumping Complex can be found in the below links. Photos courtesy ORDA/ Whiteface Lake Placid.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitefacemountain/15175020377/in/album-72157648003920926/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitefacemountain/15361235922/in/album-72157648003920926/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitefacemountain/15174783729/in/album-72157648003920926/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitefacemountain/10231350984/in/album-72157636353834796/

-- 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.