September 24, 2025 - The acute sense of the air in Lake Placid always leads back to thinking of winter. But thinking of it in a specific way. As a season full of potential. Consider that this little village strung high up in the Adirondacks has, against demographic, geographic, and temporal odds, not only mustered the Olympic spirit over the last century, but played host to it (twice!).

Yes, to sense winter in Lake Placid, is to sense that the Winter Olympics are on the horizon. And this weekend in Lake Placid, it meant that the Olympians who represent the best of its idealistic principles are close at hand too. Metaphor, become reality. Thanks for NYSEF and ORDA for doing the hard work of conversion there.

This past weekend in Lake Placid, over 100 skiers from across the East gathered to kick off this big, Olympic winter in a way befitting of the ski community. Competitive for sure, but laced with camaraderie and set in a beautiful place too. Present among them were Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, Ben Ogden, Remi Drolet (thanks to SMS T2!), and the multi-generations of skiers now looking up to them. All were in Lake Placid to write the Preface for a ski season which will inevitably wind its way back to Lake Placid for the Epilogue next March when the Mt. Van Hovenberg hosts World Cup Finals on the very same loop.

A Fall weekend then, to mark something new. A new season, with fresh dreams to chase, in Lake Placid, around the world, and back again.

The event program paired the Keys to the Castle Court-style Sprint on Saturday with the historic Climb to the Castle race on Sunday. This marked the reprisal of a busy NENSA Rollerski Series for the Fall, with registration now open for next month’s Mansfield Fall Carnival and the Mt. Greylock Hill Climb in November.

Read the full report here.