Lake Placid to honor Olympians

If you couldn’t get to Sochi to see American winter athletics in action, Lake Placid is holding an Olympians parade this Sunday, beginning at 5:30 PM.

According to Mirror Lake Inn publicist, Sandy Caligiore, the parade will kick off at the intersection of Main Street and Cummings Road in Lake Placid and end at The Cottage Café where speeches and other festivities will take place, following by a fireworks display.

Several Olympians recently returned from Sochi will participate in the celebration, among them alpine skiing silver medalist, Andrew Weibrecht whose parents Ed and Lisa own The Mirror Lake Inn and Cottage.

As of Wednesday this week, Erin Hamlin, bronzemedal winner in luge, and double bronze medallist in Sochi bobsled, Steve Holcomb and Steve Langton, are confirmed marchers. By parade time other members of Team USA are expected to participate.

If you can make it to Placid on Sunday, this event affords a good opportunity for the kids to get autographs from the Olympians. I’d suggest the best place to do that is at or near The Cottage Café when the parade finishes.

Ski conditions in early March have been mixed, however, this week’s new snowfall has improved surfaces — thanks much in part to advanced snow grooming — and even powder cover at higher elevations.

Looking over the 201213 March snowfall records, most Eastern mountains received more snow than in February. And that seems to be holding true now. So no one I know is packing away the skis and boards just yet.

The O. C. Ski Club has a bus trip planned for Vermont’s Bromley Mountain this moring. It departs from the Crossgates Mass at 7 a.m. It makes a second pickup at 7:15 am at the WalMart parking lot, Route 7, Troy at 7:15 a.m.

Another O C Bus will leave Sunday, going to Stratton, and another on March 21 to Okemo. The second pickup for the Okemo bus is at the Park N’ Ride, Exit 9 off the Northway.

Note: The U. S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame is open to receiving nominations for its next class of honorees. All nominees are reviewed by National Selection Committee for their level of excellence in their achievements as athletes or as contributors to the development of skiing and snowboarding.

Deadline for nominations is April 30, 2014. You can call 906-485-6323 or email administrator@skihall.