Eastern Olympic Venues other than Whiteface

[skiersleft]

Are there more resorts other than Whiteface in the East that have the necessary runs to host olympic ski events and the beds to accommodate everyone?

Just curious. It would be really cool to get the Olympics back to the USA, and it would be awesome to get them going in the East.

 

[AdironRider]

Are there more resorts other than Whiteface in the East that have the necessary runs to host olympic ski events and the beds to accommodate everyone?

Just curious. It would be really cool to get the Olympics back to the USA, and it would be awesome to get them going in the East.

Never going to happen. Not being pessimistic, but in 80 they had to truck in snow to Whiteface. Pretty much nailed the coffin for an East Coast winter Olympics.

Plus the Olympics are more about the almighty dollar these days than they used to be. Tough to get that done at any East Coast skiing venue, just to far from a major population center, facilities, etc.

If it does come back to the States, it'll be out West. If I were to bet, it would be Vail.

Which is fine by me. While it would be cool on the East Coast, if the US hosts an Olympics, it shouldn't be at a B league venue. I only see Whiteface and Sugarloaf as even close to having the necessary sustained pitch/terrain, but they aren't exactly northern VT in terms of snow.

 

[skiersleft]

Never going to happen. Not being pessimistic, but in 80 they had to truck in snow to Whiteface.

Plus the Olympics are more about the almighty dollar these days than they used to be. Tough to get that done at any East Coast skiing venue, just to far from a major population center.

If it does come back to the States, it'll be out West. If I were to bet, it would be Vail.

OK, but does any other resort have the capacity? At least in theory?

 

[AdironRider]

OK, but does any other resort have the capacity? At least in theory?

Made an edit as I realized I didnt really answer the question.

I think a couple other hills would have the potential, there just isnt that much vert (thinking downhill courses here) at most East Coast hills to host the event these days. I believe the minimum vert needed is like 2600-2800 feet to run a downhill.

 

[Hawkshot99]

OK, but does any other resort have the capacity? At least in theory?

I dont think so. In order to have a Downhill race they must have a 2640- 3,300 ft vertical drop. While places have the vertical, its not a continuous steep run for the event.

 

[skiersleft]

Made an edit as I realized I didnt really answer the question.

I think a couple other hills would have the potential, there just isnt that much vert (thinking downhill courses here) at most East Coast hills to host the event these days. I believe the minimum vert needed is like 2600-2800 feet to run a downhill.

How about Sugarbush?

 

[ScottySkis]

Bear pen in Ny Catskills would have the vertical any they get lots of lake effect snow too , but they never opened again . They were going to reopen with financial backers from around the world into this horrible day took place 11 years ago.

 

[drjeff]

The reality is that if you really wanted to get a Northeastern winter olympics, in the modern sense of the size and financial scale that they're on today, Lake Placid is almost too small and too much of an investment needed in the infastructure to macke it "big" enough.

You could possibly look at Boston as a venue though. Think Vancouver - the skating, hockey and heck even some of the snowboarding 1/2pipe and even boarder/skier cross and nordic skiing and bobsled + luge events could be held within an hour of Boston. The alpine events and ski jumping would have the organizers looking towards the White or Green Mountains - remember in Vancouver, the alpine events were in Whistler which isn't much of a difference in drive time to Vancouver than many of the peaks of the size you'd need in the Greens and White's are from Boston.

Likely, probably not (Denver is actually next up for the USOC winter bid for the 2022 games). Possible, sure

 

[riverc0il]

Sugarloaf has the vertical but not as much continuously steep vertical as Whiteface. But Downhill run aside, I just don't see the northeast having the infrastructure to host the games. All the venues now have massive build up but I can't see it happening in the northeast.

 

[steamboat1]

I believe Quebec City tried to attract the Olympics several years ago.

Mont Sainte Anne & Le Massif would host the alpine events.

 

[deadheadskier]

I love QC and think it would be a great spot for the games. I do believe Massif would need to build a few hundred more Vert onto their downhill course. I think it's sanctioned for women's DH, but falls a fair bit short for a men's DH.

 

[steamboat1]

I love QC and think it would be a great spot for the games. I do believe Massif would need to build a few hundred more Vert onto their downhill course. I think it's sanctioned for women's DH, but falls a fair bit short for a men's DH.

Le Massif's down hill course is 2,465 vert. The minimum requirement for an Olympic mens downhill is 2,624 vert. Considering Le Massif already added several hundred feet of vert. with the Pyramid they built on top another 160 feet is not a big deal in my eyes.

Plus they would love any reason to build an ice hockey arena up there to attract an NHL team once again.

If anywhere in the east Quebec City would be the place.

 

[skiersleft]

Le Massif's down hill course is 2,465 vert. The minimum requirement for an Olympic mens downhill is 2,624 vert. Considering Le Massif already added several hundred feet of vert. with the Pyramid they built on top another 160 feet is not a big deal in my eyes.

Plus they would love any reason to build an ice hockey arena up there to attract an NHL team once again.

If anywhere in the east Quebec City would be the place.

Quebec City would be cool. I would definitely drive up and partake in the festivities.

Again, I mentioned Sugarbush. Doesn't it have the vertical?

 

[steamboat1]

Mt. Ellen's vert. is 2,552. I'm sure they could cut a run down to German Flats road that would add the necessary vert. for a men's downhill but it would be awfully flat on the bottom half. Plus Sugarbush doesn't have the necessary infrastructure. Could you imagine what Rt. 100 would look like if Sugarbush hosted an Olympic event. Heck Warren gets all jammed up just for their July 4th parade.

 

[Geoff]

Killington has 3000 feet of vertical

 

[jaytrem]

Le Massif's down hill course is 2,465 vert. The minimum requirement for an Olympic mens downhill is 2,624 vert. Considering Le Massif already added several hundred feet of vert. with the Pyramid they built on top another 160 feet is not a big deal in my eyes.

Plus they would love any reason to build an ice hockey arena up there to attract an NHL team once again.

If anywhere in the east Quebec City would be the place.

I imagine a ski jump type structure would work for the extra 160 feet, even if temporary.

As for the arena, they just broke ground on it Sept 3rd...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/09/03/quebec-hockey-arena-ground-breaking.html

 

[from_the_NEK]

You could squeeze the vert out of Sugarbush but the lower 1/3 would not be nearly steep enough.

Sugarloaf would have to get creative to pull it off and runs the risk of getting pretty flat when squeezing out the required 200' of vert below the main lodge.
Stowe could actually pull it off pretty easily IF provisions could be made to extend a temporary trail up onto the ridge on either nose or the chin.
Outside of those resorts, you would be looking at a custom facility being built somewhere in the Whites. One potential spot would be the northeastern shoulder of Mt. Washington with access provided by Cat shuttles on the Auto Road. However, installing snowmaking to avoid a 1980 Lake Placid situation would be very expensive. Snowmaking would also be needed to "fill in" the trail to avoid having to blast a trail into the mountainside.

 

[Puck it]

For the 1980 Winter Olympics, it was not the temp that that was the porblem but the lack of snow that year. This was forseen and LP was the first Olympics to use man made snow. The temps leading up to the games were very favorable to make snow. They started to make snow very eraly that year and stockpile it. The addition of snowmaking made "Iceface" now more skiable. BTW, I was at the games since I lived up there.

When Lake Placid was awarded the 1980 Winter Games in 1974, venue adjustments were needed. For the alpine skiing events, snow making equipment was used.[SUP][7][/SUP] This was used to make 4 ft (1.2 m) of man-made snow to cover all of the trails used for the events.[SUP][7][/SUP] Six new ski lifts and electronic timing/ scoring systems were also constructed.[SUP][7][/SUP] For the Nordic skiing events (cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, ski jumping), a total of 26 event officials were sent as observers to the 1978 world championships in Lahti, Finland to understand the venue needs for the 1980 Games.[SUP][1][/SUP][SUP][3][/SUP] For the 50 km race, a total of 266 acres (108 ha) was purchased and a trail system was created that involved tree-clearing.[SUP][3][/SUP] Man-made snow was also applied for the cross-country skiing trail.[SUP][3][/SUP] Races over 10 km in length were modified to meet the snow requirements as defined by the International Ski Federation.[SUP][3][/SUP] An electronic scoreboard was installed for the croos-country skiing events.[SUP][3][/SUP] This information was passed onto organizers for the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.[SUP][3][/SUP] Two new ski jumps were constructed.[SUP][1][/SUP] The 70 m (230 ft) jump was constructed between May 1977 and December 1978.[SUP][1][/SUP] Construction for the 90 m (300 ft) jump also started in May 1977, but was not done until the February 1979 test event to construction delays caused by the bankruptcy of the steel contractor.[SUP][1][/SUP] Biathlon used trails similar to cross-country skiing though a separate finish area was used.[SUP][3][/SUP] A protective shooting area of 125 by 95 m (410 by 312 ft) was built for the competition of 90 by 50 m (300 by 160 ft) for 36 shooting stations was built.[SUP][3][/SUP] To cover 25 km (16 mi) of biathlon trails, twelve snow-making guns were used.[SUP][3][/SUP]
Speed skating had increased refrigeration access, improved locker room, improved lighting, electronic timing/ scoring systems, and a electronic scoreboard.[SUP][6][/SUP] The World Sprint Speed Skating Championships were held at the Oval in 1978 and proved beneficial on how to run the event.[SUP][6][/SUP][SUP][15][/SUP] A separate facility was constructed near the Olympic Center for figure skating with renovation taking place at the Center itself between spring 1977 and November 1979.[SUP][5][/SUP] The biggest change was at the bob and luge track with the construction of a refrigeration system for the bob run following the 1978 World Championships in Lake Placid that also served as the test event for the 1980 Games.[SUP][4][/SUP] A new luge track was built between fall 1977 and February 1979.[SUP][4][/SUP] The original plan for the luge track was to include bobsleigh two-man on the track, but that was abandoned to excessive costs.[SUP][4][/SUP] It was the first luge track in North America.[SUP][4][/SUP] This was also the last Winter Olympics that would have separate bobsleigh and luge tracks.[SUP][4][/SUP]

 

[ScottySkis]

http://www.catskill-3500-club.org/catskill-peaks/bearpen-mountain.htm some info on Bearpen.

 

[from_the_NEK]

Scotty, Bearpen maxs out at 1750 of Vert. Not gonna happen there. In fact there is no where in the Catskills that would reach 2600 feet of vert without a very long flat runnout. Not even Slide, Cornell, Wittenburg, or Hunter (from teh actual peak) can get there.