LAKE PLACID — Boosted by major sports competitions and facilities upgrades including a zipline and a Cliffside Coaster ride, the Olympic Regional Development Authority, or ORDA, set a new record this past year logging more than a million visits to its properties for the fiscal year ending March 31.
Many of those came to ski and ride at ORDA’s three ski centers: Whiteface, Belleayre and Gore. But events such as a ski jumping competition at ORDA’s Olympic facility at Lake Placid, a major hockey tournament and college Olympic-style games added to the numbers.
The greatest number of visits were at the height of ski season between December and March, with approximately 750,000 visits during that timeframe making up 73 percent of the new record. January and February brought in the most overall visits, while snowy weather and major events at multiple venues boosted March numbers well above average, with more than 50,000 visits during the month.
Belleayre Mountain in the Catskills saw a particularly large increase in visits, with its numbers jumping from 179,006 in the 2021-22 season to 237,825 in 2022-23.
The Olympic venues in Lake Placid — Mt. Van Hoevenberg cross-country ski center, the luge and bobsled track; the ski jump and Olympic training center saw a combined increase of more than 63,000 visits.
“Over the past six years, with heavy construction at times, we never missed an operating season,” ORDA President and CEO Michael Pratt said. “We will always have projects to properly maintain our facilities, but we are certainly optimistic about the resurgence since the improvements have been completed.”
ORDA estimates this past year marked a 15 percent increase from pre-pandemic levels.
Events at ORDA’s conference center, custom groups, non-ticket events, and functions are not included in any of these…
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