Skating, sledding

ORDA venues open to public

Last weekend's World Cup race saw the world's best bobsled and skeleton athletes test their skills on the Olympic Sports Complex track at Mt. Van Hoevenberg. This weekend, visitors will have their turn to experience the twists and curves of the track as they ride with a professional driver and brakeman from the half-mile start.

Passenger rides will continue today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will be available Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations can be made by e-mailing oscreservations@orda.org or by calling 523-4436.

Public skating will be available today in the Olympic Center's 1932 rink fron 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Gondola rides will also continue throughout the weekend. The eight-person Cloudsplitter gondola carries passengers from the main base lodge to the top of Little Whiteface. Operating hours are from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Full season passes to both Whiteface and Gore range from $335.00 for kids to $799.00 for adults. Adult non-holiday passes are available for $649.00. Other discounts are available.

-Information courtesy of ORDA

Cross country skiing, ski jumping

Olympic trials on tap in Lake Placid

The road to Vancouver winds back through the Olympic Village Dec. 19 and 20, when some 54 athletes from 13 countries will compete in the FIS Continental Cup Nordic Combined.

Several countries, including the United States, will try to qualify athletes for February's Games through the event.

Eleven athletes from the U.S. will battle it out for two remaining Olympic team positions. They hope to join 2009 World Champion Bill Demong (of Vermontville) and Todd Lodwick (of Steamboat Springs, Colo.) on the squad.

Austria's Felix Gottwald and Finland's Hannu Manninen are expected to headline the international field. Gottwald is a six-time Olympic medalist and eight-time world championship medalist, while Manninen has captured 45 career World Cup victories and six world championship medals. Manninen also has three Olympic medals, the first of which he won at the age of 15 during the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway.

Competition begins both Saturday and Sunday with ski jumping at the Olympic Jumping Complex at 10 a.m., followed by cross country ski racing, at the Olympic Sports Complex, at 2 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit whitefacelakeplacid.com.

-Information courtesy of ORDA

College basketball

Paul Smith's Hingston honored

On Tuesday, freshman forward Ryan Hingston was named the Sunrise Conference Rookie of the Week. Hingston averaged 11.7 points and 7 rebounds in four games to claim the award. Hingston, a New Hampshire native, had a double-double against D'Youville College with 15 points and 13 rebounds. He also blocked three shots in that game.

-Information courtesy of Paul Smith's coach Joe Akey

Figure skating

Local skaters compete in New Jersey

Jessica Fortune, Hayden Hartman and Gina Fiorile - members of the Saranac Lake Figure Skating Academy who are coached by Tammy Lalande - recently competed at the North Atlantic Regional Figure Skating Championships in Hackensack, N.J. Fiorile won a bronze medal and qualified as a finalist in Juvenile Ladies Freestyle.

-Information courtesy of Marcy Woodland