Head Coach Says the Award is a “Game Changer” for Lake Placid Youth Ski Jumping

LAKE PLACID, NY (April 4, 2023) – The New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF) announces the award of $60,593 from the North Elba Local Enhancement and Advancement Fund to purchase youth ski jumping equipment for young athletes to use while participating in NYSEF Programs at the Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid.

“Ski Jumping equipment is highly specialized and is not manufactured or sold directly by any retail outlets or suppliers in North America,” said NYSEF Ski Jumping Coach Jay Rand. “This award from LEAF ensures that kids who want to learn how to ski jump don’t have to worry about sourcing hard-to-find equipment.”

The grant enables NYSEF to purchase over 40 different sizes of equipment, including jumping skis, boots, bindings, helmets, and suits. The goal is to have everything ready for ski jumping athletes to use when the 2023-24 ski jumping programs kick off in December. 

“We’re especially excited to be able to offer athletes the opportunity to grow in equipment as they grow in the program,” said Head Ski Jumping Coach Colin Delaney. “This is a game changer for us.” 

In early February, the Olympic Jumping Complex hosted its first Ski Jumping World Cup since the 1990s thanks to the Olympic Regional Development Authority’s investment in upgrading the jumps, outruns, and base lodge over the past several years. The competition also demonstrated the general public’s growing interest in ski jumping as more than 16,000 spectators gathered to watch the competition.

For any young athletes interested in joining NYSEF’s Ski Jumping Program, enrollment for the 2023-24 season will open sometime in mid-summer. There will be a small equipment usage fee for the season to cover the maintenance of the equipment. This will include the use of a jumping suit, helmet, skis, and boots and cover any variation in sizing that might happen during the season as the athletes grow. For more information about NYSEF and its Ski Jumping Program, visit nysef.org.