I wouldn’t say I have a heights problem, but when my wife and I hiked Half Dome at Yosemite National Park several years ago, all bets were off. The last 400 feet of the hike is up these rickety metal cables and well, I went up a few of them and then quickly turned around. It was just too much for me. I figured I was already 4000 some-odd feet in the air; that was good enough.
For Saratoga Springs native Sean Cogan, Half Dome’s final push is child’s play. After Sean and I graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 1998, he jetted off to college, then back to Saratoga, feeling the entire time like he had more to offer the world. Then, he and his wife, Marney, jumped at the chance to work in Brevard, NC, and ended up moving there permanently. Brevard, situated in the southern highlands of Western North Carolina, afforded the Cogans countless opportunities to hike, and Sean took up climbing in his free time. After a chance meeting with a rope access technician—someone who, through the use of mountaineering-type skills, gets to difficult-to-reach locations, such as bridges for inspections—Sean knew he’d found his calling.
Cogan’s newfound vocation landed him, concurrently, at Harken Industrial, a wing of the international sailing hardware company (clients include America’s Cup), and Elevated Safety, which offers rope access and confined space training. (Harken later acquired Elevated Safety.) When I ask him what a normal “day at the office” is like, he says it’s anything but. “I’ve done everything from scale antique trestle bridges in the Yukon territory, where you’re only 30 feet off the ground, to doing the Hoover Dam bypass bridge, which is roughly 900 feet above the Colorado River.” He’s been on a team that helped clean the glass-bottomed skywalk at the Grand Canyon, 4000 feet in the air, as well as one that swapped out advertisements high above MetLife Stadium prior to Super Bowl XLVIII. Each job is a new puzzle to work out.
Last September, though, Cogan, who grew up in a family of first-responders, was offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be on an international rescue mission. When a behemoth South Korean cargo ship capsized off the coast of Georgia, he and a skilled crew of techs rappelled down the side of the upturned ship bored into its side and helped free four sailors trapped inside its hull. “It was obviously a hard day,” says Cogan, who celebrated with his compatriots over a few beers before returning to his hotel. They had no idea that the four men they’d just rescued would be hanging out in the lobby. “To have the four of them standing there, alive and well and rested and hydrated…that’s when it all hit us,” says Cogan. “It was heavy.” As I write these words, I’m in awe of what my classmate did. Makes my momentary vertigo atop Half Dome seem pretty silly.
When I was in kindergarten, I won a fire safety poster contest, beating out all the other kindergarteners, first graders and second graders at Charlton Heights Elementary. Impressive, I know. My hand-drawn-with-colored-pencils poster (crayons were sooo preschool) featured a picture of a girl hiding in a pile of clothes in her closet on one side and a picture of the same girl standing in her backyard with her family on the other. The message written at the top was “Don’t Hide, Go Outside,” which, I confess, was my mom’s idea.
After my big win, which came with a snazzy $50 bond (not that I knew what a bond was), I expected fire safety to play an important if not prominent role in the rest of my life. After all, I’d spent the first few years of my life visiting the local fire station, checking the fire danger sign held by Smokey Bear at Glen Island on camping trips to Lake George and mastering the art of the “stop, drop and roll.” But, as I got older, I realized fires were less common than the kindergarten curriculum had led me believe. Nonetheless, at least I was prepared.
Since 1980, the number of reported home fires and home fire deaths in the US has been cut in half, as a result of improvements in the construction of fire-resistant buildings and in fire-suppression techniques. In the decades beforehand, too, the incidence of structure fires had been in decline, not only because of improvements to buildings, but also improved methods of home heating. “You did have more fires then because of how people lived back then,” Saratoga Springs Fire Chief Joseph Dolan tells me when I ask about the seemingly unusually high incidence of structure fires in Saratoga Springs in the 19th century. “They didn’t have forced hot air furnaces. They didn’t have gas fireplaces. You talk about the history of Saratoga—there used to be underground connections to all the buildings, because they used to have a person who ran coal from building to building to feed all the coal boilers. When they heated some of those buildings, there were fireplaces. When a hot ember came out on the carpet, the carpet caught on fire. There are a lot of different things that we don’t even think about now that people did back then that were totally normal.”
Firefighters fight a 1957 Broadway blaze that caused more than $2 million in damage. (Courtesy of the George S. Bolster Collection, Saratoga Springs History Museum)
It’s hard to say if the number of devastating blazes that tore through Saratoga was normal for a city of Saratoga’s size. There certainly were a lot of them, though. Take the years 1865 and 1866: In those two years, three of Saratoga’s biggest hotels suffered major damage due to fire. In 1865, The United States Hotel was destroyed, eliminating one quarter of Saratoga’s hotel capacity, and in 1866, both the Congress Hall Hotel and the Columbian Hotel met the same fiery fate. (The Columbian Hotel caught fire again a century later in 1965, and the flames spread across Broadway, engulfing the Convention Hall as well.) Then there was a series of fires at the Arcade building on Broadway (now home to Spa Fine Art Gallery, Lola Boutique and the Saratoga Day Spa, among other businesses) in 1853, 1869, 1902 and 1966. Damage caused by the 1902 fire, often called “Saratoga’s Great Fire,” was estimated at $200,000 ($4.1 million in today’s dollars) and five people died. Additionally, the Congress Bottling House caught fire in 1826, the Pavilion Hotel in 1843, Saratoga Lake House in 1846, the Saint George Hotel in 1859, the Grand Central Hotel in 1874, Yaddo’s Trask Mansion in 1891, Palace Recreation Hall in 1957, Saratoga Hospital in 1965, Colonial Tavern in 1966 and a Skidmore College dormitory in 1976. In 1955, a fire at 35-37 Caroline Street killed a family of seven and a guest, and when the Saratoga Springs Fire Station property on Lake Avenue was home to a high school, that burned down, too. “There was a time, and this is long before either of us, but in the 1860s and 1870s, that people who came here thought that Saratoga was burning down,” says Ellen deLalla, a former Saratoga Room librarian who helped build the library’s fires database. A 1988 Saratogian article, paraphrasing former Fire Chief Vincent Camarra, might’ve put it best: “Though other cities of comparable size had as many fires, none played host to American and even European society figures the way Saratoga Springs did. A big fire in this town made headlines everywhere.” And close to home, massive fires were an even bigger deal. “Saratogians have a great love for Saratoga,” deLalla says. “So, anything bad that happens is immediately chaos. It hurts.”
In recent years, fires are still a major cause of property damage in Saratoga, though not at the level they were in the 19th and 20th centuries. On Thanksgiving morning of 2016, a fire originating at the restaurant Mio Posto damaged several buildings on the corner of Putnam and Caroline Streets; in April 2018, a structure fire leveled Lake Local on Saratoga Lake; and in August 2018, City Hall caught fire, though much of the damage to the building was, ironically, caused was by the water that poured into it after the drainage pipe in the roof that was struck by lightning melted. These modern-day fires were better contained than they would’ve been had they happened in, say, 1871, when not only were the tools firefighters had at their disposal primitive, but also the fire department was entirely staffed by volunteers. In 1871, three fires broke out in one day causing $100,000 in damage, while all the firemen were out of town at a picnic. As a result, Saratoga organized its first paid permanent fire department in 1883. And for good reason. “The difference between then and now is pretty simple,” then-Fire Chief Robert Cogan told the Saratogian in 2002. “There were many abandoned shut-down hotels. They were targets. You don’t get that nowadays. Most of the real estate has become very desirable. Being occupied makes a big difference.” New firefighting technology, such as thermal imagery cameras and a records management system that identifies where fire hydrants are on an iPad before crews arrive at the scene of a fire, also makes a big difference, as does updating older buildings in the city to meet fire code. “I think the fact that these old buildings are still standing is a testament to the fire service here,” says Chief Dolan, who’s held the position since January 2019.
The aftermath of the 1955 fire on Caroline Street that killed eight people. (Courtesy of the George S. Bolster Collection, Saratoga Springs History Museum)
Despite all the progress that’s been made, more still needs to be done. According to Chief Dolan, the greatest fire-related threat to Saratogians is home heating. “People don’t check their furnaces, and start them,” he says. “We have problems with people who don’t check their chimneys. We do a lot of education to prevent that.” The city is also working to secure an agreement for a third FIRE/EMS station near the Oklahoma Training Track. (Station 1 is currently located on Lake Ave and 2 is on West Ave.) “The discussion about the need for a third fire station has been going on since I was hired—so, go back 20 years,” Chief Dolan says. “Over time, as people move out to the Eastern Plateau [the area near Saratoga Lake], the need for calls has increased out there. The response time—having a third station—will definitely improve, and that’s our mission.”
Most of the fires you hear about in this neck of the woods (i.e. Upstate New York and the Northeast as a whole) are, indeed structure fires. A fire starts in the oven, for example, and the local fire department is called to come put it out. When fires happen in the woods—Chief Dolan calls them “brush fires”—it’s still the local fire department that responds, but when those fires get out of hand, forest rangers from the New York Department Of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are brought in. In that case, they’d be classified as wildfires or forest fires.
Throughout New York State, and in the Upper Hudson Champlain region, where Saratoga is, the main cause of wildfires between 2003 and 2017 was debris burning. That’s why the state institutes a burn ban every spring, when backyard fires are more likely to get out of control. In the Adirondack region last year, the main cause of wildfires was out-of-control campfires, and in Long Island, it was actually arson, which accounted for 77 percent of the 191 wildfires that happened on the island during that time period. Since 2008, the largest wildfire on record in the state of New York was the Roosa Gap Fire, which burned 2759 acres in Ulster County in 2015. And the largest in the Adirondacks was 2018’s Flat Rock Fire, which burned 547 acres in Northern Clinton County.
The 2018 Flat Rock Fire burned 547 acres in Northern Clinton County in the Adirondacks. (NYSDEC)
But the wildfires that you’ve been hearing about in California are a completely different beast. The Kincade Fire that tore through Sonoma County, CA last fall burned a staggering 77,758 acres. The Camp Fire, which killed 85 people in Paradise, CA in 2018, burned 150,000 acres. And the Mendocino Complex Fire, also in 2018, burned 459,123 acres across four counties in the Golden State. “What you get very infrequently here in New York State are crown fires [forest fires that spread from treetop to treetop] that run quickly and are almost impossible to suppress and contain,” says John Streiff, forest ranger captain for DEC’s Region 5, which spans from Saratoga north to the Canadian border. “Those are the fires that burn down whole communities. And the winds, the vegetation, the drier arid conditions of the West help create those favorable conditions for large, uncontrollable wildfires that can threaten homes.”
But the fires that have been ravaging the American West are just the tip of the iceberg; it’s a global issue of epic proportions. I mentioned California, which lost more than 200,000 acres to fire in 2019 and nearly 2 million acres in 2018. Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest fires, on the other hand, which were set largely intentionally by cattle farmers trying to clear land for farming, burned close to 5 million acres in the first half of 2019. And then there’s Australia. Fires in the 2019-20 Australian bushfire season have burned an inconceivable 16 million acres in New South Wales and Victoria, an area about the size of West Virginia. This unprecedented onslaught of uncontainable wildfires is credited largely to climate change—warmer temperatures, drier conditions and high-speed winds mean that when fires do spark, they’re likely to spread far and fast—as well as dense underbrush (or “fuel” for fires), which accumulates, ironically, when forest fires are prevented. When fires are contained, and small shrubs and trees aren’t burned off, those same shrubs make fires, when they do spark, unmanageable. It’s known as the Smokey Bear effect—paradoxically, the US Forest Service’s symbol of fire prevention, which celebrated its 75th birthday last year, did its job of preventing wildfires so well, it actually made America’s forests more susceptible to raging, uncontrollable wildfires. “When you get that accumulation of fuels, and now we have drier and hotter conditions…the past techniques we’ve used just aren’t working,” says Jaime Laczko, the DEC’s Region 5 Zones D and F supervisor, who has traveled out West to fight wildfires nearly 20 times since 1994. (Each year, forest rangers from around the country, including New York, are shipped in to help fight the massive blazes.) “The fires are just so volatile. Basically, there are times when you just get all your resources, get off the line and wait until conditions change, so you can go back at it. It’s not worth anybody getting hurt or killed.”
The growing issue, presently, is that, whereas wildfires used to be just that—fires in the wild—that line between “civilization” and “wild” is quickly being blurred, and humans are in greater danger of being hurt or killed by them. “There’s a phrase that’s not all that new anymore, but it’s been new since my career started: ‘Wildland fire in the urban interface,’” says Captain Streiff. “That means, basically, fire burning in populated areas. What we see that was not present, say, in the ’50s and ’60s and historically, is the second home market and those who want to build near forest service lands out West or build near the forest preserve lands here in the Adirondacks. And so, there are more structures that are being constructed at risk than there used to be.” This “wildland-urban interface” is now home to one-third of US homes and about half of Western residents.
A 2016 fire burned more than 500 acres in Sam’s Point Preserve in Ulster County, NY. (NYSDEC)
So what’s the solution? One could be prescribed fires. Also called controlled burning, prescribed fires are fires set intentionally to thin out underbrush. Research has shown that fire is actually imperative to the health of ecosystems and helps create biodiversity that can’t be achieved without it, so controlled burns are also conducted for this reason. The DEC conducts prescribed fires in the Albany Pine Bush, for example, and the National Park Service conducts them at Saratoga National Historical Park to maintain the open grasslands. “Over the last 10 years, 181 prescribed fires were conducted and over 4000 acres burned for the purpose of both ecological and fuel reduction objectives,” Captain Streiff tells me.
Of course, there are obvious concerns about prescribed fires, among them being smoke and the threat of those fires getting out of control. They’re also expensive: According to a 2018 article in Outside magazine, “In California’s Sierra Nevada alone, the backlog of land that needs either fire or thinning is about the size of Kentucky. Restoring that would cost between $6 billion and $8 billion.” But prescribed fires might be our best option. My cousin, Alicia Wolff, who grew up in Saratoga County and moved to Petaluma, CA via New York City in 2014, says she thinks controlled burns would help manage the problem in California. “Personally, I think that prescribed fires would benefit everyone in terms of reducing the risk,” she says. “Because, obviously, the firefighters can employ their knowledge on where they’re going to set them, the resources would be integrated, and they’d be working together and collaborating as opposed to responding in emergency situations.”
But fire emergencies are inevitable, and responding to them efficiently and effectively is a crucial part of saving lives during wildfires, especially in that wildland-urban interface. During the 2019 fire season in California, Wolff’s hometown of Petaluma became a haven for evacuees during the Kincade Fire, which was responsible for the largest evacuation in Sonoma County history. “With this year’s fire, everyone was sort of relieved that they were able to contain it, because there was a concern that once the fire jumped the highway, it was just going to blaze all the way to the ocean,” Wolff says. “So, they evacuated that whole area between the highway and the ocean.” The evacuation was critical, because rather than worrying about saving the public from immediate danger, fire crews were able to focus exclusively on fighting the fire.
Wolff says that emergency preparedness has also improved since 2017’s Tubbs Fire that claimed 22 lives in Northern California. “A big effort has gone into the public safety alert system, so a lot of people are getting texts about the levels of alerts and evacuation orders, which wasn’t happening at all before,” she says. “Before 2017, you would maybe see on the news on the weather report that ‘it’s a red flag warning,’ but nobody even knew what that meant. So, now there’s much more public awareness about safety protocols and also emergency preparedness.”
The aftermath of the 2018 Flat Rock Fire. (NYSDEC)
Despite the increased fire danger, people continue to move to areas prone to fire in the wildland-urban interface. And that likely won’t change. So, in addition to more prescribed fires and better emergency response systems, fireproof communities are going to be increasingly necessary. And though it sounds far-fetched, such communities are totally achievable. Simple regulations such as banning cedar shingles and trees up against homes, not to mention getting homeowners to install tile or metal roofs, fireproof siding, screens over attic vents and a fire break surrounding towns, are all fairly easy ways to keep a fire from spreading house to house and beyond. Take Montecito, CA, for example: In 2017, when the Thomas Fire threatened the town, and worst-case estimates predicted up to 400 or 500 homes would be lost—only 7 were, thanks to widespread compliance to these simple fire codes.
Of course, all these fixes are treating the problem (fire), not the cause (climate change). In November 2019, President Donald Trump tweeted “The Governor of California, @GavinNewsom, has done a terrible job of forest management. I told him from the first day we met that he must ‘clean’ his forest floors regardless of what his bosses, the environmentalists, DEMAND of him.” He was met with backlash, with Governor Gavin Newsom responding that since Trump didn’t believe in climate change, he was “excused from this conversation.” California Democrat (and then-presidential candidate) Kamala Harris also joined in, tweeting: “Raking leaves is as effective at combatting the climate crisis as your phone’s spellcheck is at fixing your tweets. @GavinNewsom is doing his job. Maybe you should try it.” It’s worth noting that not all fires are climate change-caused: In the case of Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest, which is often set ablaze by cattle farmers clearing land; and Indonesia, where large swaths of peat forests have been lost to make farmland for palm oil, the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet, it’s people who are the cause of the fires. Of course, drier conditions and underbrush don’t make it any easier to contain the blazes.
To worsen the problem, wildfires themselves are a major contributor to CO2 emissions: As of December 2019, Australia’s bushfires had already let off more than half of the entire country’s annual carbon dioxide emissions. And not only is the carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, being released into the environment and contributing to climate change, but the trees and plants that remove CO2 from the air are also being depleted in the process. It’s a positive feedback loop: Fires contribute to a warming climate, which in turn, contributes to more fires. And the only way to stop it (or at least slow it down) is to systematically reduce and eliminate the human practices we know contribute to climate change. Until then, it appears wildfires are here to stay. If only it were as easy as “Don’t Hide, Go Outside.” Then we’d all win the prize.
Saratoga & Fire: By The Numbers
9: average number of lives claimed by fire per day in the US in 2016
27: percentage of reported fires that occurred in home environments during 2013-17 in the US
3: number of hotels destroyed by fire in Saratoga between 1865-66
4.1: estimated damage (adjusted for inflation) in millions of dollars, caused by “Saratoga’s Great Fire” in 1902
3: number of fires that broke out in one day in 1871 while the entire volunteer fire department was out of town at a picnic
8: number of people killed in 1955’s Caroline Street fire
85: number of people killed in 2018’s Camp Fire in Paradise, CA
2103: average number of acres burned by wildfires in New York each year between 1993-2017
4000: number of acres burned by prescribed fires over the last ten years in New York State
50: percentage of US Forest Service-managed lands (which total 193 million acres) that the agency estimates are in need of fire or thinning
95: percentage of wildfires in New York caused by humans between 1993-2017
5: percentage of wildfires in New York caused by lightning between 1993-2017
47: percentage of fire department-response wildfires that occur in the two months between March 15-May 15
2759: number of acres burned by New York State’s largest fire since 2008, the Roosa Gap Fire in Ulster County in 2015
77,758: number of acres burned by 2019’s Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, CA
5: number of acres, in millions, burned in the Amazon in the first half of 2019
16: number of acres, in millions, burned in Australia in the 2019-20 bushfire season
1: number of animals, in billions, that have died in Australia’s 2019-20 bushfires
71: percentage of peat forests that were lost to fire across Sumatra, Borneo and peninsular Malaysia between 1990 and 2015
180: total megatons of carbon dioxide emitted by Arctic wildfires in June, July and the first part of August 2019
3.5: number of times more carbon dioxide emitted by Arctic wildfires in June, July and the first part of August 2019 than is emitted by Sweden annually
33: percentage of US homes that are located in the wildland-urban interface
500: percent larger California’s wildfires are than they would be without human-induced climate change
Cartoonist John McPherson used to crack me up when I had cancer. I got a ton of Close To Home cartoons and greeting cards when I was bald and stuck at home in my jammies. And even as friends were mailing them to me from across the country, I was in on the not-so-secret secret: He was drawing his famous funnies right here in Saratoga Springs.
First published in 1992, McPherson’s Close To Home now appears in some 700 newspapers around the globe, including The Washington Post and The Miami Herald, as well as online. (The strip’s an easy “like” for fans of Gary Larson’s bygone The Far Side.) People also get giggles and guffaws from McPherson’s Close To Home page-a-day calendars and 20 cartoon books.
For McPherson, who’s lived around here for nearly 35 years, “humor comes from stress,” as his characters wrestle with the stuff of daily life, such as marital squabbles, terrible teens, screaming babies and trips to the dentist. And yes, it’s Saratogians that trigger his comedy. “I like small cities that have a real sense of community,” he says.
I think I can speak for the rest of Saratoga in saying “thank you,” John. We need somebody to laugh with us—and at us!
It was one of those weekends when I had to just get out of Dodge. It also happened to be the always highly anticipated opening weekend at the “Ski Capital Of The East,” Stowe, VT. Even though I hadn’t snowboarded in more than a decade, I dusted off my winter play gear, and Stowe-bound I went.
As a how-lucky-am-I? tourist or luxury travel journalist on assignment, I’ve been more than fortunate to experience some of the planet’s most amazing skiing destinations, including St. Moritz, Gstaad, Zurich, Innsbruck, Jackson Hole, Aspen and Lake Tahoe. So, to say I was surprised by the same sort of super-deluxe feeling I get from those A-List winter playgrounds in Stowe, would be a severe understatement. I mean, Stowe? This quaint, must-visit ski mecca also happens to be a stone’s throw from a charming town where you can “crawl” to beautiful boutiques and top-flight restaurants with delicious eats and chic cocktails.
Relaxing by the fireside at Topnotch Resort.
Here’s the sorry-not-sorry upshot from all of these eat, drink and play options: I never made it to the slopes. Not once. Who’s to blame? My perfectly delightful home for the long weekend, Topnotch Resort. A Four-Diamond destination spa resort, Topnotch was, in a word, sublime. Enthusiastically, I even brought my tennis racquets, but never made it out of Topnotch’s amazing spa and (massive) gym facility. It’s that good.
In the mood for a little humble-brag? I’ve experienced most every ultra-luxury/exotic spa treatment known to man, globally. I mean, all of them. And the simple truth is, I was genuinely floored by the professionalism and devotion from Topnotch’s expert spa staff. Neither cocky nor cloying, the friendly team members were knowledgeable and led with a tremendous, infectious healing energy (I’m telling you, it was palpable). The myriad cosmetology practitioner certifications and one-in-a-million specialties each employee had in his or her arsenal was what, to me, truly defines a “destination” spa. In short, my experience at this particular one was, yes, top notch. Here’s a primer to maximizing your experience at this must-see resort.
Topnotch’s Thai Massage is an unforgettable, possibly life-altering experience.
By all means, do get a pass for the sprawling Club Topnotch, an epic, two-floor workout facility, and take advantage of its carefully curated wellness classes in its chic rooms overlooking the frozen landscape. Just wow. Again, Club Topnotch’s offerings are mind-blowingly extensive.
After being methodical about pumping iron since 1984, I decided that after I hit that magic age of 40, I would shift my fitness routine to center more on stretching and staying limber. So, although I, like most humans on the planet, enjoy a regular massage, my longstanding preference will always fall in the how-hard-can-you-go? deep muscle bodywork camp. I did some cardio and stretching prior to my Thai Massage, and it helped tremendously. Although my masseuse was tiny and affable, this woman had the strength of Goliath and unbelievably, dismantled my formidable stress. I’m telling you, folks, she was nothing short of a real healer with a healthy dash of metaphysical know-how.
Topnotch Resort is just this side of perfectly appointed, with everything you could ask for, including fireside cocktails.
On that note, one of my more inspired selections at the spa was Cranio Sacral Therapy, a medically focused lymphatic stress releaser in the osteopathic oeuvre. Sometimes dismissed out of hand by Western medicine (I disagree), the right therapist with intuitive abilities can make this a successful release treatment. One of the treatment’s intentions falls into moving the film coating that lubricates our (lymphatic) spine and nervous system to our skull—or cranium. The focus, then, shifts to releasing coiled-up joints and spine, all with light touch and release. Marilyn was my therapist (with countless relevant accreditations) and, again, her confidence and passion were intoxicating. Marilyn put me back on my path (and how!) so I could continue to be of service to the universe—or, at least that’s how I felt immediately afterwards.
The salon at Topnotch oozed casual professionalism with a stellar list of services and products. I wished I needed a haircut or (shhh!) some highlights! Following my cranial service, I was all too ready to get back in the saddle of rediscovering my youth, face first. Being wayyyy overdue for Botox, I decided to peel back some forehead wrinkles with a frown-focused facial. I was determined that I wasn’t going to leave this property the same way I walked in. And I didn’t, thanks to forehead microdermabrasion, a Vitamin C mask and topical oxygen infusion. My Russian-born facialist, Angela, was a blackbelt cosmetologist and knew exactly where to precisely focus lifting movements and results-oriented products. I also felt heard, which isn’t a given at every spa. And in the end, my skin was, in a word, flawless. The Tata Harper Skincare line for age-rewind skin was, of course, also a huge contributor to my newfound baby face.
Topnotch’s indoor jacuzzi has a sheet waterfall feature.
Keeping my promise to myself, it was time for me to listen to my own body, crying out for exercise, Pilates and further realignment. I wanted to jump into Thai Chi, but missed the class, twice. However, the Chakra Balancing and Energy Healing was a winning group class led by Rosemary. Remember: The right people can transcend healing to an amazing place. And Rosemary did. Next on my list was Pilates with Donna. So awesome! I instantly started feeling like someone I used to know: Myself—decades ago. Donna’s charm and expertise lured me back to her other class, Barre, a first for me. I tossed around free weights for so many years that I became bored with my workouts. Barre and Pilates are a great way to build muscle, but, more importantly, strengthen your frame and core.
I also made sure to hit the steam room and sauna between treatments and drenched my body in hot water at every turn. Other can’t-miss strengthening classes included Hydro Power (an amazing pool), Awareness Yoga, Fitness Walks with Aqua Intervals, “Ta-Butt-A,” H.I.I.T. Mash Up and Hard Core training. You could literally transform your body and mind in mere days here, whether you prefer Zen, “buff” or meditational; I chose all of the above. You should, too.
Remember, at this point, I was still on holiday, so I kept to my mantra of everything in moderation—and had the mixologist at Roost make me a divine muddled Manhattan on the rocks. I still daydream about it. A beautiful, multi-use bar and restaurant, Roost serves all three meals effortlessly, with a light-as-air ambience that changes with the time of day and crowd. Where else can you enjoy a full chef’s menu, locally sourced berry smoothie, Bloody Mary, breakfast bruschetta and play shuffleboard all in the same place? I’m smiling just thinking about it. Flannel is the more epicurean lofty bistro with tasting menus, sampler plates and exquisitely prepared culinary selections for every palette. As Vermont is famous for cheese (and, of course, maple syrup), Flannel’s Cheese & Charcuterie with champagne was OMG delicious. We gave Executive Chef Dylan Taylor full reign for his please-never-end tasting menu and the plates kept rolling in after he asked for a few likes and dislikes. Each Instagram-worthy entrée was light, tasty and slap-your-mama mouth-watering. The whole experience was joyous and deeply, soul-enrichingly delicious. The Tuna Poke and giant Seared Scallop were next level, to say nothing of the equally fantastical Saffron Seafood Risotto and Togarashi Crusted Seared Rare Tuna. The ambience at Flannel was at once clubby, industrial and chic, with a long, sexy bar and a curved glass walled veranda. It just worked.
Topnotch Resort was an unexpected, one-stop escape in Stowe. I left this low-key property once to meander the quaint town, but found I just really missed being “home.” I couldn’t recall feeling this way for a resort in maybe, well, ever. I now know why this unpretentious slice of resort heaven is called Topnotch. I can’t wait to visit my home in Stowe again and again and again. And again.
For our 2020 “I Do!” magazine section, saratoga living created a unique wedding lookbook in and around Saratoga Springs. We shot on location at a number of the city’s top establishments, including the Pavilion Grand Hotel, Morrissey’s At The Adelphi, James & Sons Tobacconists and more. Find the amazing results below.
(Dori Fitzpatrick)
Scene 1: The Arrival
Shot on location on Pavillion Row outside the Pavilion Grand Hotel
Models: Lauren, Arizona, Taylor, Tatiana, Jonah, Perry, Joey, Josh
Women’s clothing from Lifestyles Of Saratoga and Caroline and Main
Men’s clothing from Union Hall Supply Company
Driver Rick Sassone and SUVs from Superior Sedan Service
(Dori Fitzpatrick)
Scene 2: Bachelorette Party
Shot on location at Morrissey’s At The Adelphi
Clothing from The Pink Paddock
Tatiana: Lilly Pulitzer Abree Peplum Dress in “Prosecco Pink Lagoon Jacquard”
Taylor: Lilly Pulitzer Dalsey Skirt Set in “Gold Metallic Blooming Floral Brocade”
Lauren: Lilly Pulitzer Franci High Collar Dress in “Bermuda Blue Lagoon Jacquard”
Arizona: Lilly Pulitzer Kasee Lace Dress in “Onyx Floral Loopy Lace”
(Dori Fitzpatrick)
Scene 3: Bachelor Party
Shot on location at James & Sons Tobacconists
Clothing from Saratoga Saddlery & International Boutiques
Josh: St. Croix shirt
Perry: 7 Downie St. shirt
Joey: Robert Graham shirt and 7 Downie St. jacket
Jonah: Au Noir shirt
(Dori Fitzpatrick)
Scene 4: Rehearsal Dinner
Shot on location at Fish At 30 Lake
Women’s clothing and accessories from Violet’s Of Saratoga
Men’s clothing from The National By Saratoga National Golf Club
Joe (Father of the Groom), wearing Jos. A Bank
Centerpiece by Boston & Burke Floral Design
(Dori Fitzpatrick)
Scene 5: Getting Ready: Ladies
Shot on location at The Pavilion Grand
Wedding dress custom-made for Lily Saratoga by Enaura Bridal
Bridesmaid dresses from Lily Saratoga
Heels by Badgley Mischka from Lily Saratoga
Makeup styling by Make Me Fabulous
Robes and slippers provided by Pavilion Grand Hotel
Charcuterie board by The Bistro At The Pavilion Grand
(Dori Fitzpatrick)
Scene 6: Getting Ready: Men
Shot on location at Vinny’s Barbershop Of Saratoga
Barbers: Tristan Saunders, Vincenzo Federico, Matthew Shufelt
Groom wearing shirt from Union Hall Supply Company
(Dori Fitzpatrick)
Scene 7: “I Do!”
Shot on location at Walt & Whitman Brewing
Mayor Meg Kelly wearing Lifestyles Of Saratoga
Wedding dress custom-made for Lily Saratoga by Enaura Bridal
Women’s clothing from Lily Saratoga
Men’s clothing from Jonathan Reid Menswear
Flowers by Boston & Burke Floral Design
(Dori Fitzpatrick)
Scene 8: First Dance
Shot on location at Walt & Whitman Brewing
Mayor Meg Kelly wearing Lifestyles Of Saratoga
Vocalist/Entertainer Garland Nelson
Wedding dress custom-made for Lily Saratoga
by Enaura BridalWomen’s clothing from Lily Saratoga
Men’s clothing from Jonathan Reid Menswear
Flowers by Boston & Burke Floral Design
(Dori Fitzpatrick)
Scene 9: Party Time
Shot on location at Putnam Place
Women’s clothing from Piper Boutique
Men’s clothing from Jonathan Reid Menswear
(Dori Fitzpatrick)
Scene 10: And, We’re Out!
Shot on location at Putnam Place
Driver Dan Myslewic and BMW from Superior Sedan Service
“Just Married” sign by Starry Eyed Letter Co.
Women’s clothing from Piper Boutique
Men’s clothing from Jonathan Reid Menswear
Styling by Austin Bayliss exclusively for saratoga living
Models:
Taylor Moore
Lauren Petrask
Arizona Santiago
Tatiana Roupas
Joey Moore
Jonah Bayliss
Perry Rayner
Josh Goodbred
Joe Moore
I recently jumped into a time machine—you know, the wondrously entertaining world of YouTube—and traveled back to February 1980, landing at the Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid. There, I grabbed a front-row seat at the city’s speedskating oval for the extraordinary gold-medal performances of US speedskater Eric Heiden. Winner of five gold medals at the 1980 Games—more than any individual before or since at a single Winter Games—Heiden went on to become an American hero and international superstar.
It might be difficult for modern audiences to grasp the sheer magnitude of Heiden’s feat: Think Michael Phelps on ice. Heiden, unbelievably, won gold medals at five different distances—500, 1000, 1500, 5000 and 10,000 meters—setting Olympic records in the first four events and an Olympic and world record in the 10,000. In all, Heiden won more gold medals that year than every country represented at the Games other than the Soviet Union and East Germany—and his five golds were more than those garnered by Finland, Switzerland, West Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Canada, Great Britain, Japan and France combined.
After his showstopping performance in 1980, though, Heiden wasn’t done breaking sports records: In ’85, he swapped his skates for a bicycle and won the US Professional Cycling Championship. He was also part of the first American team to compete at the Tour de France in ’86 but fell during the 18th stage and suffered a concussion, essentially ending his cycling career. And then, seemingly beyond comprehension, Heiden reinvented himself again in the 1990s, this time as an orthopedic surgeon, completing a medical degree at Stanford University in ’91 and doing his orthopedic residency at the University of California at Davis in ’96. “It was always a path I planned on taking,” says Heiden. “My father was a doctor, and I knew it would be my calling after sports.” Dr. Heiden then spent a year at a sports medicine clinic in Alabama before returning to California to begin practicing as a surgeon while also serving as team physician for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association. In 2006, he moved to Utah with his wife, Dr. Karen Heiden (the couple met at Stanford), and two years later they established Heiden Orthopedics in Park City and Salt Lake City.
Four decades after his dominant performance at Lake Placid, only Phelps (at Beijing) has equaled Heiden’s record of five gold medals in individual events at a single Olympics (Mark Spitz won seven golds in 1972 at the Munich Games, but three of those were in relay events). To that end, in 1999, the Associated Press named Heiden “Winter Olympian of the Century,” and ESPN has ranked him No.46 among the greatest athletes of the 20th century. I recently spoke, exclusively, with the Olympic champion, now 61, from his home in Park City, UT.
What were your expectations going into the Lake Placid Winter Olympics? Did you have a goal of winning five gold medals or did that seem too far-fetched?
My expectations were to be standing on the podium after every race. I believed I could finish top three in each event. That was absolutely realistic in my mind. I did dream a bit about winning all five, but it wasn’t something that I expected to happen. I thought it was possible if I performed at my absolute best, but a lot of things can happen, and you never know when something unforeseen can pop up. Sometimes luck isn’t on your side. It just all came together at the precise right time. I got in a zone pretty quickly. Winning the 500 really set the tone and got my confidence and momentum building. The races all took place in a small window. I think from my first race to my last, it was only nine days, so there wasn’t a lot of time to fall out of rhythm, which really is a great thing when you’re performing well.
Nowadays, former Olympic champion Eric Heiden is an orthopedic surgeon in Utah. (Heiden Orthopedics)
At the time, were you able to wrap your head around the fact that you’d won more gold medals than any other country besides the Soviet Union and East Germany?
That’s pretty hard to comprehend because of all the world-class athletes that were there representing their countries. I’ve never really thought about it or analyzed it from a perspective like that. I’m just really appreciative that I was as successful as I was and that everything fell into place the way it did. Even thinking about it now in those terms, it’s not something I think I could properly articulate.
During the Games, were you aware of your growing fan base, heightened interest from the media and that you were becoming a sex symbol?
No, I was actually pretty oblivious to everything that was going on around me at the time. I kept a pretty sharp focus on what I had to do there. It’s a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to represent your country on a stage like the Olympics, and I had my head on pretty good. I enjoyed it all and soaked up the experience as much as I could, but I was locked in as far as keeping my focus on the ice and not letting any outside distractions get in my head. I had some success competing in Europe before the Olympics, so I got used to being able to handle the press and any commotion that came with all of that.
What’s one of your most vivid memories from those Games, which, maybe, the average television viewer wouldn’t have known about?
Well, I think some people may know this story, but I haven’t talked about it all that much. Myself and some of the other American athletes had a pretty late night after the hockey team beat Russia. We didn’t get that crazy or anything, but we had somewhat of a suite area in the hockey arena for the Russia game and we enjoyed ourselves, and it got pretty late. I had my final race the next morning [the 10,000 meters] and I slept through my alarm. It was almost a disaster. I was scrambling pretty good, and it was a bit of chaos, but I made it in time, and everything worked out.
Were you able to experience the city of Lake Placid at all during the Olympics?
To an extent. I went to some shows, saw some entertainers, went to a couple movies. I spent a lot of my time watching the other sports. I got to see all the US hockey games. My schedule worked out perfect for all of that, which was such a surreal experience. I was sitting right near the press area next to Al Michaels and Ken Dryden for the gold medal game. I’ll never forget that. There were a couple guys on the hockey team I grew up around, and I’m still friends with some of those guys today.
What was it like being around that US hockey team during its “Miracle On Ice” performance?
Those guys supported me, and I was a huge fan of everything they were accomplishing. It’s remarkable what they achieved, and it rightfully got the attention it deserved. It continues to endure because of how they won, the odds they overcame and what it meant to the country. It was so emotional. That was a gritty bunch of guys with great determination, and Herb Brooks was a terrific coach and motivator. He brought such an important dynamic and was as big a part of why they won as any of the players. Nobody on the outside gave that team any chance to do anything. They got crushed by the Russians in their final exhibition game, and it was a tall mountain to climb, but they believed and pulled it off. Most people called it a miracle, but that was a great team that just needed to find a way to bring it all together.
You appeared on the covers of Time and Sports Illustrated—and had countless endorsement opportunities pitched your way, but you made a conscious decision to turn most of them down. Why was that?
I was very particular about what I wanted to be associated with, but the bigger reason was because I didn’t want to live my life under a microscope and constantly be in the public eye. I didn’t want to be on billboards or splashed across TVs. I did a few endorsements for things I was comfortable with, but I was never going to be a pitchman. I’m not knocking it or anybody who does it, but that just wasn’t for me, and it wouldn’t have been natural or genuine. I wanted to move on and do different things in my life, and getting caught up in all of that just didn’t interest me.
In February 2018, you returned to Lake Placid for the first time since 1980. You took a lap around the speedskating oval with your son, and people asked you for autographs and selfies. What was it like going back?
It really was like stepping back in time. Everything looked pretty much the way it did in 1980. Walking down Main Street, all the shops and restaurants were basically as they were back then. I’m sure some of the names on the doors have changed, but it was all as I remembered. It was great to see that. Lake Placid is one of those places that hasn’t needed to change to be successful. I brought my family, and we had a great time. We saw all the training facilities, went to the hockey rink, the skating rink, went to the field where they held the opening ceremony, visited the ski jumps, the bobsled complex. Mirror Lake was just as I remembered it, with all sorts of people skating out on the ice. It was special to be back. Lake Placid is just a wonderful place. The best part was being there with my family. They were amazed that a place so small hosted the Olympics. With all the requirements and standards of the International Olympic Committee that are in place today, you’ll probably never see a little town like Lake Placid get the Olympics again.
There are certain moments in everyone’s life that are, literally, exactly like snapshots, frozen in time in our memories: When I received the call that I got the job that changed the trajectory of my career; when I saw the airplane fly into the second tower in lower Manhattan that devastating, fateful September morning; when my sister gave birth to her first born, my nephew and godson; when the person I loved told me I was loved, too. But, right up there with those unforgettable events in my life, was the US men’s hockey team’s seemingly impossible David-and-Goliath victory over the mighty USSR’s hockey team at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid. I remember, mere seconds after the victory, how my entire family simultaneously burst into joyful, delirious tears, shouting and jumping up and down and how my own skin trembled to the touch. It was, truly, unbelievable, and I knew this was a moment for the ages and filed it away forever.
So, here we are, four decades later—almost to the very day of that singular athletic, patriotic achievement—when I’ve been given the chance to revisit this gargantuan, epic memory with two of its leading participants, US Team Captain Mike Eruzione, who improbably scored the winning goal, and Goaltender Jim Craig, who shut down the powerful Soviet onslaught to end the game and send the American hockey team directly to the history books.
Not at all surprisingly, these days, both Eruzione and Craig are red-hot commodities as public and motivational speakers throughout the country. But as their answers that follow illustrate, they’ll never tire of reliving the greatest sport moment of their lives.
Given our country’s current climate, I wonder if, as Americans, there’ll ever be another time when we all come together to celebrate the actions of a band of fearless young men on skates, who not only defied the impossible odds and triumphed, but also did nothing less than inspire an entire nation.
I still tremble thinking about that glorious moment in American history. So, yeah, I must still believe in miracles.
Mike Eruzione
Team USA Captain Mike Eruzione was part of the 1980 Olympic team that not only defied the odds and triumphed over the Soviets, but also did nothing less than inspire an entire nation.(Nezih Payzin)
What’s the No.1 question people ask you?
Usually, it’s “What was it like to win a gold medal?”
What’s the most surprising thing about the “Miracle On Ice” game that most people don’t know?
A lot of people didn’t know that if we lost on Sunday to Finland, we could’ve come in fourth place and not even won a medal. So the Soviet game was a big game, but Finland was even bigger.
Is it strange to perpetually be asked about an event that literally occurred four decades ago?
No, not really, because even 40 years later, we realize how special that moment was for so many people and with the movie, Miracle, there’s a new generation that realizes and understands what that moment was and what it still means.
Who, if any, of your teammates do you still keep in touch with?
Mostly Jack O’Callahan, but the entire team does try to get together a couple of times a year.
If Hollywood were to remake the movie Miracle, which Hollywood A-list actor would play you?
Maybe Matt Damon; he’s from Boston, too.
What are your memories of Lake Placid? Did the citizens treat you guys well?
It’s an amazing place; people treated us like kings, and when I go back now, I still find it to be special and always welcoming with open arms.
Is there a moment you would change from the 1980 Winter Olympic Games?
I don’t think I would change anything; it was an amazing experience, athletically, and was the proudest moment of my life to win a gold medal. And to do it in our own country in such a great little place like Lake Placid is pretty amazing.
Team USA Goaltender Jim Craig shut down the powerful Soviet onslaught to end the game and send the American hockey team directly to the history books.
Jim Craig
What’s the No.1 question people ask you?
People don’t normally ask me a question; they tell me where they were and who they were with when they saw us win. They’ll say, “That was the greatest moment; it meant way more than just a hockey game—I was with my father.” They tell me how they can remember where they were and why it was meaningful to them and sometimes, I hear how it changed their lives. It’s amazing to hear how we were able to uplift people in a time when our country needed hope.
What’s the most surprising thing about the “Miracle On Ice” game that most people don’t know?
That we played seven games, not one. In other words, most people think it was one game against the Russians. It was a whole series of games that led to the semifinal game in which we beat the Russians. For the finals, we won against Finland, and the game was tape delayed; it wasn’t live. People vividly remember the game against the Soviets, but that was just one accomplishment on the way to winning the gold medal. If we didn’t show up prepared for the gold-medal game, there was a good chance we wouldn’t have medaled at all and no one would’ve remembered the significance of the game against the Russians.
Is it strange to perpetually be asked about an event that literally occurred four decades ago?
If it was just a hockey game to people, then, yes, but it was more than a hockey game. To the people who watched it—they watched it because they were Olympic fans, not necessarily hockey fans. They watched it because of what the team accomplished and what they felt about being American. There was a lot of turmoil going on, and the country was in the midst of a crisis of confidence. This Olympic gold medal win helped instill confidence in America and what we stood for.
Who, if any, of your teammates do you still keep in touch with?
All of us keep in touch with one another, and lately, we’ve been able to get together more often.
If Hollywood were to remake the movie Miracle, which Hollywood A-list actor would play you
Eddie Cahill did a great job in Miracle, so I’d have him be the actor for the remake again.
What are your memories of Lake Placid? Did the citizens treat you guys well?
Lake Placid is hallowed ground—a place where people of all sports go to make their dreams come true. The people of Lake Placid are very special and always will be to me. It’s amazing now, going back, thinking of how such a small town in the Adirondacks could provide a world stage for the best athletes in the world. The town has continued to keep its charm, and the people are always happy and welcoming.
Is there a moment you would change from the 1980 Winter Olympic Games?
The only thing I’d like to have done was to have more time to enjoy watching the other Olympians compete and enjoy the festivities. We played every other day from when the Games started until when they were over. We even had a game before the opening ceremonies. We were competing so much, and it would’ve been nice to savor the victory longer and in the moment.
‘saratoga living’ will relive the Miracle on Ice victory Wednesday, February 26th at Putnam Place, which will replay the historic game in its entirety. A limited number of signed copies of this commemorative issue signed by Jim Craig are still available.
Just about every winter, the unmistakable voice of Al Michaels manages to find its way into my consciousness and nudges me to set out on a daytrip to Lake Placid. “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” The fabled call by Michaels, uttered 40 years ago in the waning seconds of the United States hockey team’s astonishing 4-3 victory over the mighty Soviet Union in the Olympic semifinals, was the defining moment of the 1980 Lake Placid Games, instantly securing the status of top-shelf reverence in the American lexicon. Four decades later, that frozen-in-time event still resonates and retains its significance as arguably the most important achievement in our country’s decorated sports history.
Setting out northbound from Saratoga Springs, I travel Interstate 87 to Exit 30, hang a left onto US Route 9 and make my way through the deep woods of the delightful Keene Valley, along picturesque NY-73 all the way to Lake Placid. The trip takes about two hours, and the drive, unless Old Man Winter is in a foul mood, is a blissful sensory treat of the season’s wondrous splendor. Winding through the snow-blanketed landscape, this gourmet slice of the Adirondacks is a charming oasis for outdoor enthusiasts and an inspiring canvas for artists of various disciplines.
As I reach my destination and make the left turn onto Main Street, one of the first landmarks I pass is Lake Placid High School and the speed skating rink on the front of the property. This was the site of Eric Heiden’s five scintillating gold-medal performances during the 1980 Olympics. Up the road a bit is Herb Brooks Arena—named in honor of the beloved US hockey coach—the venue where the “Miracle On Ice” took place. I’m convinced more people who visit Lake Placid get chills from its history than its frigid winter temps.
Main Street in this village of a little more than 2400 inhabitants is dotted with quaint shops and cafes and a breathtaking view of Mirror Lake. (If you’re wondering, the actual Lake Placid is located in the nearby towns of North Elba and St. Armand.) During the winter months, Mirror Lake is always bustling with activities such as dog sled rides across its frozen waters, pond hockey games, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and skating on the two-mile plowed track that frames the lake. There’s even an ice-covered toboggan chute, which is a 30-foot high converted ski jump trestle that can shoot toboggans more than 1000 feet onto the ice. This place is the embodiment of winter fun, a living Norman Rockwell painting. Not much has changed here in the past 40 years, which is fine by me. As far as I’m concerned, Lake Placid is timeless.
As the village commemorates the 40th anniversary of hosting the XIII Olympic Winter Games (it also hosted the 1932 Winter Olympics), the hailed achievements of 1980 have only grown in magnitude through the procession of time. No Olympic team in any sport has since approached in scale and cultural impact what Brooks and his charges accomplished on the ice by defeating the four-time defending gold medalists from the Soviet Union, then going on to secure the gold by defeating Finland. Featuring a deep and talented roster comprised of accomplished professional standouts, with extensive experience in international competition, the Soviet team was an overwhelming favorite for a fifth consecutive gold. The Soviets had outscored their opponents 175-44 in the previous four Olympics, including a 28-7 margin in games against the US. The Americans, meanwhile, had the youngest roster (average age: 21) in US national team history and were the youngest of all the teams competing in Lake Placid.
The audience at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.
Brooks, however, seemed impervious to what he was up against and maintained a razor-sharp focus on the task at hand. He was the definition of elite coaching and sports psychology. Brooks was deeply familiar with his team and knew every right button to push and, just as important, when to push it. Nine of the 20 members of the US team had played for Brooks at the University of Minnesota, while 4 others, including Goaltender Jim Craig and Team Captain Mike Eruzione, were from rival Boston University. Despite the reputation of the Soviet team and the inexperience of his squad, Brooks never strayed from his unwavering confidence in the young men on his team.
The Americans were not expected to be a medal contender at Lake Placid, but they opened group play with a 2-2 tie against favored Sweden. They followed with an eye-opening 7-3 victory over expected medal contender Czechoslovakia, then had three more wins—against Norway, Romania and West Germany—to advance to the medal round. In the other grouping, the Soviet Union bulldozed its way through overmatched foes with a series of lopsided victories against Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland and Canada by a combined 51-11. An over-capacity crowd estimated at 8500 jammed into every nook and cranny of the Field House (as it was known before being renamed to honor Brooks) for the David versus Goliath showdown between the two teams on February 22, 1980. The Americans trailed 3-2 entering the third period, but Mark Johnson scored for the US on a power play with 11:21 remaining to tie the game, setting the stage for Eruzione’s game-winner with exactly 10 minutes to play. Goalie Craig was a brick wall for the remainder of the contest (stopping 36 of 39 shots overall), and history was made as Michaels went into his unforgettable call as the clock ticked toward the fairytale American victory.
The other major story for the US that year was the speed skating dominance of Wisconsin native Heiden, who earned the other five gold medals his country won at Lake Placid. The biggest individual star of the 1980 Winter Games, Heiden won at 500,1000, 1500, 5000 and 10,000 meters, setting a world record in the 10,000. He became the first athlete to win five individual gold medals at a single Olympic Games (either Summer or Winter) and he remains the lone athlete to win five golds at a Winter Games. Heiden won more gold medals than every country other than the Soviet Union (10) and East Germany (9). His performance in Lake Placid led many experts to rate Heiden as the greatest speedskater in the sport’s history, and ESPN ranked him No.46 on its 50 Greatest Athletes Of The 20th Century list.
While celebrating past glories will always be integral to the allure of Lake Placid, the village appears to have a bright and dynamic future as a marquee winter sports haven. In July 2019, the New York Olympic Regional Development Authority’s board of directors voted to approve $100 million worth of capital improvements to the Olympic Center and other area competition facilities. The various projects are expected to be completed in time for the Winter World University Games, which are coming to Lake Placid in 2023. Some of the village’s athletic facilities have been in use since the 1932 Winter Olympics and need major upgrades to attract future events. The modernization efforts are expected to include expansion of the USA Rink from National Hockey League dimensions to the larger Olympic-size skating surface, retractable seating and luxury suites around the rink, better access to food service and concessions, expanded hospitality offerings at Herb Brooks Arena, locker room improvements, additional retail services and a renovated Lake Placid Olympic Museum. Several projects are already underway, including the installation of new LED lighting, spectator seating and scoreboard in Herb Brooks Arena.
Could these upgrades lead to Lake Placid making a third Winter Olympics bid? The odds seem to be against it. The Lake Placid region has only about 2000 rooms for traditional lodging, approximately the same number as it had in 1980. The International Olympic Committee now requires prospective Winter Games host sites to have a minimum of 40,000 available rooms. In the past, a proposal was floated for a joint Olympic bid for Lake Placid and Montréal, with the Olympic Village being located at SUNY Plattsburgh, about 50 miles from Lake Placid. There’s precedence for such a joint bid, although it was an unsuccessful effort. Slovakia and Poland submitted a co-proposal for the 2022 Winter Games that was eventually awarded to Beijing, China. The 2026 Winter Games will take place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
So how about 2030? It would seem a fitting tribute for what would be the 50th anniversary of the 1980 Winter Games, but in 2018 the US Olympic Committee acknowledged that if it bids for the 2030 Winter Games, it would be on behalf of Salt Lake City, UT, which hosted the event in 2002. I, of course, am biased when it comes to the subject, but I couldn’t think of a better place than Lake Placid for a future Winter Games. Creative thinking can overcome any logistical obstacles. Yes, it’s certainly a longshot for Lake Placid to be awarded a third Winter Olympics, but we’ve seen miracles in this village before.
Lake Placid’s Top 5 Moments
To say The 1980 Winter Games were memorable is a colossal understatement.
By Will Levith
In February 1980, I was a little more than two months old. And having just recently dug into my parents’ photo albums in the basement of my Saratoga Springs childhood home in Saratoga Springs, I can report that my life back then revolved almost entirely around eating. (Little has changed.) But had I been about a decade older, I can only imagine the excitement that I would’ve experienced, glued to my family’s rabbit-eared television set, rooting for the USA at that month’s Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid. All dreams aside, had my parents, between feedings, strapped me and my older brother into the family car and driven us two hours north, man, would I have had some monumental memories. Alas, here are the top five moments I missed out on at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
1. “The Miracle On Ice” When the US men’s hockey team upset the USSR’s seemingly unbeatable squad in dramatic fashion in the semifinals, it skated right into the history books. Fun fact: The night before, US Goalie Jim Craig squared off against Soviet right winger Sergei Makarov in a friendly (arcade) game of Centipede.
2. Finally, US Hockey Gold Fans often forget that “The Miracle On Ice” wasn’t actually the gold medal game. That would be the US’ next match, during which the team offed Finland to become kings of the medal stand.
3. Eric Heiden’s Golden Run Over a nine-day period, US speedskater Eric Heiden won five individual gold medals—more than the combined totals for Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland, West Germany, Italy, Canada, Hungary, Japan, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and France.
4. It’s All Downhill From Here Ingemar “The Silent Swede” Stenmark became one of only a quartet of men to take home golds in both slalom events at a single Winter Olympic Games.
5. “The King,” Crowned Soviet cross-country skier Nikolay Zimyatov landed the Games’ first gold in the now-discontinued 30km race. He then followed that feat up with two more golds, making him a hero in the Motherland and earning him the title “The King Of Skiing.”
“Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” On February 22, 1980 in Lake Placid, NY, sportscaster Al Michaels—along with the rest of the world—was witnessing, perhaps, the closest thing to divine providence when he uttered those now-famous words. But I can only imagine that the unlikely band of baby-faced college boys that took down the Soviet hockey machine that fateful night might scoff at the notion that it had to do with anything other than their own Herculean will and determination. This month marks the 40th anniversary of “The Miracle On Ice,” and saratoga living tracked down 6 locals—including the head coaches of Union College, RPI and Skidmore College’s men’s hockey teams—to share their memories about that miraculous night.
“I was a junior at Union College. We had decided that morning to blow off school to go watch Phil Mahre ski for the US [in Lake Placid]. I remember being such a typical college kid, totally unprepared for cold weather, but having the greatest time. So, we decided to stick around, not necessarily for the [US hockey] game, but for the festivities. Frankly, I wasn’t even really a hockey fan. So, we bellied up to a bar, and you could hear the radio broadcast playing in the background, but no one was really paying attention. But as the game went on, I think everyone started keeping a closer ear pinned to it, and sure enough, as the clock started winding down, the streets started filling up and buzzing. The next thing you know, the streets were just mobbed and people were hugging and dancing. There was just this phenomenal sense of pride. It was the first time I ever heard the ‘U-S-A! U-S-A!’ chant. Even foreigners were joining in. I’d say that I wasn’t really aware of hockey at the time, but that certainly put it on the map for me!” –Dan Thompson
“For me, a complete non-hockey fan, I realize now how huge it was. [It’s amazing] to think that hockey was never something I followed or even paid attention to, yet I can bring myself back to the feelings and emotions that everyone seemed to share. ‘Holy shit, we did it.’ And what’s remarkable, I think, is that you didn’t even really need to know all that much backstory. You just knew that a group of our college boys stood up, with their own narrative, and took down a seemingly unstoppable powerhouse. I mean…it doesn’t get any more American than that, does it?” –Joe Moore
“I was offered tickets to any game I wanted because I had family working for the phone company during the Olympics. I actually passed on going to the game against the Russians because I just figured [the US was] gonna get clobbered like they did that time before the Games. So, I was actually home, in Troy, for the Miracle On Ice, but you can imagine my excitement when they won, and I realized that I was going to see the US in the gold medal game. The game was packed and filled with a lot of anticipation and a lot of energy. The next thing you knew, [Goalie Jim] Craig was wrapping himself in the flag and the whole arena just exploded. Then it poured out into the streets, and there were just people everywhere saying, ‘Do you believe it?…Do you believe it?’” –Bill Usas
“I remember playing street hockey at the time of the actual game because I couldn’t see it live due to tape delay—but coming in later to watch. For me, at the age of 13 and someone who already loved hockey, I’d say it definitely enhanced my love for it. I got to meet Head Coach Herb Brooks and a few of the players years down the road and will never forget how impressed I was by how humble they were. To me, it’s the No.1 sports moment in all of recorded history. It’s your consummate David vs. Goliath match, but I don’t think the magnitude around it can, or will, be matched again.” –Eric John “Rick” Bennett, Head Coach, Union College Men’s Hockey
“I think its impression on me may be slightly different, being Canadian. As a coach, though, I think it’s one of those monumental moments, looking back, that make you want to coach. It captured the attention of everyone. We watch it every year on the bus.” –Dave Smith, Head Coach, RPI Men’s Hockey
“Though it took place a few years before I was born, the ‘Miracle’ game has transcended the sport and become much more than a singular game in the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid. It helped add elements of patriotism, pride and most importantly, everlasting optimism to the spirit of the game. The meaning and feeling from that game has been passed along generations and has certainly impacted the growth of the game at all levels.” –Robert Hutchison, Head Coach, Skidmore College Men’s Hockey
I haven’t quite been in Saratoga Springs for a year, so I’m still looking at my adopted hometown with pretty fresh eyes. And let me tell you, one of its most obvious traits is a serious culture of giving back to the community. So, I decided to wade into the mix and launch saratoga living’s first-ever Saratoga Gives Back fundraising soirée last December, which I hope is a special addition to the Spa City’s holiday season for years to come.
Our first crop of “10 Under 40” philanthropy powerhouses was nothing if not inspiring—and I loved getting to know the local charities they cared so passionately about. A huge thanks to brothers Matt and Carmine DeCrescente, who really came in strong and raised the most money, for Alzheimer’s Association of Northeastern New York; plus, SPAC’s Junior Committee; and Amanda Vance of New Vocations, who came in second and third, respectively.
And, of course, none of this would be possible without our valued partners. I can’t thank our sponsors enough—Putnam Place and Stewart’s Shops, whose holiday match program is what the season is truly all about.
Thank you to Saratoga Gives Back’s sponsor Stewart’s Shops! (from left) Amy Potter, Stacy Morris, Joanne McDermott, Erica Komoroske, Jennifer Atkins and Lauren Cifra. (NonStop Music)
