USA ski jumping athletes, including Nick Fairall of Andover, have truly become modern day Marco Polos this summer, traveling around the globe in the quest for high-level international training and competitions, featuring some outstanding performances against the world’s best. Now, following a few precious days at home, they are ready to face the next test: the US Ski Jumping (Normal Hill) National Championships at Lake Placid’s famed Intervale Ski Jumping Complex, site of a pair of Olympic Winter Games in 1932 and in 1980.

The weekend will include two days of high-flying drama, starting October 12 with the annual NYSEF competition, while the nation’s top men and women will go for the gold at the US National Championships on Sunday, October 13. The weekend, held at the peak of the autumn colors, is part of a delightful festival that draws large crowds known as the Flaming Leaves Festival, a celebration of ski jumping, food, drink, and music that is not to be missed – a great event for the entire family.

“This week’s competition should be really exciting. We have quite a few guys who are jumping at a high level, all of whom have plenty of experience in Lake Placid. We haven’t spent a lot of time in Lake Placid this summer, so it will be great to get back there for the always-beautiful Flaming Leaves,” noted US Head Ski Jumping coach Clint Jones.

“Right now, all the guys are a bit spread out. Everyone is at home taking a few days off before we will all meet up in Lake Placid on October 9,” the coach added.

Among the US men to compete will be the recently-crowned Large Hill National Champion, Nick Fairall, who won the title in early August in Park City, Utah; and another Granite State product, Nick Alexander of Lebanon, who has shown a hot hand recently with top performances in Europe on the FIS Summer Grand Prix.

Also competing will be local jumpers Pete Frenette (Saranac Lake, New York) and Miles Lussi (Lake Placid, New York) and the entire USA jumping team.