What if we told you New York City’s Central Park will become a ski destination this weekend?
That’s right: a ski destination.
Probably, what you’d do is choke on your coffee. But once you get breathing again, consider this: it happens annually and it draws big crowds.
NYC Parks, Lake Placid, I Love NY and I Ski NY have partnered to bring the annual Winter Jam NYC to the heart of Manhattan. The one-day festival, which was cancelled the past two years because of blizzard conditions (yes, you did, in fact read that correctly) is scheduled for Jan. 28 and will feature a snow field, skiing and snowboarding lessons, snowshoeing, a winter market, sledding and live entertainment.
Oh, and there will be Arctic Golf, too. An NYC Parks press release doesn’t explain what that game is, but maybe it’s like this makeshift miniature golf course in snow-covered St. Paul, Minn. Whatever it is, we certainly hope it’s not as extreme as the arctic golf played in Iceland.
Gore Mountain Ski Resort in upstate New York will provide fresh snow for the four-hour event. And it's not the first time snow has been begged, borrowed or stolen in order to put on an event; plenty of other destinations have done it.
What's really interesting to planners of sports events? You don't need the ideal ski hill, ice rink or anything else to bring in the crowds and show off the athletes. And in fact, the weather conditions don't need to be perfect. Winter athletes - particularly in the Northeast - are used to less than optimal snow, for example.
Winter Jam NYC will be held in Central Park’s Bandshell Area, and locals wanting to attend should use the 72nd Street entrance.
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