Lake Placid, NY (Wednesday, July 3, 2002) - The Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) launched into its summer freestyle and nordic jumping series today with Kodak Wet and Wild Wednesday. The Independence Week festivities will continue tomorrow, July 4 with the Chevy Trucks 90 Meter Ski Jump and July 6 with Kodak Soaring Saturday.

Kodak Wet and Wild Wednesday took off at 1 p.m. today at the MacKenzie-Intervale Ski Jumping Complex. This week’s featured athlete is two-time Olympian Jeff Bean. Bean is a member of the Canadian National Freestyle team and has trained in Lake Placid for nine years. He finished fourth at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.

The Hilton Lake Placid Resort, which is located at One Mirror Lake Drive, is sponsoring this week’s Kodak Wet and Wild Wednesday and Kodak Soaring Saturday.

Today’s activities included free tours of the MacKenzie-Intervale Ski Jumping Complex, a beginner trampoline clinic, and a beginner freestyle Tramps and Ramps Package – where intermediate skiers can learn the basics of aerial skiing and ski off the skimmer water ramp.

Watch top eastern and local ski jumpers on the Independence Day holiday tomorrow in what has become a Lake Placid summer tradition: the Chevy Trucks 90 Meter Ski Jump. The action begins at 12 noon at the MacKenzie-Intervale Ski Jumping Complex.

How to beat the heat? Canadian Olympic freestyle aerial skier Jeff Bean of Ottawa (in the air) takes a dip into the training pool at Lake Placid's Kodak Sports Park. This was the season opener in the Kodak Wet 'n' Wild Wednesday series. Temps hit 87 degrees by early afternoon in the Olympic village.

Kodak Soaring Saturday is slated for July 6. Geoffrey Howe, a member of the U.S. Ski Jumping team, is this week’s featured athlete of the week. Howe is the assistant coach for the NYSEF Ski Jumping Program and has been ski jumping for nine years. Soaring Saturday takes off at 1 p.m., with jumpers vying to become “king of the hill” for a day and win cash prizes.

There will be giveaways at both events including t-shirts, a bobsled ride, a gondola ride, entrance to the Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway, and a case of Coca-Cola.

Admission to the MacKenzie-Intervale Ski Jumping Complex is $8 for adults and $5 for juniors and seniors. This venue fee includes chairlift ride up the landing hill, elevator ride to the top of the 120-meter jumping tower and access to the Kodak Sports Park. There is no additional fee for Kodak Soaring Saturday.