“The moment we’ve all been waiting for,” Aaron Gwin says as he rolls into a brand new World Cup course at Whiteface Mountain. “This will be the first ever top to bottom run on this track if all goes successful.” It does. What follows is four minutes of fresh dirt, loam and choices. So many choices. “There is a lot of options here on this track, which is super cool. Kind of everything we wanted.”
Gwin and Tristan Lemire swap lines as the course crew waters sections in real time. “The course crew is actually on track right now watering the trail, which is pretty sick,” Gwin says, tip-toeing through soft dirt and new lips. He calls out what racers will feel next week: off-camber, jump lines and a shark-fin.
The course, which was designed by Aaron Gwin is fresh for this year. After hosting the XC World Cup last fall, Lake Placid will host both XC and DH riders this year. And in 2026 it will be the final stop of the tour.
Line choice is back
Gwin’s running commentary reads like a builder’s checklist. “I’m just going to try to do everything the opposite of what he does and test the options.” There are many. “Couple options on the entrance here… try to mix up the lines.” The track slows where it needs to, then opens the throttle. “This section’s going to be super fast… definitely fastest part of the track.”
Viewers noticed. “So good to see so many line choices!!!” “Nice to see a fresh loamy track with tons of options,” added another comment. “You could run a 4X race down parts of that. Line choice galore!”
Loam up top, speed down low
The opening woods look exactly like riders wanted them to. Fresh. Soft. “It’s actually real soft here,” Gwin says. “Super off camber.” The mid-mountain forces decisions, then the track breaks onto the piste. “This section’s really fun… couple big jumps… shark fin.” One commenter saw Mont-Sainte-Anne DNA in the finish, “a MtSteAnne styled rip down the piste for max speed trap.”
Not everyone was sold. “Over half the track is just bombing the ski slopes.” “A super boring slope style course.”
What racers will face this weekend
Expect choices from the first turn. Look for braking bumps to rearrange those choices by finals. Expect nerves. “I need to triple this, but I’m being scared,” Gwin says mid-run, opting for a safer on-off. “That’s… first ever top to bottom lap on the World Cup track,” Gwin says. “Super fun. Can’t wait for the race next week. Come check it out.”
If the practice feed looks anything like this preview, Lake Placid just gave downhill racing what it’s been asking for: real decisions, real dirt, and a reason to tune in live.