LAKE PLACID, New York ??” The New York Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) will host the 2005 State Farm U.S. Snowboard Cup March 3-6 at Whiteface.

More than 250 athletes from 26 nations are set to compete in parallel giant slalom, halfpipe and snowboardcross during the four day event. The State Farm U.S. Snowboard Cup serves as the lone stop on American soil for the Nokia FIS Snowboard World Cup tour ??“ and is the first of its kind at the Olympic mountain.

Here’s what’s on tap for competition:

The PGS competition is set for Thursday, March 3 on Draper’s Drop with qualifications at 9 a.m. and finals at 1 p.m. The Swiss dominate the PGS, with men and women sitting 1-2 in the World Cup rankings. Catch a glimpse of Philipp Schoch, Urs Eiselin, Daniela Meuli and Ursula Bruhin tear Draper’s Drop apart.

Halfpipe qualifications, on the Bear Trail, are slated for Friday, March 4 with women in the morning starting at 8:45 a.m. and men in the afternoon kicking-off at 12:15 p.m. Men’s and women’s halfpipe finals are Saturday, March 5 from 1-2 p.m. on the Bear Trail.

The women’s SBX qualifications are Saturday, March 5 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on the Boreen trail. Men’s SBX qualifications are Sunday, March 6 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. The men’s and women’s SBX finals are set for later that day from 1- 2 p.m.

Off-Hill Event Activities:

Competitors switch gears Saturday night for a quarterpipe and rail jam under the lights in the field of the Olympic Speed Skating Oval. Riders will be towed in by snowmobile for the quarterpipe. The top-five will each walk away $1,000 richer. Spectators are invited to bring their own skates for a free session on the Oval or in the hockey box. Rentals will be available on-site for a nominal fee. The Josh Cramoy Band will perform. Free hot chocolate will be served.

All of the State Farm U.S. Snowboard Cup events are free. Spectators can access the viewing areas on foot or purchase a lift ticket and take a few turns in between. Sunday, March 6 is Super Sunday, presented by Bud Light, with discounted lift tickets of $25 for adults and $15 for juniors and seniors. No advance purchase necessary.

The U.S. Lineup:

Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, VT), Tricia Byrnes (Stratton Mountain, VT) and Lisa Kosglow (Boulder, CO) will stake out home turf for U.S. women at Whiteface. Riding high in the public eye this year, keep these riders on the radar: Seth Wescott, (Farmington, ME), Steve Fisher (St. Louis Park, MN), Shaun White (San Diego, CA), Ben Jacobellis (Bondville, VT), Elijah Teter (Belmont, VT) and Abe Teter (Lake Tahoe, CA) as they battle it out and look to score in the Adirondacks.

For more information on ORDA venues and events, and for web cams from five locations, please log on to www.orda.org.