Adirondack Studios, a company that provides creative solutions for designers, artists, producers, and owners across the themed entertainment industry, was chosen to design and build the iconic relay torches and games’ cauldron centrepiece for the World University Games in Lake Placid, New York, 43 years after the firm was first asked to assist the Olympics in this same location.
The popular Adirondack destination is not only home to two Winter Olympics (1932 and 1980), but it’s also one of only three towns to have hosted twice. In 2023, Lake Placid will host yet another major winter sporting event: the FISU Winter World University Games. Adirondack Studios says that it is thrilled to be part of this historic moment and wishes the best of luck to all the athletes competing in these games.
The event brings thousands of student-athletes from all over to celebrate international university sports and culture. They will descend upon the small town and come together to compete on its modernized, hallowed grounds.
Miracle on Ice
Symbolism can be found everywhere in the context of the games. The 1980s Miracle on Ice, the Olympic Rings, and of course, what could be more iconic to the commencement of the games than the passing of the torch? From town to town and runner to runner, culminating in the lighting of the cauldron, whose flame stays lit throughout the duration of the events.
During the 1980 Olympics, Adirondack Studios co-founder Tom Lloyd and his production crew managed the Fine Arts Festival. They also stage-managed the closing ceremonies and built the awards podium seen at the end of the famous “Miracle on Ice” hockey game.
As the story goes, the podium was designed to be lightweight, portable, and to hold the weight of 3 winners. However, with the US underdog team triumphing over the four-time gold-medal-winning Soviets, Lloyd and crew watched 12 of the world’s greatest hockey heavyweights jumping up and down, testing the strength of that lightweight podium in front of an audience of 80+ million people. The nation may have held its breath during the game – but the ADKS Team held their breath a bit longer that night!
Decades later there was a feeling of excitement and nostalgia when the Adirondack Sports Council reached out to Adirondack Studios to see if they’d like to become involved in the upcoming games. The firm was honoured and jumped in with both feet to design and build the iconic relay torches and games’ cauldron centrepiece for the World University Games.
A contemporary approach
Between the Sports Council’s team and Adirondack Studios’ creative designer, Andrea (Andy) Nice, they began the process of drawing the initial concept sketches. Nice worked directly with the Sports Council, incorporating their wishes to develop a more contemporary approach to the traditional torch and cauldron (which has remained much the same since 1936) and advance not only the physical design but how the cauldron was to be ignited.
When presenting to the Council’s committee, the modern, crisp and unexpected design was met with enthusiasm.
With the use of LED lighting, and a more contemporary design, the torch and cauldron now symbolize advancements in technology that speak to FISU’s overall mission to “Save Winter”- a campaign that brings awareness to sustainability.
Working closely with the client from inception, Nice noted that this sort of engagement often leads to solutions that bring more than the client anticipated:
“The work symbolizes people and nations coming together in the Adirondacks to share our love of winter sports; the figures, representing the different sports disciplines, gather to the FISU logo, the flame, just like the athletes will soon do.”
This reinforces that the opportunity to collaborate early in the process leads to stronger engagement and solutions that often exceed initial project expectations.
Save winter
As the Sports Council’s approval was given, the first torch was moved into fabrication. The symbolism was not lost on anyone, as they watched the torch pass from department to department. It then made its way across the ocean to Turin, Italy and passed through several universities in New York State, finally arriving in Lake Placid for the opening ceremonies and that iconic moment of lighting the cauldron.
The 2023 cauldron’s unique design & construction continues the mission statement to “save winter” and its message of sustainability. Standing over 12’ tall and weighing in at 5,000 lbs., the cauldron is constructed of carbon steel. Carbon steel was selected for construction because it can be recycled over and over again without losing any of its properties. Like the torch, the cauldron is also lit with LED lighting to simulate a real flame.
Special attention was paid by Adirondack Studios’ artisan and specialist metal worker, Josh Cummins, who championed the project from production to installation while maintaining the creative intent and mission statement with specific material choices.
“Working on this project with a specific mission to bring awareness to sustainability resonates with me because I’m a big believer that we all should be all be doing our part to make a sustainable future,” says Cummins. “It was an honor to be part of the creation of the cauldron and torches, and I hope the message of “Save Winter” resonates with people as much as it did me.”
The top edge of the cauldron winds its way up, its edges shaped to mimic the silhouette of the Adirondack high peak mountains. Cut within the spiralling steel cylinder are pictograms of athletes competing in various winter sports – showing off their moves while skiing, skating, and snowboarding. Ice crystals stretch from its peak, made from recycled glass and illuminated to look like ice transitioning to flame.
Passing on the torch
The cauldron symbolizes the advancement from the traditional flame of games past to new materials and methods while paying respect to the history & tradition of the games. One might say this is much like Adirondack Studios’ transformation that developed over almost half a century.
For Adirondack Studios, the project is a symbol of the present and past. Looking back to 1980, the business, the people, the places, and the locations have evolved, but have also remained much the same. Passion & creative capability are still mixed with well-practised traditional methods and a continuing evolution of everything involved.
Many people have worked alongside the company’s founders and have spent their careers growing with the firm. In some sense, a relay has taken place within the confines of Adirondack Studios; the leadership team passing the torch from one generation to the next, all the while staying on track and in sync with the end goal. For Adirondack Studios, it’s a collective effort, and a team that works together, works better.
At the end of 2022, blooloop caught up with company president, Michael Blau, and VP of creative design, Seth Harkins to talk about Adirondack Studios, and what it takes to create the immersive experiences that guests demand.
