Drawing: Tickets to the SPAC Winter Ball

SPAC winter ball 2014 logo

Drawing's closed! Winner's been emailed!

SPAC is gearing up for its annual Winter Ball on February 22 at The Hall of Springs in Saratoga Spa State Park. This year they've gone with a "Russian Whiteout" Olympic theme, complete with ice sculptures, martini ice luges, a Russian vodka bar, a blizzard photo booth, costume contests, and prizes.

The SPAC Junior Committee has passed on a pair of tickets to AOA -- and they could be yours. To enter the drawing, please answer the question below in the comment section of this post:

This year the ball has a Russian Olympic theme. What would be a fun Capital Region Olympic event?

Maybe it's bobsledding down Madison Avenue, or skiing down State Street, or turning a 787 ramp into a luge course. Maybe it's dodging double parked cars on Central Avenue. Have fun.

The Winter Ball is a fundraiser for SPAC's classical and educational programming and is presented by SPAC's Junior Committee. Tickets are $75 in advance, and $80 after February 19.

Important: All comments must be submitted by 8 pm on Tuesday, February 11, 2014 to be entered in the drawing. You must answer the question to be part of the drawing. (Normal commenting guidelines apply.) One entry per person, please. You must enter a valid email address (that you check regularly) with your comment. The winner will be notified via email by 5 pm on Wednesday, February 12 and must respond by 8 pm on Thursday, February 13.

Comments

I'd love to see the Capital steps turned into a ski jump with the landing on State Street hill.

Teams from different "areas" of the Capitol Region (downtown, Center Square, 'burbs, Mansion district, Schenectady etc.) would compete against one another in a "triathalon" of sorts through Albany's Washington Park. First, the traditional cross-country skiing, and then shooting, followed by a much-anticipated final event -- curling across Washington Park's frozen-over lake. Team costumes would be mandatory and shall be judged heavily. Jerry Jennings will judge all events.

I would love to see the biathlon come to the Capital Region! Upstate New York could bring some serious skill to that.

The Albany biathalon: race across the frozen tundra that are Troy streets on cross country skis until you reach Albany. Ditch your skis and run a 10k. The throw water balloons at currupt state legislators under arrest.

Happy-go-lucky dogs chasing terrified toddlers down the sledding hill at Capitol Hills.

Speed-skating down the fountains of Empire State Plaza!

Make the plaza a speed skating rink - not just the current skating rink, but the outside area of the plaza around all of the pools- instead of state workers walking laps in summertime, we could see speed skaters flying by in the winter! I'd want to try it myself!

Pairs ice dancing on the frozen Hudson River - local mayors paired up with a lucky resident of their city/town

Bob sledding down State Street sounds absolutley wonderful! Beats my high heeled walk up it every day!

Winter Olympics: Speed skating sprints on the Hudson.

Summer Olympics: 100 meter wooden shoe sprints.

How about mogul skiing down that steep hill leading up to HVCC?

Albany Bob ...mixed couples

Hmmmm... Disgraced politicians in a three legged race? Or better yet, in a shot put using a prison ball and chain. They throw it and it yanks them down the course.

Equine skiing, cause it'd be awesome.

Does complaining about how long your commute home in the snow count as a competitive sport? Probably not.

Ice fishing. Definitely.

seeing how many cars you can tow during a snow emergency

The State Smoke Run: Teams of State employees who smoke represent their State offices in a year-long competition to see which team can waste the most amount of time taking smoke breaks without raising the ire of the I.G. The winning team is immediately retired. Silver medalists receive a rub-down from Eliot Spitzer and autographed copies of his pamphlet 'Dating and Jam Making Tips'. Bronze medalists receive an official I Love NY tote bag and a waffle luncheon with ex-Governor Pataki. The losers all have Solitaire stripped from their office PCs.

Parking during a snow emergency

A cross-country ski race from urban areas of the city to see if you can find a grocery store!

It's a multi-sport event:
1). Foot race up the Corning Tower
2). Ski jump off the tower,
3). Land, race down/around the 787 ramp.
4). XC ski back up the Madison Ave. hill
5). Short figure skating program on the ice rink at ESP.

You're disqualified if you fall off the bridge.

5,000m Pedestrian Slalom down Central Ave.

I'd love to see Jennings compete in a Tan-a-thon!

Curlingpubcrawlathalon - Curl and drink your way up and down Lark then head on up Madison -curling all the way up to the Madison Pour House - It'll sure be a tasty and interesting adventure.

Something involving shoveling snow....

Bobsledding down Columbia Turnpike

Gotta be bobsledding down Madison Avenue....bobsledding was born here!

Spiral luge off the top of the egg!

Find Jerry Jennings since the swearing in of the new mayor Kathy Sheean? Seriously i can't believe Jerry has not popped up yet? The first person who finds Jerry has to conduct an interview , while keeping Jerry from using the phrases he usually does!

A giant game of curling with the egg down the Hudson river.

Curling on the pond in Washington park! Spectators can sit in the lakehouse and cheer or boo accordingly.

Individual freestyle parked car snow clearing competition. Extra points awarded for cutting out access points through snowbanks.

Driving the pothole moguls around Albany.

Cross-Country Commuite - who can drive the furthest before losing a hubcap to the potholes

Roller Derby :)

Race to finish the budget on time!!

One more vote for the bobsled!

It would have to be a park-off. First finding a spot in center square, then parallel parking while dodging snow banks and errant street strolling pedestrians or careening cyclists. Disqualification if you step in a frozen dog turd on dismount.

Definitely driving around Troy after a snow storm with the least number of accidents or spin-outs. It would be the only plus side to the lack of plowing around there!

I agree with roller derby!

Capital Hills triathlon - cross country/snowshoe, sledding,and run with your dog.

I second the Cross Country Skiing Race on city streets and Washington Park idea. Oh, BTW, there was an Albany event that happened annually for 2 or 3 years where downhill skiers slid down Street Street hill from about Eagle to Pearl. Late 1980's? I think Citibank was the first major corporate co-sponsor? I was on assignment for editorial photographs at one of the events.

Tim reminded me: I recall skiing down State Street hill on x-country skis in I think '86, maybe part of the city's tricentennial. Snow was trucked in and dumped from Eagle St down to Pearl: I did a few runs - fast! I later got to know Mayor Whalen and would praise him for his kooky idea - he loved that he actually did this! Also back then, he had a x-country race challenge to beat the mayor in Washington Park. That would be ok but the State Street urban ski really should be resurrected. Is Sheehan a skier?

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