Colin Jost’s Terrifying Lake Placid Bobsled Ride
SNL star’s escapades were shared nationally during NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage.
Mt. Van Hoevenberg bobsled track. Photo courtesy lakeplacid.com (ROOST).
When a “Weekend Update” anchor meets a 90-mph ice chute in the Adirondacks, you know it’s going to be good television.
That’s exactly what happened when Colin Jost, co-host of “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live, traveled to Lake Placid and climbed into a bobsled at Mt. Van Hoevenberg—an experience that quickly turned from charming Olympic cameo to full-blown existential crisis.
“I was not prepared for the terror of this bobsled,” Jost told NBC’s Mike Tirico. “I swear to God I thought I was going to die.”
In the clip, which aired during NBC’s Olympics coverage, Jost—helmet in hand, dressed in full bobsled attire—describes launching from Start 1, more than 400 feet above the finish. He wasn’t driving. Thankfully. But as the sled rockets down the icy track at speeds approaching 90 mph, his nervous laughter turns into audible screaming—and, yes, some choice language.
For those of us who know Lake Placid well, it’s both hilarious and deeply relatable.
Watch Colin Jost take on the Lake Placid bobsled.
In this NBC Olympics segment, SNL’s Colin Jost joins Mike Tirico in Lake Placid and takes on the Olympic bobsled track at Mt. Van Hoevenberg—reaching speeds near 90 mph and discovering just how intense the ride really is. Watch the clip.
Colin Jost discovers that Adirondack ice is no joke. Click on the image to watch the video.
More than a comedy bit.
Lake Placid has long lived at the intersection of Olympic legacy and small-town charm. It hosted the Winter Games in 1932 and 1980 and remains one of the only places in the United States where the public can ride a real Olympic bobsled track.
The segment didn’t just provide laughs. It put Lake Placid—and whispers of a potential 2042 Olympic bid—back in the national spotlight.
When Tirico casually referenced talk of a possible 2042 Olympics returning to Lake Placid, it reminded viewers that this tiny Adirondack village still punches well above its weight in winter sports relevance.
And Jost’s terrified descent? It showcased something we already know: this isn’t a theme park ride. It’s the real thing.
Have your own Mt. Van Hoevenberg bobsled experience.
At Mt. Van Hoevenberg, visitors can book the Olympic Bobsled Experience and ride with a professional driver and brakeman down the same refrigerated track used by world-class athletes.
Unlike a roller coaster, there are no rails on top keeping you comfortably in place. You’re inches from solid ice. The G-forces are real. The curves are unforgiving. The speed feels faster than the numbers suggest.
And yes, screaming is allowed.
Note: The Bobsled Experience is closed for this winter. Check back in summer 2026 to book your thrill ride.
Lake Placid’s star power moment.
There’s something deliciously meta about a “Weekend Update” anchor becoming the punchline.
Jost, who grew up on Staten Island and now finds himself married to Hollywood royalty, looked refreshingly human, clutching that helmet and admitting defeat. It’s a reminder that the Adirondacks have a way of leveling everyone.
Mt. Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid.
And let’s be honest—seeing him discuss Norwegian ski superstar Johannes Høsflot Klæbo’s hair after white-knuckling his way down a 90-mph ice chute is peak Olympic television.
For Lake Placid tourism, it’s priceless exposure.
Why this matters for the Adirondacks.
National media moments like this do more than entertain. They remind millions of viewers that the Adirondacks aren’t just scenic—they’re dynamic.
Between Olympic infrastructure, world-class winter recreation, and a village that balances nostalgia with relevance, Lake Placid continues to command attention decades after the Miracle on Ice.
And thanks to Colin Jost’s very public brush with mortality (temporary and theatrical, of course), a new generation just learned that yes—you can ride an actual Olympic bobsled in upstate New York.
Would he do it again?
We suspect the punchline would write itself.
Places to stay, shop, eat, and things to do near Lake Placid.
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