It includes ice-skating and skiing competitions, photography exhibitions and even rime-inspired poetry competitions.

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"The malls are epicenters of activity and entertainment, from indoor ice skating and downhill skiing to aquariums, and of course, the high-end luxury shops, " Anderson said.

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With practice areas for figure skating, ice hockey, skiing, snowboarding and speed skating, among others, this network serves as the main East Coast training center for winter-sports Olympians.

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Here, skiing and skating are less leisure pursuits than ways of life adapted to the ice-bound landscape.

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Its revenue comes mainly from fees for skiing, skating and other sports activities.

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That is true for nearly all of the winter sports, like skiing and skating, as well as for ones like field hockey, swimming, and tennis.

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When my husband and I arrived last December, the peaked roofs were blanketed in snow and hung with icicles, and the lodge's guests were embarked on winter sports: snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and skating on a private rink (complete with a warming hut serving Cognac and cigars).

FORBES: The Whiteface Lodge, Lake Placid, New York