Today Show Ski Ramp

01
Objectives

In mid-January, Seacoast Scaffold was contacted by Brad Clark of the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) in Lake Placid, New York, concerning an event scaffolding project in New York City. The project in question was to build a ski ramp for U.S. Ski Team members that would be appearing on the TODAY Show to help promote the 2018 Winter Games, which are taking place in PyeongChang, South Korea. Seacoast Scaffold had created similar ski jumps for the TODAY Show, and was more than willing to acquiesce a request to build another platform for the iconic show and Olympic hopeful skiers.

Objectives Included:

• To create a safe working structure with an interior staircase and a ramp allowing U.S. Ski Team members to perform jumps and tricks.
• Following all OSHA guidelines in creating the structure to make it safe for Seacoast employees while erecting the scaffold, and for U.S. Ski Team members to ply their trade on.

02
Approach

With the TODAY Show airing first thing in the morning, Seacoast’s crew traveled from South Portland, Maine to New York City to begin erecting the scaffold after 8 p.m., so that it would be ready for use in the morning. The overall size of the structure was 10’ wide by 40’ long with a top height of 12’ feet. The skiers would use a staircase to get to the top of a 10’x10’ platform that would then send them down a 10’ wide by 20’ long ski ramp sloped at 33°.

With the building of the platform aluminum beams with nailing strips were laid across the structure, while 9” wide laminated board was placed following the slope. From there, plywood was screwed down and secured into the laminated planks, effectively creating the slope. After that, a dump trailer with snow was brought in and workers began applying it to the surface of the ramp and platform.

• Safety always comes first. All work was completed with Seacoast Scaffold’s erectors wearing proper safety gear from hard hats, gloves and steel-toe boots, to harnesses and tying off when necessary.
• To build a sound scaffold structure that would be both safe and efficient for the skiers to ski on.
• To properly secure plywood to the laminated boards that were placed over the aluminum beams.

03
Results

When the staging was completed, workers loaded snow onto the ramp and along the street to create a runway. The event for the U.S. Ski Team on the TODAY Show was a rousing success for the television audience and went off without a hitch. After the show aired, Seacoast was able to begin dismantling the equipment to prepare it for transport. From there, it was loaded back onto a truck and they made the long drive back home to Maine. With this project, Seacoast was able to marry efficiency and production, getting the job down quickly and safely. Not only do projects like this show what type of applications Seacoast’s scaffold can be used in outside of staging something more typical, like a building, but also showcases the efficiency and safety with which we work.

04
Testimonial

We were lucky enough to once again partner with Seacoast Scaffold on a unique project celebrating the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics. In order to showcase some of the athletes who may be participating one year ahead, the Today Show built a mini ski slope right in the middle of Rockefeller Center in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. The best sets start with a solid structure, so when tasked with this project I wanted no scaffold company other than Seacoast. We have used Seacoast in the past for giant, crazy projects like this and knew that they would show up with everything needed and work faster than any crew out there. This was very important to us since we had a mere few hours from start to air-time. Their team, led by the expert supervision of Lincoln Fuller, meshed well with our crew and got the job done in record time while still maintaining the safety and integrity of both the structure and our set design. In Live TV, we only get one chance to get it right, so I make sure I work with only the best people and vendors – Seacoast remains on that short-list!

Edward Helbig
Production Designer
Today Show