SALT LAKE CITY — If the weather plays along, Utah is just a few weeks from the official start of skiing and snowboarding season.
While several resorts have set opening dates... for now... the University of Utah is hosting its Rail Jam event on Friday to get students fired up for the upcoming season.
A mini mountain of plywood and plastic has been transformed into a snow-covered hill, enabling rail riders to show off their skills, snow or no snow.
“You don’t need powder snow, you don’t need the greatest snow on earth," said pro skier and Utah alum Tom Wallisch. "You just need a couple inches of slushy ice and you can do rail tricks.”
For nearly two decades, Wallisch has competed and performed on slopes all over the world, and he’s honored and excited to be part of Rail Jam in the middle of campus. It's the first time the school has held something similar in more than a decade.
“It gives these athletes a chance to stand out for the rest of the students,” said Wallisch.
Utah's Associate Dean for Student Engagement and Leadership, Erica Andersen, shared how the school has a few student riders and that there was a competitive process to participate in Rail Jam.
“The vision that our student government had was to transform this area into an urban winter village,” explained Andersen.
But what about that snow, or lack thereof? That's where Snow Bro will come in to help complete that winter wonderland transformation. Their machines will churn and turn blocks of ice into the snow that will cover the rails and platform.
Students like sophomore Charlie Skok say they can’t wait for the games to begin.
“We were supposed to have a little bit more snow at this point. We’ll see how the snow is tomorrow," he said.
School officials are expecting more than 2,500 people to attend Rail Jam, which is free to students with ID and runs from 4-10:00 p.m. Others who wish to attend can purchase tickets at the Student Union front desk, with half the proceeds raised Friday going to the Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
