Evan Witek

To me, snow is a lot like trash: it makes campus look unattractive and sometimes appears in shades of yellow. RIT’s Snowboarding Team and the College Activities Board (CAB) beg to differ.

“In an area like Rochester where it snows a lot, we wanted to host a fun, outdoor activity that brings people together,” says CAB event manger Taf Islam, a fourth year Mechanical Engineering major. “That’s what the Rail Jam is.”

And bring people together it did; hundreds of students, wanting to forget a sadistic week eight, decided to stop by throughout the day and enjoy the snow escapades. I guess one man’s trash really is another man’s treasure.

The event’s course itself was quite the setup given the amount of space available on the hill located behind the tiger statue. A picnic table and rail were both staged, hosting sick grinds that could make onlookers in Java Wally’s choke on their coffee. A nearby wooden quarter pipe also housed some inventive slides and tricks. The pièce de résistance was the well-sized ramp that had riders twisting, flying, and front-flipping over the paved path connecting the SAU to the Library.

One of these acrobats was Brittany Lemenager, a second year Graphic Design major, who gets more nervous when she’s giving a presentation in class than when she’s approaching a ramp at high speed. “What I like most is the environment,” she says. “It’s what makes snowboarding one of my favorite activities.” The freestylers that rose above the rest were awarded prizes, courtesy of the Snowboarding Team.

Evan Witek

And the fun didn’t stop there. The night concluded at the RITz with three snowboarding movie premieres: Rome’s No Correct Way, Burton’s It’s Always Snowing Somewhere, and Red Bull’s That’s It, That’s All. Of course, a day of shredding wouldn’t be complete without hot chocolate, which was also served. The Rail Jam raised the interest of those who might want to pick it up as a hobby, myself included. Unfortunately, as the winter quarter comes to an end, so does the chance to register for RIT’s ski and snowboarding class, which isn’t available in the spring for obvious reasons.

Snowboarding Team’s fifth year Industrial & Systems Engineering major, Brian Smits, offered some final tips on what to expect when hitting the slopes for the first time: “Get ready for a beating. You’ve gotta be dedicated and you’re going to be sore at the end of the day, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a lot of fun.” Lemenager added, “Bring a pillow. Your butt will hurt.”