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Will Maxwell and his team at the Outdoor Sports Center turned the store's parking lot into a ski slope Saturday afternoon as riders slid, jumped and yes, fell, during the fourth annual Rail Jam.
"Every year it gets incrementally bigger,'' Maxwell said. "The first year we started with a ramp and a rail on the ground. Now we've got scaffolding and a much bigger ramp."
There was also snow. Maxwell said two area hockey rinks contributed ice shavings, and Ski Sundown and Lee Horticulture delivered artificial snow lots of it. Four truckloads of white powder covered the ramp where riders soared down on snowboards and skis. The weather also cooperated. "Last year it was pouring,'' Maxwell said. "Last night's cold weather really helped."
Maxwell recruited area students to ride the rail. Outdoor Sports Center also put out food, games and prizes and a local radio station provided entertainment. The riders performed their tricks in front of an audience of riders anxious to hit the slopes.
Maxwell moved the Rail Jam to the store's back parking lot after holding it in front of the store for the three years. "It's a bigger area, and there's more room to hang out,'' he said. "It's a little less conspicuous, but it doesn't cause any traffic jams on Route 7."
The riders enjoyed the day, and so did the store's customers. "It's a great way to get excited for the season,'' Maxwell said.
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