On Saturday, the snowsports community gathered at Howelsen Hill Terrain Park for Turkey Jam, the first community rail jam of the season.
The Community Railroad Jam is completely free and open to the public, and since the Turkey Jam was held before the opening of Howelsen Hill and Steamboat Resort, this event was a special way to get on the snow early.
Laura “Ro” Yin, a snowboarding coach at the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and Turkey Jam event coordinator, loves watching young athletes take on the rails as they compete in disciplines such as Nordic combined. said he was happy. She was also a skier wearing a snowboard for the first time.
“We’re really excited at the beginning of the year because Howelsen isn’t open to the public and the mountain isn’t open yet, but we’re excited for everyone to be skiing on snow,” Yin said.
In preparation for Turkey Jam, SWSSC coaches and players worked hard the week before installing rails and creating rips. Athletes also had the opportunity to train in the terrain park.
Although the lack of snow and recent rain caused some concern, the team was able to secure a safe space for the five rails within the park. Yin explained that the snow’s high moisture content actually made it easier for the lips to form.
Carter Einfeld, a 15-year-old snowboarder from SSWSC, was one of the athletes who set the rails and learned how terrain parks are constructed. He said this was a lot of work and that he was very careful to make sure it was stable, with some rails having feet on the bottom for stability and others not.
“We were deciding where we had to put it, and that was the catalyst for something to come out of it,” Einfeld said. “I think I did a pretty good job, but it was really hard to dig in and fix the lips.”
SSWSC big mountain skier Gavin Murphy, 16, said Turkey Jam was a great way to ease back into the winter season. He hit the rails in style in jeans and his T-shirt and couldn’t wait to get back to the next Community Railroad Jam.
Three more rail jams are expected to occur this winter. Two occur at Howelsen Hill in January and February, and the last one at the resort in March.
“I’m so happy and grateful that the rails are here. We’ve been waiting for some snow to fall so we can do some hiking,” Murphy said. “Obviously I was very excited. I came home from work without any winter clothes on. I’m very grateful that the club put this out for us.”