Winter came early for these skiers and snowboarders

It may have been 20C and mostly sunny in most of Kelowna, but some localized snow arrived in the city’s North End on Wednesday.

The piles of snow cushioned competitors as they eagerly raced down a ramp and grinded along a pipe and rail for the aptly named Rail Jam at Red Bird Brewing Co.

“Everyone’s just going to get out there, have fun, try some tricks, do their best,” competitor Jordan Kussmann told Kelowna10. “And then from there, the judges are going to take a look and see what they think catches their eyes.”

Not only were bragging rights up for grabs, so too were impressive prizes like ski and snowboard gear.

The jam was an opportunity to build hype ahead of the upcoming winter season.

“You can’t go skiing this time of year and everybody’s getting ready for skiing, they’re watching old videos, and getting excited,” Stuart McGorman told Kelowna10. He runs the UBCO Mountain Riders, ski and snowboard club.

“Having something like this early in the season is just super awesome, to get everyone out.”

This event used to be held on campus, but McGorman said the liability risk made it no longer feasible. Not wanting to go without, UBCO Mountain Riders teamed up with Mountain Lifestyle Outlet, where some of them work, to organize the event and promote the store’s new shop.

West Kelowna's Bull Mountain supplied the pipes and rails. Six truckloads of snow was brought in from the rinks at the Capital News Centre.

Student club members, locals, and even people from out of town came to compete. After two hours, 30 shrank down to the best five skiers and snowboarders competing for the top spots during the last hour.

As competitor Kussman explained, camaraderie drove attendance, adding it was great to catch up with friends normally seen waiting in line for the chair lift at Big White.

“Ultimately it just comes down to having fun cheering your buddies on,” he said. “And just keeping the vibes high out here.”