Although many students thought Colorado State University’s football game against UNLV was the main attraction of CSU’s Snow Days, another gem was bringing in a crowd: RailJam.
On campus, it might look like it’s still early fall with the green grass, changing leaves and a slight fall breeze, but over the weekend, the first Fort Collins snowfall came from a snow maker and a surplus of ice.
The event was made possible by the CSU Snowriders and the Associated Students of CSU, with help from the Alterra Mountain Company, which owns Ikon Pass. Employees and managers from Winter Park Resort and Ruby Hill Rail Yard gathered with CSU Snowriders to grind, build and shovel the man-made snow onto the course.
From competitors who had been skiing since birth to some who just started experiencing what the terrain park has to offer, everyone was fighting for the first-place title, bragging rights and a free IKON pass.
And as the years go on, the prizes at Rail Jam have continued to improve and, with them, so does everyone’s dedication to putting on a great performance.
“I haven’t competed in any of the CSU RailJams, but I’ve competed before and I am just so happy and stoked to be back on skis,” CSU alumnus Hunter Rawles said.
Rail Jam had a revival in March 2024, bringing in 38 competitors.
But this most recent RailJam has been the biggest in attendance yet. The CSU Snowriders brought in 47 competitors and hundreds of spectators for the kickoff of the CSU Snow Days weekend.
This year, Riley Combe came in first place in the women’s competition, while Cody Hundhausen placed first in the men’s competition.
The events for Snow Days kicked off Friday with vendors and sponsors of the CSU Snowriders, such as Trashbags — a snow pant company — and Wak! Clothing Co., just to name a couple. The vendors began packing up as the sun fell behind the mountains, and the sounds of house music started up along with the large fluorescent lights turning on to display the course for the night.
“It takes a lot of work, but it’s fun, and for the past two years I have found some of my best friends here, and we now compete together,” competitor Kara Koniares said. “The Snowriders is such an amazing club to have on campus.”
With Snowriders being the largest club at CSU, it’s hard to ignore its presence around campus, as president Addison Johnson preaches to all the interns and new members.
“Whether you have a rough week or year, we are always here with open arms to support anyone,” Johnson said. “This club has been such a community to me these past couple of years. I came in as a transfer student and was scared of what my upcoming college experience was going to be like until I joined Snowriders.
“I have been here since the first Rail Jam to this one, and all we have done is grow and create such an impactful environment.”
And for several students, connection is what college is about. And a place where students can go to build those bonds is with the CSU Snowriders.
“At the end of the day, we might be a little bit farther from the mountains compared to our neighboring schools, but we have 10 times the energy and 10 times the vibe,” Johnson said. “As long as you have those two things and those ideals, you get to the mountains. … The skiers and boarders really showed up today.”
Reach Ava Puglisi at sports@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegianSpts.
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