Snowboarders, skiers have a blast at Ann Arbor's first ever "rail jam"

Parent, who owns Sun and Snow Sports in Ann Arbor, explained that the idea was conceived as he looked for a fun way to market his shop and give area kids something to do on a winter afternoon.

But what started as a low-key effort with plans for a few ramps set up on the hill quickly grew. Word of the day spread on the Internet and calls from kids as far away as Chicago, Cleveland and Marquette started coming in.

“One we posted it on the Internet the thing just exploded,” Parent said. “So we decided to surprise the guys and go with a full terrain park. We’ve got resort level features here.”

Some of the highlights included an 18-foot battleship ramp, 20-foot downrail and 13-foot flat rail.

Parent put in the effort to make the rail jam a success. Each night for the last week, he and several friends lived in his van at the Veteran’s Park sled hill and woke up every hour and a half to run a snow maker to ensure a six-inch base.

“You know that joke with Chris Farley living in a van down by the river - well we were living in the van down by the hill,” Parent joked.

But he said the work worth it.

“The kids were so pumped when they showed up,” he said. “It kind of validated it. Usually it’s more of a backyard set up.”

The rail jam’s sponsors included Monster Energy Drink, Skull Candy and several ski and snowboard companies.

The $25 registration fee goes to a fund to build a skateboard park at Veteran’s Park. Parent said $1 million is needed to build the skatepark, and he is getting plenty of photos and video of this year’s event so sponsors can see what he is trying to do.

“It was difficult getting corporate sponsors - we were kind of getting a deer in headlights look because nobody here knows what a rail jam is,” he said.

Parent said the kids who came in his shop were shocked to learn that the event was in Ann Arbor and not at Mount Brighton or up north.

“Their eyes just lit up,” he said.

“I knew it was going to be cool but this is way bigger than I expected,” Parks said.

The rail jam runs from 12 to 8 p.m. and a panel of certified judges judged tricks and handed out prizes to what Parent believes will be well over 100 kids participating by evening.

But for 15-year-old Eric Langen of Chelsea, the day was about what snowboarding is always about for him.

“It’s the freedom,” he explained.