NEWRY — Freezing rain on Saturday morning contributed to a smaller-than-usual turnout on New Year’s Eve for the Under Armour 3rd Rail Jam competition at Sunday River Ski Resort.

Twenty-six snowboarders and skiers from across New England competed in the winner-take-all event in each division in the South Ridge Jib Park on the Broadway Trail.

At times, as temperatures hovered in the low to mid-30s, fog swirled in and enveloped the terrain park.

“We only got 26 today; very light,” Patrick Hession, owner and creator of the 3rd Rail Jam, a national touring, grassroots snow-sport competition coupled with live hip-hop music, art, fashion, technology and culture.

“We usually do about 150, but this morning we had freezing rain and it’s a holiday, so we’re hoping that’s a big part of the issue.

“They said last year they did an event on this exact date and the same thing happened,” he said of the sparse turnout.

The Newry ski resort was the first of eight stops on 3rd Rail’s 2012 Nationwide Tour.

“This year, the weather hasn’t been good, but at least they’ve got snow up here,” Hession said while waiting with a competition judge for skiers and boarders to try the park’s last rail box. Few did. Most preferred doing tricks on the more advanced down-flat-down and down-flat rails farther up the slope.

“We come from New Jersey and they’re not doing good at all,” he said.

“There’s no natural snow at all, but this looks great. This looks like winter to me.”

Hession said Rail Jam entrants pay $20 to compete for the chance to win the total cash pot, plus Under Armour jackets, Kangol hats, Aerial 7 headphones, and more gear.

Due to the low turnout, eight children ages 15 and under and the lone girl snowboarder competed first.

“Usually, it’s one of our bigger categories,” Hession said. “There’s kids out here that are 10 (years old) and they’re very good.”

“Our open class is usually the biggest. We don’t see as many skier numbers across the country usually, but in the Northeast, skiing is huge. So they are the biggest class here today by far.”

Eighteen competed in the open class, which consists of males ages 16 and up.

They were judged on style/composure, consistency, use of the entire course, creativity, magnitude of the trick, and attitude.

“They’re all amateurs,” Hession said.

“We went to Killington last year and here. A lot of these kids are young, but they have coaches. I mean, they’re enrolled in academies and such, so they’re amateurs but they have the goals of one day becoming pro; they’re striving, they’re trying tricks.”

The event also featured three graffiti artists from Waterville who used different colors of spray paint to create the words Pray, Son and God just downslope from the Jib Park. Additionally, bands 13 High and Imune performed during the Rail Jam competition.

Rail Jam winners were Kyler Walker of Bethel — Skier Division; Catherine Fergus of Cumberland — Women’s Division; Jed Sky of Concord, N.H. — Open Class; Jack Child of Falmouth, Mass. — Juniors Division; and Alex Hackel of Newry and Reading, Mass. — Honorable mention.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link