Sun Village Rail Jam sends out winter in style

As winter draws to a close, so does the snowboarding and skiing season.

To say farewell to another winter season on the slopes, NMX Sports and Warehouse 508 hosted the fourth annual Sun Village Rail Jam on Friday. This event marked the final snowboarding and skiing competition of the season in New Mexico.

Eddie Vargas, director of sports at NMX Sports, said he coordinates the Rail Jam every year. For the last four years, Sun Village has hosted a Rail Jam before and after the snow sports season in hopes of extending it, he said.

“New Mexico, unfortunately, only has about four months of snowboarding and skiing, so it’s a good way to get people here locally to snowboard a little bit longer,” Vargas said.

It takes many people to construct a two-story hill out of scaffolding and wood, according to a press release. The hill contains a 10-foot ramp covered with snow and a hand rail on which competitors perform tricks on skis and snowboards in hopes of winning the grand prize.

Caitlin D’Agostino won the event. She received a power pass plus, which gives her unlimited access to resorts at Pajarito Mountain, Sipapu Mountain, Durango Mountain and Arizona Snow Bowl for the 2015-2016 season.

The majority of this year’s contestants were snowboarders, with the exception of two skiers, including past winner Robin O’Connor. The environment of the Rail Jam has improved greatly since its beginning, he said.

“The attitude is better, people show up more, and everyone just seems more into it,” O’Connor said.

Sydney “Syd Vicious” Dunton, a junior business major, was one of four female competitors in the Rail Jam. She said she got involved in snowboarding through the NMX Sports organization.

“Alternative sports and non-traditional sports like this are way more worthwhile,” Dunton said.

The Rail Jam has been held for six years, Vargas said. It was originally hosted at the New Mexico Ski Swap, then moved to Sports Systems before Sun Village contracted NMX Sports four years ago.

Skylar Griego is a culture reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.