The wind and snow kept the field small for the first Park Rider Sessions event of the season, presented by Telus in the Habitat Terrain Park on Whistler Mountain on Sunday.
Still, more than 40 skiers and boarders turned out to session the rails, which included a kinked flat-down-flat rail up top, and a bottom section with either a straight down or flat-down rail, mini rail and up-box on the bottom. Judges Paul Rak and Jay Fentimen kept the progression moving by encouraging riders to step out of their comfort zones and the level of riding got better and better as the morning went on.
While the athletes stepped it up on the slopes, the sponsors stepped it up at the awards party. Draw prizes given out included a pair of Atomic skis, a Sapient snowboard, a Telus LG Shine cell phone, a Nintendo Wii, Ogio travel bags, Oakley goggles, Westbeach backpacks, and Nintendo DS systems.
The next Park Rider Session event is a slopestyle on Blackcomb on Saturday, Jan. 5. Pre-registration is available for $20 at any Whistler-Blackcomb Guest Relations desk, and day of event registration will be available for $25 until 9:45 a.m. in the Rendezvous Lodge. All minors must have a waiver signed by a parent to take part, and helmets are mandatory.
Dec. 16 Rail Jam Results
Male Snowboard 17 and Over
1. Spencer Lundin
2. Jesse Millen
3. Raphael D’Armours
Female Snowboard 17 and Over
1. Claudia Avon
2. Nicole Fontaine
3. Wakana Hama
Male Ski 17 and Over
1. Tomy Furrier
2. Nicholas Charros
3. Vincent Martin
Snowboard Boys 13 and Under
1. Wade McCracken
Snowboard Boys 14 to 16
1. Chase Harley
Snowboard Girls 14 to 16
1. Sarah Pickering
Ski Boys 13 and Under
1. Jaewoo Choi
2. Brenen Kelly
3. Taylor Wilson
Ski Boys 14 to 16
1. Jordan Ling
2. Devin White
Ski Girls 13 and Under
1. Yuki Tsubota
