New York City's WinterJam 2010 just let out in Central Park, and it was one of the city's best events yet in the long-running WinterJam series.
Last year's WinterJam introduced a slew of open-to-the-public lessons and workshops involving every winter sport from snowboarding to ice climbing to the festival. Unfortunately, the decision to move into East River Park on the Lower East Side for WinterJam 2009 resulted in a muddy and crowded mess, as attendees pushed through narrow walkways in a park that just couldn't handle such a popular event. I'm glad to say that the Jam's return to Central Park resulted in a far more enjoyable and accessible event.
Even Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe took a run down the WinterJam ramp... he had a minor crash-up at the bottom, but he remained in good spirits! Check the video for the Commissioner's spill.
Ski and snowboard instructors from nearby Mountain Creek and ever-generous Burton Snowboards were on hand to give New Yorkers a few tips regarding the snowsports of their choice, no equipment needed.
Snow sports have a pretty steep barrier to entry, especially for us city-dwellers-- there's expensive equipment, transportation out to the mountain, and a fifty-dollar lift ticket to buy before you can even get started. To top it off, the Parks Department has a back-and-forth policy regarding snowboards in NYC Parks. Each year, however, the WinterJam grows a little.
As street-oriented rail snowboarding becomes seen as a more 'legitimate' sport, our parks may see more snowboard traffic in coming years. With lift tickets and gas prices soaring, we might not have much of a choice!
Highlights from the railjam (including the Commissioner's ski run)
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