02-19-07

Welch Avenue to be covered in snow for skiing and snowboarding competition

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University's Ski and Snowboard Club is hosting the 2007 Campustown RailJam Saturday, Feb. 24, from 8 to 10 p.m. on Welch Avenue, south of Lincoln Way in Ames.

RailJam is a skiing and snowboarding contest in which competitors perform tricks and stunts and get scored for difficulty, entertainment, ability and originality.

"This will be an exciting competition that people will be talking about for a long time," said Jonathan DeShaw, president of the ISU Ski and Snowboard Club. "People will get to see Lincoln loops, back flips, rail slides and 540 degree spins. This is really the highlight of our year."

The original ISU RailJam competition was held in 2005 and was very popular, according to DeShaw. Last year's event was cancelled due to lack of snow.

In order to make Welch Avenue suitable for the flips and flying, snow will be trucked in from around campus. Then the block-long course between Lincoln Way and Chamberlain Street will be covered with the transplanted flakes. Fences and hay bales will be placed along the sides of Welch to ensure the safety of both the crowd and the competitors.

Those competing in RailJam -- many of them are Iowa State University students -- have qualified at a preliminary competition earlier in the winter.

2007 Campustown RailJam is free and open to spectators. The alternate date for RailJam is March 3.

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