SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The University of Utah is preparing to transform part of its campus into a temporary ski and snowboard terrain park, complete with snow, rails, boxes and professional athletes.
The university is partnering with Woodward Park City to host its second annual Rail Jam on Friday, November 6, bringing freestyle skiing and snowboarding to the lawn outside the A. Ray Olpin Student Union Building:
“Last year’s inaugural Rail Jam showed just how much energy and creativity this event can bring to campus. We’re thrilled to bring it back this year, in even bigger and better ways with the help of Woodward, and give students another opportunity to experience this exciting sport and forever connect it to the U.” -Erica Andersen, University of Utah executive director of Student Engagement & Leadership
Construction will begin November 1, when crews start converting the lawn into an urban snow park. Approximately 30 tons of ice will be transported to campus and chipped to create a sliding surface for the event’s rails and boxes.
The competition will take place from 4 to 9 p.m., featuring University of Utah students alongside some familiar names from the professional skiing and snowboarding world.
Professional Skiers and Snowboarders Head Back to Campus
The event will feature professional skiers Tom Wallisch and Taylor Lundquist, along with snowboarders Reid Smith and Katie Kennedy. Wallisch and Smith are both University of Utah alumni returning to campus for the event.
Student competitors will participate in four divisions: men’s skiing, women’s skiing, men’s snowboarding and women’s snowboarding. The competition will use a jam format, allowing participants multiple opportunities to demonstrate their best tricks.
First-place finishers in each student division will receive a Woodward Park City Mountain Park Season Pass. Professional athletes will also participate in exhibitions and demonstrations, showing off their skills and interacting with the student competitors.
An Urban Ski Event Returns for Its Second Year
The University of Utah hosted its inaugural Rail Jam in November 2025, when freestyle skiing legend Tom Wallisch returned to campus to participate in the event.
This year’s Rail Jam will expand on that format with a vendor village featuring approximately 25 companies and organizations, 10 student organizations, prizes, giveaways and music from DJ Matty Mo.
Admission is free for University of Utah students, staff and faculty. Members of the general public can attend for $10, with tickets available through the official Rail Jam event page.
The event is scheduled for November 6 from 4 to 9 p.m., giving Salt Lake City skiers and snowboarders an opportunity to watch freestyle competition before the region’s winter season gets fully underway.
