Organizers of the largest snowboard rail jam ever planned for the Lower Mainland hope the event rekindles some of the fire and excitement of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Snowdeo, to be held Feb. 18 and 19 at Burnaby’s Swangard Stadium, couples a two-day rail-jam competition — where riders execute tricks off urban features such as handrails and ledges — with live music and entertainment in a festival atmosphere.
Early bird ticket pricing for the inaugural event begins today and runs until Christmas.
“The real human-legacy side of the 2010 Winter Olympics was the ability to celebrate and have people come together and show their spirit,” said Matthew Coyne, executive director of Tourism Burnaby. “This is a legacy of the Games, and we hope people will feel the same.”
Local snowboarder Nate Butcher, who aims to compete in a Snowdeo qualifying event in the new year, said the rail jam is an opportunity to introduce the underground side of snowboarding to the general public.
“It’s not often you get the chance to hit urban features inside a stadium with live music,” Butcher said.
