Even in the middle of the flat Midwest, far from the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, there is barely any snow left, but two men snowboard down a hill and onto a pipe near a construction area by the White River. Junior telecommunications major Gregg Bedinghaus and senior public communications major Kyle Harris have lived near slopes for most of their lives but both said snowboarding in Muncie is manageable as well. All you just need a runway and a landing, Harris said.
Bedinghaus and Harris are also members of the Snowboarding Club at Ball State University. Bedinghaus says it's one of the fastest growing clubs on campus. Clare Schroeder, president of the club, has been involved since its start five years ago. She said the club started with 10 members but now has up to 60, and she doesn't see it slowing down.
"It's just going to get better year after year," she said.
Since the start of the club, members have been wanting to host an event called Rail Jam, where snowboarders from multiple universities come together to ride. Sometimes it is more like a competition and sometimes they all just ride for fun. Indiana University and Purdue University have hosted rail jams in the past as well.
This Saturday at 2 p.m. the Ball State Snowboarding Club will finally have their own rail jam at LaFollette Field. Schroeder said the group's goal was just to have the event, no matter how many people participated.
"We're just excited at the exposure that this is going to bring," said Schroeder.
The rail jam will have food and drinks, booths and prizes set up by Red Bull, and music from disc jockey Killacam. It will also have special set ups for snowboarders.
"It's flat, there's nothing here. This is what I have to do," Bedinghaus said as he pointed to the rail. "You have to like urban rail. Set up like drop-ins."
Drop-ins are a type of ramp usually made out of wood that have to be set up in flat areas so that snowboarders can gain speed before hitting a rail.
Luckily for the team, Perfect North is bringing in park features such as a kinked and flat rail at no cost so they don't have to make their own.
"This is a huge goal for us," Schroeder said.
The snowboard members have to come up with unconventional ways to snowboard in the Midwest.
While the club was excited for the event, they didn't look forward to trying to find snow from around the area to fill in LaFollette Field. Bedinghaus and Harris discussed a fellow member using a wheelbarrow to bring in snow from other areas, but they know it's going to be a long night of shoveling before the event.
Even with the extra work involved, snowboarding is an outlet for many members of the team. Bedinghaus snowboards frequently after a rough day.
"It's not regulated. Like wakeboarding you are behind a boat you can only do so much... I feel like there are almost no limitations," Bedinghaus said.
Both Bedinghaus and Harris live near slopes in Ohio. Harris lives near Mad River Mountain by Cleveland, which is also where professional snowboarder and Olympic contender Louis Vito is from. Harris also made weekend trips to Pennsylvania with his brothers to snowboard when he was younger.
Bedinghaus has been snowboarding for six years, starting with his friends at Perfect North Slopes, about 20 minutes from his house in Cincinatti. At home, Bedinghaus said he would grab his friends and they would have snowboarding sessions — or "seshes" — at playgrounds and local areas.
"I don't think I could be mad when I'm snowboarding, like there's just no way," Bedinghaus said. "It's like your favorite song in your head all the time."
-Ball State will host its first Rail Jam Saturday at 10 a.m. in LaFollette Field.
It's open to Snowboarders and Skiers (in a university club only). Universities such as Indiana University, Purdue University, and University of Cincinnati have been invited.
-Activities:
The Rail Jam will have food, drinks, prizes and music from DJ Killacam.
-Sponsors:
Perfect North and Red Bull are sponsoring the event.
Perfect North is providing a kinked and flat rail while Red Bull will provide tents filled with prizes.
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