Words by Taylor Murray
Photos: Darcy Bacha

For the full photo gallery click HERE!





This is it. The final showdown. After five months and 15,000 miles of searching the western US for the best amateur shreds, the Campus Rail Jam Tour has landed back in Portland, Oregon and rallied the troops for the third annual downtown showdown. 80 of the top rail riders made the trek from all over the nation in hopes of taking home the crown and a piece of the $10,000 in cash and prizes.

Riders were welcomed to Portland in true Oregon fashion with cloudy skies and wet weather. Anyone who was expecting a sunny day of spring shred was sadly mistaken as the weather showed no signs of turning pleasant anytime soon. For the few thousand people that showed up to get in on the action, the rain didn't seem to hinder the fun. Free beer, free product, and insane riding made the event too fun to let a little precipitation get in the way. Cricket Wireless was turning frowns upside down by handing out hundreds of free ponchos to keep people warm and dry. With DJ wiki bumping beats and the Widmer kegs flowing strong, the finals got underway and jaws began to drop.



Besides the riding (and the after party), the best part of the finals is getting to see all the familiar faces. Carload after carload of hungry riders showed up at the event with smiles on their faces and butterflies in their stomachs, excited to see one another and get wild. Psyched and ready to go, the skiers headed up the steps and got down to business. Things got real techy real quick, and the top of the pack quickly separated themselves from the rest. Local boy, Joey Vandermeer ended up in third place after coming off a win at OSU. Second place was awarded to McRae Williams along with $500 in cash to blow at the party. Taking the cake for the entire 2010 Campus Rail Jam Tour was local favorite Garrett Rowley, walking away with $1500 and a dope new pair of Coreupt skis.








(L-R) 3rd place - Joey Vandermeer, 1st place - Garrett Rowley, 2nd place - McRae Williams



Only two ladies made it to the finals to represent for the two plankers. Kristie Giles and Katie Powers faced off and battled to one-up each other for the entire three hours. After slaying all three features, Kristie Giles took home the win along with some cash, Coreupt skis and Roxy outerwear. Way to represent ladies!


(L-R) 2nd place - Katie Powers, 1st place - Kristie Giles

When it came time for the snowboarders to drop it was clear that these guys were serious. Many competitors were heading to Hood for the summer with empty wallets, so the potential of taking home $1,500 cash was no joke. The riding was on point, and riders were going for broke. The Tour has seen flip attempts before, but never a successful landing. That all changed at the finals. Normally, flips are frowned upon, but the crew let it slide so Christian Hobush could throw a front flip over the gap onto the box. Pretty ridiculous stuff. Christian ended up in second place with $500 followed by Jordan Welter in third, taking home some cash and a custom snowboard from Ford. On top of the podium was Lou Macias in first place, makin' it rain with $1,500 in one dollar bills, ready for the club. Lou also filled his trunk with a 2011 snowboard from Salomon snowboards and boots from Celsius. Congrats boys!








(L-R) 2nd place - Christian Hobush, 1st place - Lou Macias, 3rd place - Jordan Welter

The female shreds had a great showing at the finale with some of the best riders from a mix of all the stops. The wet weather didn't exactly make things easy, so the ladies really had to work for it! Randa Shahin slayed everything, as expected, and landed in third place with some cash. Ashley Thornton surprised some people with an amazing bag of tricks and took home second place along with a board from Roxy and a stack of cash. Taking it all and deserving every bit of it was Krysta Pelchar. Krysta killed it all day and didn't let the rain get in her way. Krysta took home a 2011 snowboard from Salomon and enough cash to get her through a summer in Govy. Props!






(L-R) 2nd place - Ashley Thornton, 1st place - Krysta Pelchar, 3rd place - Randa Shahin



Well, that's a wrap! The 2010 Campus Rail Jam Tour mobilized by Cricket and Ford is in the books! A huge thanks goes out to Cricket Wireless and Ford for making the Tour happen, along with all the riders for helping us spread the shred across the country! Keep an eye out for things to come from Galvanic Design, you won't be disappointed! Until next time.....hang loose mother goose.

Words by: Taylor Murray
Photos: Darcy Bacha

For the full photo gallery click HERE!







After three months on the road, the crew finally made it back to Corvallis, Oregon, birthplace of the Campus Rail Jam Tour. Welcomed with cloudy skies and wet weather, the crew was ecstatic to jump off the bus and into their own beds before the ninth event of the Tour at Oregon State University. With summer right around the corner, carloads of Mt. Hood-bound riders made the pit stop at OSU for a chance to win some food money to get them through the summer months in Govy. With over 150 riders applying to ride, it was clear that the competition would be stacked with the best shreds from all over the west coast.

As the rain began to fall, thousands of OSU coeds battled to take shelter under tents in the sponsor village and participate in the snowboard design contest at the Bonfire booth. Those who were brave enough to get a little wet waited in line for the always-popular custom t-shirt heat press at the Cricket Wireless booth.


The OSU event always boasts more ski competitors than any other stop. Everyone knows one another and pushes each other to progress. The skiing was as ridiculous as expected, and riders found themselves landing tricks they didn't think were possible on the setup. The men's ski podium was full of familiar faces and Tour veterans. Pete Arneson crushed the rails as usual and wound-up in third place, walking away with some cash. Last year's winner, Colin Wright took home second place followed by Joey Vandermeer in first. Joey scooped up some Coreupt skis, along with some cash money and an invite to the Portland finals.
















(L-R) 2nd place - Colin Wright, 1st place - Joey Vandermeer, 3rd place - Pete Arneson



With only three lady skiers in the contest, it was sometimes easy to loose sight of them in the crowd of dudes, but let it be known, these ladies killed it! The girls took slam after slam without hesitation, trying to one-up one another for the win. In the end it was Kristie Giles in first, followed by Ellie Miller in second and Katie Powers in third.








(L-R) 2nd place - Ellie Miller, 1st place - Kristie Giles, 3rd place - Katie Powers



The men's snowboard division was stacked. The top three shreds have all stood atop the podium in the past, so they were in familiar territory. Colin Tucker took home the third place spot with his stylie 50-50 to 270 frontboard on the kink. Long-time CRJT competitor, Blake Geis, landed in second place for his presses and 180s onto the DFD. Blake got hooked up with a custom snowboard from Ford along with some product from Neff. Jordan Welter took home his second straight victory and looked ready to dominate at the Portland finals. Jordan was awarded a Salomon snowboard, boots from Celsius, and a big wad of cash.





















(L-R) 2nd place - Blake Geis, 1st place - Jordan Welter, 3rd place - Colin Tucker



It seems like at every stop of the Campus Rail Jam Tour mobilized by Cricket and Ford, the girls get gnarlier and gnarlier. Since when are these ladies 180ing onto the DFD and 270ing onto the gap box?! Pretty ridiculous stuff. The boys were struggling to keep up as the females dropped hammers on every feature. Alexa McCarty stopped by the contest on her way to Hood, wound up in third place, and made some quick loot to blow in Govy. Randa Shahin is no stranger to the podium, and looked right at home in the number two spot. Emily Blewitt threw down the heaviest trick of the day, landing a 270 to front board on the gap box to take home first place. Emily scooped up a new board from Roxy, some Celsius boots, and a stack of paper.



(L-R) 2nd place - Randa Shahin, 1st place - Emily Blewitt, 3rd place - Alexa McCarty


A big thanks goes out to C.ORE Freeride, the ski and snowboard club at OSU for all the help in making this annual event so legit! The Portland finals just went down and were even more epic than expected. Pouring rain, 40 tons of snow, and the west coasts best up-and-coming riders...a definite recipe for madness. Check back soon for the full video and recap!

Words by: Taylor Murray
Photos: Darcy Bacha

For the full photo gallery click HERE!







For some odd reason, the boys of the Campus Rail Jam Tour stick out like a sore thumb in the city of San Diego. Maybe it's their stark white bodies, their incredible consumption of cheap Mexican food, or the fact that their 50-foot bus keeps getting complaints from the local residents. Whatever the case, it's pretty clear that San Diego and snow shredding don't really go hand in hand, that is unless the CRJT boys have anything to do with it. 80-degree weather, bluebird skies, and 40-tons of fresh were delivered to Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego for the eighth stop of the Campus Rail Jam Tour mobilized by Cricket and Ford. Forget shoveling snow, the crew hired a local ice company to crush 300-pound ice blocks in a giant wood-chipper to spray a giant margarita mountain on the setup. Within an hour, 50,000 pounds of fluff covered the rails and riders drooled at the snowy oasis situated in the middle of a blazing parking lot. With the snow melting faster than anticipated, all 60 local shreds were chomping at the bit to throw down for their shot at some skrill and assorted products from all the fine sponsors. While the crew prepped the setup, riders and gapers waited in line at the Cricket Wireless booth to make their custom t-shirt and take shelter from the sun.









The San Diego skiers are some burly dudes, they simply don't give up. Last year was the same case. These guys take slam after slam on the wet concrete and get back up for another go at it. The crew gives serious props to all the two-plankers who came out, threw down, and walked away with battle wounds and big smiles. Adrian Pougiales stole the judges' hearts and scooped up some cash, Coreupt skis, and a first place spot on the podium. Chapman Geer came in a close second and took home some killer collabo product and cash money after getting wild on the DFD. Randy Ewing rounded out the pack in third and was rewarded with a CRJT x Neff collabo hat and an invite to the Portland finals on May 28th!












(L-R) 3rd place - Randy Ewing, 1st place - Adrian Pougiales, 2nd place - Chapman Geer



With most of the local shreds calling Bear Mtn their home, it was pretty obvious that there was going to be some heavy hitters at this event. Sure enough, some of SoCal's finest made the trek down from Bear and Mammoth to play in the snow one last time. Newcomer to the Tour, Nick Guin landed in the top spot after his uber smooth 360s onto the gap box. Nick was awarded a new Salomon snowboard, some Celsius boots, and a big wad of cash. Taking home the second spot along with a new Ford custom snowboard and Bonfire outerwear was Eric Brokeoff, followed by Jordan Basurto in third. See you boys in Portland!












(L-R) 3rd place - Jordan Basurto, 1st place - Nick Guin, 2nd place - Eric Brokeoff



Now with 5 consecutive wins, Ms. Erika Vikander made the trip to San Diego to claim yet another "W" for the season. Watch out at finals ladies, Erika is on a mean streak and she doesn't plan on being overthrown anytime soon. Erika packed up her car with a banana traction board from Roxy, some Celsius boots, and some gas/snack money for the road. Nipping at Erika's heels was Kim Kirch in second, taking home a custom Ford snowboard and some extra loot. Placing number three was Raelynd Tarnove with a big smile and a new pair of Roxy bindings.









(L-R) 3rd place - Raelynd Tarnove, 1st place - Erika Vikander, 2nd place - Kim Kirch


When the sun had set and the winners had been crowned, the crew got their hands dirty and tore down the setup in record time to make it back to Portland to gear up for the last two events on Oregon soil. The Oregon State event is taking place this Friday, so get stoked for the last chance to qualify for the Portland finals on May 28th. Keep your eyes peeled!

Campus Rail Jam Tour mobilized by Cricket and Ford - UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA RECAP!

Photos: Darcy Bacha
Words: Taylor Murray


For the full photo gallery click HERE!




If you attended the seventh stop of the Campus Rail Jam Tour at the University of Nevada, congratulations, you are hardcore. Anyone who is down to shred in 70 mph winds, sleet, and then a heat wave is A-OK in our book. You may think that living in such close proximity to Tahoe's finest ski zones would turn these kids into spoiled shredders, but you would be sadly mistaken. The Reno/Tahoe snow scene has proven that they will ride anything, anytime, anywhere.


When the winds began to lift tents off the ground, it was unclear whether the university was going to allow the event to happen. Girls were screaming, boys were laughing, and university administration was scratching their heads. After much deliberation (and following all the proper safety precautions, of course) the faculty gave the Galvanic crew a big thumbs up, and the riders headed to the top. Despite the apocalyptic weather and poor snow conditions the riding was sick and spirits were high.











The NV two-plankers didn't seem too phased by the weather, sporting a go-for-broke attitude all day long. While many fell to the wrath of the setup, a few soldiers made it out unscathed. Scott Pollman has competed in Tour events in the past, and you could definitely tell by the way he rode. Scott finished in a respectable third place and took home a bunch of swag from the Tour partners. Jed Kravitz finished number two and walked away with some Bonfire outerwear. Bringing home the top spot was Finn Anderson, slaying the rails and woo-ing the ladies. Finn earned some new skis from Coreupt and big wad of cash for his fancy footwork.



(L-R) 2nd place - Jed Kravitz, 1st place - Finn Anderson, 3rd place - Scott Pollman


The skier ladies put on quite a show for the UNR crowd. Many took slam after slam in hopes of impressing the judges. At the end of the day, bruised and happy to be alive, it was Ali Agee in third followed by Lena Decresenzo in second. Toughing it out and throwing it all on the line was Lea Moser, taking the cake and new pair of Coreupt skis.



(L-R) 2nd place - Lena Decresenzo, 1st place - Lea Moser, 3rd place - Ali Agee








At the end of the day it was Tahoe's own, Dakota Whitaker who took home the repeat win for the male snowboarders. Dakota's effortless presses and fluid style were just too clean for the judges to deny. Dakota scooped up some cash, Celsius boots, and a sick new Salomon snowboard for his efforts. Landing in second was Sawyer Dean, with insane combos on the rainbow box and smooth spins over the gap. Sawyer walked away with some Bonfire outerwear and a custom snowboard from Ford. Rounding out the pack was Alex Hereford, finishing in a very respectable third place and taking home a bunch of product along with a CRJT x Neff collabo hat after an array of swivels and spins on all three features. Congrats boys!


(L-R) 2nd place - Sawyer Dean, 1st place - Dakota Whitaker, 3rd place - Alex Hereford





As for the ladies, it was Fancy Rutherford landing in third, followed by Christine Savage in second. Christine filled her car with a new custom snowboard from Ford along with some Roxy goodies. First place finisher, Cristi Nasser, impressed judges all day taking home the "W" and a new Banana Traction board from Roxy along Celsius boots and some cash money.



(L-R) 2nd place - Christine Savage, 1st place - Cristi Nasser, 3rd place - Fancy Rutherford


A huge thanks to everyone who came out to brave the weather and support the scene! Big ups to Cricket Wireless and Ford for making the Tour possible and spreading the shred across the nation! Now that Reno is history, the Galvanic Crew has set sail for the eighth stop of the Tour in San Diego, CA on Friday, May 7th. Keep your eyes peeled for event updates and news from the open road!

Photo Courtesy of CampusRailJamTour.com

After a full day of lurking on underage college girls, taking in some warm desert air, and skating some available (non snow covered) concrete, the Campus Rail Jam Tour crew got their first stop under way at the University of Arizona, located in Tuscon, AZ. Fully equipped with a mini skate ramp to session, this rail jam was swarming with zonies (3,000 to be exact) that came to check out the scene. (Sidenote: Zonie, official slang term for an Arizona local.)

Lots of kids were throwing down, must have been all that ripping they've been doing at Snowbowl...I think it's the first season it's been open...with snow. I kid, I kid. In all seriousness, I've shredded at Snowbowl and it's a good time...when there's snow.





Results

Women
1st - Emily Astiz
2nd - Kristin Swanson

Men
1st - David Biner
2nd - Loren Brinton
3rd - Colin Ofloy

Men on Skis
1st - Alex Gaynor
2nd - Andrew Salter
3rd - Nate Johnson


Photo Courtesy of CampusRailJamTour.com


Click HERE for all the gruesome details. Next campus to raid....ARIZONA STATE.