Words: 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.

Joey Vandermeer (3rd), Garrett Rowley (1st), McRae Williams (2nd)

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!

Katie Powers (2nd) & Kristie Giles (1st)

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.