No slopes, no problem: Snowboarding contest comes to Wrightsville Beach

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — The snow from our recent winter storm continues to linger, so some people at Wrightsville Beach decided to trade in their surfboards for snowboards yesterday.

It was part of the South End Surf Shop Rail Jam, an opportunity for locals to compete for prizes and show off their skills.

There’s no slope for the competitors to pick up speed, so organizers set up a bungee system that leads to ramps and rails for tricks.

There was also food and beverages available for spectators to keep warm as they cheered on the snowboarders.

Once snow was in the forecast, the owner of the surf shop says his phones were ringing off the hook with people excited about the return of this special event.

“It’s become kind of a novelty event. It’s unique to run a snowboard event at the beach and it’s kinda stuck with the community and every time it snows, we try to come through and put it on,” said Jeff DeGroote, the owner of South End Surf Shop.

This is only the third time in nine years the surf shop has been able to hold this event, due to the rarity of snow in our area.