Snowboarders keep cool during Hucktoberfest

From the Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008 edition of the Northwest Herald:

Snowboarders keep cool during Hucktoberfest
By DIANA SROKA - dsroka@nwherald.com

LAKEMOOR – Forget what the thermometer said: There was snow Saturday in Lakemoor.

About 10 area snowboarders spent the evening plummeting down two 40-foot-long runs covered in snow during Munson Ski & Marine’s first Hucktoberfest celebration.

Organizers of the promotional event for the Lakemoor store spent days collecting snow discarded by area ice rinks to create the setup.

“We show[ed] up with a bunch of shovels and a bunch of trucks and shovel[ed] it in,” said Don Schnurr, pro shop manager. He said he and co-workers had been gathering snow left over from ice resurfacing since Wednesday.

More than 100 teens and twentysomethings came to the event, named after the snowboarding term “huck,” which refers to someone throwing themselves into the air for a big jump.

About 10 snowboarders, who were specially invited to the event, showed off their moves to an eager crowd of snowboarding enthusiasts by descending down the 40-degree angled ramps and rails.

“This is probably the best parking-lot setup I’ve been to,” said 21-year-old Paul Buck of Palatine, who was one of the snowboarders. “Everyone’s learning new tricks.”

Although many of the snowboarders only wore pants and T-shirts, they barely flinched when they ended up in the snow and didn’t mind that temperatures were in the high 40s.

“I love the cold,” Buck said.

Organizers said it was a way for them to promote their business and that the store sold snowboards, while thinking creatively during a challenging economy.

“This is how you do it,” said Kevin Denbroeder, who works in the pro shop.

They kept their own costs down not only by using the ice rink’s ice, but also by advertising online and through word of mouth.

But they said most of all, they wanted to bring snowboarders together before the season started.

“The economy is doing what it’s doing,” Schnurr said. “But we don’t dwell on it. It’s the fun factor for us.”