SUMMIT COUNTY —It’s the latest trend in ski and snowboard movies worldwide: Riders set up a small jump and launch themselves onto a four-inch metal handrail, spinning and twisting down the length of the rail and then landing, most of the time, on concrete.

It’s a feat only a few can master, and riders and filmmakers seek out rails in parking garages, school yards, public parks and backyards — always looking for the perfect shot that will make it to the screen.

But in most cases, local police tend to disagree with snowboarders and filmmakers who cite artistic merit when documenting urban stunts, and officers have begun issuing tickets for offenses such as destruction of public property.

“It’s an ongoing problem that is causing significant damage to town property,” Dillon Police Chief Joe Wray said. “Not to mention the liability aspect, should one of these snowboarders get hurt.”

The Dillon Police Department is taking a zero-tolerance stance on urban skiing and snowboarding, and officers who catch riders in the act are confiscating both snowboards and video equipment.

“The equipment is being taken because it is evidence used in a crime,” Wray said. “If we have a video camera that shows footage of snowboarders riding rails on public property, then we can use that in court.”

Snowboarders cry foul

Frisco resident Jay Heney has been filming ski and snowboard videos with his production company, Distracted Media, for almost six years, but his career has been put on hold after a recent run-in with the law at the Dillon Marina.

“We went to the marina and saw that a little jump up to a rail had already been built, so we decided to film it,” Heney said. “I had just finished setting up the camera, and we were about to hit the rail for the first time when a cop drove up.”

Dillon Police Officer Tina White had received a complaint that snowboarders were jumping off rails near the marina docks, so she approached Heney and several riders to see what they were doing.

White informed the riders that snowboarding and filming on town property was illegal, and she asked each person in the group to come forward with their equipment and identification.

“She took our IDs and gave us tickets, and then she turned back around and took our snowboards and my new $5,000 high-definition camera,” Heney said. “She said it was evidence, but the thing is, we hadn’t even hit the rail yet.”

White issued Heney and the other men on scene citations for unlawful conduct on public property and told each of the riders that their equipment would be held as evidence until the case went through the court system.

“It was the most ridiculous encounter I have ever had,” Heney said. “I’m a videographer for a living, and I am losing money every day my camera is locked up as evidence.”

Establishing rules

While many other jurisdictions in the county prohibit skiing and snowboarding on public property, each situation is unique and, in most cases, officers will issue a verbal warning to riders before writing any tickets.

“Normally, we will approach riders and try to have a conversation with them,” said Breckenridge Police Sgt. Susan Quesada. “If they’re not cooperative, then we will write them a ticket. But we find we don’t have to do that often.”

Many riders and filmmakers have come to expect run-ins with the police when they shoot in urban areas, but the lack of universal ground rules on when and where riding is appropriate creates a lot of gray area.

“This is a forever-occurring problem that is only going to get worse as the sport progresses,” local filmmaker Nick Vondra said. “When we go and shoot, we try to be as courteous as possible, and we are always sure to make it look like we have never been there.”

But this year, the Town of Dillon spent some $20,000 repairing property around the marina and amphitheater that has been damaged by snowboards, according to Wray, thus prompting the police department to drop the hammer on any activity that could be considered destructive.

According to Dillon Town Code, unlawful conduct on public property includes “activities or conduct within public buildings or on public property which may be reasonably expected to substantially interfere with the use and enjoyment of such place.”

“Snowboarding on rails is nothing new in this area,” said Summit County Sheriff John Minor. “If they are damaging property, then it becomes a concern. There are plenty of places to do this legally, and it basically always comes back to being a nuisance issue.”

The search for middle ground

Although it is unrealistic for towns to hang “No Snowboarding” signs in all public places where it is prohibited, snowboarders and police officers question what steps can be taken to ensure both sides walk away happy.

“People don’t understand how challenging it is to get the shot in the urban scene,” Vondra said. “It takes a lot of time to set up the lighting, figure out the trick and then film it. When we get kicked out after setting up everything, it’s very frustrating.”

Vondra, who co-owns locally-based AtOnce productions, said that riders would be more than willing to work out an agreement with the town that would allow them to use certain rails if they agreed to come back in the off-season and re-paint the areas that had been scraped off by snowboards.

But he acknowledges that ideas like that are a far cry from the current situation.

“We’ve learned to pick our battles,” Vondra said. “Do I think we’ll ever find equal ground with the police? Not a chance. But, that doesn’t stop us from going out there and doing what we’re going to do.”



Ashley Dickson can be reached at (970) 668-4629, or at adickson@summitdaily.com.