When Jibba Jabba made its grand return in 2023, the snowboard competition invited some of the nation’s best rail enthusiasts to Houghton. In the following years, Jibba Jabba attempted to add a section of the event to highlight local snowboarders. This year, Jibba Jabba’s organizers have laid out plans to host a more robust novice competition with a qualifying event Friday night.
Up to 40 people will have the chance to participate in the local competition ahead of Saturday’s main event.
“We’ve already had outreach from a nine-year-old from L.A., who is going to attempt to make a debut,” said Jesse Wiederhold, managing director of Visit Keweenaw. “So something important people should know, instead of just showing up on Friday, we are going to open a sign up link online. Either today or tomorrow. So people are going to have to watch the Jibba Jabba Instagram as well, to get their chance to get in for Saturday.”
Winter events often need a lot of snow, and this winter the Copper Country has no shortage of powder. Jibba Jabba’s course construction started early Tuesday morning, with the Houghton Department of Public Works moving more than 20 tons of snow to Huron Street.
“Almost comparable to laying down the snowman on the bridge. Truly takes so many truckloads and so many hours to get all the snow out there,” Wiederhold said.
Riders have asked organizers to make the course faster. And this year the Jibba Jabba crew has upgraded their equipment to build a course meant for speed.
“They want more speed. So again, what do you do in your fourth year for an event? How can you make it better?” Wiederhold said.
The event also plans to bring back a fan and boarder favorite feature and will construct the volcano at the end of the course. Visit Keweenaw’s data collected on events has found that in the past two years, Jibba Jabba has attracted more than 2,000 people to Huron Street.
“It’s such a wonderful winter experience. We’ll have fire pits, hot pasties for sale from Bosio Biscuit,” Wiederhold said. “But again, it’s just packing in with people, watching this course from only a foot away. Folks just line, make a people barricade on either side of the course.”
Wiederhold says snow sports are an integral part of life in the Copper Country. Events such as Jibba Jabba embrace the season and highlight the fun people can have even when temperatures drop.
