On Saturday night snow fell.  Cambridge awoke to five inches, and the response was mixed.  Many returned to childhood, building snow-figures and throwing snowballs with reckless abandon.   For most of the sportsmen of Cambridge, however, the response was less positive.  With many matches already cancelled on Saturday due to the cold, snow brought the inevitable postponement of yet more, and made further laughing stock of our so-called “winter sports”.  Indeed, true winter weather can even send our professional sportsmen packing, with multiple premier league fixtures called off over the weekend.  However for the select few of the Cambridge University Ski and Snowboard Club Freestyle team, such surprisingly seasonal weather was a source of instant excitement.

Normally consigned to the sterile indoor snow-dome in Milton Keynes, this was finally the opportunity to play a “home” fixture, and choosing the right spot was critical.  Scouts went out, and it was immediately clear that the number one option wasn’t viable.  Undeterred, Salt-dog ventured into the Sidgwick site, and struck gold: “Found a sweet rail in sidgwick opposite divinity faculty.”  Game on.

The buildup was far from over, however.  First, the ski-unfriendly steps had to be turned into a flat ramp.  Secondly, a jump had to be manufactured to get up onto the rail.  Finally, suitable camera trickery had to be set up to capture the moment.  As Josh put it, “this is for Facebook”.  Hannis came well prepared, with a remote flash to compensate for the grey day.  A lot of hard graft later, and they were good to go.

That didn’t mean it was easy.  With not much by way of a run-up, it was a challenge getting the height to get up onto the rail.  Once you did that, it was about commitment, because “you’re not going to do it by accident”.  With a brick wall on one side and a sizeable drop on the other, your reporter certainly believed that.

As passers by stopped to stand and stare (and obviously take pictures), the freestylers began to make headway.  Designated “too slow” for boards, the skiers began to find the rail, with Brookes leading the charge only to take a bad knock to the ribs.  Salt-piece and Geoff made similar progress, getting up onto the rail but never riding the length of it.  The reason for this hesitation was clear – catch one ski and you’ve had it, and they almost did with a couple of big bails.  Mike had no such hesitation, and was absolutely “stomping it”, riding the whole rail time and time again like clockwork.  The others were quick to point out why it was easier for him (“it’s easier to [insert slidey thing here]”), but in reality, he was just nailing it.

It was a joy to behold, and the whole thing was incredible.  Ludicrous, to see four guys riding a rail on the Sidgwick site.  Hilarious and terrifying, some of the bails.  So you can keep your snow-dusted colleges, your snowball fights and your monstrous snowmen.  Because the real place to be was out the back of Divinity, watching Mikey stomp a rail.