In what’s becoming a tradition at TRU, once a year, the university turns an ordinary staircase on campus into one of the most exciting events of the winter: Rail Riot. For the popular event, the TRUSU Out Here Ski and Snowboard Club hauls in truckloads of snow, packs it onto the concrete steps in between the OLARA building and the Nurses building, and builds a full drop-in and rail setup that riders use to launch into the season.
What started as a creative spark from student Justin Tarasoff during his first campus tour has since evolved into Rail Riot, an annual winter rail-jam that has quickly become a signature tradition. Returning for its third year, this year’s event showcased exactly why it draws such excitement, delivering high-energy riding, a buzzing crowd, and a sense of community that continues to define it.
One of the longest-running riders, Olson Advocaat, summed up the feeling of standing at the top of the drop-in. “It’s pretty surreal when you’re standing up there looking down at the crowd and everybody’s cheering. Then you drop in and you just zone out. It’s sweet.” Advocaat said.
With an estimated 300 people filling the space, he said the spectators change everything.
“I probably put on more of a show, go a little harder than I should, just [throw] down for the crowd,” Advocaat said.
As one of the original riders in Rail Riot, Advocaat has seen the event grow, not just because of the tricks the riders put on, but also because of the sense of community brought to campus for the night.
“It just brings everybody together to celebrate something as cool as this,” Advocaat said. “It’s something for people to talk about. It’s pretty unique to TRU.”
Brock Hawes, another returning rider, described Rail Riot as the best way to kick off the winter season. Like Advocaat, he described the energy at the top of the run as surreal, a mix of pressure and excitement that pushes all the riders to put on their best performance for the crowd.
“I think everybody out here wants to throw down the best tricks they can,” Hawes said.
But despite the hype and excitement, Hawes acknowledged the risks, especially given that the mountains were still closed, leaving riders with limited practice on the hill’s parks. In the stairwell, the walls are close on either side, requiring the riders to be extra purposeful in their runs, as even minor missteps can result in painful consequences.
“Just hitting the rail or hitting the wall…that’d be the worst for sure,” Hawes said about his biggest fears while riding.
Organizers described the event as a clear success, and the mood throughout the night matched that feeling. The crowd never lost energy, riders kept things smooth, and everything about the setup ran cleanly.
While Rail Riot may occur only once a year, it has a significant impact on students and spectators, becoming a tradition many in the community eagerly anticipate, a unique part of TRU’s identity, and a niche event unlike anything else on campus. When it returns each winter, it brings the campus together for a night that always feels unforgettable.