Jake Vedder is not your average 11-year-old.

He has dedicated more than half his life to competitive snowboarding.

On Saturday, the Pinckney native topped his age division in the USA Snowboarding Association Rail Jam during the second Freeze X Fest at Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort.

“It’s cool — it’s fun. I like it all,” he said.

About 4,000 people — competitors such as Vedder, as well as spectators — poured onto a field at 2395 S. Leaton Rd. for the two-day winter sports festival Saturday and Sunday.

Pinckney resident Jake Vedder, 11, jumps onto a corrugated pipe while snowboarding during the Mighty Midwest Snowboarding Camp on Saturday at the Freeze X Fest behind Soaring Eagle Casino, 2395 S. Leaton Road. The camp was hosted by the famous snowboarder Pat Milbery. Vedder has now snowboarded with Milbery in four different states. (Matthew Stephens/Senior Photographer)

Vedder’s entire family is involved in snowboarding. His brother, Mitchel, has competed for six years and his father, Rob, is a USASA coach. He trains at Mount Brighton Ski Area in Brighton and uses balance and trampoline training during the offseason.

Last year, Vedder raced to fifth at nationals in board cross. Many of the riders Saturday were striving to get closer to the national championships in Copper Mountain, Colo.

Fun in the snow

The snowboarding hill at Freeze X Fest was used not only for competitions, but also by the Mighty Midwest Snowboard Camp, hosted by Pat Milbery, a competitive snowboarder.

Milbery grew up in the Midwest and trains in Colorado. His goal is to bring the camp to snowboarders who may not have the money to travel out west to train.

“So much stuff in the snowboard industry is just based on contests,” Milbery said. “Rarely will a group of pros come out to the Midwest and spend time in a community here; it’s contributing to the next generation of snowboarders.”

Jason Hyde, a Plymouth senior, has done marketing for Freeze X Fest for two years. This year, he participated in the snowboarding camp with Milbery.

Hyde is a marketing student and said it is hard to get students out of their schedules of partying every weekend and into something new.

“How often to you get to ride with pro snowboarders?” he said.

Some families participated in ice racing. Adam Wiseman of Wayland has been racing motocross since he was a child.

Jake Vedder, 11, of Pickney pounds fists with his father, Rob, before snowboarding down the hill on Saturday at the Freeze X Fest behind Soaring Eagle Casino, 2395 S. Leaton Road. While Jake and his are brother both competitive snowboarders, Rob is a USA Snowboarding Association coach. (Ashley Miller/Photo Editor)

Now his four-year-old son has taken up the sport as well.

“I’m gonna keep riding, get my little kid into it more,” Wiseman said.

In his first race in nine years, Wiseman got second, one place short of a trip to the finals. He was cheered on by many of his family members.

His nephew, Gage Beland, of Lake Odessa also races. He earned sixth place out of 12 bikers in the finals of his division Saturday night.

“He battled for the last five laps — it was a very exciting race,” said Lori Beland, Gage’s mother.

Rain cancels Sunday events

Much of the second day of competition was canceled because of a change in weather, with warmer temperatures and rain coming into the area. The events will not be rescheduled.

“We had 100-some race entries this morning,” said Corey Bixby, marketing director for Freeze X Fest, on Sunday. “We’re not going to be postponing it.”

Snowboarding purse prizes will be put toward next year’s total prize, doubling all the purses.
The snowboarding camp continued throughout Sunday morning with the rain making the runs faster, something the boarders enjoyed, Bixby said.

“Mother nature didn’t show us any mercy (Sunday),” he said.

E-mail the author: Maryellen Tighe