Rail Jam 2026 canceled amid ‘safety concerns’

Ski and Snowboard Club’s Rail Jam event canceled until further notice.

Oswego, N.Y. – Rail Jam, SUNY Oswego’s beloved annual snowboarding and skiing event, has been canceled this year and potentially for years to come.

“It is with immense sadness that I must inform you all that Rail Jam will no longer be allowed on campus for the foreseeable future,” Ski and Snowboard Club president Lowden Pratt wrote in an email to club members.

Snowboard and Ski Club president Lowden Pratt speaks on Rail Jam’s cancellation.

Interestingly, the closure of the area of the quad where Rail Jam normally takes place — part of the renovations to Mahar Hall — are not the reason for the cancelation.

According to Pratt, he was told by SUNY Oswego’s new legal counsel that the event is “simply too big of a risk” to host on campus, even with liability waivers in place.

“This is a decision way above my head,” Pratt said. “I have fought as hard as I can and used every resource at my disposal to keep this event on campus.”

Over the years, Rail Jam has grown into more than just a club event. It has drawn wide student interest and campus-wide collaboration. Student media organizations such as WTOP-10 TV and WNYO 88.9 FM have partnered with the Ski and Snowboard Club to promote and cover the event. The club has also received outside support, including sponsorship from Monster Energy.

“I apologize immensely as I know this event is a campus favorite, and a personal favorite of mine as well,” Pratt wrote. “It truly is heartbreaking to see a beloved campus event terminated without a second thought.”

For many students, Rail Jam marked a highlight of the spring semester, bringing together athletes, spectators and campus organizations in one high-energy event. Many students, Pratt included, will miss it dearly.

“It’s just really unfortunate that we couldn’t come up with something just because this event benefits the campus as well as my club,” he said.