The event offered $1,000 prizes to the best male and female riders, decided by a vote among the riders. Participants also voted for best tricks on rails and the volcano — a large hill with a KBC keg sticking up in the middle.

Sam Klein of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin frequently competes in rail jams around the Midwest. He loved coming up.

“The vibe was so fun,” he said. “It was super-loose. And rider judging is exactly how a real jam should be.”

His favorite trick involved a transfer front board. As for judging, he knew what he liked to see.

Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette A rider hits a rail in front of a crowd on Huron Street in Houghton.

“I look for people going fast and taking chances,” he said.

Amateur riders also got to come out and ride the course Sunday afternoon.

Saturday’s attendance was estimated at about 1,000 people, said Jesse Wiederhold of Visit Keweenaw.

In Saturday’s event, one medical incident was reported, a local snowboarder was carried off by first responders after falling off the rails during warmups. The snowboarder was alert after the incident and is now OK, Wiederhold said.

From Shelden Avenue to the lip of the ramp near the Portage Lake District Library, people came to watch and take videos. The Forge offered food and a booming sound system brought by Red bull also contributed to the raucous atmosphere.

“I thought it would be a cool thing to see Red Bull and some other sponsorships like that come out here, and see a lot of the locals, the people that I recognize around here,” said Casey Goetchel of Houghton, who works at Mont Ripley. “Just throwing down, having a good time.”

He loved the event, which put spectators right next to the action.

“I think the best are the attempts where they don’t quite get it, when they’re going for something kind of crazy,” he said.

As Goetchel finished his sentence, a rider finished a 720-degree spin with a wipeout.

“Like that,” he added.

Brian Lee of Muskegon, Michigan came after seeing the event advertised on social media. The rails were cool, he said. But his favorite was the volcano.

“I just wanted to come out, see what it was about,” he said. “I’ve never been here because they haven’t done it in a while. But it’s a really cool event and I hope they do it next year.”