February 11, 2009 E-MAIL PRINT

These girls go

by Marty Basch/

Sara Nicole McNally of North Conway, N.H., takes a run at the U Go Girls Rail Jam at Attitash in the first all-female event held at the White Mountain ski area. (photo: Attitash)

Sara Nicole McNally of North Conway, N.H., takes a run at the U Go Girls Rail Jam at Attitash in the first all-female event held at the White Mountain ski area. (photo: Attitash)

With microphone in hand, Corey Madden stood at the top of the course and looked down at the ATP Fly Zone on Lower Thad's, ready to begin the launch sequence.

Below him was a 25-foot rail van, 20-foot rail and 20-foot box. Beyond that was the quarterpipe and finally, the log rail.

Each competitor stood at the lip, some on skis, others on snowboards. They waited for the Attitash event manager to start the countdown.

"Three, two, one and drop in," Madden said. Then as each of the young ladies went through the run he would add his commentary. "All right, greasing the rail," he said of one. "Making it look easy."

And so went the first-ever all-female competition at Attitash.

The recent U Go Girls Rail Jam was the first of three events planned at the Bartlett, N.H., mountain this season as a benefit for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, an international global breast cancer movement. Each competition features a different discipline of skiing and riding, with a giant slalom on Spillway taking place Feb. 21 and a big air contest — in essence a giant jump — on tap for March 8. The entry fees support the cause while the entrants can take home cash prizes of $100, $75 and $50.

The competitors had one hour to take multiple runs, first hucking down the course and then hiking back up. Five judges gave marks on each athlete's amplitude, smoothness and difficult of maneuvers. The best two runs were what counted.

North Conway's Sara Nicole McNally, 24, was one of the snowboarders, a former boardercross competitor who switched over to rails following an injury a few years ago. She enjoys freestyle riding and the atmosphere of rail jams.

"There are no jumps, no halfpipes, just rails," she said while confessing to a few butterflies (as did others) prior to that first drop in. "That's what I'm all about. They're a lot closer to the ground," she said with a smile.

Though there are contests with female divisions, an all-female event appealed to her because of the camaraderie and less stressful atmosphere.

"We compete with each other instead of against each other," she said.

Briana Taylor of Greenland and Katelyn Root of Dover, both 16, are friends. Taylor regularly races gates on the St. Thomas Aquinas High School team.

"I'm just starting to do the rails, " said Taylor "and would like to get better."

Taylor believes she'll enter all three contests.

"GS will be easier for me," she said.

Root said she was there to help promote women's skiing.

"I think more women should be out there," she said.

She also was a little nervous.

"I've been thinking about this all week," she said.

There were nice runs and nailed landings. There were also spills, with one competitor leaving the jam after a hard fall.

"We wanted to give female athletes their own competitions," said Madden. "Some of these athletes are hitting rails for the first time today. It's amazing. The series is for them and also supports a good cause."

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