The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association's Polartec Big Air at Fenway Park event on Thursday and Friday night drew a total crowd of 27,228, and first-time viewers of the sport were likely "left wanting more," according to Adam Kurkjian of the BOSTON HERALD. A 140-foot high ramp was placed in the middle of the ballpark, and to the left of the slope there was "a neon-lit stage with a DJ and band pumping out a consistent soundtrack for the part-competition, part-performance art, part-death defiance ritual, part-party" (BOSTON HERALD, 2/12). In Boston, Kevin Paul Dupont noted Thursday, which featured the snowboarding portion of the event, drew a "hearty, shivering crowd of 11,786" with temperatures "dipping into the low teens." That figure was "roughly half capacity for the event." U.S. snowboarder Chas Guldemond said, "I was thinking, 'How can I get the crowd riled up?' So I called my shot, kinda like Babe Ruth. It was a sick experience" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/12). Dupont noted Friday's freestyle ski portion of the event took place "before 15,442 frozen fans" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/13).
NEW HEIGHTS: In Boston, Rich Thompson wrote the event "tested the limits of creative risk taking on a frigid stage constructed in one of America’s oldest baseball parks." U.S. freeskier Devin Logan: "It’s pretty wild just knowing how historic this place is with the Red Sox being here. I never thought they would bring snow in here let alone build a tall jump we get to hit. You get a different perspective of Boston for sure, but it is fun and exciting" (BOSTON HERALD, 2/13). U.S. snowboarder Julia Marino: "I've never snowboarded at a contest with a crowd this big. ... I didn't think that this many people would show up for a snowboarding event. It's amazing to see all these awesome fans out here supporting what we do" (CNN.com, 2/12). BOSTON.com's Eric Wilbur wrote, "The fervent crowd, ether stoked by the scene, or the libations to take the chill away, was something unexpected." This was the "oddest event that Fenway Park has ever hosted," but it "was a hit" (BOSTON.com, 2/13). BOSTINNO's Hayden Bird wrote, "Clearly, Fenway Sports Management will be happy with the initial result of the latest and boldest non-baseball event to be held in their prized venue" (BOSTINNO.STREETWISE.co, 2/11).
