LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — A white snowy hill is a welcomed sight for snowboarders, but not a common sight in a parking lot in November, especially an unseasonably warm November. But Kraken Board Sports brought the winter season early to a parking lot in Luzerne County.
"The rain last night turned to snow! Just kidding. We took the ice shavings from the local ski rinks, and we truck them in and dump them on the ground for a kick-off to winter," said Danny Lykens, Kraken Board Sports.
Snowboarders brought their own gear for the 'Ale Jam' at Susquehanna Brewing Company in Jenkins Township.
More than a dozen people came out, strapping their feet to the boards, ready for a quick ride.
"To be honest, this is from an ice rink, but with these temperatures and everything, it's riding just like resort snow; it's well-groomed and everything," said Scott Mantua, Blakeslee.
"At Kraken Board Sports, we were in the shop the last two or three weeks making the boxes, making the rail, painting it, and welding it for today," said Lykens.
Snowboarders say while they are eagerly awaiting the opening of the slopes, this is a great way to warm up for the season.
"We're snowboarding in November! So, it's awesome, no mountains are open around here, you can't really do anything like that, so yeah, it's awesome," said Nick Frey, Bucks County.
"It's supposed to get cold right after today, so I think winter is coming, and we'll be doing more snowboarding really soon, so it's good to get a jump on things," said Mantua.
"The snowboarding community is the best. Everybody is super supportive; you know, everybody is trying to land their tricks, so yeah, we are out here just having fun, hyping everybody up and just having fun," said Frey.
After a few runs down the hill, the snowboarders took a break to enjoy a beer.
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