Creation of a snow park in the center of Riga
On Saturday, February 7, in the center of Riga, in the yard of the creative factory “Veldze” on Matīsa street 8, a temporary city snow park will be created for one day. The event, called “Backdoor Market Snow Day”, will offer visitors the opportunity to enjoy a combination of winter sports and urban culture in a unique snow structure in the heart of the city. Entry to the event is free.
The event, organized by Backdoor Market in cooperation with SKLMNT (Skillluminati), is conceived as a platform where urban environment, snow sports and youth culture meet. This initiative provides an opportunity to experience extreme sports up close, using the urban environment as the main stage.
Program and activities
The area will be transformed into a real snow park, where snowboarding and freestyle skiing competitions will take place. Rail Jam, Cash for Tricks and Best Trick format events are planned. The competition will take place in an invitational format, gathering selected drivers from the Baltic countries, with the main emphasis on style, creativity and driving technique in an urban environment.
Einārs Lansmanis, a member of the board of the Latvian Skiing Federation, is responsible for the sporting event and the snow sports part of the competition. According to Lansmanis, such events are also important in the context of the city, as they show that snow sports are not only associated with mountains or traditional resorts, but can be successfully integrated into city life, attracting a new audience and inspiring future generations.
In the course of the day, visitors will be delighted not only by competitions, but also by DJ performances, a “Street food” zone and an evening party at the “Backdoor Market” store. The event program will start at 12:00 with the opening of the park and warm-up, but from From 18:00 to 20:00 there will be a “Rail Jam” competition and elements of “Cash for Tricks”.
Purpose and values
Backdoor Market Snow Day is not meant to be a mass festival, but rather a carefully curated event that offers a unique experience and the opportunity to experience extreme sports up close. The event focuses on movement, progress and the culture that forms around it, making the urban environment the main stage.
Backdoor Market is a brand known for its approach to urban culture and often uses unusual locations and formats for its events, such as last summer’s Laundry House pop-up in collaboration with Kalve Coffee Roasters, which offered visitors a unique experience through the aesthetics of a “forgotten” laundry.
Development of snow sports in the city
These types of events promote the popularity of snow sports outside of traditional venues. They give a wider audience an insight into the techniques and culture of snowboarding and freestyle skiing, showing that the sport can be accessible and integrated into the everyday environment. This is important to inspire young people and promote an active lifestyle.
Einārs Lansmanis, who is also a member of the board of the Latvian Skiing Federation, emphasizes that such events are an essential part of the development of snow sports in Latvia, demonstrating its potential in the urban environment and promoting the discovery of new talents.
