Gilson, a Winfield, PA company that designs and builds snowboards and skis, recently hosted their Summer Snow Day festival. The event is held annually at the facility grounds, affectionately known as the Snowboard Farm. The festival’s goal is to put together the area’s biggest and most fun, free event of the summer.

“It’s our way of giving back to the community with the most fun possible. It’s consistent with our core values as we are making something that folks in the community can come to for free and have a great time. Kind of a mix of Beerfest, music festival, and family-friendly event with lots of things for kids. We wanted to make something everybody can come and enjoy. This is the second year we had the Snow Beast Challenge, which is our version of a mountain games competition,” said Andrew Mikowski, CRO. Mikowski went on to say that it was Gilson’s way of doing something fun for the whole community and to get people outside, enjoying the fresh air.

As Mikowski mentioned, the Summer Snow Day was part Beerfest with free beer (YES, free beer!) and spirits, live music, vendor booths, a kids’ zone, and food trucks. In addition to the party atmosphere was the Gilson Iron Mountain Rail Jam, where enthusiasts and athletes got to board and ski down actual snow, and the 2021 Snow Beast Challenge.

This year, Victoria Bellomo (my 21-year-old daughter, of course) won the women’s division, and Al Bevacqua took the men’s title with 21 and 13 points, respectively.

The challenge consisted of five different events as part of an overall challenge, where athletes earned points based on their place. The competition consisted of Ax Throwing (provided by Hatchet House, Williamsport), Boulder Tossing for distance, the Caber Toss, Sledgehammer Targeting, and the Keg Toss for height. The competition was designed to include elements of both strength and skill. At the end of the competition, the competitor with the most points was crowned with the title of Snow Beast 2021. This year’s prize package for 1st place in both men’s and women’s divisions included their choice of a brand-new pair of skis or a snowboard.

“It was nice to see 15 strangers having fun and encouraging each other. I thought it was interesting to see how the accuracy-games leveled the playing field. A true Snow Beast must be strong AND accurate!” Said Adam Vanderhyden, CIO and director of the Snow Beast Challenge.

Well-behaved, leashed dogs, were also welcomed at the event, with doggie water stations provided throughout the grounds.

According to the company website, Gilson Snow believes in the value of American artisan manufacturing. Their wood cores are shaped from locally grown and sustainably harvested Pennsylvania Poplar trees. In addition, their boards and skis are crafted under one roof at The Gilson Snowboard & Ski Farm, located in Winfield, Pa.

Special shout out to the Hatchet House at 326 Market St., Williamsport, for providing equipment for the ax throwing event. For more information about Gilson Snow or next year’s Summer Snow Day, please visit Gilson 6985 New Berlin Hwy, Winfield, PA, 17889, or check them out online at info@gilsonsnow.com.