COLERAINE — This weekend, snowboarders will be handing out gold, silver and bronze medals at the community ski hill Mt. Itasca in Coleraine.
Anthony Fini is the coordinator of the family-friendly Mt. Itasca Snojam snowboarding competition and Redwing Central Division Ski Jumping Championships. In a recent conversation on the KAXE Morning Show, Fini said he is hoping for a turnout of about 1,500 people for the free event Saturday, Feb. 28-Sunday, March 1.
"I'm just excited to see what happens. These kids have been practicing so hard," Fini said.
Along with the competitions, which run 10 a.m.-4 p.m Saturday and Sunday, Snojam will have food trucks and an after-party with a light show by DJ Eli "Gravey" Gravelle.
Mt. Itasca was established in 1906 and is a community nonprofit ski hill heavily dependent on volunteers.
"It's funded by donations," Fini said. "We aren't county funded."
Without a grant writer, Mt. Itasca is relying on community support.
"If we can get some donations coming in to make sure that we open up next year, that would be great."
Donations will be accepted at Snojam as well as their GoFundMe page.
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Tune in to the KAXE Morning Show on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, for conversations with Indigenous people and find area celebrations of Indigenous Peoples Day.
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Events this week include Indigenous Peoples Day events in Bemidji, Grand Rapids and Brainerd, plus a few local theater productions.
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Grace Malinowski, program coordinator, discusses the Offal Wildlife Watching Project. The Community Science series is produced by Mark Jacobs.
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Bemidji Opera Theater presents “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” Oct. 9-11, 2026, at the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex on the Bemidji State University campus.