As temperatures peaked into the mid 80’s, athletes raced down one of San Francisco’s steepest streets – on snow.

Icer Air 2005, which was put on by the Tahoe-based Icer company that sells spray wax and apparel, was hosted by Olympic gold medalist Johnny Mosely and featured over 20 professional skiers and snowboarders hurdling down a snow laden Fillmore Street.

After they leaped out of a trolley car parked at the top of Broadway, riders whizzed down past the stop signs and flew over a jump at Vallejo made of concrete and Styrofoam then landed near Green Street.
On an unusually hot day in San Francisco, crew members in red T-shirts and some wearing baseball caps that read “San Francisco Snow Removal” stayed busy sprinkling salt and packing snow in order to keep the surface hard and to reduce slush.

Despite noise level, traffic, and safety concerns from residents in and around the Pacific Heights neighborhood, Icer gained approval last Thursday from the Interdepartmental Staff Committee on Traffic and Transportation to dump over 10,000 cubic feet of snow.
Onlookers at the daylong affair were overwhelmingly excited and appreciative.

“I think it’s (the event) a great idea. It’s brought a lot of people out and it’s fun just to see something completely different, kind of wacky,” said Heidi Erieksen of San Francisco.

However, some of the residents concerns turned out to be valid. The unexpected crowd size that continued to swell throughout the day resulted in more traffic congestion while beverage cans, programs, and flyers were left soaking in the drenched streets.

In addition, two people were taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries after a couple competitors crashed into the sidelines.
The “first of its kind urban ski event” as Icer dubbed it was a surreal experience not only for the people watching but also for the participants, many of whom had not been on the slopes since last winter.

“It’s kind of weird to just jump on your snowboard and jump down the city streets,” said Lake Tahoe native and Winter X Games bronze medalist, Jimi Tomer.

And for some, it was a first visit to San Francisco.

Jamie Anderson, 15, and the only female competitor, was excited to explore the city over the weekend. Anderson was the youngest person ever to compete in the Winter X Games in 2004.

“This is my first time. We’re gonna go shopping and stuff,” she said.
Not everyone on the slope was there for the competition.

Jeff Breidenbach of San Francisco asked Icer Air in advance if he could take his cross-country skis and ski up the slope in between runs.

“It’s not often someone gets the chance to ski up the streets of San Francisco,” he said.

As if watching skiers and snowboarders get air over pastel-colored victorians were not enough, Danville couple Bill Parker and Tracey Daily decided the event was the perfect setting to take a leap of faith. After saying their I do’s, they put on their ski boots and skied down the slope.