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Veterans Day Parade starts at 2 p.m. today

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Participants at fitness event shake and sweat to aid soup kitchen

<p>PITTSTON &#8212; With some frosty weather in the forecast this week, the workers of Kraken Boardsports decided to get a head start on the expected snowfall.</p><p>Take a winch, a picnic table, two rails and a rope, and the parking lot at the Susquehanna Brewing Company brewery in Pittston was transformed into a snowboarder&#8217;s paradise as a part of Alejam, Kraken Boardsports&#8217; annual festival of snowboarding, beer and fun for all on Saturday.</p><p>Snowboarders and observers were treated to a day of excitement and action, as anyone who was willing to got a chance to ride the rails using Kraken&#8217;s patented winch and snowboarding tools.</p><p>&#8220;We just dump a bunch of snow down from an ice rink, and throw a railjam,&#8221; said Dan Lykens, the co-owner of Kraken Boardsports. &#8220;We dumped a bunch of snow down, got some vendors and food, and we&#8217;re having ourselves a festival.&#8221;</p><p>Lykens and his team constructed a makeshift snowboard slope using four truckloads of snow from local ice rinks, and spent countless hours making sure the ride was smooth &#8212; and safe &#8212; for patrons of the event. Anyone who wished to ride had to first fill out a waiver clearing Kraken of any liabilities.</p><p>Kraken Boardsports got started in 2014 by Lykens and his business partner Mike Grobinski, and the first &#8220;railjam&#8221; was held in Lykens&#8217; front yard in 2015.</p><p>&#8220;The cops never came somehow, which was awesome,&#8221; said Lykens. &#8220;We decided to make it bigger, so we held it at our manufacturing plant for two years. We wanted to make it even bigger, so we called up SBC and asked if we could throw a railjam here.&#8221;</p><p>How does it work? Well, the Kraken Stealth winch is situated in the back of one of the worker&#8217;s trucks, behind the snow slope. Attached to the winch is a rope, which could pull riders at up to 30 miles per hour.</p><p>Fire up the winch, grab a board, and get started on the area&#8217;s premier artificial snowslope.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a beautiful day to be out here,&#8221; said Matt Helm, one of the riders. &#8220;The snow is nice and soft, the winch is pulling strong.&#8221;</p><p>Helm is the proud owner of a Kraken winch, and an avid snowboarder. He&#8217;s also a big fan of Kraken and their brand.</p><p>&#8220;Kraken rules!&#8221; he said.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Matt Helm, of Allentown, takes off on his snowboard at Alejam 2019 at Susquehanna Brewing Company in Jenkins Township on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_thumbnail_TTL111019snowboarding_2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Matt Helm, of Allentown, takes off on his snowboard at Alejam 2019 at Susquehanna Brewing Company in Jenkins Township on Saturday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_thumbnail_TTL111019snowboarding_3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Cody Laframboise, of Keene, N.H., takes off on his snowboard at Alejam 2019 at Susquehanna Brewing Company in Jenkins Township on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_thumbnail_TTL111019snowboarding_3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Cody Laframboise, of Keene, N.H., takes off on his snowboard at Alejam 2019 at Susquehanna Brewing Company in Jenkins Township on Saturday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_thumbnail_TTL111019snowboarding_4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Luke Prusinski, left, and Matt Jenkins perform with the Scranton-based band The Maguas at Alejam 2019 at Susquehanna Brewing Company in Jenkins Township on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_thumbnail_TTL111019snowboarding_4.jpg</photo2><caption2>Luke Prusinski, left, and Matt Jenkins perform with the Scranton-based band The Maguas at Alejam 2019 at Susquehanna Brewing Company in Jenkins Township on Saturday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_thumbnail_TTL111019snowboarding_5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Bartender Shaylan Ortiz pours a strawberries and cream beer during Alejam 2019 at Susquehanna Brewing Company in Jenkins Township on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_thumbnail_TTL111019snowboarding_5.jpg</photo3><caption3>Bartender Shaylan Ortiz pours a strawberries and cream beer during Alejam 2019 at Susquehanna Brewing Company in Jenkins Township on Saturday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_thumbnail_TTL111019snowboarding_1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Dominic Apicella, of Dillsburg, takes off on his snowboard at Alejam 2019 at Susquehanna Brewing Company in Jenkins Township on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/web1_thumbnail_TTL111019snowboarding_1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Dominic Apicella, of Dillsburg, takes off on his snowboard at Alejam 2019 at Susquehanna Brewing Company in Jenkins Township on Saturday. </caption4><photoCredit4>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Susquehanna Brewing Company becomes snowboarder&#8217;s paradise for Alejam</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Kevin Carroll</p><p>kcarroll@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>