Outdoor enthusiasts enjoying a day of fun at Ober Gatlinburg's snow tubing park. Image courtesy of Ober.

GATLINBURG, TN — Kicking off Ober Gatlinburg’s 8th snow tubing season is the Back in Blue Rail Jam on Friday, November 20th. Snow conditions are guaranteed for a full slope setup featuring rails and boxes, thanks to Ober’s Snow Magic technology.

All age groups will gather to observe some of the Southeast’s best riders. Back in Blue will be an energetic event with live music, season pass specials, food & drink specials, and vendor representatives from local and national brands. The competition is open to both skiers and snowboarders and is free for both competitors and spectators.

Changes this year include an expanded viewing area and a $1200 cash purse for the top finishers courtesy of Volunteer Chevrolet. For more information, visit www.obergatlinburg.com/ogft and follow Ober Gatlinburg Freestyle Terrain on Facebook.

Ober’s Snow Tubing season opens on Saturday, November 21st at 11:00 a.m., the earliest of any tubing operation in the Southeast.

The Snow Tubing lanes are 400’ long with a 50’ vertical drop and are serviced by a moving conveyer lift which transports riders and their tubes quickly to the top of the tubing runs. The Snow Tubing schedule opening weekend will be 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. with 1.5 hour sessions beginning every 2 hours. Rates per session are $20 on weekdays and $25 on weekends and holidays.

Snow Tubing is a great way for riders ages 3 and above to experience the fun of winter recreation. Different than open- hill sledding, the tubing park’s expertly shaped lanes guide custom tubes down a course designed to deliver an exhilarating ride. Adjacent to the tubing park is an enclosed viewing area with food concessions, a winter accessory shop and Ober Gatlinburg’s brand new Ski Mountain Coaster.

“We are excited about the prospects of a great season,” said Bruce Anders, president of Ober Gatlinburg, Inc., “The SnowMagic system allows us to offer Snow Tubing to our guests much earlier and gives us the capability to maintain the quality of the tubing surface in the event we experience a mild winter.”