Madison, WI – Madison, it’s time to get your snowboard on and check out the a two and a half story snowboard park shredding into the middle of downtown on Feb. 18-20, occupying two city blocks on Madison’s historic Main Street.nThe snowboard park will be part of the Madison Winter Festival, the 2011 Downtown Throwdown, which will put Midwest-area riders against one another in an intense battle for Winter Festival supremacy. All competing riders must qualify at local resort competitions in the weeks leading up to the Winter Festival event.

The Downtown Throwdown will run Friday through Sunday, with pre-posted heats scheduled closer to the event date. A panel of professional snowboarders brought in exclusively for this event will judge the competition.

“We are incredibly excited about taking part in the Madison Winter Festival, and creating a spectacle that consumers wouldn’t think to see sitting next to their state’s capital,” said Lisa Labrecque, brand marketing manager for Chrysler/Jeep, sponsor of the event. “Jeep’s participation in the event will provide Wisconsinites with a chance to see competitive snowboarding in their backyards.”

In addition to the snowboard park serving as the centerpiece of the Madison Winter Festival, Jeep will also create a children’s sledding area so that up-and-coming snowboarders or winter enthusiasts can get into the activities.

“Madison is eagerly-awaiting this event, and we look forward to watching some of the region’s top riders compete in such a fun and exciting competition,” said Yuriy Gusev, Madison Winter Festival Director.