FRANKLIN — Sunny skies and warmer temperatures had plenty of people choosing the outdoors over brick and mortar stores this Black Friday in southeastern Wisconsin. Both winter and summer sports were in the mix in Franklin.
Hundreds of skiers and snowboarders embraced opening day at the Rock Snowpark. Many hit the slopes in light layers as the high temperature exceeded 50 degrees.
"I thought it was going to be a little more slushy, but I like it better like this,” said Brady Foster.
Foster says he’s been snowboarding since he was in kindergarten. He spent the day brushing up on some of his best tricks with a full season ahead.
"On the box down there I did a 180 on, 180 off and yeah, I just carved down the hill from there,” he said.
Sarah Cohen and her young son opted for the tubing lanes.
“He's loving it, he's been super brave,” she said.
The Cohens are in town from Chicago to spend the holiday weekend with family while also making time for a thrilling ride.
"It's beautiful out, the sun is shining and it's not too crowded,” she said.
"It's opening day, Black Friday which is our earliest opening day in a number of years,” said Rock Snowpark General Manager Riley May. “Usually, we're closer to Christmas."
May says his team took advantage of the latest cold snap to make enough snow in order to open Friday through Sunday.
"I think it was about 90 hours straight,” he said. “We had our snow guns running. So a lot of hard work from our operations crew getting it done and we were able to put down a pretty thick base."
Some aren’t quite ready for winter activities. Hundreds of others opted for Luxe Golf right across the parking lot.
“I’m actually sweating a little bit in this jacket, but it's wonderful,” said Teryn Malmstadt. “I love the warm weather."
Malmstadt knows the depths of winter are coming so she made the most of what might be our last taste of fall with a golf club in hand.
"I'm from the Midwest so I'm used to the kind of you never know what you're going to get, but it is nice,” she said. “I can't say I'm upset by it."
