How to Build a Backyard Snowboard Park

snowboard man sits on ski slope image by Maxim Petrichuk from Fotolia.com

Building a backyard snowboard park requires basic skills and some heavy labor. Be prepared to build ramps and boxes, and to shovel snow into place throughout the winter. Backyard parks are only limited by the size of the yard and the amount of snowfall. The parks can use existing materials, or new materials can be imported for construction. Building the park can be accomplished by a single person, but the more hands available the better. Backyard snowboard parks provide a fun alternative to pay-to-play snowboard parks.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

Ramps
Boxes
Rails

Step 1

Build several boxes and rails during the summer months. Build the boxes and rails in heights ranging from 3 to 4 feet.

Step 2

Plan the ramps based on the natural slopes in the backyard. Yards with natural hills can use the existing slope as a ramp; flat yards will require ramp building.

Step 3

Plan the length and rise of the ramps and space the boxes and rails so they can be hit with enough speed to jump and slide across the surface. Rails must be anchored to the ground with large bolts to prevent falling when weight is added.

Step 4

Build the ramps when the snow begins to fall. Use barrels, trash cans and plywood to create the slope and pack snow around the objects to cover all of the edges. Shovel the snow into position with every fresh snowfall. The ramp must be maintained in order to keep the slope.

Step 5

Shovel loose piles of snow around each box, ramp and rail to create a soft landing area. If the area is hard you will risk injury with each fall.

Tips & Warnings

Use the entire yard to your advantage. The side of the house can be used as a runway to build speed before hitting the ramp. Also, make the ramp as long as possible to maximize the number of boxes and rails that can be used.

Wear a helmet and cover all of the hard surfaces and sharp edges in the backyard. Small backyards are especially dangerous because there is limited space for landings. Only use the park when you are supervised.

Article Written By Zach Lazzari

Zach Lazzari is an outdoor writing specialist. He has experience in website writing as well as standard newspaper writing. He wrote an outdoor column for the Silver World in Lake City, Colo., and articles for Colorado-mountain-adventure.com. Lazzari is currently completing his bachelor's degree online through Arizona State University and lives in southwest Montana.

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