Hitting snowboard rails is not only one of the most popular acts in the sport but as well one of the most dangerous, especially if the snowboard rails are not built properly. This is why if you are planning on building your own you need to be absolutely positive that you know what you are doing so that you do not put yourself or anyone else in unnecessary danger.
How to Build Your Own Snowboard Rails
The first step involved in building your own snowboard rails is to find a launch pad, as you are going to need a level surface in order to be able to load the snow on for your start. For this the best idea is to use plywood, although scaffolding will work well also. You want to put the launch pad at the top of a short slope, and then you pile snow onto the top of it and onto the slope as well.
Next you need to buy the actual railing, which you can typically find at any hardware store or even at the junkyard if you do not feel like spending money on it.
Now that you have the actual rail, you need to pack some snow up on the side of it so that you can give it some height. You also want to make sure that you are going to have a soft landing so this means being certain to pack snow on both sides of the railing.
Hooking lights up around the snowboard rails is also a good idea, and will allow you to hit the rail day and night no problem. You are definitely going to want to test it out a few times at first, so that you can fix any problems that may be wrong with it, which is especially important before you have anyone else try it.
Stay Safe
Before you or anyone else jumps on the rail there are a few things that you are going to want to take into consideration for your own safety. For one, you want to remember above all else to use caution and you should always keep safety as your primary concern.
You should also get snowboard rail training if possible, especially because using a snowboard rail is so inherently dangerous, much more so than almost any other snowboarding act, and so you should definitely consult a professional snowboarder or snowboarding teacher before you try it out for yourself, especially if you are a novice to the sport.
Whenever you are ready to jump, you need to make sure that you gain enough speed before you hit it so that you will accommodate the snowboard rail, and you also have to remember to jump early and high enough that you will actually make it over the snowboard rails, because if you do not clear them then serious injury could occur.
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