How to Make a Snowboard Foam Pit

Ever wonder how professional snowboarders work up the nerve to attempt those complicated---and dangerous---tricks for the first time? They don't even think about trying new moves out on the pipe until they've run through them in a foam pit to cushion their fall when they don't stick their landing. Foam pits are built to provide a soft, forgiving spot to land on your head and can be built in a back yard for practice during summer months.

Things You'll Need

  • 4x4s
  • 2x4s
  • Hammer
  • Nails
  • Saw
  • Framing Square
  • Drill
  • Screwdriver drill bit
  • 1-inch drill bit
  • Wood screws
  • Tape measure
  • Screw-in eyelets
  • Tarp
  • Foam bricks
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Instructions

    • 1

      Build your pit's floor. Cut four-by-fours to the width of the pit you want to make and cut plywood to fit dimensions. Place the four-by-fours parallel on the ground, spaced about 15 to 18 inches apart, and set your plywood floor on top of them, making sure the four-by-fours are flush with each edge they touch. Using your drill, use screws to attach the plywood to the underside supports. This structure allows for drainage underneath your pit.

    • 2

      Add drainage to the floor. You'll cover your pit with a tarp, but it's a good idea to allow for drainage if water does get in. Drill 10 to 12 1-inch holes in the plywood of the floor to allow for drainage.

    • 3

      Frame the pit's base. Using four-by-fours for the corner supports and two-by-fours for the studs, frame out the walls of your pit. Walls should be at least 4 feet tall to provide enough foam to cushion any fall. Frame each wall as an individual unit, with vertical four-by-four studs nestled inside a top and bottom two-by-four. Provide additional vertical studs every 18 inches to provide adequate framing support for the walls. Use a framing square to ensure your walls come together square.

    • 4

      Attach the walls to the floor. Nail each wall to the floor, using a nail every 12 inches along the bottom two-by-four. Again, use a framing square to ensure you set the wall perpendicular to one another.

    • 5

      Cut plywood to fit the outside of each wall. Use nails to affix plywood to your frame.

    • 6

      Fill the pit with foam bricks. Foam may be purchased from a supply company or salvaged from upholsters' shops or junkyards.

    • 7

      Attach eyelets to each corner of the pit to provide a place to affix a tarp to the pit when it's not in use. Although foam is generally weather-proof, it will soak up a lot of rain in a storm and dries slowly.