What Is Used to Make a Snowboarding Box?

Snowboarding is a popular cold-weather sport with many riders due to the board's ability to be used in a variety of jumping and sliding tricks. A snowboarding box consists of a long flat surface topped with a board-safe material to avoid damaging the underside of your board, which allows for long slides.

  1. Framing

    • It is essential that any snowboarding box have a strong frame to support the rider as he slides along it, as a box collapsing while an individual is sliding at a high speed can lead to severe injuries. The most secure way to build a frame for a box is using wooden two-by-four beams held together with wood screws. In addition to long planks running the full length of the box, it is important to space additional support beams on the sides, top and bottom approximately 18 to 24 inches apart along the entire length.

    Sides

    • Once the basic frame of the box is completed you can add the exterior to the frame. Simple wood sheeting is a cheap material that is effective for use on the box. After securing wood to all sides of the box with screws, an additional two-by-four beam is secured along both long sides of the box. The beams are secured with screws so that one 2-inch side is flush with the top of the wood sheet on the top side of the box.

    Extras

    • Although nothing more has to be added at this point before moving on to securing a top, there are extras which allow for a more attractive and functional box. Painting your box creates a more attractive finish than plywood, and poster board stencils allow for the easy application of designs to the paint. While handles are not required to move the box, securing handles along the sides of the box make moving it to a new position an easier task.

    Top

    • The top sheet is the most important addition to the box as it creates the surface which allows for successful slides. A high density polyethylene is cut to match the dimensions of the box and positioned over the top of the box. When drilling pilot holes for the screws to secure into the two-by-four rails at the top of the box, the holes are countersunk so that screws sit below the surface of the sheet, so as to avoid badly scratching the bottom of a sliding board.