How to Build a Backyard Snowboard Park

Driving to the mountain, paying for a lift ticket, and dealing with lines are all a part of daily reality in the commercial ski world. While the benefits of visiting a ski resort are obvious, there are also reasons to make your own snowboard park in your backyard. If you have the right location and motivation, you can put together several key features and have a small piece of the mountain right outside the back door. Learn how to put together your very own snowboard park.

Things You'll Need

  • Snowmaker or access to snow
  • Shovels
  • Rails
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Look at the layout of your backyard and map out what features might go where. Depending on the size of your backyard, two or three features will be plenty. Think about the layout of the land, especially any hills that you can utilize for speed in your features. Rail features require much less speed than quarter-pipes or jumps, so plan any jumps at the bottom of the steepest hill. Utilize existing features of your home, as well. If there is a small hill that leads to one of the sides of your house, you might be able to build a quarter-pipe there.

    • 2

      Move snow into the right place or begin making it if you have a snowmaker. Form the general shape of the features and provide ample amounts of snow for the runway to the jump or rail as well as the landing. Remember that for installing rail features, you need them to be stable in the snow. This means the base has to sit roughly a foot under the snow, so they don't fall over when you ride them.

    • 3

      Begin adding the features and shaping the jumps. Place the rail or rails where you want them and begin shaping the lips to get onto them. Make sure they are stable and grounded as a matter of safety. Begin shaping the transitions to the jumps you have built. If there is a quarter-pipe, you may want to lay a mattress or gymnastic mats on the deck or top of the quarter-pipe in case of any falls.

    • 4

      Shape everything how you think it should look and perform a thorough reassessment on every detail with an eye for safety. Remove anything else in your backyard, such as plant pots, rocks, or hoses that may get in the way or provide a safety hazard. Add more snow as needed. Work with friends as a team and bounce ideas off of each other.

    • 5

      Test out your backyard snowboard park. The first run through must be careful and slow. Make any adjustments after testing out every feature. Alter your park if new ideas spring to mind, such as way to combine two features into the same run, so as to mimic an authentic snowboard park.