How to Make a Backyard Ski Jump
Long after the snow melts, the desire to ski lingers on. A summertime ski jump is the perfect training tool for sharpening your skills in the off-season. You might not be boosting overhead airs off the lip of the halfpipe, but hiking your jump will keep you in shape for when that time arrives. With a little landscaping knowledge, your dream of endless winters is as easy as building a backyard vegetable garden. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Sloping yard
- Bobcat excavator or landscape shovel
- Several rolls of artificial turf
- Long wood screws
- Electric drill with driver bit
- Landscape staples
- Soaker hoses
- Mulch (optional)
Instructions
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Choose a space for your jump and run-in. Make sure there is ample slope for speed.
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Dig and level a 10-foot-wide path with a Bobcat excavator or, by hand, with a shovel.
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Decide on the jump location. Pile a mound of dirt. Wet it with a hose and allow it to set overnight.
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Carve your jump transition, or takeoff ramp, into the pile by cutting away dirt with your shovel. Fine-tune the jump's lip in the same fashion.
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5
Lay down artificial turf in strips, slightly overlapping the edges. Secure the turf with wood screws and an electric drill.
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Install soaker hoses. Start your placement at the takeoff zone and run the hoses down along both sides of the pathway. Secure with landscape staples.
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Mulch either side of your pathway to beat back the weeds and for an ornamental touch.
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Drop in for a test run on your newly built terrain park. Work out the kinks as needed.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are hand-digging, recruit friends with shovels to help. The excavation could take several days as a one-man show.
Overbuild your initial jump by creating a pile of dirt larger than the desired finished product. This way, you'll have enough earth to work with when constructing your transition and lip.
To enhance your speed, rub a coat of dish detergent on the bottoms of your skis. Make sure to use a biodegradable soap that won't damage your lawn.
When deciding on the jump location, assure that the landing zone is free of trees. Impacting a tree could leave you with an injury, causing a hiatus from the winter ski season.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images
