Yesterday I had an opportunity to try out the backyard rail/jump setup from PARX by Jon T. It’s designed to be a semi-permanent year-round solution for snowboarders or freeskiers looking to hone their jib skills.
PARX backyard setup with mSnow
Setting up & Tearing down
Assembly and disassembly is relatively easy and requires no more tools than a hammer and a 1/2″ wrench or socket. Treated lumber is heavy so it is a 2-person job. It took about 30 minutes to set up and about 20 minutes to tear down, so if you need to put it away it’s easy to take apart and put back together later.
How does the PARX/mSNOW setup ride?
It is tricky to edge or make set-up adjustments due to the nature of the surface, speed, and relatively short approach, so you have to point it right correct from the drop-in, but otherwise it gives pretty consistent drop-in speed to hit a 12-15ft flat bar. Previously I’ve ridden a few setups that used Powderpak surface, and although that surface works, it requires a lot of maintenance to keep it wet and lubed with a dilution of water & liquid soap. The mSnow surface was superior to Powderpak because it required little or no maintenance other than occasionally applying some rub-on wax to your board’s base. mSnow also gave a much smoother and more consistent ride without being grabby or sticky.
Overall the fun factor is there and it’s a great year-round solution to keep your skills up during the off-season. The best application will be for jibs but with a little ingenuity you could reconfigure it slightly to work on basic airs and grabs, too.
Construction/Materials
The setup is sturdily constructed of treated lumber, held together primarily by t-bolts. Alumnium bars fastened with wingnuts provide lateral support so that it doesn’t shake or wobble when you’re on the platform. It consists of a 5-foot high drop-in ramp covered with mSnow, a short approach and transition lip where you could put a box/rail/jib feature. The sliding surface is mSnow, a Michigan-made product designed for skiing/snowboarding applications. The mSnow surface is orange because it’s made from recycled construction barrels.
How do I get one?
In addition to this individual backyard setup, Jon has built larger drop-ins and more permanent training facilities (below), so whatever your needs or budget he can probably accommodate you. The portable ones like this one are available for daily rentals for events like parties, etc. or for purchase — contact Jon directly to inquire about pricing.
First Class Gymnastics permanent training facility
