Building a kicker? halp!

want to know too.  this winter im gonna make a huge backyard park.  we have plently of rails, boxes, and other random jibs, but we need a big jump.  im talking big

I know right, 666^ post btw. :D

Get your friends to come along to film you, then sit on your ass and let them build the jump you'll huck off.

The problem is that me and my best friend are our own filmers too :[

Step 1
Find a good spot. Kickers can be built in the back country or in your backyard. You'll want enough hill before the kicker to gain some momentum for your launch. Also, pay attention to the landing -- you'll need a hill with decent slope to ride out. Be sure you're not building a kicker with a flat landing, or you'll be eating snow. Ideally, find a flat area with a hill below and above.

Step 2
Assess the landing. If you're not familiar with the terrain, probe the snow to make sure there are no rocks or other hazards lying below the surface on your landing. Also be sure there's enough snow cover.

Step 3
Stick boards in the snow at the front of your kicker. Then pile the snow up behind the boards. This will help give your kicker the right shape.

Step 4
Shovel large blocks of snow away from your launch and landing. Use the big blocks to create a "frame" and line the outside of your kicker.

Step 5
Shovel your snow into a big pile. Aim for stickier snow or blocks of hardpack. You can build your kicker as high as you want, so long as you have enough space to safely land.

Step 6
Begin shaping your kicker. Pack down the snow with your shovel, board or hands and smooth out the launch surface. Fill in any cracks with snow and pound the entire body of the kicker so it's firm and packed.

Step 7
Shape the kicker. The kicker should look like a triangular wedge. Adjust the angle as desired or demanded by your terrain, but avoid making it too steep.

Step 8
Smooth out the transition. You want the ride to be smooth from snow to kicker, so smooth the transition area with your hands or shovel.

Step 9
Do several runs down the hill stopping just before hitting the kicker to smooth out the entire run. Assess your speed as you ride to be sure you have enough to successfully launch and hit your landing without overshooting. This will take some experience, so if it's your first time, just make sure there's a large, forgiving landing. Tweak your kicker as needed to provide the correct launch.

That's exactly what I like to see. Thank you very much +k

Its kind of like this:

do most people let their kickers sit a few hours to harden up or just stomp it down and shred?

You let that shit sit for the season, its dangerous to hit kickers that havent set a full year.

did you kids start skiing last week?? 89 cents for a tube of salt from any grocery store. throw it on, boom 15 minutes later you shredding.

gtfo.

sorry guy i don't have have any experience building anything more than shitty little sledding jumps and they always seem to crumble and blow apart relatively fast.

WHY CAN"T WE JUST BE FRIENDS? :(

gtfo

if anyone hasn't said it:

SALT / WATER.

especially if you are in very powdery powder. i feel like this is a given, but i didn't see it. it will cut the packing down time by a lot.



also, i'm not sure if this is true, but i just thought about it, so: the angle of the booter should be equal to the angle of the landing. sounds about right, right?

what i do;

Haha, same here.  We never get any filming done because we always both want to ski.

its pretty straight-forward. we built a fairly small jump without any help at all. definitely have a steep enough landing though. especially for a bigger jump. ours was kind of flat

My advice to you my friend is get a go pro

I just did.  Hopefully we'll get some cool follow-cam shots.