It looks like you are using an ad blocker. That's okay. Who doesn't? But without advertising revenue, we can't keep making this site awesome. Click the link below for instructions on disabling adblock.
Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post.
Register to become a member today!
I was just wondering that now because I'm bored, and my park has had the same rails for about 5 years now, when does your local mountain ditch the old rails and buy new ones?
I don't think my "mountain" (note the parenthesis) has ever dispose of rails or boxes. They have probably fixed them up but they have been out fo probably 8-10 years.
We don't ditch rails...they're either fixed or transformed into new ones. Usually the only thing that breaks a rail (majorly, skirting and plastic does wear out, but is fairly easy to replace) is a snowcat. Also, most mountains (to my knowledge, some REALLY big mountains might be different) build their own rails, it's cheaper to just buy bulk steel and weld them yourself.
Rails are usually built out of a high gauge steel, ski edges are not, really the only thing skis do to them is scrape the paint up a bit and maybe ding the steel a bit, this may cause some rusting at the most, but during the summer they get a quick grind and some new paint and they're good as new. So yeah, they're only really "replaced" if they get hit by a snowcat or dropped awkwardly, and even then they're just recycled to new rails most of the time anyways.
My mountian makes a couple new features every year in the summer. But they change their park set ups probably like every month or so. and with 4+ parks they could use more. but they last until they break, put it that way