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February, 2025

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Salt on jumps?

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ChuckTesta
Posts: 960 - Karma: 258
so i was watching the grand bizarre and in bobby browns seggy he said the were grooming and salting the jump....but my dad who is a ski patrol said our local mountain uses a type of fetilizer called like reha or something like that.....but the point is if your setting up an urban kicker or backyard jump what do you use to keep it together?
13 years ago
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Joonas
Posts: 568 - Karma: 230
Salt if its above 0 in centigrades and water if its minus.
Just get the base of the kicker solid, from liek iceblocks or something so it lasts better
13 years ago
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Rayzor
Posts: 284 - Karma: 226

i usually use water as long as u know it will stay below freezing... here on the east coast thats never a promise

13 years ago
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JHendrix
Posts: 1493 - Karma: 48
this interests me...whenever I build jumps I never use salt..how much does it help?
13 years ago
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eheath
Posts: 61838 - Karma: 125,536
The salt melts the snow, then it refreezes because of the snow below it, creating a slick icy layer.
13 years ago
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extravert
Posts: 1113 - Karma: 3,202
don't they use salt to keep snow off roads? I'm pretty sure if I salted a jump in PA it would just melt away
13 years ago
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eheath
Posts: 61838 - Karma: 125,536
thats because the salt goes through to the pavement so there isn't anymore snow to refreeze.
13 years ago
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ChuckTesta
Posts: 960 - Karma: 258
interesting...the reason my mountain uses the fertilizer is because it raises the freezing temperature so it doesn't have to be below 32 degrees for it to stay together
13 years ago
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brapclap
Posts: 101 - Karma: 65
bump
13 years ago
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*DELETED*
Posts: 1043 - Karma: 938
Im pretty sure your talking about urea. and it does what everyone else has said, breaks into ions and raises freezing point. also makes it a harder more condensed surface so it doesnt wear down as fast even if it is plenty cold.
13 years ago
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HeathR
Posts: 4360 - Karma: 1,382
yup urea does the same thing as salt. There has to be enough moisture in the snow for it to work though, even if its above freezing. If there is no moisture it just makes things worse.
13 years ago
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iLLbiLLy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 2,631
salting can actually get pretty complicated.

Typically you only want to salt in the spring time, when snow is slushy. You should wait until the snow has begun melting as you want the salt to dissolve into the snow. If you salt too early in the morning while your snow is still firm it will created holes in the jumps.

Also you want to avoid salting as much as possible. While it helps tremendously to make the parks ridable on sunny spring days if you salt to often your parks will require more maintenance in the long run.
13 years ago
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iLLbiLLy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 2,631
btw salt actaully lowers the freezing point of water (I assume urea does the same). When you salt a jump it causes the snow in contact melt, thus gaining energy(through phase change) and making the snow around it colder. You can kinda think about it the same way a can is cold after releasing compressed air (different phase change but same process).
13 years ago
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-KJ-
Posts: 118 - Karma: 24
her on the west side of the u.s i just use some water and leave it over night.. works nice!
13 years ago
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Billups
Posts: 3960 - Karma: 329
This guy knows what he's talking about, listen to him.
13 years ago
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wisconsinsteeze
Posts: 1170 - Karma: 749
salt, water, urine anything to get the job done.
13 years ago
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S.Xue
Posts: 101 - Karma: 14
This. its as simple as that. That's when when you;re making a urban jump, because you have not usually given time for the jump to freeze over, you salt to the jump to melt the top layer then it refreezes to a icy layer, or spray a thin layer of water on top of the jump which will add a icy layer to the jump. All this is so your jump doesnt collaps when you ski over it.
13 years ago
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corski1234
Posts: 14 - Karma: 16
Threads
13 years ago
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Hogis
Posts: 551 - Karma: 393
Midwinter feels unnecessary since its gonna stay compact as it is. In the springtime when it's all slushy its great. You dont get those deep carves in the kick BUT on the other hand you get an icy kicker.

I dont like salting at all but it makes the jumps last longer in the spring..
Matter of taste with the icy-feel I guess.
13 years ago
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RastaRider
Posts: 15 - Karma: 12
What the fck is this? chem class?
13 years ago
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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,886
Before I begin...I didn't read all the responses, so it might have been said already, but...

Park crews use salt in warmer temperatures on certain snows (mostly anything 40 degrees Fahrenheit and above and on slushy spring conditions). Timing is key when using salt, if it's too cold or the snow isn't right, you'll just get straight sugar, which SUCKS to work with. Most of the time it's not rock salt or table salt like most people think of when they think of salt, but more of an ice melt salt (usually Calcium Chloride or Potassium Chloride). It causes a chemical reaction in the snow that lowers the melting point of the snow (ever make ice cream? same concept), that reaction melts the top layer of snow (VERY small layer...like millimeters) which then reacts with the snow underneath refreezing it cause the snow to lock into place. This creates a smoother (assuming it's been shaped properly...you don't have much time to fix stuff after it's been salted), more lasting jump/kicker that will react more like a jump does in the middle of winter (allowing people to carve lips, instead of it mushing out).


Some mountains/parks even has snowcats designated to salt jumps and even trails with a spreader, which is pretty sweet....cause the bags are heavy and throwing it screws up your hands (dries them out and cracks them).
13 years ago
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eheath
Posts: 61838 - Karma: 125,536
Also referred to as mario cart boosters. Going from like the 6 inches of slush to the icy lip right after they salt is fucking terrifying.
13 years ago
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.skiperisher.
Posts: 323 - Karma: 83
i hate when that happens. scares the shit out of you when you havnt seen them salt the jump.

also fertilizer seems to freeze it quicker then ice
13 years ago
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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,886
Yeah, I try to salt up the in run a bit so you're at least not hitting the super speed in the transition, but there's really nothing to do about it, best thing is to wait like 20-30min after they've salted stuff to give it a chance to even out.
13 years ago
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wreck.yoself
Posts: 656 - Karma: 46
Ive only ever used water but I live in Canada so its almost always cold enough.
13 years ago
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Billups
Posts: 3960 - Karma: 329
I usually try and do the same thing to make a bit of a smoother/easier transition. And I have to agree that I hate throwing salt, my hands cracked/dried out really badly last spring.
13 years ago
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GreenStezz
Posts: 3570 - Karma: 714
Yeah, hate that...................
13 years ago
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skifoo
Posts: 1396 - Karma: 45
Anything more annoying, than hitting a jump comfortably. Then during your next lift they salt the kicker, and you overshoot the jump several meters.. that feeling when you lose control to your skis on pure ice >.
13 years ago
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Dr.Newschoolers
Posts: 1357 - Karma: 508

ive used water because it is convinient and ive never heard of the salt. is it a special salt?

13 years ago
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ChuckTesta
Posts: 960 - Karma: 258
i dont think so i think its just rock salt....and yea whoever said urea yea thats what it is
13 years ago
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