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Making a park on a small budget

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VetleT
Posts: 41 - Karma: 81
Hello newschoolers, my friends and I are making the park for our local ski resort this winter and im wondering if any of you have any good and creative ideas that we could implement? We have a small budget and the park is not that big. The tools we have is a groomer and some shapers.

Please add pictures, links and/or videos

+K for helpful answers
Aug 22 2013 12:23PM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
Any rails?

Find jibable stuff that is cheap. PVC tubes, plastic barrels, etc. can make for a fun little park. Keep tabs on your local classified ads for stuff like that.

Aug 22 2013 12:27PM
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PsychedelicMoose
Posts: 792 - Karma: 3,568
Go to junkyards and you can find a ton of different rails, tubes, all kinds of shit, usually for free. Just sand and wax and their pretty much ready to go.
Aug 22 2013 12:30PM
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Jibberino
Posts: 2089 - Karma: 1,346
My friend Mikkel Jorgensen did a small park at Solheisen in Hemsedal this year, maybe try and find him on facebook and check out the park. I know he build a lot of the rails himself, so that could be one way to go about it. When you have a groomer and shapers you really have the basics, so as long as you can get some obstacles, you should be good. There are a million things that you will get wrong, but it's a learning curve, and you will def have fun with it! Good luck.
Aug 22 2013 12:55PM
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VetleT
Posts: 41 - Karma: 81
Thanks for the helpful tips. I foud Mikkel, an saw some cool features we might implement, thanks
Aug 22 2013 1:24PM
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Afterbang.no
Posts: 1105 - Karma: 4,297
Heia Norge!
Aug 22 2013 1:55PM
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Mr.Huck
Posts: 6096 - Karma: 14,896
This! Old fridges, big tires ... there is usually tons of shit that is jibbable. Just keep an open mind. If it doesn't work you know where to return it.
Aug 22 2013 2:48PM
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rockersteez
Posts: 593 - Karma: 1,199
PMing you now.
Aug 22 2013 2:50PM
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TOAST.
Posts: 7479 - Karma: 36,027
Does the mountain have its own scrap yard. Old snowmaking pipe makes for great rails. Almost all the rails we made last year were made from them. Takes a while to get the rust off but after you do they slide fine.
Aug 22 2013 2:53PM
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rockersteez
Posts: 593 - Karma: 1,199
Yeah rub it in why don't you. So jealous of mountains that have snowmaking pipe lying around. Also old lift towers and other things. The things I could build :(



But seriously this OP. Use whatever your mountain has for free.
Aug 22 2013 3:13PM
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GeorgiaJibber
Posts: 1608 - Karma: 1,353
Couragated pipes are cheap as fuck and one of my favorite features, soooo fun
Aug 22 2013 4:02PM
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VetleT
Posts: 41 - Karma: 81
Thanks for all the great suggestions guys, our park is gonna be gnarly
Aug 22 2013 6:08PM
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shitpoop
Posts: 667 - Karma: 1,479
build your own stuff! i built a mini pvc rail for less than 100$, but it was made with wood. maybe combine wood with some pieces of metal as extra supports, and you can also you corrugated pipes from a construction company that might throw them away for cheap. if ur low on money, be one of those parks known for being creative not like a park city.
Aug 22 2013 9:09PM
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rockersteez
Posts: 593 - Karma: 1,199
Pvc doesn't last very long. In addition to being able to shave your edges in (liability and not so fun) you have to think about a ton of people hitting that rail vs. just you and your friends on the weekends. Park features will get abused, and they need to be able to handle that.

Also park city has built plenty of cool things. Calling them out makes little sense toward your argument.

Click for larger image

I already Pm'd OP a couple billion word essays but I decided to scope out the thread.
Aug 22 2013 9:42PM
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Nashoba_Parks
Posts: 120 - Karma: 507
Hey there,

I can tell you after growing my own park program over 4 years that you must utilize everything and anything around you to grow and develop your resorts park. Whatever anyone tells you do NOT use pvc for coping or try to build rails under $100. Your first and foremost goal right now should be to quantify and and develop a way to show your management a return on their investment. I used pieces of barn board to create some wood jibs which lead to the use of snowmaking pipe, which lead to a $4,000 budget for new rails which lead to an overall budget of well over $125,000 with labor. Start small and work your way up... sounds cheesy but that aspect works wonders over a variety of life goals. From micro enhancements my mountain has gained sponsors jibs and overall heightened capabilities that you couldn't believe. Here are some photos over the past four years to show how we have grown. PM me for more insight and information.

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Click for larger image

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Click for larger image
Aug 22 2013 10:07PM
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rockersteez
Posts: 593 - Karma: 1,199
I can vouch that nashoba had been making some moves. I've been following them in addition to other places. Always love seeing the small guys steeping up their game.

Aug 22 2013 10:17PM
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Jibberino
Posts: 2089 - Karma: 1,346
I agree with not using PVC pibes, they will be destroyed in no time if your park sees any kind of traffic. The really thick, heavy PVC pibes might be alright, but they're as expensive as rails are.

Try hitting up scandinavian rails or Northern rails. They might have some stuff laying around that you can get for cheap.

And as Nashoba said, you need to make it clear to management at your resort that this is a good investment, so that you get to do this next year. Ways of doing so is for example not to forget the kids and beginners, make sure there is stuff for them as well, and avoid a elitist freestyle vibe in your park, management people don't like that shit.

Out of curiosity, where is this going down?
Aug 23 2013 3:39AM
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Z.J.H.
Posts: 842 - Karma: 1,541
talk to some other local mountains and see if they have old rails to sell you. Make friends with a welder if you can. If you have use of a cat, just build the dopest jump line ever because you dont have to pay for that.
Aug 23 2013 8:58AM
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Crispy.
Posts: 6109 - Karma: 7,683
That pic makes me want to ski so so so bad.
Aug 23 2013 9:05AM
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sveinung
Posts: 105 - Karma: 74
PVC-rør, oljefat (til spines), glatte trær er jo morsomme og ikke bygg mye dårlig men heller mindre som er skikkelig bra!
Hvilken bakke er det egentlig dere skal bygge i?
Aug 23 2013 1:41PM
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VetleT
Posts: 41 - Karma: 81
Kjerringåsen aplinsenter heter det. Det er et ganske så lite annlegg i Østfold, ca en time unna Oslo
Aug 23 2013 3:05PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10627 - Karma: 7,423
well, definantly find scrap metal, also what you can do is have companies pay to make a rail and put there logo as a form of advertisment. also you can always do the bakesale method.
Aug 23 2013 3:14PM
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VetleT
Posts: 41 - Karma: 81
Thats a good idea, there are a couple of snowboard and ski shops that might be interested in doing that, thanks!
Aug 23 2013 3:35PM
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sveinung
Posts: 105 - Karma: 74
Haha, fett! Er hovedsaklig det anlegget jeg er i når jeg ikke er i Tryvann!
Aug 23 2013 4:00PM
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shred.stickz
Posts: 279 - Karma: 1,715
My home mountain uses old pipes they pick up from junkyards for cheep and then make them into rails. I would go around and check out any place that is giving out free material, such as factories or auto junkyards.
Aug 23 2013 7:43PM
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caderobinson
Posts: 1193 - Karma: 4,770
Find parks that you like and get ideas from there features. They may not be as good but its a starting point
Aug 23 2013 9:42PM
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rockersteez
Posts: 593 - Karma: 1,199
For sure. I have a few hundred pics in an album of different features and setups I like.
Aug 23 2013 10:07PM
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Nashoba_Parks
Posts: 120 - Karma: 507
Post some of them up!
Aug 23 2013 10:13PM
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rockersteez
Posts: 593 - Karma: 1,199
I don't want to upload a bunch of pictures right now. I sent OP and this other kid about as much info as I could and some pictures I think.

As far as the pictures I get my creep on so hard. No mountain is safe from my creepy creeping eyes.
Aug 23 2013 10:31PM
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Nashoba_Parks
Posts: 120 - Karma: 507
creep status... I do the same creepin in search of the next lines.
Aug 24 2013 6:44AM
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jahpond
Posts: 78 - Karma: 98
I would just say use what ever is cheap and will last through the winter. PVC piping is good. i have made many rails out of pvc and wood. look at the ling travveling circus videos, they should give you some inspiration
Aug 24 2013 1:06PM
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rockersteez
Posts: 593 - Karma: 1,199
PVC can get sketchy, it's ok to build it in your backyard but not so much for a business. OP said he didn't have the insurance liability situation like we have here in the states but still. People can shave into pvc easily. Also when you have a ton of people hitting that pvc rail all day everyday that's way more of a beating than anything in somebody's backyard. You'll have a non stop line of people curb stomping it one after the other all day everyday.

One of the guys in this thread I was chatting with ended up finding out that his dad had a welder and got him to show him how to use it. Already build one small rail. Can't remember if it was OP or mediainflight. But that's def the way to go. PVC isn't the answer.

Also every decent rail you're able to make is something you'll have for the future. If you can add even a few good rails each season. it really starts to add up in a few years work.
Aug 24 2013 3:05PM
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VetleT
Posts: 41 - Karma: 81
I have a couple of pvc rails in my backyard, and they work great. But when i brought some up to the park, they were destroyed pretty fast. And yes, travelling circus has a lot of cool stuff in their videos.
Aug 24 2013 4:03PM
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Michael_Thatcher
Posts: 523 - Karma: 3,469
I'd Just like to point out in this thread that RockerSteeze has been a huge help to me. He is definitely right that you should avoid PVC and stick with some solid rails when you're starting out. Corrugated pipe is alright but depending on the thickness it can get pretty beat up.
Aug 24 2013 5:40PM
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VetleT
Posts: 41 - Karma: 81
He has helped me out a lot on messages as well. He has really been helpful and inspirational
Aug 24 2013 5:46PM
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gups53
Posts: 361 - Karma: 391
what my park does is they find old propane tanks and they smooth them up
Aug 24 2013 10:25PM
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Mr.Huck
Posts: 6096 - Karma: 14,896
Agree, but I might go as far as calling it brilliant. If you have some sales skillz, get companies to sponsor features at your park. Ask them to pay an annual fee to have their logo on the feature that they sponsor. Not only will you get them to cover the cost of building your features, but then the fee that you charge going forward can go to park improvements or my preference would be beer $$$.
Aug 24 2013 10:47PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51630 - Karma: 162,123
I hate everybody. From PM'ing OP and mediainflgiht back and forth the last few days I've been getting way too stoked for it to only be august.

I just want to build something. The parts for the welder and supplies I was waiting for the mountain to get are there so I guess I can go back back to it.

--------------------------

I said it to mediainflight but I'll say it in here. Anyone who is trying to build a park at a mountain that doesn't have one/improve one that sucks, and is really going to get it done, YOU'RE AWESOME! There are mountains that can drop 200k on a lodge np, a million on a lift np,but refuse to put even the smallest efforts into getting a new feature for their tiny or non existent park. I mean obviously there's the fact that if your mountain sucks, and nobody makes it better, you're going to be hitting something that sucks. Even though you might want to improve things for your self(which is totally understandable) you're going to be hooking it up for a bunch of other kids who are stuck there as well.

One of the best things in life is having somebody hit a feature or setup you built and seeing them with the biggest grin really digging it. That one smile can be enough to validate any long hours, working through shitty weather, being sick, late or sleepless nights.

I'm stoked about you 2 guys and anyone else trying to do this. Best of luck and please post some updates/pictures/videos this season.

Now we just need some snow.
Aug 25 2013 1:45PM
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