# Snowboarding and the popularity rails



## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

This is probably going to be a very unpopular opinion, but i am open to changing my mind, if someone can school me on this...










So many videos these days (especially park/trick videos) are all about rails/boardslides. And i see new boarders coming along and saying "I am comfortable on rails/boxes but need help with linking my toeside turns", as if the first thing they did after learning to leaf, was to start practicing railslides...

But why is it so popular? 

For bombers and carving fans i see the attraction. Speed, G-forces, it feels great. Same for BC and powder hounds - floating sensation cant be beat. For me its jumps; flying through the air is an incredible rush, especially since i am actually fairly scared of heights. But what is it about rails that everybody is getting stoked on?

towards the end of last season, and this season, i have been trying to get into them, stomped some boardslides and 50-50s. Landed on my ass a lot, and made me realized that they are a lot more difficult than they look. But is that it? Is it because they are not easy to do? The ones where i didnt fall, gave me a slight rush of cheating death (or lost teeth), but there was no great :yahoo::yahoo: type feel. Is that something that comes with the more difficult rails/kink style stuff?

So for rail and jib junkies, can you please help me understand the thrill of what you do?


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

and all the rail junkies bitch about all the powder shots

I think most films are a decent mix of everything and there's films that focus more on one or the other. There's enough out there that everyone should be able to get their fix.


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## ridinbend (Aug 2, 2012)

Have you ever ridden a skateboard at a skatepark? Board slide a rail or grind the coping of a big half pipe? It's the skateboard element of snowboarding. Riding features is fun for many.


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

ridinbend, i used to skate a bit. Did some rails back then too, but again i liked gaps and stairs etc more.

Do you mean that the rail fans are mainly skaters crossing over to Snowboarding?


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

linvillegeorge - i am not so much complaining, as much as i'd just like to be able to understand. Feels like i am missing out on some awesome aspect to snowboarding by not 'getting it'


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## 24WERD (May 9, 2012)

When it is cold and there is not much to do then you hit the park and rails.

What else are the kids supposed to do in the winter time when there is no powder and they are underage???

Freeride gets boring when it a bump on the ground. Thats where the tricks go into play.


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## ICary (Aug 2, 2013)

Getting a fresh dump of snow, going out and finding a crazy rail, building a jump, getting the generator and lights up and hitting the rail that you "made" is one of the best feelings to me.


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

ICary, thanks for that. Sort of like BC guys hiking out to find an untouched line huh? I can see that would be cool to have sort of 'ownership' over that rail.

FWIW, i think that people doing rails look stylish as hell. My DT background is of some crazy long tailpress down a stadium hand rail or something like that (thanks Onboardmag!). It also changes to some shots of people jumping off 2 story high buildings though


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Yeah I don't see the fun in them. Though I was never a skater... I'd much rather hit a kicker.


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## ItchEtrigR (Jan 1, 2012)

tokyo_dom said:


> And i see new boarders coming along and saying "I am comfortable on rails/boxes but need help with linking my toeside turns", as if the first thing they did after learning to leaf, was to start practicing railslides...


claiming on the Internet is one thing, but I doubt anyone serious enough to be dope hitting the rails & boxes has trouble with the most basic aspects of snowboarding. It just don't work like that. What you'll find is beginner kids attempting and failing but there won't be any consistency. There's a hierarchy in skills one needs to advance to other things especially freestyle, every now and then someone's raw athletic ability & prowess will allow them to skip a step but it never really translates well in any further progression.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

I used to hit heaps of rails on a skateboard but Im too old for that shit now. I know my limits, powder and bc for me.


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## LuckyRVA (Jan 18, 2011)

ETM said:


> I used to hit heaps of rails on a skateboard but Im too old for that shit now. I know my limits, powder and bc for me.


same here, I dislocated my shoulder skating a rail when I was younger. I now have a sweet scar on my shin from a rail from one of the first times I tried hitting a rail on my snowboard. Stuff hurts too much for too long now. No more rails for me. I do enjoy watching them in videos, in moderation though. I can't watch a whole video dedicated to rails.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

TokoyoDom you kinda answered your own question. Many of these guys would wet there pants off a 20 foot booter. 

Everyone has their own Zen spot in snowboarding, yours are big airs. 
Your also right, some of our park rats cant link a turn but can 270 on a rail and front flip off that same rail. Some guys carving the hell out of the hill bombing at literally Mach I but would crash on a baby ride on dance floor. 

Everyone has their own enjoyment on where/what they like to ride.
For me I like to safely do a little of everything above average. Not sure I truly there in snowboarding but I am working on getting to that point. 
That is my Zen, my relaxation to a bad week.


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## Lamps (Sep 3, 2011)

I go in the park once or twice a year and would never hack up my stuff on metal features, but I hope they make the park bigger. 

Especially here in Ontario where there's no vertical the park is what keeps things challenging for hordes of snowboarders, it's great for growth in the sport, otherwise I'm sure it gets boring for lots of people.


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

Park is a great way for someone to showcase there snowboarding skills. Out on the mountain there is not much of a viewing audience. The park just reeks with testosterone and showmanship.


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## Bgsmith9 (Oct 1, 2013)

I ride a TON of rails, and I mean a ton. But part of it is just where i ride. I ride in Indiana, and my hill has a vertical drop of around 400 feet. We don't get much fresh snow, and when we do it's rarely enough to get excited about, so powder riding is rare. A lot of the times the snow is too slushy to hit a jump, and the rest of the time, you have to skip everything in the park to hit the one bottom jump, which is rarely over 30-40 feet. So i think part of it is just where you come from.


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## sclogger (Dec 3, 2013)

I think also there is a bit of new school/old school going on as well. Rails & boxes didn't exist when I started so I used the whole mountain for fun. The older I've gotten the less I feel I can huck myself off the big stuff and take the impact. So age plays a role too. I've been playing on boxes more and more because it smaller and the ass to ground height can be measured in inches, not feet. And I'm also very selective about what boxes I do hit. 

And in the spirit of keep snowboarding alive, the sport has to progress, and over the years it's progressed in a lot of ways I don't agree with but as long as people keep riding and new people are introduced to the sport it's a win for everyone. No matter what, I can ride the mountain the way I like. That will never change.


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## tannersdad (Jan 9, 2013)

Here in NC I think it's a social thing.  Terrain parks around here are pretty small, but the younger riders flock to them and hang out all day. I guess this old dog to too old to try new tricks. :laugh: Snowboarding for me is not an adrenaline rush, it`s a way to get away from it all...........


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

Lots of awesome answers. The location thing makes a lot of sense. You can hit a street rail virtually anywhere that snow falls (or even just with a bit of trucked in snow), but cant do the same for jumps/other stuff. Combine that with the fact they just *look* good when done right, i guess i can see why people are doing it. Park guys are more likely to put more attention into their appearance anyway (personally i think they look cool).

I am about to head off for a snow resort that has one of the biggest parks in Japan (X-JAM Takaifuji). Close to 50 park features spread over 3 areas. Heading there by myself, so i can spend the entire day in the park - I am going to pad myself up like a hockey goallie and learn to love rails.


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

SnowDogWax said:


> Park is a great way for someone to showcase there snowboarding skills. Out on the mountain there is not much of a viewing audience. The park just reeks with testosterone and showmanship.


Hmnnnn,... you may have a point there! Outside of the "Availability" aspect of riding rails n such,.. The park just might appeal more to the "showoff's?" The "Glory Hounds?" The,... "Hey Mom,... Lookit Me" types?!
(None of that meant to be derogatory btw,...! Park ratz, please, No offense intended!)


The rest of the mountain, we're riding with maybe a few friends or solo even. Maybe we get to show off some skillz occasionally to the folks riding the lifts. Maybe try to impress/challenge our friends? But in the park? Pure Showmanship is right!! Usually a big audience and Lots of ppl watching to Ohhh n Ahhh as you nail that rail slide, stomp that landing! :bowdown:

_Mad_ respect for the skill and ability,... just not the area where my interests lie! :thumbsup:


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

ItchEtrigR said:


> claiming on the Internet is one thing, but I doubt anyone serious enough to be dope hitting the rails & boxes has trouble with the most basic aspects of snowboarding. It just don't work like that. What you'll find is beginner kids attempting and failing but there won't be any consistency. There's a hierarchy in skills one needs to advance to other things especially freestyle, every now and then someone's raw athletic ability & prowess will allow them to skip a step but it never really translates well in any further progression.


Actually you would be surprised how many idiots there are that can go straight into a rail and 270 on to a rail but they can't carve. Seen it so many times. 

The truth is it's far cheaper to put in and maintain a rail than a jump, halfpipe, or wait around/get to powder. 

It's an aspect of snowboarding on the freestyle side that makes you well rounded. I'm jibbing better at 31 years old than I was at 21. The other thing is that the older I get the less it hurts to fall off a rail than a 30 foot jump. 

Love it or hate it, it's a part of snowboarding. I don't know about you guys but I like the idea of being well rounded enough to not skip out on a whole aspect of snowboarding.


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## Loftness (Feb 19, 2014)

tokyo_dom said:


> I am going to pad myself up like a hockey goallie and learn to love rails.


One nice thing about the sport/hobby/pursuit though is that there *are* so many varied aspects of it, and very few people are able to master all of them, or even have interest in all of them. If may not be able to make yourself love rails, and that's ok. 

(Great morning coffee thread read btw)

I don't ride rails, and never will to any big extent. The only times I've done them was with my kids when they were too nervous to try certain ones. I'd tell them, "If you do it I'll do it." Sometimes I'd fall, sometimes I'd land it, but the adrenaline rush for me was always fun. 

I agree on the 'location' argument, hell I'll probably build a little box or two for the kids in the backyard next winter. I also agree about the showmanship aspect. But I think maybe the biggest draw is the instant brotherhood it seems to form. You can go by yourself and end up making a few friends by the end of the day. Most people are pretty supportive of each other, just because you're *trying* to do it. It can be a 'feel good' place to ride, whereas most other aspects of snowboarding are solitary. Even if you're with friends, unless it's fs, you're generally only paying attention to what you're doing.


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

Loftness said:


> One nice thing about the sport/hobby/pursuit though is that there *are* so many varied aspects of it, and very few people are able to master all of them, or even have interest in all of them. If may not be able to make yourself love rails, and that's ok.
> 
> (Great morning coffee thread read btw)
> 
> ...



13 years ago at 50 years old also my first year snowboarding. I was hitting jumps in the park with a bunch of young kids. Getting late I said last jump guys. Off I went, when landing I hit my face off a mound of snow. Every kid boarded down to see if the Oldman was ok.
Till this day its the best memory I have snowboarding!
*Instant brotherhood*


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## 16gkid (Dec 5, 2012)




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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

i'm so glad that the park and rails are popular, i hope they become even moreso


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## schuyler (Jan 3, 2014)

love the sound of a board slide


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

snowdogwax I have met a ton of kids that now know me and will ride with me in the park. They may see me lapping in the park and join me for some runs or I with them. 

Pretty cool being "the dad in the park"


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

slyder said:


> snowdogwax I have met a ton of kids that now know me and will ride with me in the park. They may see me lapping in the park and join me for some runs or I with them.
> 
> Pretty cool being "the dad in the park"


Nothing like a youthful positive attitude! From your post IMO that is why kids want to join you for some runs in the park.:bowdown:


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## 24WERD (May 9, 2012)

$= rails and boxes, urban street and park, backyard.

$$= Big Jumps, Pipe, spins, resort

$$$= Powder ,Cat-boarding, Heli-boarding, back country


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

Rails are awesome. But at the downhill side of 30, life becomes a risk vs reward thing... and rails just dont cut it.


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

On my way back from my day out in the park (wife didn't join me so I could stay as long as I wanted). I did as many rails and boxes as jumps, and I think I will try concentrating on them some more. My hip hurts like hell after overshooting a jump, and I had trouble enjoying jumps as much after that. Rails and boxes are a whole new challenge, not only trying to clear it, but also make it look good while doing it. While I am not so sure which is safer (mixing in metal objects is always scary), but at least I got a hint of the thrill of it.


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## john doe (Nov 6, 2009)

To me doing a perfect boardslide and making it smooth and look good gives me the same thrill as laying a perfect carve down or landing in the sweet spot on a jump after a perfect tweaked grab.


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

john doe said:


> To me doing a perfect boardslide and making it smooth and look good gives me the same thrill as laying a perfect carve down or landing in the sweet spot on a jump after a perfect tweaked grab.


Sweet spot on a jump after a perfect tweaked grab has to be just a little more of a thrill.:dunno:


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## jtg (Dec 11, 2012)

BurtonAvenger said:


> Actually you would be surprised how many idiots there are that can go straight into a rail and 270 on to a rail but they can't carve. Seen it so many times.


This doesn't make them idiots, it just makes you an asshole, FYI


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

jtg said:


> This doesn't make them idiots, it just makes you an asshole, FYI


You & BA must be best of friends:icon_scratch:


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

It's kinda funny what some people perceive as dangerous or not. My kid will launch cliffs, large park lines, rails, boxes, walls, pretty much anything on a snowboard..... He will air out a downhill bike, go 50 mph on a long board.....

He thinks urban skateboarding and surfing are dangerous. Lmao. 

Everyone is comfortable on different stuff. There are tons of kids around here that can't ride in powder or in bigger mtn terrain without freezing up and shitting themselves but they will hit a fucking 75' jump and double cork that damn thing or the same in the pipe.... The kid jake pates that was in the us open is like that.....


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## Rasse (Dec 12, 2013)

I ride and do all kinds of jibbing most of the time I'm out there. All the resorts nearby are quite small and the amount of snow isn't so big so not much of a possibility to ride crazy powder lines or backcountry. I either had to start riding the small jibbing obstacles or quit snowboarding (which really isn't an option for me) like most of my friends did a couple of years ago. 

I love to ride powder and ride it whenever I get to a resort that has it. But most of the time that doesn't happen. So I learnt to love the small stuff. Rails, boxes, butters and the smaller jumps. I don't do it to show off or to be better than someone, I just love to evolve my skills within the circumstances I've been given. I get the same rush from landing new rail tricks, riding powder or doing new tricks from jumps. So I guess I have a win-win situation Riding rails also gives a bit extra to your board control:thumbsup:


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

SnowDogWax said:


> Sweet spot on a jump after a perfect tweaked grab has to be just a little more of a thrill.:dunno:


Not really. Of course, the context matters... If it's a perfect bc kicker with pow landing, then that's something else. But a normal grab over a normal park jump is not that much more thrilling than a perfect boardslide....

The BIG difference to me is bailing.... A simple noobie bail on a big rail does you for the day (if not worse). 

The thrill buck stops at the perfect deep pow bowl though. NOTHING matches that.


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## neachdainn (Dec 8, 2012)

F1EA said:


> Not really. Of course, the context matters... If it's a perfect bc kicker with pow landing, then that's something else. But a normal grab over a normal park jump is not that much more thrilling than a perfect boardslide....
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Nope... Definitely nothing matches it


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Looking at vids of rail I first was bewildered as well. Thought hey, if there's snow, why don't they go and hit the mtn instead of "slipping down" rails. I then suspected that ppl doing rails live at places like this









But on a later thought I came to an analogy with my other sport, which made me understand it better - or at least I think I do . 

I do eventing and thus have to train three parts of horseriding: XC, showjumping and dressage. The XC part is by far the most fun. Galloping full speed and tackle efforts is pure adrenalin, but it's also the biggest effort in time and money. One has to find a track somewhere, sometimes far away, it's expensive to use them, it's very dependent on weather and ground conditions. Resembles freeriding...

On the other side, but one can do dressage easily everyday, no requirements other than a flat ground. Dressage may appear boring at first glace, it's not about speed and hight like XC, it's all about precision. Being good at dressage requires most skills. I really like to train dressage due to this precision needed, this is also thrill and challenge. 

And I assume, "slipping down" rails - as trivial as it sounds - requires an awful lot of balance and precision. Is this complete BS or an valid analogy?


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## RightCoastShred (Aug 26, 2012)

Rails came from skateboarding, snowboarding came from skateboarding, therfore rails are a foundation of the sport.


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

neachdainn said:


> Nope... Definitely nothing matches it


Hope next season to Echo both…. Colorado in 2015


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

RightCoastShred said:


> Rails came from skateboarding, snowboarding came from skateboarding, therfore rails are a foundation of the sport.


I thought it originated from surfing...


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

neachdainn said:


> Nope... Definitely nothing matches it


You should know!!!!! hahahaha 

I hope there' at least one more pow day like that. But today i had to do it, had to take the wife and kids snowboarding.......


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

neni said:


> And I assume, "slipping down" rails - as trivial as it sounds - requires an awful lot of balance and precision. Is this complete BS or an valid analogy?


Absolutely valid.

Not only it takes such precision, but it also has VERY little margin for error. Specially when you're just starting... ohhh dem bails :dizzy:


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

F1EA, actually i am still a bit unsure which has least margin for errors/injury possibilities; kickers or rails

Kickers have a very real potential to do a lot of damage. Spine injuries, concussions etc. And thats not even the big ones - i think it was Sabatoa that broke his back last year on what looked to be a 10-15footer.

By contrast, the bad injuries from rails would probably be more like broken arms, face/teeth, preventable head injuries (I know there is a medical term for it - i mean like hitting your head on the corner of a rail/box at slower speeds - something a helmet can be very helpful for).

Of course neither are all that much fun, but the rail stuff is more 'superficial'.


I say this having nearly ended my day when i overshot a landing of a tiny (10 foot if that) kicker, landing on my hip and having trouble concentrating on anything after that.


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## andrewdod (Mar 24, 2013)

honestly... i ride them because they are there and they are offering a challenge to me... this year my goal is to get better at rails and im doing just that... and having a blast doing it.... going to perfect my boardslide tomorrow too btw!


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

neni said:


> Dressage may appear boring at first glace, it's not about speed and hight like XC, it's all about precision. Being good at dressage requires most skills.
> 
> And I assume, "slipping down" rails - as trivial as it sounds - requires an awful lot of balance and precision. Is this complete BS or an valid analogy?


Not exactly. I'm an event rider (with a love for dressage), not rail rider, but I'd say snowboard rails is more like stadium than dressage. Both require balance, precision, _and_ speed. XC does as well, you know it's a whole lot more than just gallop and go  For stadium all you need is flat ground, some standards, and some (jump) rails at its simplest. 

If anything with regard to your analogy, I'd say dressage is more like snowboard flatground tricks. Precision, balance, and skill as more of an art form. Not so much speed, but power in dressage.


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## john doe (Nov 6, 2009)

SnowDogWax said:


> Sweet spot on a jump after a perfect tweaked grab has to be just a little more of a thrill.:dunno:


It depends on what rail and what jump. Boardsliding a 25ft long ollie on down rail where you gain a lot of speed while on the rail has higher consequences and a higher thrill then your average 15ft jump. Shit, there have been ride on down boxes that I'm more scared to 50-50 then to hit the 30ft jump.


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

I dont disagree, but to be fair, on that 25foot down rail you could bail to the side at any time - you would have to be in fairly good control to make it all the way down. Bailing on jumps anywhere after you hit the lip always seems to end painfully

But there is something scary about aproaching a downwards rail. Yesterday I hit 2 successive 20 footers (just practicing shifties), then lined up for a bs boardslide on a 10 foot downwards rail which was practically roll-on, but got scared and bailed last minute. 

No idea why but i couldnt do it. Took me ages to work up the courage to go from 50-50 to boardslide on straight rails too. Its weird, because with Jumps most of the mental block only happens on the lift looking at the size/length of the kicker as i am going up, once i line up in front of it i am already 100% commited...


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Thankfully there are no damm rails at my hill....so I don't have to think about or worry about them. However they would be useful in that if they were at the hill and were popular they would keep the darn rats off my pow.


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## kalev (Dec 17, 2013)

Growing up skateboarding, rails were a part of daily life. So it only makes sense that they are part of snowboarding 

Personally not a park fan (even when I used to skate). I like the freedom and the sense of exploration that can't be found inside the confines of a park. If I wasn't so old and brittle, I'd love to hit some 'street' features. Love the idea of cruising around town scoping out different spots, getting all set-up, hitting the feature only a couple of times before possibly be chased away by security 

Oh to be 15 again


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

jtg said:


> This doesn't make them idiots, it just makes you an asshole, FYI


Yep I'm the asshole because I believe having a concept of edge control correlates to understanding how to ride a snowboard. Man I must but such a dick too because I believe turning is more a fundamental then hitting a jump.


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

BurtonAvenger said:


> Yep I'm the asshole because I believe having a concept of edge control correlates to understanding how to ride a snowboard. Man I must but such a dick too because I believe turning is more a fundamental then hitting a jump.


This.

10char


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## Consonantal (Dec 12, 2012)

Didn't bother reading all the posts, but for me, rails are just another aspect/element of difficulty in snowboarding and that's why I like them. 

I can totally see where you're coming from because rails can seem "artificial" (as opposed to getting airborne) but I appreciate watching the art of manipulating your board on and off a jib. 

Without a terrain park, I wouldn't be snowboarding. Yeah hitting pow and going down big runs is fun and all, but it can repetitive. I love the inherently challenging nature of park riding.


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