# ate my 1st rail tonight



## Efilnikufesin (Oct 8, 2011)

That's always what worries me about getting into tricks, I'm 35 and have rent/car payment's/etc. Then again I bomb down the mountain at the fastest speeds I can handle and let me tell you when some choppy terrain or a rock sticking up over the snow catches me off guard and I miss popping over it, I take some nasty tumbles. So after taking many of these nasty spills, at the end of this year I said "fuck it I only live once" and am picking up a more park friendly board for days I want to play there.

Keep it up man, don't let that rail tell you who's boss! I mean shit does happen, butt 99% of the time you will walk away just fine right? Right? LoL, eh fuck it.


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## ThunderChunky (Oct 1, 2011)

Risk<Reward. It's apart of what we do and is part of what makes progression so rewarding.


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## oatenshiro (Feb 4, 2011)

Yah, my first rail slam was this week too. Wanted to analyze it to do better but couldn't remember what went wrong. I get what you say about having to go back at least once to get it right. It's demoralizing if ya don't, isn't it.


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## wkndwarrior (Dec 16, 2011)

haha i did that on my skateboard in college. was working on 50/50's all afternoon. it was getting dark and i was not doing so well. i took a nasty fall but walked away un injured. but i had to rock out one more time didnt i? i ended up rolling my ankle on the landing and fractured it, and tore 3 ligaments. its so hard to walk away when your ahead but sometimes we should listen to our guts.


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## Pixel8tedOne (Feb 7, 2011)

Funny I saw a dude in Maine do that same thing last night. He snuck into the park (still off limits from little snow) and took an epic solo run which ended in him eating a rail, sliding all the way down on his gut, then flipping off the end and rolling twice. It was a hot mess and and a great show for us on the lift.


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## honeycomb (Feb 6, 2011)

If you don't know what happened, you probably caught your edge or nose under the rail. Doing that can put your ass above your head before you can blink, last time I did it I cracked a rib...now before I hit a new rail I always jump OVER it a few times and land on the other side to get the feel for how much pop I need to land on it.


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## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

There's no law/rule that says that you can't learn to ride the park at 35, but there is definitely a reason that most of the people you see in the park are younger.

They don't break as easily.
They don't break as badly
Once broken, they heal faster.

You don't have to pay as many dues in your youth


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## AcroPhile (Dec 3, 2010)

At least you went back to hit it again the same day before you left. Impressive :thumbsup: I remember the first time I bit it really hard when I was first trying rails and boxes. It was 3 or 4 years before I attempted another one. :laugh: The first one after my "accident" was probably the most timid 50-50 on a box that you have ever seen!


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## basso4735 (Nov 27, 2010)

Rails scare me the most out of anything while on the slopes..aside from another person crashing into me. I really do want to get comfortable with them. My goal is to be able to do a down rail like a hand rail one day but its not looking good so far haha.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

basso4735 said:


> Rails scare me the most out of anything while on the slopes..aside from another person crashing into me. I really do want to get comfortable with them. My goal is to be able to do a down rail like a hand rail one day but its not looking good so far haha.


Yes you will, trust me, if I can you can.

I am riding my 1st real rail a grab rail. I started this one last week. Mind you these are all ride on but you have to start somewhere.










I started these 2 this week. Haven't mastered them but I can ride the 1st one nearly all the time completely.
The 2nd pic I can get completely about half the time. I have never riden anything like this till this week.
Start small and trust yourself. TIP if you start to loose it, don't try to save it, just ride of the rail and regain control and try again.


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

slyder said:


> Yes you will, trust me, if I can you can.



But..What is the thrill of riding a piece of metal? Other than it is hard to do and if you fall it hurts? I'm not being sarcastic or anything...I'm really curious. I understand that urban riding is perfect for snowboard magazines ads and destroys boards quickly, assuring a turnover for the manufacturers, but as a rider, what is the feeling? 
I haven't tried one yet obviously.


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## basso4735 (Nov 27, 2010)

KIRKRIDER said:


> But..What is the thrill of riding a piece of metal? Other than it is hard to do and if you fall it hurts? I'm not being sarcastic or anything...I'm really curious. I understand that urban riding is perfect for snowboard magazines ads and destroys boards quickly, assuring a turnover for the manufacturers, but as a rider, what is the feeling?
> I haven't tried one yet obviously.


Just another challenge to complete.


And it looks cool. 

Slyder-you are definitely pushing yourself hard this season! I need to get more days on the snow...


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

basso4735 said:


> Just another challenge to complete.
> 
> 
> And it looks cool.



I need to man up then.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

KIRKRIDER said:


> But..What is the thrill of riding a piece of metal? Other than it is hard to do and if you fall it hurts? I'm not being sarcastic or anything...I'm really curious. I understand that urban riding is perfect for snowboard magazines ads and destroys boards quickly, assuring a turnover for the manufacturers, but as a rider, what is the feeling?
> I haven't tried one yet obviously.


Kirk for our location we don't have mountains so natural features are out of the question.
Plus this sport as a whole is from a generation younger than me and they set the rules on where the game is played.

I try to ride what they ride and how they ride. I am just trying to become good enough at a little of everything. I will never be great at any of it so I want to be able to do a little of everything good-well. Staying healthy and having fun. Riding these kind of features is more challenging then me learning to ride on the snow. It adds a whole new dimension for me. When I hit the brick wall or it's time to take a break from park, or I got a little beat up. I then go hit the groomers, ensuring a 10 hour day of riding will never be boring.

Keep us posted when you start, I/we would love to keep abreast of your progress and post some pics.

I rode this last week too, made it the 1st time. This pic I'm sliding off toeside but I keep trying and succeeding and sometimes sliding off


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

I hear you. Found myself at the same spot when I visited the new huge skate park in San Jose a couple of years ago. A 9 years old taught me how to drop in on a 3 feet (maybe) pool? lol..he was flying off the 20 feet one. 


Will do..as soon as it fuckignSNOWS a bit..


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## seant46 (Dec 8, 2009)

KIRKRIDER said:


> But..What is the thrill of riding a piece of metal? Other than it is hard to do and if you fall it hurts? I'm not being sarcastic or anything...I'm really curious. I understand that urban riding is perfect for snowboard magazines ads and destroys boards quickly, assuring a turnover for the manufacturers, but as a rider, what is the feeling?
> I haven't tried one yet obviously.


Snowboarding is just fun period! Doesn't matter if your sliding on snow, metal or fiberglass its all a great time.

Slyder- If sliding off rails is an issue for you, if you are comfortable go a bit faster onto them. Going faster is a lot easier to make the whole rail and once you get it you'll be rippin' up the park and looking good doing it.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

Bass and Kirk, take a look at this pic. Ignore the goof (me) doing the bad 180 in the back ground. That little side hit threw me up way more than I was expecting....










This is one of the first kind of rails I tried. Very low to the ground, easy to get on, minimal pain if you do fall. Even though I learned on this I consider the other rails in the pics my 1st park rails. This type of beginner rail really helped me gain confidence, and learn how to ride flat base on them.

Seant: I'm getting there with dialing in the right speed. It can be a very fine balance point and you are correct the better the speed the easier. When I am locked on good I can totally feel it and if I don't have that locked on feel, I know I'm sliding off and I usually do.
My issue is I"m bending at the waist a LOT, not at the knees like I should. Causing me to come off toeside early. I'm working on it....


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## basso4735 (Nov 27, 2010)

Yeah Ive done plenty of ride on boxes, problem is this season both parks Ive been to had no good ride on features. :dunno:


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

Just got out of the shower
OH YAAA the bruise has finally surfaced :laugh:


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