Here at SnowSphere HQ, we’ve always had a whole lotta love for innovators. In the past, we’ve run articles on DIY Backyard Terrain Parks, the K-trak snowbike and even a story about an English entrepreneur who bought an entire mountain and built his very own ski resort: Košútka in Slovakia.
So when we stumbled upon a product that could help snowboarders and skiers get their freestyle fix - without needing any snow at all - we were intrigued.
American company Backyard Terrain Park have done away for the need of sub zero temperatures, cloud formation and precipitation with their ingenious invention: “SnowGel”. Described as “Fake Snow. For Real”, you simply add water and slop it onto your homemade ramp. The resulting goo reduces friction to the point where you can happily ride your DIY set up all day - what ever the weather.
Part of me is amazed at the lengths that snowboarders and skiers will go to, in order to slide a 3m length of metal. They’ll build elaborate setups requiring ramps, rails, lengths of carpet and even lighting rigs for night riding. Then there’s all the strapping in and out of your gear; backyard rail setups give you a ride time of approximately thee seconds. Is it really worth it?
To me, this is so far removed from the original sport of skiing or snowboarding that it’s pretty much a separate sport all together. However, in a warming world, where snow is getting scarce, travel is becoming more expensive and carbon guilt trips are supposed to be curbing our jet setting lifestyles - are backyard ski resorts the future of “winter” sports?
For me - I have to say no. It’s not just the physical action of snowboarding itself, but the whole package of being surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery, inhaling crisp air and waking through crunchy snow, that does it for me.
However, these SnowGel set ups look like a lot of fun, and it does make “snow” boarding and skiing more accessible by negating the need for travel or the white stuff - plus it’s a good way of practising your freestyle trickery too.
So this summer, forget the snow domes and forget the dry slopes. You don’t need mountains. You don’t need ski lifts. You don’t even need snow. This summer, it’s all about the DIY snowboarding in your own backyard.
Picture from Backyard Terrain Park. SnowGel retails at $14.95 (about £7) plus shipping from the States. Check out SnowGel.com for more information.
Tags: backyard skiing, backyard snowboading, diy ski resort, snowgel
