What is Junkboarding?
If you really love to ski or snowboard, you probably can't wait until the snow starts falling and the ski hills open. Then, the snow probably goes away too early for you at the end of winter.
And with all the expensive gear you need to buy, you definitely don't want to go out unless snow conditions are good and deep so your equipment doesn't get damaged.
Is there anything you can do at the tail ends of the season, when there are only 1 to a few inches of snow on the ground? Well the answer is Yes, and it's called Junkboarding!
The best things about junkboarding are that you can do it even when you still see the grass or ground, you get to start your season early and end it late, and it is inexpensive to start.
How do you make a junkboard?
You get an old snowboard and cut it down the middle, in effect making two skis. Then, you flip the two halves so that the inside edges become the outside, or turning edges. To each half you need to attach three-pin bindings. This creates rougher, wider, and shorter equipment which allows the skier to plane over grass and ground that has light snow.
To cut the old snowboard, it is good to use a table saw or band saw, or anything that will make a good straight cut.
The creation of junkboarding has been credited to Justin Woods, a Vermont teacher and powderhound who uses a junkboard to ski grass slopes and hills covered with as little as a quarter inch of snow. This lets you start the ski season early to help train for the winter slopes. And creating a junkboard is a good way to recycle an old snowboard.
According to Justin, "nothing floats on a dusting to three inches of snow like a Junkboard."
WIth warmer winters and less snow a possibility due to global warming, junkboarding may be a sport ready to take off. Now, how long will it be before we see Junkboards made by all the top ski and snowboard companies?
