Snowboarding is an adrenalin-producing sport, and the use of rails is prominent in both recreational and competitive snowboarding. Rails are located in marked-off sections of ski or snowboard mountains. They provide an added challenge and thrill to the sport. Rails not only come in different shapes, but they are also built out of different materials.
The Rainbow Box
The rainbow box is an arching structure that begins at snow level, peaks and then ends at snow level. The length and height depend directly on the designer of the box. For example, Bromley Mountain Ski Resort in Vermont has a 20-foot long rainbow box that sits in one of its snowboard parks. In general, these structures have either aluminum or steel siding with a white, slick plastic material between them. The width of the box ranges from 2 feet to 2.5 feet.
The S Rail
The S rail is one of the more challenging rails to conquer in snowboarding. It is made out of one long, horizontally flat piece of cylindrical metal that has been bent into the shape of the letter "S." It can be located at snow level or higher up in the air. When placed above snow level, the S rail becomes increasingly harder to ride.
The C Box
The C box is made out of two rails and can have a width of 2 feet. Between the rails there is a white, slick plastic. The length will vary: The longer the rail, the harder the difficulty. The uniqueness of the C box is in its angle. Instead of the box being horizontally flat in the shape of the letter "C," it is angled inwards. If the C box arcs to the left, the downward angle of the white plastic between the rails will go inward toward the right and center of the C.
Wooden Flat Rail
Vermont's Killington Resort incorporates wooden rails into a snowboard park that it has called "The Stash." The wooden flat rail has absolutely no metal or plastic components that come into contact with your snowboard. Killington's wooden rails are made from trees found in the Vermont woods. They are then cut into varying widths and lengths.
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