Freestyle Snowshoe Boulder Jumping

This instructable will explain the sport of Freestyle Snowshoe Boulder Jumping (FSBJ).

The sport requires only snowshoes, snow and boulders.

We'll cover the origin, activity, judging criteria and safety.

Step 1 Origins

The sport of Freestyle Snowshoe Boulder Jumping originated in the early 00's in the Colorado Rockies, either at Brainard Lake or Bear Lake.

For years the sport has been enjoyed by people of all ages, colors, races, ethnicity and genders.

Comments

[ilpug]

i just thought of something that would make this batter. get a crappy snowboard and cut it in half. unbolt the bindings, and orient them so they point towards the ends of the pieces of the board instead of toward the sides. now you have snow+shoes+sliders+awesome FBSJ footwear!

[Ben.land101]

 well just so you know, it's gaiters, not gators.

[N1CK4ND0]

haha I haven't snowboarded in forever. too lazy these days

[Rishnai]

I am not suprised a Coloradan thought this up. We do some pretty nutty things when the snow gets deep, not the least of which is go jump off of boulders. Have you heard of cyclocross? Them boys have lost it! Back to FSBJ, I need to do this next winter. This winter would have been perfect, with record snowfall and all, but I was too busy Freestyle Tree Hitting and Mogul Burying, in which you attempt to snowboard moguls, fall, ragdoll 30 feet, and bury yourself in the mogul by sheer force alone. Then you get out, get back to the piste, and hit a tree.

[joe]

Yeah a big part of me doing this/snowshoeing was a result of me being the words worst skier. -Joe

[carlsonmark]

Some snowshoes work better for this than others. My MSR Denali snowshoes have a "True Hinge" which causes them to go almost vertical as soon as you jump off of something. This makes sticking a landing (and not breaking the hinge) very difficult. Regular snowshoe hinges (that use straps instead of a pin) work better. I would also like to add that when you start doing stuff like this you expose yourself to quite a bit more danger. Frozen water over boulders (small waterfalls) can be well hidden and very dangerous. Jumping from a boulder onto a slope seems fun but is also a great way to trigger an avalanche. Jumping into deep powder can cause puncture wounds from deadfall under the snow. Not that any of this should deter anyone from trying it, just make sure you step up your awareness of the terrain appropriately.

[Thornburg]

Sounds fun, I haven't been snowshoeing in forever. I went snowshoeing in the Tetons, years ago. Next time ill try it.

[potato413]

i did this a brainard lake durring a snowshoe hike. very fun

[samwise]

haha I used to do this on the way back from the pub when i lived in switzerland lots of fun

[LuminousObject]

Thats cool, but I don't have snowshoes.

[joe]

Thanks. Snowshoes are fairly cheap. The more expensive ones just have better bindings, but you don't really need them. If you want a deal on snowshoes the best time is during the spring when the ski rental shops will sell their rental stock, usually for less than $20. -Joe

[LuminousObject]

Allright, thanks for the info.