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May, 2025

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Sticky rails

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hippy.killer
Posts: 204 - Karma: 947
How do rails even get sticky? I feel like sometimes when it's really cold it makes them stick. I was skiing this past weekend and every rail at my home mountain was so sticky you couldn't even slide it. I don't know if its just my stance on the rail or if it's actually the rail. Flat rails and boxes seem to be worse than round rails. My edges are rounded too. Anyone else have this problem?
10 years ago
62 1
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L0gic
Posts: 576 - Karma: 2,290
I'm pretty sure sticky rails is not a problem local to you. Every mountain gets em one day or another
10 years ago
5 0
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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,886
Temperature, humidity, and condensation all play a role in stickiness. Flat rails seem worse because there's more surface area that you slide on and they collect water (which rusts and changes the properties of the metal). Sometimes rails just get sticky, it's a problem every park crew faces because no one understands that there's really nothing that can be done about it most of the time.
10 years ago
6 0
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eheath
Posts: 61957 - Karma: 126,732
It all depends on the weather. When its below freezing, there is no condensation so the rails will stay slick. If its cold in the morning and warm in the late morning/afternoon, rails tend to get very sticky. If its warm at night and all day, rails are usually slick. It also depends on the mountain, some mountains maintain their rails (i.e. put something on them to lube them up) while some don't do anything at all. Bring some wax with you, or some pam cooking spray and lube that shit up yourself if your mountain doesn't do it.
10 years ago
11 0
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,491
Any easy free fix is just taking a snow chunk and rubbing down the rails
10 years ago
3 0
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John18_6
Posts: 7313 - Karma: 49,171
Some moron put Pam on an urban rail and it turned it into the stickiest thing I've hit because the Pam had dried a little. Almost died. Luckily I had dishwashing soap and a rag on hand.
10 years ago
3 0
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270on420out
Posts: 7525 - Karma: 51,353
I waxed a rail with a banana and it worked wonders until it froze onto the rail and the local park rat kids made fun of me.
10 years ago
13 0
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YUNG_milksteAk
Posts: 1437 - Karma: 4,328
The rail is broken, it is no longer useable, discard it
10 years ago
8 0
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ajrowlands
Posts: 43 - Karma: 93
jumped onto a seriously sticky rail last week, ended up puncturing my lung and cracking some ribs!
10 years ago
0 0
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tommyk141
Posts: 266 - Karma: 1,333
john18061806Some moron put Pam on an urban rail and it turned it into the stickiest thing I've hit because the Pam had dried a little. Almost died. Luckily I had dishwashing soap and a rag on hand.


sry
10 years ago
2 0
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boo10159
Posts: 270 - Karma: 137
I think I have heard of some resorts oiling rails? I'm not 100 percent sure.
10 years ago
0 0
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brend
Posts: 779 - Karma: 3,608
The rails at my hill used to get really sticky, now all the snowboarders bring pam and the rails are always slick.
10 years ago
0 0
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Mr.noodle
Posts: 1361 - Karma: 4,655
have you tried goat semen? Best lubricant I've ever used
10 years ago
4 0
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TOAST.
Posts: 7769 - Karma: 39,928
john18061806Some moron put Pam on an urban rail and it turned it into the stickiest thing I've hit because the Pam had dried a little. Almost died. Luckily I had dishwashing soap and a rag on hand.


We Pam our lift tower tube occasionally, it works wonders for a few hits.
Also if you are missing edge and sliding on base it seems really sticky
10 years ago
1 0
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SuaveSkier
Posts: 16 - Karma: 41
Snowboarders going straight on them
10 years ago
0 0
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Ian_Fitz
Posts: 826 - Karma: 6,509
Use butter, just rub the whole stick on it. You'll be fine
10 years ago
1 0
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John18_6
Posts: 7313 - Karma: 49,171
tommyk141sry


How did I know it was you. Dmmt u nerly klld meh. But seriously, most rails are fine. If they're rusty you just rub your ski on it a few times and it's good.
10 years ago
1 0
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