New Life for Boards
Two problems inspired this neat invention at Hyland Hills, Minn. Assistant area manager Jake Woese was looking for a way to recycle old snowboards at the same time that Dave Thomas, the outside operations manager, and Mark Kapala, also with outside operations, were looking at different options for yard markers for the driving range. The win-win solution: using the old snowboards as golf yard markers.
The snowboards were first sanded in preparation for three coats of high-quality aerosol acrylic paint. Then 12-inch vinyl letters were applied to the boards. The framework that supports the boards was made of one-inch square tubing attached to the back, starting just below the curve at the top of the board and extending six inches below the bottom bend. The boards in turn were attached to the steel frames with 1-1/2 x 3/8th carriage bolts. Attached to the bottom is a piece of one-inch angle iron running perpendicular to the tubing. And finally, a 10-inch long rerod, sharpened to a point, was fastened to the bottom of the angle iron. Inserted in the ground, this anchors the yard markers.
Sitting in Style
Last winter, 17-year-old Kyle Helm, a ski patroller at Ski Roundtop, Pa., won the Eastern Regional Junior Patroller award. Not one to rest on his laurels, Kyle also found the time to build this fabulous looking deck chair for himself and his fellow patrollers. While the idea is not necessarily new, this one is especially attractive, and comfortable too. The design is Kyle’s own and so is the material, straight out of his parent’s garage.
Now Ski Roundtop’s patrollers are on skis both on and off the job!
Unique Stools
While these stools are not new, their charm and durability have serviced the clients of Marmot Mountain in Wisconsin for years. Walter Stoppa Jr., son of the ski area’s founder, had a keen eye for clever designs and found this one at the Las Vegas ski show many years ago. He purchased the whole supply of stools with wood legs carved to look like ski boots and placed them in his ski shop. They are ideal for the many skiers who are trying on skis and boots. Amidon Woodcarving in Sandwich, Mass., made the stools and can be reached at (508) 888-0565.
