What's a snowboarder to do when going pro isn't an option?

For Jared Winkler and Steve Duke, thwarted ambition morphed into a new career as founders of KAB Rails, which designs and manufactures many of the boxes, rails and other features that skiers and boarders grind on every winter at various Utah resorts. Duke also manages the terrain park at the Canyons, while Winkler oversees the terrain park at Brighton, site of the Jan. 10 Slug Games, which every year draws aerialists and tricksters to compete for prizes.

Winkler told us his story:

Q. How did you get your start?

A. Me and Steve had a hobby. We built rails and hid them the trees at Brighton. Brighton would find our rails and stash them. They would take them from us and put them in their terrain park. Then someone suggested Brighton buy them from us.

What has changed since you started your business?

The main thing is like, every year, the clientele who ride the resorts are always looking for new innovative features, more challenges. That's our thing. Each year we try to outdo ourselves so when the people who show up to ride the parks, they're excited because they hit something they've never seen before.

Who has the best terrain park?

We all have some features that make each park unique. Park City has this amazing half pipe. The Canyons does a really good job with their jumps and Brighton has the progressive, progressive rails.

What does the future hold?

A terrain park is all about marketing but resorts who want that clientele will go after that and could make the whole resort a terrain park. It just depends on the owners and the management, if they want to take the risk.