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TOP 10 REASONS TO START
SKATING MINI-RAMPS
1. It's the first step to vertical.
More than a few of today's top vert dogs got their humble
beginnings on ramps six feet and under. Mini-ramps let you get a
handle on dropping in, pumping and grinding without the col-
larbone-snapping consequences of vert. Six months or six years
later, step up the stairs of the Big Kahuna with the confidence and
background to start turning yourself into the next Max Schaaf.
2. It makes vert better.
Tons of techy tricks would've never seen the vertical day-
lights if it weren't for dudes like Danny Way, Neil Blender and
Chad Vogt proving they could be done on minis first. Scared of
a blunt on vert? Try it on a two-foot garage ramp and work
your way up
3. It improves your street skating.
All your stomped frontside flips might make for a dandy video
part, but what are you going to do when the bros want to session
a bank, a quarter-pipe or a skatepark? Rather than sit by the side-
lines, mumbling about keeping things real, fling that thing up on
the four-foot and learn some elements of balance you didn't even
know were necessary. Use your street skills to your advantage by
taking your ledge tricks to the coping.
4. It's goofy.
Mini-ramps are one of the last areas of skateboarding where it's
still OK to get silly. Follow up that 360° flip to fakie with a Steve Saiz
staple gun. Or maybe alligator your 50/50 by banging the front
truck d
kdown a
a couple extra times before you barge the opposite deck
and squash some toes. Set the video camera down and get loose!
plays.
5.
Everyone
body can
Old dudes, fat kids, little guys, old school, new school-every-
y can skate
a mini-ramp. A good session brings folks togeth-
er on an even playing field. Witness slashers and tech dogs slap-
ping each other five: "Hey, teach me that sweeper." "Not until
you show me the trick to those switch hardflips."
6. Consistency.
BARKER BARRETT
DENNIS MARTIN
Compared to street skating, mini-ramp riding is just more predictable and con-
sistent. . If you can do a Smith grind, chances are you can pull it every stinkin'
time. Once you get your tricks wired, you can string together lengthy lines and go
faster and farther-without so many tries.
7. Fluidity.
Skating ramps just feels cool. Tricks like sliders to fakie, Smith grinds, tailslides
and 50/50s can be done as long and as fast as the ramp and your ability allows.
You go into them fast and come out even faster. There's something about sliding
across coping that will always be appealing.
8. The energy.
A crowded session has an energy and excitement level that lets you skate
harder and longer than you ever could by yourself. As soon as you fall, you can't
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wait for your next run. The vibe lets you try tricks you'd be scared of if there
weren't so many people watching. Sometimes you'll slam and not realize how
hurt you are until hours later when you finally stop skating. Yell, scream, and
make some memories.
9. Catchin' air will never out of style.
Guys like Tim Brauch, Alan Petersen and Jesse Paez have proven that you don't
need vert to o hit t the ceiling. Take your monster pop straight up and pretend you're
Sergie Ventura. The rule is you can only go as high as the ramp is tall, but don't let
that hold you back.
10. It's part of skateboarding.
You should skate mini-ramps for the same reason you should skate ledges, pools,
ditches, handrails, pipes, stairs, skateparks, hills, rocks, vert, hydrants, walls and
schools-it's there and it's fun.
-Michael Burnett
JIM THIEBAUD'S RAMP
I never thought I would have a ramp like the
one I have now. I've always dreamt of owning
one, but never thought it would amount to more
than that-just a dream.
Where my ramp sits now is in a warehouse in West
Oakland, California. Four friends and I went in on the
space and spent 3 months fixing it up. The ramp has
grown from a small 16' wide mini-ramp in my back-
yard to its current size of 56' wide, 5 1/2 and 7' tall,
with an 11' tall set-back vert wall extension.
It's been a long, hard road for my ramp: crappy
neighbors, city inspectors, rain damage, and still
more fuck-head neighbors who I will never for-
give. Brian Schaefer came out from Florida 3
times to help construct it in its many forms.
Countless others have come together to help
move it, take it apart, and build it-I can't name
them all. They know who they are and know that
in my heart I am forever thankful.
in my m
Today the ramp is a
is a place where skaters of all
abilities can come together and just enjoy the act of
skateboarding. It's been up for about 4 months now,
and there have been sessions on it almost every
day. It's truly an awesome place.
I don't really think of it as a mini-ramp-it's just a
place to skate; that's enough definition for me. Not
to o sound corny, but sometimes during a really thick
session and I'm waiting to drop in, I'll look down
the length of the ramp and see 10. on the
people on
deck all stoked to get some, and I'll know that I can
never take this time for granted. I can't take this
ramp for granted. Because nothing lasts forev
There will come a time, hopefully years from now,
when this ramp will be gone. I'm not looking for-
ward to it, I just know it's inevitable. But, until then,
everyday I get to ride this arc-and ride it with good
friends-I will give thanks and feel stoked that right
now, at this moment, this ramp exists, and my
friends and I are taking full advantage of it.
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