Ramp City – Anytown, USA.
This is golden. 80’s era footage of a skate park called Ramp City on a “Good Morning America” type show localized in Cleveland. Gary Lumpkin is the man on the scene. Lord. God. King. The banter between the hosts (not to mention the accents) and low key nature of this program has the Midwest stamped all over it. The skaters are good and the reporter is a good natured goof who really does his best, unlike some. Hear terms like hodad and youngster bandied about. Listen to the hosts go from genuinely concerned for the safety of the Lumpkin to Jackass-type encouragement in one sentence. Also, check out the incredibly corny (even for that time) canned background music during the second half of the location shoot. It’s almost a riff of a Keystone Cops movie. Highly recommended, it comes from a BMX site actually. The owner was a 16 year old BMX guy, although they conspicuously don’t explain where he got the money to open the place. I almost forgot the best part. Gary calls the ramp a half-tube.
Ride the Half-Tube at Ramp City
You have to hand it to that reporter for actually trying to ride the ramp!
For sure! Lumpkin is the best!
That was great. I like the argyle sweater.
Awesome stuff. That guy Lumpkin is truly gnar. It’s like he’s not even thinking about what he’s doing, almost no hesitation, and it’s live. I don’t think I would try a “coffin drop-in”, and he hits his head on the flat! I love when they point the camera down the roll-in and the comentators go “whoa!”, and what does he think he’s going to do on the bike when he hits the first wall? The applause from the riders is genuine. Made my day.
right on, Mac.
I wish I were GARY LUMPKIN.
Gary Lumpkin is Captain Radical.
[…] Troy Sliter sent this link to an old clip about a Ffej demo in Canada. Some pretty great skating but the standouts are the banal commentary about boards with wheels and the general cluelessness of the news guys. Oh and Kurt Stoodley
the show was not based in cleveland as the blurb states, but minneapolis/st. paul
It’s me, the “good natured goof”, Gary Lumpkin. And yes, we were in Minnesota and this show was in the mid 80’s as I recall. Someone told me about this site so I had to check it out. Keep shredin’ the half tube all you hodads and youngsters.
he’s rad but not as rad as her shoulder pads. They are truly extreme.
Whoa, Gary Lumpkin actually found this post and left a reply! Dying to know who the skaters are, anyone?
Would have to disagree with Charlie’s statement that BMX is tougher than skating after Gary made his first BMX drop-in and thankfully never attempted one on a skateboard.
What a gem though.
What! Lumpkin, we still tell stories about you and dropping in etc…
It was only open for about 6 months. The 1st vert ramp in Minneapolis with big transitions. Before this all the previous ramps had 8 ft transitions.