Mega Ramp construction
I always wondered how they built the X Games mega ramp, and this is not what I expected. California Skate Parks is the builder, and their PR firm is trying to drum up some press, offering interviews, tours and such. Do any of you guys have any (reasonable) questions? Maybe we could make it a group effort. (FYI I’ve got a killer Brian Brannon interview coming up!)
Here are some generic standards:
How long does it take and how big of a crew to set up?
Is there only one MegaRamp that travels from venue to venue?
Does it have a “home base” where it is set-up for training when there is not a demo/competition?
What is required to get a MegaRamp (or miniMega) demo/comp to come to my town? (what type of sponsorship/city involvement/basic venue specs/who to contact)
I always wondered along this line of questioning….
Are there standard dimensions (height, tranny, ratios between various sections of the ramp, etc)? If not, how are the dimensions determined? How do you prevent that first drop-in from ending up over the flat or under the scaffolding? Is the distance/height a skater covers controlled mostly in the legs via the pumping motion?
Ask them what the answers have been when they’ve suggested to the Maloofs and X-Games to build permanent skate parks in greater L.A. for their comps, so that something could be left for the community, and to make all that labor and materials really worth something? They could even use it for the comp again next year. Imagine that?
Mac: Winner!
Ask them to get you a pdf of their scaled design drawings.
Why, are you going to build one? I doubt they’d do that.
Jebus, look at the size of that 1/4 pipe in relation to the dudes working on it :-0
Big balls!!!
I’d like to see the scale drawings too. Someday a version 50-60% of that could be possible at the park I build at.
Todd, this video of NB sure made my day. Milford steered me toward some stuff from my backyard on myface. Nice editing! You rip!
PS Ghetto bowl was freaky tranny. Kinda cool if you can skate it a bunch.
I can help a little with Gene’s questions,at least for the jump and landing ramp portion.In 1999 Andy MacDonald wanted to try jumping as far as he could on a skateboard -he’d been inspired by his experience with some superkickers at Windell’s snowboard camp. He talked one of his sponsors (Swatch) into putting up the $ by telling them he thought he could establish a world record. He invited Tim Payne to his friend’s in Haslett,MI to build the structure for it. They basically just guessed at the dimensions. after successful attempts at close to 50 ft. they added a sheet of ply to the takeoff and he managed to set the first ever long jump record of 52’10”. The takeoff ramp was 4ft. wide and at the end of the landing they had a couple matresses standing up to knock down to kill his speed. Later, Danny Way added the giant quarter pipe at the end,(of a bigger, better structure) as he’d already been destroying high air records and Danny’s pretty much gotten credit for the “Mega Ramp” ever since.
Oh yeah, the final height of the takeoff was 44ft. It was 4ft. wide with no railings, and it swayed in the breeze. Andy took a few good hippers while they worked out the angles…Andy and Tim deserve BIG respect for this.You see it on TV now and it seems out of reach to folks like us, but it was full on backyard, make it up as you go, skateboarding!
Yeah I had a totally gay question. Oh I doubt they’d do thaaat!
Ask them if I can try it and if they will put in a huge air bag that inflates as soon you pass the coping. Wait, that still leaves the dropping in from six stories up part, and the 70 foot gap. Never mind.
I think the first quarterpipe on one was 25ft tranny,2ft vert. Now they’re up to something 30 ft tall I think. Is this the upper limit based on average human height/weight? Or could they go even bigger? What are the dimensions of the boards,trucks and wheels folks are using on this?
I believe it’s Woodward in PA that has a ‘mini’ mega built on a hill. The landing ramp is a resi ramp with an airbag under it so the landing slams aren’t as harsh, but you can still stick it and roll away. Last I saw it though, it had a run out, but no quarter or mattresses… There’s some youtubage of MicahWu (11 years old) hitting it. I certainly try it there, but I wouldn’t be comfy even standing at the top of the roll-in on Bob’s or the Camp X Megas.
Prickly Pete: The gal who is doing her thesis on the mega ramp had to sign non disclosures before they would reveal any information. I believe they consider it a trade secret, as if X-GAmes are worried that somone else will build one and put it on TV.
Gotcha. That’s like WWF coveting the design of their wrestling ring. If someone wanted to copy the ramp they could do it without too much trouble and probably without loosing a lawsuit. The inclined plane is probably public domain. OK so this makes me think of some questions: are the skaters that ride the ramp under any sort of contract with X-Games? Could they be free agents if say a “mom & pop” extreme sports outfit came out with their own mega-ramp? Ask them for drawings of the ramp anyway just to see how they respond. How bout some questions put to someone who skates these things?
Today’s New York Times has another story on it. They quote Jake Phelps giving Danny ALL the credit for it. Not to take anything away from Danny,but failing to mention the work done by Andy and Tim for the long jump portion is just poor journalism.They just winged it and got it right the first day, and nobody got really hurt. Pretty amazing really…
skaterhusseindave, Thanks for the info. I keep forgetting about the snowboard influence on the mega ramp idea. I suppose if a skater is comfortable with big transitions and gaps via snowboarding, a lot of the skills/instincts developed there should translate well to skating mega ramps, in terms of both what dimensions would work as well as being able to ride it.
Biker Mat Hoffman built a 25′ (I think) quarter pipe 20+ years ago… just sayin’…