It is built!! So What, Skate it??

Ok, I approached skating this ramp very much the same way I did the first time I ever skated a ramp period; with high hopes and dreams but with a  harsh reality of inability and fear. That is right, nothing comes easy. Yep, this has all gone down just like it did on the big Pink Ramp in Levy, AR where I learned to skate Vert. It was eighth grade and my friend Scott Watson had been telling us about going to this ramp in Levy. It was 10ft tall, 24 ft wide, 1 ft of vert,  a roll-in channel on one side and surfaced in pink fiber glass - it was sick. It had just appeared on the cover of Transword Skateboarding Magazine and been the site of a pro/am competition. Apparently Christian Hosoi came to town for the competiton and has an illegitimate child still running around Little Rock. This place was legendary for Little Rock.

That first day I thought I might drop in and do some grinds, maybe hit up the roll in channel and attempt an air or two, I thought maybe I would get lucky and pull off a Rock-n-Roll.  I thought I could pull off tricks I could do on my finger board riding my text book, like I did back in  history class every day. Hilarious!!! Right!!! Nope!!!

I remember having all these aspirations though when I got on that ramp, I could barely stand up as the board hit the earliest part of the transitions. I learned how to pump the very bottom portion of the ramp, that was about it my first day. I may have pulled off some back side kick turns along with pumping back and forth. So do some grinds, yeah right, not my first day. I remember being sort of crushed like a girl friend not kissing you good night. I did not give up, I went back to that ramp as often as I could and eventually started hitting some coping and doing some grinds after a dozen visits or so. Eventually after skating it a year Indy Airs above coping, stand up grinds, nose pickers and fakie ollies were my thing. Awe yes, a bag of tricks and many new ones to learn, it became the life but only after a rough start that was filled with discouragement and fear. Kind of like I feel now.

The ramp is finished for the most part, this was done over the past weekend where I finished screwing down the surface, painted the outer wood (not the surface) and caulked all the seams. Tonight I will finish rigging my tarp system. I could build some rails on the decks but I am not in a hurry for that. Other than that, it is open for a session. we'll see, maybe this weekend.

So what is my problem? O yeah, the skating part. Well, I pump back and forth on the ramp, do front side and back side kick turns. I attempted grinding and fakie rocks but have not pulled anything off yet. I have stood at the top of the ramp thinking of dropping in but have not. Pathetic I know but eventually I will drop in when I am ready. Dropping in is the key to a whole other bag of tricks, then grinds, 50/50's and rock and rolls. It is not coming back quick, oddly enough,  almost the same pace as when I learned. I will say that I am further along in the feel of the ramp than when I was younger, then again I don't have near the fearlessness either. It is like learning how to skate all over again in some ways. I know that in a week I can skate the ramp. maybe next week I can do a grind and drop in. I need courage is all, don't want to hurt myself, not to worry, I have all the pads. Ok guys, its almost 5, gotta go.

Look!!! There's a Mini Ramp in your Back Yard!!

When did I start this project, something like three weeks ago. The first weekend I ran into Cody and collected a large sum of wood by dismantling and moving his ramp to my house. The second weekend I spent the entire weekend building the flat bottom and leveling the where the ramps home would be settled. Then third weekend I made my building supply purchase and build the transitions. Finally this past weekend I finished out building the platforms, installed coping and surfaced the ramp. So that is four weeks not three, dam and I am still not fully finished. I still have to put on another coat of Olympic Weather Proofing, get some lights, finish platforms and clean the place up. I am also working on a system to easily cover the thing with tarps. The work is never finished and did I even mention skating it?? I have skated it just a little to get a feel for how all the little cracks in some of the seams and the screw heads would feel when skating. Turns out I hardly noticed the imperfections really, maybe I will change my mind after I have skated it for a while. Ok, so here is a picture time line of each stage:

This where I started, at Cody's house. This is the state of the ramp I was about to dismantle screw by screw. It only took me a few hours to dismantle and move the whole thing. I have to send out special thanks to my next door neighbors, Mike and JB, for helping me move this lumber.

Here is my first attempt at the flat bottom. I originally was going to over lap onto my patio but you can see in later photos that I moved the it all into the yard. Notice  all the contact points that the ramp sits on are concrete blocks. I spent a lot of time making sure all the blocks are level to each other. It took me all weekend.

The third weekend I get a ride to the store and pick up the rest of the lumber. Mike, my neighbor, again comes through with the ride. He even loans me tools so I don't have to buy any extra. I later find out he does this so he can give me a hard time about it later, but no worries, it is just all fun and games to him. Once I get my lumber and screws I start building out the transitions. I build out four separate sections and then put them all together. 

I spent a good part of a day just figuring out how to build the first section. I had to first cut the transitions (the curved plywood pieces that make up the sides) then the joists and finally put them together. I also decided to save on wood and use the old transitions. I should have just spent the extra $35 dollars because working with used and weathered wood is a hassle. It is mostly warped and falling apart but I made it work in the end. My idea was to no waste any material, that is recycle everything. I used new wood yes, but I used old pieces mixed together.

I got all the four sections to fit fairly nicely but there were imperfections all over the place. I was an 8th off here and 1/4 off there,  how pieces of sections lined up were a little uneven in one part or another. It was all very close so I just went with it. Again, if I had used all new wood I think the sections would be closer to flawless, being thrifty can be more labor endusive especially when you have no idea what you are doing. By the way, I am building this ramp and I   have no idea what i am doing. I have been studying ramp plans and have some general carpentry skills, other than that I am on my own. No one has helped me other than some hauling. I finished the frame work of the ramp by the close of Sunday dusk and spent every night after work building out the decks.

This past Friday I took the day off. My morning started out going downtown to 201 Poplar, the city jail and court house, where I had to appear for a stop sign violation. That ended at 9:30 a.m, much earlier than I had originally planned. I thought I would be down there until almost noon. Then after some lunch I would go to Greenlaw and skate the mini ramp there. Instead, because it was so early  I headed home, finished the platforms, installed the coping and started installing the first  of three layers of my ramp surface.

I finished installing the first layer by Saturday morning. It took me almost all  of that after noon to install and figure out how to surface with 1/2 inch 4X8 sheets of plywood. My first idea was not going to work so I went to plan B which did work. Once I figured out plan B it was almost dark.

Woke up early Sunday and finished the second layer. It is not perfect but it did skate decent and the ramp started to look official some how. I guess it is like having clothes on or something.

That afternoon I was determined to get the third Masonite layer on and I did.

There it is with all the surface on but not finished screwing down. I used liquid nails on the cross seams and screwed down the edges best I could. See, because I did not plan the surface to joists out that well, not all the edges of the surface have a joist to screw into, so I had to improvise. If you have ever built a ramp you know what I mean. Man I have learned a lot.

There it is, looks splotchy because I put a coat of Olympic Clear weather proofing on the surface. It needs a second coat but the stuff works. I tested it after it dried before I slathered the whole ramp, seems fine, the treated surface was still smooth and slick. There are cracks where the seems don't meet up,  I skated it and hardly noticed. I have a few more things to do to the ramp, it is fully functional for now.

I am buying out door lighting and another tarp after work, not sure what I am going to do tonight. Part of me wants to skate so I might.  Late.