Building Skateboard Ramps

There was a time when skateboarding is more of a past time for a lot of kids and teenagers, and most of them would learn a trick or two just to impress their friends or the ladies. Among those is having a makeshift ramp set up near the garage using some materials and a strong enough plywood.

And it's still being practiced even today.

Most skateboarders would want to start practicing on ramps before hitting the skate park or the vertical half-pipe just for the sake of avoiding an embarrassing fall. Just to remind novice skateboarders is that ramps can be just as dangerous despite of the starting level they would work with.

To begin construction, the builder has to determine the size and a place for storage. Anything too big might not fit inside the garage. The design may vary, depending on how high the jump may be and depending on the slope as well. A street with a steep climb and a big enough ramp would cause a jump that may be too much to handle. Creating a sketch is a good way to start off things.

A few 2x4 pieces of wood would be good enough for the framework, followed by some pieces of plywood for the curve. It may take as many as 2 layers of plywood to create a decent ramp, but the initial design would be all about simplicity. There should be 3 panels of plywood to create the necessary curve and from there they start nailing it in place. Best if they use screws for better grip and since the screws wouldn't jut at the end of the wood in case of accidents that would snag the skateboarder. Once the plywood is already in place, another later of plywood can be layered to complete it. Better to use thin plywood since it can bend enough for the ramp.

There are practically hundreds of ramps that are made with varying shapes and sizes, and most of them would be within the skateboarder's skill level. Of course, a skateboarding beginner would want to wait until they are comfortable enough to ride a skateboard to learn a trick or two, but in any case, having a ramp would definitely increase the thrill factor, as well as honing landing skills when it comes to skateboarding.

It would definitely erase the sense of fear when it comes to skate parks or when performing street tricks such as the ollie.