Having some kind of backyard ramp has been a passing dream for most skateboarders, growing up staring idly out of parents’ windows and imagining at least a wooden miniramp taking the place of the patagonias and greenhouse. Being able to lazily stroll out the door, put down your morning coffee and do a few frontside grinds before work would start you off in a much better mood than, say, sitting in the kitchen wondering how many wankers are going to fart on the packed morning commute.
The backyard ramp comes in many forms; from the aforementioned humble wooden miniramp or even quarterpipe, to kinked concrete pits, to even the megaramp complexes that loom outside the properties of Danny Way and Bob Burnquist. I have avoided including these alongside some of the more ‘professional’ (for want of a better word) looking ramps as I’d rather this post fell into the inspirational rather than aspirational category, but couldn’t resist including some bigger garden features – you’ll still find Kowalski’s bowls and Red’s shed among the smaller projects.
Labours of sweaty, landlord-bridge-burning love that they are, backyard ramps are an endless source of stoke, so we have compiled a list of a few of our favourites. Hopefully they will offer a few ideas for a build – if the garden is not an option, then at the nearest quiet space where you can create away from prying council eyes!
