How to Skate a Ramp With a Skateboard

Learning to skate a ramp with your skateboard is one of the most important things to accomplish as a skater. Regardless of how small your first ramp may be, practicing your tricks and techniques on it prepares you to take on larger beasts like quarter- and half-pipes. Ramp skating is not without its perils, though, so follow these steps to get started safely.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Learn to ride your skateboard on flat ground first. Get comfortable riding forward and backward, since you'll be going both ways on the ramp.

2. Practice dropping in on a mini-ramp. You'll get the basic mechanics of the maneuver down without having to worry about falling to the bottom of a half-pipe.

3. Perform some basic tricks on the face of a mini-ramp. Ollies, grinds and stalls are the best tricks to practice.

4. Approach the ramp with enough speed to do your trick. Beginners often ride into ramps going too slow to perform their tricks, leaving them stranded near the coping.

5. Connect your runs in the skate park with simple tricks on ramps. Use the ramps to punctuate your flat-ground routines with exciting, stylish air moves.

6. Watch out for other skaters who're close to the ramp. You'll rarely hit the ramp at the same time, but you might run into them coming down or grabbing air at the top.

7. Find a small half-pipe and practice riding back and forth on your skateboard. Get used to preserving your momentum during the transition between tricks.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear a helmet when riding ramps.

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