Mini Ramp Riding Tips

The mini ramp is a shorter version of large ramps like half pipes and quarter pipes. While mini ramps are considered less dangerous than their taller counterparts, it doesn't mean that you can't get hurt skating one. Learn a few of these tips to enhance your stability on the ramp, which can help you sharpen your ability to ride a mini ramp.

  1. Tight Trucks

    • Tightening your trucks will improve the board's stability while riding back and forth inside the mini ramp. Since you'll be traveling in both directions, tighter trucks will help you maintain a straight path. This is great for learning because you won't have to worry about steering yourself off the ramp.

    Foot Placement

    • Plant your feet directly over the bolts of the skateboard. This is a great position to maintain full control over your board, since it will allow you to utilize both the tail and the nose of the board as you approach the coping (which is the railing located at the crest of the ramp). There are four bolts at either end of the board; placing your feet on these bolts will position them above the trucks, granting you full control over them as well.

    Pumping

    • Bending your knees is essential to maintain speed in the mini ramp. As you ride through the transition, bend and extend your knees to absorb and carry the momentum through the curve of the ramp. You should already have your knees bent as you enter the curve of the ramp; then, as you exit the curved portion, extend them to propel yourself forward. The action of bending and extending your knees is called pumping.

    Start From the Top

    • This is called "dropping in," and it involves you standing on the top edge of the ramp, then leaning over and dropping into the transition of the ramp. This is a great way to gain speed, and it will also get you comfortable with the curve of the ramp. Dropping in is essential to your development in the ramp, as many tricks and maneuvers are performed at or above the coping.