90 foot skateboard ramp in LA (with 50 foot jump required)

[underpants]

A skateboarder flies through the air during a practice run on a nine-story ramp built for the X Games, at the parking lot of the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Monday, Aug. 2, 2004. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/x_games

LOS ANGELES - One by one, the world's top daredevil skateboarders fling themselves from a nine-story tower down a ski jump-style ramp. They soar across a heart-stopping, 50-foot gap to the wooden slope below.

Way set skateboard world records for longest (75 feet) and highest (23 1/2 feet) jumps on a single run in June 2003, at a mega ramp in the Southern California desert. He plans to break his distance record in Los Angeles on Sunday.


Made of lumber and covered in a smooth Masonite-like surface called Skatelite, the 335-foot-long mega ramp includes three major stages.


Crouched skaters initially roll down a 45-foot nearly vertical wall. They reach speeds up to 40 mph and fly across a 50-foot gap. The ramps are like those in snowboarding and ski jumping, except there's no snow to cushion the frequent, awkward falls.


If they land the jump, skaters head right up a 27-foot quarter pipe to perform tricks like the Christ Air or McTwist.


To catch even bigger air, contestants can climb to a 60-foot platform for takeoff, then try to clear a 70-foot gap.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

1. wow

that is a big ass ramp

[southpaw]

Holy hell...

Talk about massive air!!!

I'm more of an old-schooler myself!

[matcom]

2. No.Fucking.Way

:scared:

i think they should put an alligator infested pool across that 50 foot span. THAT would be REAL cool! :D

[underpants]

3. The way this reads I don't think you have a choice

you climb up the structure and start down and you either have what it takes to make the jump or.........

I hope they have some sawdust and big shovels ready to scrape up the brains.

That is freaking crazy.

[matcom]

4. when is this thing on TV?

cause this is something i REALLY need to watch

[underpants]

5. ESPN-another pic and X-Games TV schedule

ON EDIT-it looks like that is the 50 foot jump about a 20-25 foot fall from the ramps I wonder if there is any cushioning down there.



http://expn.go.com/expn/summerx/2004/story?id=1839724

[matcom]

6. CRIPES!

those mofo's be CRAZY!

[whistle]

7. Uhmmm, Olympic Skateboarding....

...:wow:

[underpants]

8. I wonder if they will allow the use of "extra equipment"

[On the Road]

9. *IF* They Land the Jump?

Yes, and if they don't????