There’s not much certainty in this world, but it’s safe to say that every skateboarding enthusiast dreams of having their own private skatepark or ramp. For many athletes, it’s a fantasy, but the sport’s elite can afford it, and when it happens, it’s always fascinating to see each pro’s personal signature. In the following article, we present the 6 most interesting private ramps in the world, as well as 2 special mentions that may surprise you.

1- The lovely Lizzie Armanto ramp

First of all, it’s not the widest or the tallest, but it’s certainly the cutest of the half-pipes. Lizzie Armanto‘s private ramp was custom-designed by her and for her (with the help of an expert ramp builder) and features pink pool blocks. The railings are made of macramé by her mom, and the planters around the ramp are full of flowers and edible plants that she and her boyfriend water. As she says herself, since she’s got her own ramp, many of her tricks are easier. What a dream come true!

2- Bob Burnquist and his dream skatepark

Bob Burnquist has christened his home and private skatepark “Dreamland”, and you will soon understand why.There is so much to say about the Brazilian skateboarder’s private infrastructure! The mega ramp? The bowl? The music studio? The ranch? We could write a book on the history of all his ramps and, above all, the skateboarding tricks landed there for the first time, but let’s cut to the chase. It began in the early 2000s with the construction of a rather classic but impressively large half-pipe wooden ramp, which was later transformed into a concrete ramp. At various times, at its end, there was a corkscrew ramp, an open loop and a bowl corner.

After Danny Way invented the mega ramp in 2006, Bob contacted him and made one for himself too. So Dreamland also features a permanent mega-ramp, one of the few in the world, consisting of three 15 to 21-meter jumps followed by a huge 9-meter-high quarterpipe! Numerous professional skateboarders have pushed the limits of the sport here, but it’s the owner who takes the prize for innovation. In 2013, a 90° inclined ramp (step-up style) was added to the quarter pipe section of the mega-ramp to film Burnquist’s “Dreamland” video. In closing, there’s no admission charge, but by offering to work on the terrain, you may be granted permission to skate.

3- Tony Hawk has the perfect ramp

Tony Hawk is the most famous skateboarder in the galaxy, so let’s just say he can afford to build a skatepark at home. But it’s not the bowl at his California home we’re going to talk about, because it’s cute, but it’s not the pièce de résistance. The Birdman ramp, with its sturdy metal structure, smooth skatelite coating, steel ledges and gap in the center has all the qualities a pro looks for when learning new tricks and practicing competitive routines. Rumor has it that this ramp makes everyone better, because it’s that perfect. The curve of the transition is well proportioned, with a constant height of 12 feet and a length of around 60 feet or 18 meters.

It’s not for nothing that Reese Nelson trains there, remember the young prodigy we saw at JACKALOPE Montreal in 2023. It’s also where Jimmy Wilkins recently pulled off a frontside 540 without a grab. As the saying goes, “In a perfect ramp, perfect tricks!”

4- Elliot Sloan and the new generation

Elliot Sloan was very young when he first saw Tony Hawk skate, and he benefited from seeing his mentor shatter the discipline’s glass ceilings, but it’s clear that the likes of Danny Way and Bob Burnquist also had a strong influence on Sloan. And if there’s any doubt about that, just take a look at his private skatepark, sometimes referred to as “the coolest private skatepark in the world”. Without going into precise measurements, he has a ramp very similar to Tony Hawk’s “perfect” one, but he also has a mega-ramp similar to Bob Burnquist’s, with one important difference: he’s created a line for jumping 2 times in a row. See the links below for a better understanding, but also for a detailed live description of Eliot’s helmet jumping and gliding in his backyard. Sloan follows in the footsteps of the greats and pushes the envelope even further. His tricks as much as his skatepark are those of a new generation of skaters who are raising the bar even higher.

5- Pedro Barros and a bowl in the jungle, on an island

The island of Florianopolis in Brazil is reputed to be a paradise. The weather is almost always skate-friendly, tropical fruits grow here year-round and the waves are perfect for surfing – in short, all that was missing was a world-class bowl. Thanks to Pedro Barros, one of the world’s best transition skaters, as seen at JACKALOPE Montréal 2023, there’s now this huge bowl called RTMF. It’s a less classic shape, and in addition to the unique form, it’s a little more handcrafted, giving the place an almost DIY feel. Visit at you brown risk.

6- The new JACKALOPE ramp at the heart of the action

It was booming in the old port of Montreal, but also in Mississauga this year. At the risk of sounding too proud, we’re cheating a little on the concept of this article to include a fantastic ramp that all the athletes tell us they love. With this in mind, we ordered this ramp from the same company that made Tony Hawk’s “perfect” ramp. Nothing too good for the Jackalope pros. I’ll spare you the technical details, but it’s sturdy enough to make you forget that it’s a removable ramp. The transitions are designed to give athletes as much amplitude as possible, and the size is big enough to rival the best ramps in the world. Take a look at some souvenir photos of its first year of life and the most beautiful tricks we’ve seen so far.

This list could go on but we’ll leave you with these beautiful memories and two special mentions that are not private parks but notable initiatives by passionate skaters to share their love of the discipline with all fans:

Special mention #1:

Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament, a skateboarder dedicated to his community, shares his fame, fortune and resources with skaters by contributing to several skateparks in the state of Montana, where he lives and where there are fabulous skateparks, here’s the innovative one in the town of Clinton:

Derek Joseph
Pearl Jam Bassist Jeff Amet with supporters of the Clinton Skatepark, Clinton

Special mention #2:

Pro skater Rune Glifberg is helping to make Copenhagen, where he lives, a skateboarding paradise with the world’s longest skatepark. Nothing less, it makes you want to go sightseeing on wheels! See all the details of this amazing project in this article below and a tour filmed by Glifberg himself.

 

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Une publication partagée par Rune Glifberg (@runeglifberg)

Let us know in the comments which of these ramps makes you dream the most!