Megarampe i baghaven
- Detaljer
- Oprettet: tirsdag, 7. oktober 2008 16:01
- Skrevet af Mads Matzon
Japaneren Kazunari Ishida holdt op med at drikke og fik
råd til en Mega i baghaven
Fotos leveret af Kazunari Ishida
- How did you get the idea to build a mega ramp in your back yard?
When I saw the DC video in 2004, I wanted to try it. But I couldn’t build it because I lived in Tokyo at the time. In 2006, I moved back to my hometown and saw the movie of Danny’s backflips in Mexico. I got extremely excited. After that, I started building my own mega ramp.
- How did you actually build it?
I built four versions to figure out the most comfortable design. The first version was composed of a starting roll-in, a jump ramp, a landing plane, and a wall, instead of a quarter pipe. My friend and I tried it, but landing after the straight jump was really difficult. We understood that there was a misconfiguration between the jump ramp and the landing plane, so we reformed the configuration. That was the second version. After numerous trials on the second version, I felt that the jump ramp was too small to be able to launch off at high speed. Keeping balance after the jump was pretty difficult. To remedy the launch problem, I created a bigger jump ramp and landing plane. In addition, my dad built a 20-ft quarter pipe to replace the wall. That was the third version. My friend and I tried it out many times before we became convinced that the design wasn’t so bad. However, making air at the quarter was difficult because the launch ramp and the landing plane were almost at the same level as the bottom of the quarter. To get enough speed to making air at the quarter, my dad and I rebuilt the rollin, launch ramp, and landing plane at a higher level. Based on numerous trials, we adjusted the geometry. And that’s the last version of my mega ramp.
- How did you finance it?
I could pay for all of it because I just bought steel panels and pipes. I calculated geometries. My dad has a lot of machinery. So building the mega ramp was not so expensive. In addition, I had stopped drinking alcohol to save money for it.
- How did you motivate yourself for taking the first jump?
My curiosity overcame my fear. Moreover, I designed the mega ramp based on calculations and principles of physics. Physics gives you the confidence to try things under safe conditions.
- How did it feel?
I felt incredible G-force when I was launched and then zero G after the launch. That was an amazing experience.
- Have you taken any nasty slams on it?
I’ve taken a lot of slams. I sometimes hit my head or fall from over the quarter to the bottom. The quarter pipe is the most dangerous part of the mega ramp because you get maximum speed and G-force. A tiny error can be amplified due to the speed and force. You have to be careful on the quarter.
- Which tricks have you done on it?
I’ve done a backside 360 over the gap. I understood that successful landing after rotation at high speed on a skateboard was quite sensitive.
- Which tricks are you planning on doing on it in the future?
Rodeoflip at the quarter, frontside 360 and backflip at the launch ramp.
- What are the measurements of the ramp?
The height of the roll-in is adjustable from 23 to 36 ft. The width is 4.92 ft. The height of launch ramp is 8.2 ft and the width is the same as that of the rollin—it’s a little bit tight. The radius is 25 ft, that’s not tight. The position of the launch ramp is also adjustable so that you can change the gap between the launch ramp and the landing plane. The height of the quarter pipe is 20.5 ft and the width is 14.8 ft. The radius is 18.4 ft. Those are the maximum dimensions to fit a mega ramp in my backyard.
- Did you know the size would work or did you just go for it?
To make the last mega ramp, I built the other three mini versions of mega ramp. Moreover, I calculated the launch speed and structure for version three and the last version, so I had confidence that the size of the last mega ramp would work.
- Any plans for joining the X-games mega ramp event?
I don’t have plans to, but I do want to try a full-size mega ramp.
- Where exactly in Japan do you live?
My hometown is in Shimane prefecture. It’s a rural area where there are a lot of good skate and surf spots.
- Are you the only one who has tried it?
My friends have also tried it. They organize Team Mega Ramp Japan. They are the evangelists of the mega ramp in Japan. You can read all about their trials here (in Japanese):http://www.geocities.jp/vertskatejapan/mega.html
- How many years have you been skating?
Fourteen years. Vert skating for eight years.
- How is the skate scene in Japan?
There are a lot of good skaters and skate parks in Japan, but vert skaters and vertical ramps are quite rare.
- Do you snowboard?
Yes, I do. But I haven’t gone since 2000. Going to snowboard parks can be a little bit time consuming, although snowboarding is very fun. That’s one of the reasons why I made the mega ramp: so I can experience incredible G-force and zero G in any season.
- What do you do when you are not skating or building a megaramp in your back yard?
I also enjoy BMX flatland, paragliding, and surfing. When I can't do any of those because of the weather, I develop software to extract interesting information from the Internet—I'm a software engineer. Trying new tricks and developing software are both kinds of exploration. And exploration, in any field, offers exciting experiences.
- Anything else?
I hope a lot of skaters make and enjoy their own mega ramps because trying a mega ramp is fun and pretty exciting.
Kazunaris youtube-profil:
