Mini Skateboard Ramps

Mini skateboard ramps are a fun and easy way to build new skills on a skateboard. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or a beginner, skating a mini-ramp is a great, low impact way to learn new ramp tricks on a skateboard. You can probably find a mini-ramp at your local skate park or at a private park. Before you try a mini-ramp, you'll need:

• a skateboard
• a helmet
• a skate park

And also some vocabulary:

• transition - the point at which the flat of the mini-ramp curves up toward the coping
• coping - the metal tubing that joins the ramp to the deck. 

Steps

1. The first thing that you want to master on the mini-ramp is dropping in. This is the most basic part of riding a mini-ramp. With your back foot, lock the tail of your board on the coping so that the board sticks out into the air a little above a horizontal angle. In a single motion, lean forward and put your front foot on the board at the front bolts and let your body descend the ramp. Keep your knees poised to absorb the transition in the ramp. Focus on the transition of the ramp.
2. The first real trick you will want to try is the Rock'n'Roll. This means that you rock the middle of your board on the coping and then descend backwards, or fakie. For this you will want to keep your front foot just before the four bolts. Anywhere beyond that, or too close to your back foot, and you will get into balance trouble.  Ride up, rock the board on the coping, and descend.
3. The next trick is the backside 50-50 stall, a trick best to try after you can comfortably do a Rock'n'roll. In a 50-50 stall, both of your trucks are firmly planted on the coping and for a moment you are completely vertical.  It's pretty much like standing up for a moment on the coping. The first thing you want to do is make sure you have enough speed so that if you were to just go up the ramp, you'd make it up onto the deck without much of a problem. Position your front foot at the four bolts but focus on back foot because the back foot is how you get locked onto the coping.  Ride with enough speed and lift your front wheels so they are in the air while  your back wheels are still on the ramp. Now turn board toward your back shoulder so that your weight is on the back of the arch in your heel. Directly under this is where the trucks should meet the coping. Once you get the back foot on, it is really important to try to thrust yourself up to a vertical stance, as if you were standing up. With both feet on the coping, standing vertical, lift the front foot off and down toward the transition of the ramp. Lean down into it, brace your knees, and direct yourself down the ramp, absorbing the weight shift in at the transition.  

If you master these initial steps, you can move on with confidence to more difficult and fun things like 50-50 grinds, 5-0s, and getting air.  Good luck!  You're in for a lot of fun.