If you’re dreaming of skating some huge ramps, or if you’re wondering, “Can you do tricks on a longboard?” the answer is a very loud HELL YES and the place to be is Camp Woodward.
Camp Woodward is a dream. If you’re lucky enough to skate it while the camp is empty (shout out to the guys at Woodward for doing that), then you just might have to pinch yourself.
Watch Bish's video above or click here to watch on YouTube, and scroll down to read all about what tricks we took on at Woodward below.
It all started at the foam pit set up in the warehouse next to the ramp. It’s a great place to drop in and make sure everything is dialed in. After that, the rest is magic, and a longboard is the perfect way to get it done.
I was rolling into a launch ramp that I had dreamed about for years, feeling the joints in the masonite panels under my wheels (the wheels had a soft durometer to help absorb impacts), and feeling completely weightless while flying over the 35-foot gap.
Bish started it off with some straight airs, moved onto a couple of method airs, and then a hand-shuvit (or varial, depending on how you were raised). After all of that went well, he decided to try dropping in switch to see how it felt doing a cab 180. In true Bish style, he landed it first try. It’s that kind of boost that let him throw those 360s. Here’s what Bish had to say about the rest:
The biggest challenge with 360s is the take off:
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If you turn too fast or too early, your back wheels will grip the take off ramp and send the board flying in a different direction than your body is going.
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If you turn too slowly or too late, then you’ll under-rotate and have to bail in mid-air.
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Technically, you can slide down the landing ramp on your knees (which I learned how to do that day), but this takes some practice and precision to not roll an ankle or blow out a knee.
After a few attempts to gauge the speed, I needed to clear the landing, I landed a 360 over the biggest gap at Woodward, followed by a rock-to-fakie on the 18-foot quarterpipe.
DISCLAIMER: If you know me or have seen videos of me, you probably know that I’m generally stoked about most things. That being said, landing this line was one of the best things I’ve ever done.
I somehow skated away from the session of my life in one piece and checked the HUGE box on my “to-skate” list. It was one of my top 3 sessions to date, and I’m so stoked to share it with the world.
Our Top Two Setups for Woodward
Arbiter KT with Orangtang Fat Frees 86a, and Paris Street 169 mm Trucks
If you ever find yourself standing at the top of a 3-story roll-in that launches you over a 35-foot gap, followed by an 18-foot quarter-pipe, the Arbiter KT is a sure fit. At the same time, if your experience skating on big ramps is limited to ones you can build yourself—or with a little help from your friends, the KT is still a great choice for the same reason.
Prior to Woodward, Bish’s experience skating on big ramps was, “limited to ramps I could build by myself—or with a little help from my friends. We had built ramps to put on hills that tried to emulate snowboard jumps, but above pavement instead of snow. On ramps that big, I always felt more comfortable riding a longboard versus a traditional street skateboard. Bigger ramp = bigger board. The landing platform is larger, the trucks are longer, and there is a bit more room for error if you under—or over-rotated a spin.”
The comfortable standing platform and durability of the maple construction make sure you can handle any bails, which are inevitable. The full functional kick is designed with the angle to handle a reverse kingpin downhill truck, giving you the same kind of pop you would get on a shortboard, but the big wheels you want for this setup. It’s the best of all the worlds.
Arbiter DK Orangatang Skiffs and Independent Trucks
Big boards x Big ramp skating = Big airs.
The DK’s wide tails let new and experienced transition skaters alike get their full foot on the board. With a heel—to—toe standing platform, riders can stay grounded while getting vertical.
Also designed for downhill slide, the Arbiter DK is built to handle more speed than you might ever get in a bowl. The symmetrical, stable platform is your key to avoiding the wobbles while pumping through the park. Go fast, then let the Arbiter do the rest. More landing platform means more board to hang on to when the tricks get tough & the terrain gets rough. You can learn your go-to tricks in every stance with the DK’s classic, twin-tip shape.
BIG THANKS to Camp Woodward for making our longboard dreams come true.
Now we’re dreaming of what’s next.