8' tall halfpipe ideas

[PolkaV]

I plan on building an 8' high x 16' wide halfpipe this summer. I'd to look at a few different plans to settle on an ideal transition radius and flat bottom length.  There doesn't seem to be much on the web regarding pipes over 5', let alone plans.

Do you guys agree that the transition radius should always be greater than the overall height?  I would like to get some vert on this ramp.

Please tell me your thoughts and experiences.

[tuesday]

Any specific reason why you want it to be 8' high? Skated a ramp for years that was around the size you plan, and it definitely wasn't the best size. Pretty much felt out of proportion in every aspect. Too narrow for the height, ended in vert (8' radius), but wasn't a vert ramp. Not a mini ramp either. 

[Willie]

Do you guys agree that the transition radius should always be greater than the overall height?

Not for a vert ramp.

I assume what you are going for is like a small 80’s vert ramp? In that case maybe you could do 8’ tall with 7.5’ transition or 8.5’ tall with 8’ transitions. On bigger stuff, I think anything smaller than 8’ radius feels tight. People do it of course but to babies like me that’s more conducive to slash grinds.

I agree that it going to feel crazy narrow for that height. We’ve got a 5’ tall mini with a 16’ width nearby and by the time you carve into a grind you’re halfway across the ramp.

[Plan9Customs]

For something 8’ tall you’ll definitely want wider than 16’ wide. I don’t know if there’s a Transworld mag archive online anywhere, but check mid 80s ramp locals sections if there is. Lance had a few articles on making halfpipes and 8’-9’ was pretty standard.

Edit*
I guess there is an archive but seems kinda shitty. Couldn’t get anything to open, but the cover of Hawk doing the smith should have the info you’re after. It’s what I built my first ramp from.

[southphillytapwater]

My friend used to have an 8' tall, 16' wide ramp with 8' transition and a 9' extension. It was a fun "mini" vert ramp. Pretty intimidating, but very skatable (if you can skate vert).

[PolkaV]

Thanks for the replies.

8' doesn't seem like a weird size to me, but maybe that's an 80s thing, as some of the replies have indicated.  What I'm after is the lowest height possible that allows you to bonk.  I may be able to go 20' wide, but that's a maximum in the space allotted. 

Do you all agree that an 8' radius would be a good place to start for this?  If that's the case, I think the ramp will have to be at least 9' total height, with 1 or maybe 1.5' of vert. 

Plan9, that's an October 1986 issue of Transworld, insane prices for that on Ebay.  I'll see if I can get someone to scan the plans.

I remember people using compound radii to cheat dimensions, but I know nothing about that.  This is why I'm looking for plans so I'm not reinventing the wheel.  It's funny, I don't see many ramp plans on the internet at all.  After three decades, you'd think there would be more useful information on the web.

[tuesday]

There is a reason why radius evolved to be bigger (more time, less chance to bottom land / slam directly into flat), but in principle an 8' radius is skateable. Might even make sense if the ramp can't be that wide. Don't go under 8' radius, though. Not quite sure what you mean by bonk.  You will be able to bonk off the coping if it is set nicely already on an 8' high ramp with 8' transitions that ends with vert. I would say don't get too much vert on a tiny radius. But try it out. Good thing is that you could cut it down if it turns our too much. That's easier than to add vert to an existing structure.

[Willie]

I vaguely remember those ramp plans in the old TWS but really none of that stuff is gospel. There’s got to be some decent ramp building stuff on YouTube. I kinda remember one with Billy Rohan that wasn’t bad.

Depending on expected level of use, location, how long you realistically expect it to last, you can overbuild or try to stretch you lumber farther (wider rib spacing etc.). I remember those Thrasher plans being kind of under built in that regard.


I don’t know if you watched the video I posted above but I’ve skated that 3rd Lair bowl a few times and it’s one of the “friendliest”, size and transition wise, for a novice who doesn’t regularly mess with bigger stuff. I think he says it’s 8.5’?