Throwback Thrills at the SoCal Gaming Expo 🎮🛹

Last year, we had the rad opportunity to join the SoCal Gaming Expo in Pasadena, CA—a nostalgia-packed convention featuring everything from Atari and NES to Pokémon collectibles. After a killer debut, the event’s founders, Aaron and Chris, invited us back for round two—this time with an even bigger focus on skateboarding.

They wanted the iconic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-themed halfpipe back in action, plus a new addition: a fingerboard park where guests could try their hand at miniature skating. From rails to quarter pipes to tiny halfpipes, we created an interactive booth setup that let attendees jump in and shred—well, with their fingers at least!

We pre-fabricated a custom booth tailored to fit the space and arrived two days early to set up. Our team split into two crews—one handled the fingerboard booth, the other tackled the real-deal mini ramp. Both were built and ready to roll in under four hours.

When showtime hit, our pro riders brought the heat: Dave Bachinsky, TomTom Ryen, Mike Berdis, Andrew Miller, and Chris Massie, along with crowd favorites Jaw Shawn Hale and David Loy. Throughout the weekend, people gathered around our booth for hours just to watch the nonstop skate action.

Saturday night brought a huge energy boost—a live band performing emo punk hits from the Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtracks. With the music blasting just 20 feet away, our skaters threw down an epic 45-minute demo to the soundtrack of your childhood.

What makes these moments so fun is watching the creativity unfold. Within minutes, pros like Shawn Hale and David Loy were dreaming up new ways to use the ramp. Shawn wanted to launch onto the top of our booth (we politely said no), so we improvised by attaching a butter bench to the top deck. David went even further—board-sliding the ramp’s guardrail like a madman. It just shows how even the simplest setup can become a playground for innovation.

We also gave away decks, tees, stickers, and poster packs. Aaron upped the ante by raffling off retro games, keyboards, and the coveted Nintendo Switch 2. You can bet everyone had their eye on that prize!

Sunday mellowed out a bit, with more guests enjoying the fingerboard park and reminiscing about their favorite old-school games. Monday morning, our build crew returned to break everything down, palletizing and loading up in just three hours.

Many guests were blown away that our ramps and booth weren’t permanent installs—they’re modular, durable, and built to move. Using high-quality screws and pressure-treated materials, our ramps can be taken apart and reassembled without damage, which makes them ideal for traveling events.

If you’ve got a trade show or convention coming up and want to crank up the entertainment value, give OC Ramps a call. We’ll help you design and build a custom skate setup that fits your theme, space, and budget. Just like we did with the TMNT ramp, we’re all about creating those nostalgic, memorable moments that bring people together.