Three people assembling a wooden quarter pipe in a driveway — The family driveway build that inspired the creation of OC Ramps.

BUILT BY SKATERS, FOR SKATERS

That first ramp made me want to skate every day.

OC Ramps began in a family driveway in 1997. My dad and I built a quarter pipe so my friends and I could skate at home. Once it was done, they came over every day. I wanted more skaters to know that feeling: one more run, one more try, and another session tomorrow.

1997 / HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA

THE FIRST BUILD

All I wanted for Christmas was a quarter pipe.

I was in seventh grade when Dad and I found plans in Thrasher and went to buy the wood. We spent days building an eight-foot-wide, three-foot-tall quarter pipe. It had to fit through the side gate so we could put it away after skating.

The first time we rolled it out, our driveway became the spot. My friends kept coming back. So did I.

Tyler with his dad in an archival family photograph — Tyler and his dad.

BUILT WITH DAD

The ramp stayed with me after Dad was gone.

Within a year of our first build, Dad was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. He was given six months. He fought for our family for two years and died in 2000, when I was fifteen.

I kept building obstacles for my friends. I loved the work, and I kept thinking about what that quarter pipe had given us: more time skating, more chances to land something we couldn't do yesterday, and more afternoons together at the driveway.

That's the feeling I wanted to share with other skaters.

MY OLDER BROTHER BRANDON

“I think you and Dad did an amazing job ... we should build more and see if we can sell them.”

Brandon saw what that first ramp could become. We began making quarter pipes on our driveway and selling them to skaters around Huntington Beach. Some sold before we had room to build the next.

An early wooden ramp with a hand-painted skate ramps for sale sign — Local ramps for sale in Huntington Beach.

Skaters working on an early wooden ramp outside a family garage — Early builds in the family garage.

FROM DRIVEWAY BUILDS TO RAMP KITS

A real wooden ramp, ready for you to build.

Working out of my mom's driveway gave us a space problem. While I was studying economics, I started thinking about furniture kits. What if a skater could get a wooden ramp delivered with the parts already cut?

They could enjoy building it without hunting down materials or cutting every piece. Brandon and I brought the kit to market in 2005. We started on eBay, moved into a small Santa Ana warehouse, and grew one build at a time.

OC Ramps is still a California business of people who skate and build. We make ramp kits, custom parks and event setups with that first driveway session in mind.

INSIDE OC RAMPS

Come see the people behind the ramps.

Take a walk through our California shop with Tyler. See the work that goes into preparing the ramps we send out to skaters.

Projects across backyards, communities and major events.

OC Ramps has built home setups, nonprofit skateparks, brand activations and skate-industry projects. Explore the work to see what OC Ramps built and how it was used.

See Our Work

Start with what you want to skate.

Use Build My Skatepark, shop ramp kits or tell us about a custom project. The right next step depends on the rider, the space and what you want to build.