Start ramps Highvalley Skate World

The original Coyote start ramps at Highvalley Skate World 2013. Foto: Hans Koraeus

When the skate park was built 2012 we never built a concrete drop-in at the beginning of the ditch. We did not know how much speed would be needed for the ditch doing a banked slalom or a slalom course. Maybe we would need different drop-in options. So instead of guessing and building something that would not be appropriate we just built a flat platform at the start of the ditch. Then we could build and use normal start ramps there as much as wanted. And could change it as needed. And by building just a platform we also saved a great deal of money on the skatepark budget.

Unfortunately we had not taken into account that by not building the drop-in in concrete together with all the other concrete work in the park this start ramp part was forgotten. And when we wanted to build the ramps once the park was finished there were no money for this. That is what you get for saving money for others. 🙁 Well, luckily we had the skate shop Coyote Grind Lounge stepping up to build the ramps for the skatepark.

The start ramps are actually built in 3 separate pieces. The idea being to be facilitate transport of them if needed. Foto: Hans Koraeus

For these first startramps we had to guess what height that would be needed. At least at the time of building these start ramps the ditch was finished and we could test ride the ditch using no start ramps at all. Maybe that would give enough speed as it was. And it worked quite OK with a couple of pushes. But without pushes it was too slow. So with start ramps for competition without push start we would need the start speed compared to a very strong push start.

So the current height was built to give a default speed. And later if wanting more speed you could build yet another higher version also. This has never been done and the speed the default ramps gives works just fine for both banked slalom and normal slalom events.

Some of the ideas was to organize a Slalom World Championship. Both for normal slalom and Banked slalom. We have had many slalom events during the years in the ditch for both banked and normal slalom. We have had the first official Swedish Championships for “Banked Slalom” and “Normal slalom”. We have had the first official World Championships for “Banked Slalom”. Left to do on the list is a “Normal Slalom” World Championship.

Eddie ”El Gato” Elguera practicing in the ditch for the ”Coyote Ditch Challenge” that was also Swedish Championships for banked slalom under Bowlstock 2019. Foto: Björn Gevert