Manramp is one of the best things happened to skateboarding in the last 10 years. Devotion, generosity and perfect mustache style describe the Man. Meeting him in person the other day (at the Pool Drop/Munich Mash) was a great privilege.
By David Turakiewicz, illustrations by David Lanaspa
What’s your role here?
I’m here to support the skaters as a human ramp.
Can you introduce the man behind the ramp?
Of course! My name is Manramp, I’m based in Los Angeles, California, and I work with Worble skateboards. Today I’m out here to mess around and have a good time !
Just as it is hard to separate the man from the artist, can we separate the man from the ramp?
No! I’m one with the ramp, so usually where I go the plywood goes, and I’m always looking for spots for skaters, and I’m always trying to find ways to help them. Anyway I can.
So you travel with the plywood?
If I can I will, if not, I’ll source a piece of plywood wherever I go as fast as I can.
„I’LL SOURCE A PIECE OF WOOD WHEREVER I GO AS FAST AS I CAN“
Tell me about the day Manramp came about.
I was working in a construction site and I saw these skateboarders that were skating on the street. I saw one of them bash a piece of plywood and fell over and I was like: “I can help with that”. So I got a hold on the guys, got a piece of plywood and that’s how it started.
Does Manramp has a job besides of being Manramp?
I’m still working in construction and staying busy building but my true love is being a ramp, helping skateboarders do new creative things.
Can we still say you’re a professional man ramp?
I would say that’s ok, yup, I think there is a lot of technique to it that people don’t understand and I’ve had some people trying to be a ramp for me and I had to give them some tips to help them out, so I’ think professional is a proper title.
Maybe you should start trick tip videos on how to be a man ramp.
I actually thought about it, tutorials, because there is a lot of pressure points, I do sometimes toe-hooks on the edge of the plywood to help them in place, so there’s a lot going on…
Do you know any other man ramps over the world?
I have met a few. I think anybody can be a man ramp, and I’ve met a few that have made the action and have done a great job. I love to see the human ramps out there.
Do they have their own style or is it after you?
I think they all had their own style. I’ve been inspired by others and if I inspire them, that makes me feel good.
What about menflatbars or menledges?
Yes, we played with the idea, and I think we’re gonna get there eventually but right now we’re sticking with the plywood and I’m sure in a near future we’re gonna get some manrails, menledges or whatever else we can do.
What about the Womanramp?
I’ve seen some women ramps out there and they do just a great job as well. It’s not all about strength, it’a about mobility and being at the right place at the right time.
Do you get hated for being a man ramp? The Village People style, you know…
Ha ha ha! People will say “Village People” and I’ll say “That’s right!”. So I embrace it and once people see how I”m helping others out they usually support it.
You get invited to events. They didn’t invite you to the Olympics?
They did not, sadly. I hope for the next ones!
I think next one is LA.
That’s right! So I’ll be out there and do what I can to get in there, if they let me in!
What’s the coolest place you’ve been invited as Manramp?
It might be Munich. I’ve been to great places but this is the furthest I’ve travelled for a Manramp job. So for me to be out here for a few days for the event is really lovely.
Do you surf?
I did kind of surf last night at the wave pool!
Munich is kind of a surf town.
It’s great, I surfed twice before and I surfed last night and I got up a few times and I’m rally happy about that.
Now you need to go to the street spot of surfing in the city.
I’ve heard of it, we’ll see if what we have with time.
What’s the worst place you’ve been invited as Manramp?
I wouldn’t say there’s a worst place, I would say there’s been some bad, rough filming locations. I did film in a LA pond.
In a lake?
Yeah, the water was 3 feet deep and it was very dirty. I had to carry a skateboarder across the water and the water had a bunch of trash and some other things in it I don’t want to describe. That spot was one of the worst spots but I went there voluntarily with my friends to film something.
You had a show a Thrasher, what’s up with that?
Yes, we had a Manramp episode series. I think it was 5. We talked about doing season 2 but we’ve been doing more Worble full lengths and those have been priority. We haven’t had time to brainstorm but there’s always a possibility of doing it sometime soon. We gotta focus on that and make it work!
What your link to Cobra Man?
Cobra Man has made a lot of great songs for our Worble videos and made the Manramp song back in the day. Love them!
You can follow Manramp on Instagram HERE.