photos and words by Jonathan Becker
For many, the idea of a backyard ramp, let alone vert, is a thing of the past. However, on the outskirts of Charlotte, North Carolina, in a town called Mount Holly, that concept is alive and well. “Gator Chin” as it’s called, is a mini ramp in Zach Brooks’s backyard that was built by his father Steven, his brother Hunter, himself, and friends. The idea of having this never-ending source of shredding uprooted them from one property to another for the sole purpose of its construction. Their original home’s housing association wasn’t willing to let this 28 ft wide beast of a ramp with 12 ft of flat and an extension that includes a spine in the middle spanning 64 ft long sit pretty on their lawn.
The entire process took about two years, but the actual build was banged out in around four months and features a 6½ ft transition with multiple extensions that reach up to almost 10 ft. The hope of adding a vert ramp on the same property was always an aspiration and recently became a reality after they came across one from a friend for a steal. The construction of that took an additional four months after they hauled the whole thing piece by piece back to their place. It stands 11 ft 4 inches tall with 1 ft and 4 inches of vert, as well as being 24 ft wide with 14 ft of flat. On any given day, their neighbors might see Zach and Hunter catching some air after they get home from work or school. One day Zach stopped by a local park that was being built, and he invited the guys working on it to come by the ramp. There they met his brother who learned and developed his own skills from building what they had and ended up landing a job with those dudes. Now he works full time building parks all over the country.
These brothers’ connection to skateboarding comes from their father, who was skating backyard ramps himself back in the mid to late 80s. “That’s all they had haha.” These guys have some big plans for Gator Chin ranging from additions to make it more similar to the Animal Chin ramp, hosting events with live music, and so on. We’ll let you in on a little secret; a mini ramp on the deck could be the next addition.
The guys don’t stop others from getting in on the action either; they have friends come over to kick it and get a session in as often as they can. If you’re in the area, hit them up to see if they’re around; they aren’t shy dudes and are down to let you skate it too. They might even light a fire if the sun is going down or bring out the dogs to let them run around and play fetch. Oh, and if you do end up stopping by, make sure you say what’s up to Grammy who might be kicking it on the porch out front.
You can reach out to them on their Instagram – @gatorchin. If they are kind enough to have you come by, enjoy the session because what they have going on is truly a rarity in this day and age. Lastly, before you end a sesh there, see if Zach is down to throw a backflip grab over the spine for you; He’s got those on lock.
