In mid-September my brother and I headed to Joplin, Missouri to visit family and get a much needed break from our bi-coastal lives. There was little expectation that we would be skating more than a few pushes around our mom’s new development in Carl Junction ( right next to the Kansas border ) when we arrived.

However, my brother had visited in July and let me know there was a “sick ass ramp” in his friend Tom’s backyard.  I can’t lie, I was initially skeptical.

You never know what you’re gonna find when adventuring into a new skate scene. Sometimes you find a sweet ramp, sometimes you find some de-lammed masonite and nails sulking in someone’s lawn, sometimes the ramp’s not even there anymore (fucking landlords and insurance claims).

While it’s always a toss up, my curiosity and need for a few slash grinds lead J.T. and I to contact Tom to try and get a session going before we headed out of town. Let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived.

Upon entering the “Joplin Skate House” I was immediately hyped to see a crusty skate house with boards on the wall, posters all over, and a crew of excited local rippers. I learned that the spot had been bought at auction by Tom a few years back and was being rented out to a few of Joplin’s finest.

Tom and the crew began work on the ramp after talks of building a DIY circulated within the household. Over time the building was extended to incorporate all elements of the backyard and house, with a roof drop ramp and a makeshift door frame bank on the back fence. The final result was a backyard wonderland full of potential and good times ahead. 

My brother and I ended up having an awesome session with Tom, Aaron, Ryan, and Jacob and saw some insane tricks go down. A huge shout out to the whole Joplin Skate House crew for letting us skate the ramp and showing us such a good time. If you’re ever in Joplin, MO go find Tom at the skate park and ask what’s good with “the ramp out back.”