lee crane

Bob Burnquist and IPATH hosted a gathering at Bob’s organic farm and skateboarding facility in Vista, California yesterday (April 21, 2008) in celebration of Earth Day. Organizers from the Action Sports Environmental Coalition, invited action sports media, IPATH managment, and several local TV stations got to check out the mega ramp in person, dine on Chipotle burritos and Sambazon shakes, and get a tour of the ranch.

“We’re here with IPATH having a day here at my house celebrating Earth Day, it should be earth year or lifetime,” Bob said. “But we’re celebrating Earth Day. We’ve got a bunch of guys here and we’re skating the pipe, corkscrew, the vert, and the mega, but we’re not touching the loop.”

For as much photo and video documentation that I’ve seen of Bob Burnquist and Danny Way hitting mega ramps, nothing compares to climbing up the series of stairs, steps, and ladders that leads to the top of Bob’s ramp and looking out from the roll-in. The small canyons of Vista spill out below, homes and small farms dot the hillsides. And then, there is the ribbon of ramp dropping away to the kickers and that huge gapping gap. Standing on the one-sheet wide piece of plywood at the top roll-in is nut-shriveling.

Many, including The Skateboard Magazine’s Grant Brittain were seeing Bob’s mega ramp in person for the first time. “I’ve shot mega ramps before, but I’ve never been out to see this one,” Grant said on his way to the ramp. “That’s why I came out today.”

When I arrived, IPATH marketing’s Tim Swart was rolling in on the massive 40-foot tall-quarterpipe from the landing zone. Soon we had a crew that included Transworld Surf’s Chris Cote, Transworld Business‘ Adam Sullivan, and IPATH team skaters Ben Raybourn and Aaron “Jaws” Homoki. All of us were seeing how far we could get up the quarterpipe wall while IPATH Team Manager Ohio Dave Smith gave the running commentary. “Oh, he’s scared,” he said into the video camera as I dropped in. “And he only going to make it halfway. Look at the fear on this face.”

While it was great hanging out and riding all of Bob’s terrain, this was also the day he launched his new, long-awaited signature shoe with IPATH. Featuring a hemp-constructed upper with reinforced stitching, the new Burnquist Grasshopper also incorporates Bob’s signature logo into the tongue, ankle strap and heel panel.

“Sliding out of a fall on the Mega-Ramp can be brutal on your shoes, you can easily wear through a new pair in only a couple of days,” said Bob an IPATH press release. “The hemp upper on my new shoe holds up shockingly well. I can skate for weeks at a time in my IPATH’s versus only days in shoes made from other materials.”

Later, Bob put his new shoes to the test on the mega. Unfortunately, I had to leave early and missed it. But that just gives me another reason to make it back out for another session (hopefully before Earth Day 2009).

Follow the jump for more photos and click here for the video.

Ipath VP of Sales Travis Matsorf, Ipath rep Derek and IPath marketing’s Tim Swart, scared of what they see below them.

Yummy. Ohio Dave samples a Sambazon treat.

Grant Brittain on the vert ramp with a plastic camera. And though this picture doesn’t show it, he still has a left arm.