Getting past the fear of dropping in on vert

The first time I ever went to a real skatepark was when I was 14. There, the largest ramp was a 12 foot vert ramp towards the back of the park. 12 feet isn't an exaggeration, it was a big ramp. You had to walk up a flight of stairs to get to the top.

The first time every standing at the top on the edge of the ramp was a scary time. The ramp looked like it caved in on itself from where I was standing.

Over the next few years, I'd get more experienced at skating other ramps but the biggest thing I ever dropped in on was only 7 or 8 feet and it didn't really have vert.

Over the years, I'd go back to the top of the ramp, think about dropping in, looking down at the drop in, and cowering away. Some of the worst feelings is the anxiety. It is when you can't decide to proceed or retreat. I've seen people get petrified for up to 30 minutes at the top of ramps when they are debating dropping in or going home.

It wouldn't be until I was 18 when I finally committed to dropping in on this behemoth of a ramp. Up at the top, I got the anxiety again. I could pull out and retreat but then this would still be haunting me. So, I had to do a little bit of self talk and this is the only thing that came to mind.

Just put your front foot down. Once that happens, it will be too late to turn back.

I put the tail of my skateboard on the coping of the ramp, the front foot went over the bolts, and I went down.

But something didn't feel right.

I couldn't feel my board. Some how it floated away. During that short moment, I could feel things weren't going to end well. And I slammed my whole right side into the flat bottom of the ramp. I might have caught the last 3 feet of transition but I slammed like a load of bricks into the ground.

And it hurt, but I got up off the wood after a moment. I just fell from 12 feet in the air right down onto almost flat bottom. And I was fine. I got the wind knocked out of me a little but I was good to keep skating. It really is amazing how much abuse the body can withstand. But the important thing was the fear was gone.

I ran back up the vert ramp and tried to drop in again. I almost had it but I slipped out at the bottom and my board flew out 20 feet away. I didn't get hurt that time.

I made it the third time.