These are pictures of my ramp. It's 4ft tall, and 16ft wide of pure fun. The plywood, and decking has been painted with waterproofing paint, and the top layer is a material called Ramp Armor® which is basically a weather proof beefed up alternative to masonite. (I would highly recommend this stuff to anyone who wants a ramp. The investment will pay for itself off over time, and the guys at www.skateramps.us will hook it up.)

Actually I haven't skated my ramp too much in the past year or so just because I've needed to resurface it, but wanted to save up for the weather-proof Ramp-Armor®. Finally I make the decision to throw down the dough needed to buy this stuff, which cost me in the neighborhood of $3000. A lot of money, but I'm stoked on my purchase, right? Well, about two weeks after this huge purchase I receive a letter from the SLVHD stating the new revised noise pollution ordinance, and more specifically noting that I am no longer allowed to have a ramp on my property.

After receiving this letter I decided to call our friends at the local health department, and speak with them in a calm, and civilized manner. I felt confident they would hear me out, and be understanding of my situation. After all, who wouldn't be sympathetic to some one who just spent $3k in a situation such as this? It wasn't far into this call that I began to realize they had no interest in hearing my story. Truth be told, I would probably consider myself to be the most ideal candidate for being given an exception, and given the OK for owning a mini. I'm a 30 year old dude who lives with his girlfriend. I skate maybe 3 days or so per week, and skate for about an hour in the early evenings. Rarely do I ever have more the one, or two other people joining me for a session. If this isn't within reasonable, then I don't know what is? Anyways, as for my conversation with the Health Department...I pleaded my case, and explained I'm a reasonable guy who has invested around $5k into owning, and maintaining this beautiful mini in my yard. I asked them, "Is there ANYTHING I might be able to do in order to get an exception, or at least be heard?" The reply I received was an "absolutely not".

Stage two of the discussion: Now I've attempted reasoning, and this isn't working, so I attempt to use logic, and rationality as my base to point out the obvious reasons we should be allowed to own a mini-ramp. I argue that this backyard activity is a heritage to the enormously popular sport of skateboarding, and that it does not make more noise then any of the other general activities thousands of people enjoy on a daily basis across our city. I ask if it is possible to measure the noise created by my ramp with a decibel reader to see just how much noise it really produces? He says..."No, that is not an option". Ok? but how is it possible that all these other activities are not a problem? "What about power-tools", I ask? "Clearly you can't argue that a skill saw, chain saw, or weed eater create less noise then my ramp?" He quickly responds with, "It's not even how much noise that the ramp makes...it's the TYPE of noise that a ramp makes that's so problematic". They say that the "repetitive nature" of the noise produced by ramps is "disruptive, aggravating, and harmful". Really??? What about shooting hoops? The ball bouncing off of the cement, and off of the backboard over, and over again, Isn't that repetitive? What about my neighbors with the squeaky trampoline springs? Aren't those noises extremely repetitive too?

This discussion went in circles, and I was basically told that mini-ramps had been banned because "They said so". Ok then... they choose to look foolish in front of a very large, and passionate community of people who will support this cause. Through this, SLCminiramp.com was born with the sole intention of steam-rolling this senseless ordinance put forth by these officials. Join our cause, and spread this to anyone who will support it. Help us save the heritage of the mini-ramp in our city.