NAVASSA — The best vertical ramp in the Cape Fear region might just be found in a private backyard in Navassa (photo gallery below).
Professional skater, longtime Navassa resident, and auto shop owner Brian Drake said a high-quality vert ramp didn’t exist in the area. So he built one. At 40-feet wide and 12-feet high, the ramp attracts skaters from across the nation to compete at the top of their field.
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Vert skating is a niche competitive and professional pursuit. There’s street skating (what it sounds like, using steps, sidewalks, rails, anything available), pool skating (skating in bowls or smaller transitions), and more. But vert skating lives between two steep walls — at Drake’s, nearly 2 feet of each begins with a full 90-degree drop.
On Labor Day weekend, Drake hosted the last stop in the Renegade Vert Series at his backyard ramp.
View Port City Daily’s photo gallery from the contest:
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