Flying on and off the ramp with skateboarder Bob Burnquist

By Rick Lax

Monday, Oct. 10, 2011 | 3:41 p.m.

If you could clear out all of Vegas’ tourists and have the run of the Strip, which hotel would you most like to skate through?

The Luxor would be pretty amazing—going down the side of it, I mean.

And I’m guessing you’re only half-joking. I know you helped popularize the “Mega Ramp” (which, I assume, is a really big skateboarding ramp—I’m not a skater myself).

Right. We combined a jump ramp with a landing ramp, and then we put a quarter pipe at the end. That way, you don’t just build up speed; you have somewhere to go with it. Basically, the mega ramp gets you rolling, and the launch ramp gets you high, and then you hit a 30-foot quarter pipe, and you can do some amazing stuff on there.

Let’s say something bad happened to you and you couldn’t skateboard any more. What would you want to do for work?

Fly. Right now I’m actually driving to a helicopter training session. And I could see myself going to Hawaii and giving helicopter tours for a job.

What are you most looking forward to at the Dew Tour Championships in Las Vegas?

The practice session. Everyone is trying to skate their best, but at the same time, there’s no pressure. The competition is nerve-racking, but the practice is just two hours of fun—putting your lines together, your combinations—I love it.