Lohserampe is a mini ramp located in a public park in Cologne, Germany. It has been there since the year 2000 and in its humble beginning it was a regular 5 meter wide ramp with no special features. After adding an extension and a formerly private mini ramp in 2009 it became almost 30 meters wide. But it also got worn out pretty soon, as it was built with indoor wood.
Finally, the city decided to allow the whole ramp to be rebuilt with new features. Since 2012 the ramp is in its current day shape and it seems like we can add even more meters soon, so the future is looking good.
The ramp is surrounded by hills that give the whole place kind of an amphitheater vibe. In summer you can do barbeques, crack a cold one and hang out on the grass, which sometimes feels like an oasis in the middle of the city.
After all these years, with so much crazy shit going down and so many good times being had, the place really feels like home – at least to us locals. It’s basically like a living room although it’s a public park. This is for sure one of the more rewarding feelings in life as a skater when you are able to build and maintain a spot in the public for several years.
On the other hand you have to deal with all the everyday shit that comes with it. This means seas of crashed bottles, the ramp being torn apart, local kids setting it on fire, junkies and hobos living under the ramp or sometimes just annoying parents who try to tell you that it’s now their son’s time to skate.
In the end, even if it does feel like home it is never completely yours. But exactly this dilemma produces so many good stories and makes it so rewarding. See you at the next annual Lohseparty, peace!
Words by Tobias Hees @tobias_hees
Photography by Enno Schmitt @ennophoto
