The Turning Point Ramp became a dome house

The Turning Point Ramp became a dome house

The Turning Point Ramp was a capsule-shaped skateboard ramp invented by Scotty Senatore in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 1979. Built from Lexan and aluminum, it raised up on a hydraulic stand. It appeared at exhibitions around the country, and in the film "Skateboard Madness" (1980). The first person to do a loop in the ramp was Scotty's brother Kent Senatore (Hall of Fame, 2021). Other famous skaters who rode it were Brad Bowman, Steve Caballero, Jim “Graystoke” Gray, Tony Hawk, Steve Lippman, and Jerry Valdez.

Only one Turning Point Ramp was built, but its design inspired the "cradles" in skateparks. The ramp ended up in pieces in the yard of the filmmaker, Hal Jepsen, in Lower Topanga. Musician Barry McManus used the dome to build his house on Grand View Dr.

2023

Digital only

Materials in this collection may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of Topanga Historical Society gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Sophie Zeiler