1983 our customers needed a quarter pipe for BMX shows that could be
easily transported on a pickup truck. We developed a two-piece design
with transitions cut from plywood, a design that is now the most common
one used for building wooden ramps.
1984 Empyre built a state of the art halfpipe using a wooden truss frame,
similar to roof trusses - layered with 3/4" inch thick plywood.
The ramp was used for four years before being sold to a small community
where it is still in use today. The community simply took the ramp,
which measured 16' x 44', jacked it up on 4 corners, and drove a house-moving
trailer under it.
1991 Empyre built an ultra portable ramp for doing shows in school gyms.
The ramp was a 4 piece, 4' high 8' wide spine ramp that could fit through
a 32" door and needed only 16 screws to be assembled. The ramp
could be set up in under 10 minutes and could be transported on the
roof rack of a small car.
1991 a customer needed a box jump for a multi-stop summer BMX Freestyle
tour. Empyre came up with a seven piece bolt-less design that could
be assembled by two people in 10 minutes and fit easily on a standard
pickup truck.
1995 Empyre constructed ramps for a temporary skatepark that would be
set up and taken down 4 times in 10 weeks. We built a 24' wide mini
ramp that could be transported in three pickup loads as well as a 12'
x 12' Fun Box that fit in two pickup loads. All the ramps could be completely
assembled in less than 3 hours.
1996 Empyre constructed a steel-framed box jump that could fit in the
back of a pickup truck. The design had the ramp in 8 pieces with only
4 bolts needed for assembly. Setup time was under 10 minutes.
2000-2002 Ten Pack
Distribution, the largest BMX parts distributors in Canada, contacted
Empyre about building some ramps for a series of major contests, soon to be named Metro Jam. The
ramps were required to be very portable, with quick setup and takedown
as well as compact storage and portability. The first setup was at the
Toronto La Revolution contest in 2001. The total time to set up the
course, a 6000 square foot area, was 12 hours with a crew of 6 people.
The entire course packed up into a 48' trailer for transport. The same
course was also used again, with some additions, for the 2002 Toronto
La Revolution Contest.
2001-2002, Seventies
Distribution, the major UK BMX parts distributor, decided they would
like to once again put on their legendary Backyard Jam contest, however
they did not want to rent a street course as they had done in the past.
Empyre came up with a course design similar to the Ten Pack setup, but
built to Seventies' own specifications. The entire street course was
built in Edmonton and then packed into a 40' sea container and shipped
to the UK. Empyre was also there in Telford to coordinate the set-up
and takedown the ramps.
2002, Sobe and ESPN were looking for a Halfpipe ramp for their Rock
n' Rip Summer Tour. The ramp had to be 12' high, 30' wide and over 50'
long. The ramp needed to be assembled in less than five hours and could
easily be set-up and taken down with a minimal, untrained crew. The
ramp also had to have up to 18" of leveling adjustment, as it would
often be set up on grass or uneven surfaces. The ramp would also need
to pack up small enough to only fill 24' of a semi trailer. Empyre completed
the design and the construction of the ramp in less than three weeks.
Empyre was also there for the entire 7-stop tour to coordinate the labor
for the set-up and takedown crews at each stop.
