ALI VS. THE MEGARAMP

December 28, 2015/ / VIDEOS/ Comments: 20

In case you can’t tell, we at Jenkem are fans and supporters of skateboarding’s outliers – the wonderful wackos that do their own thing regardless of how kooky you or we may think it is. Almir Jusovic from Slovenia, the self-described “world’s weirdest skateboarder,” is an exemplar of this special kind of skateboarder. We interviewed him back in 2012 where we learned about Ali’s love of Bruce Lee, Rodney Mullen, and his dream of jumping the MegaRamp in his signature doggystyle position.

So a few months ago we asked for y’alls help in giving Ali the opportunity to turn this dream into a reality, and you came through, raising about $500 towards the first iteration of Jenkem’s Make a Weirdo’s Wish Foundation.

With your help, we flew Ali out to Woodward West in SoCal for a weekend so he could face up to the massive roll-in and 60 foot gap he was so dead-set on clearing. Many people doubted it could be done, one Mega pro even told Ali that he’d break both his arms if he were crazy enough to go for it. But Ali was unfazed. He gripped up the underside of his nose, strapped on his motorcycle helmet, spun a couple of nun-chuck moves to loosen up, and dropped in fingers first and headlong into the impossible.

Spoiler alert: Although it didn’t turn out exactly as Ali hoped, there’s some significant lessons to be learned from his ambition and perseverance… something about pursuing your dreams even when everyone else thinks you’re an idiot for ever dreaming. There was a point in the sleepless night before his attempts where Ali had even talked himself out of trying it. He told us, “I felt comfort when I was thinking that it is better to be a little bit ashamed, then to end up injured, or worse. I was thinking about all the stuff I still want to experience in this life, how I want to love someone and have kids. I was never in my life so afraid.” But despite his well-founded fears, Ali went for it, and that is what makes him a real hero.

rodney mullen homage / photo: cerjak

rodney mullen homage / photo: cerjak

warm-up nun-chuck / photo: cerjak

warm-up nun-chuck / photo: cerjak

it's big / photo: cerjak

it’s big / photo: cerjak

like, really big / photo: cerjak

like, really big / photo: cerjak

geared up / photo: cerjak

geared up / photo: cerjak

to infinity... / photo: cerjak

to infinity… / photo: cerjak

and beyond... / photo: cerjak

and beyond… / photo: cerjak

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Comments

  1. Claire

    December 29, 2015 1:48 pm

    I can’t even begin to imagine how gnarly that thing is in person. Ali didn’t make it, but he still committed! If I’d been standing up at the top of that thing, I would have peed myself for sure!

  2. YerMom

    December 29, 2015 2:07 pm

    The best part was his warming up with a blunt to the dome……jah skateboarding!!!

  3. D-SNIZLA

    December 29, 2015 2:56 pm

    I don’t blame him for throwing in the towel.. I’m sure he has a lot of really important stuff to do in Slovenia that he couldn’t do with a rolled ankle or a couple cramps .. I wouldn’t even roll in on that thing especially bent over like a broad ready for the pounding of a life time! So I take my hat off to you Ali! Unless you’re one of those eastern euro Muslims .. And if that’s the case .. Suck it !

    • JusSayin

      December 31, 2015 5:36 pm

      A dude bent over made you not only think of humping a chick…but type it out in a comment…on the internet….forever.

  4. Nitty gritty

    December 30, 2015 12:40 am

    Mad props to this dude… Would of been nice to see him roll away.. But that’s skateboarding for ya. I’m positive homie could of landed it if he had some more time with the ramp.

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