The Plague is a New Jersey ramp that has stood in Colin Holiday’s backyard for 7 years. Well, it’s actually in his mom’s backyard. Colin has since moved out, but the ramp has remained to rot away under leaves and snow. The ramp was always sketchy anyway. It’s patched together from wood scraps and pallets, it’s mushy, and it’s incredibly small and tight. Supposedly the name came about because it’s so hard to ride that you feel like you have the plague. The few times I rode it, I felt like a beginner who’d never ridden a ramp before. Hell, I felt like I’d never ridden a bike before. No photos or video will every do justice to the difficulty of this place, because some riders actually make it look easy.

Brett Tocco, Darryl’s younger brother, is one of those people. Notice that both feet are completely off the pedals in the photo, so wild. Brett is really good, he has the ninja skills. I shot this photo during the final Plague jam on Saturday. The rotting structure is scheduled to be torn down soon and Colin’s mom is finally getting her yard back. It was fun while it lasted. Thanks for the memories, The Plague RIP.

-Derek Adams