“ All 16+ finalist to the top of the hill, lets get this jam going,” said the judge over the extremely loud speakers that towered over everyone at the bottom of the hill. The chills began to sink in as the towrope towed me up the hill as fast as a rocket taking off from the space shuttle. Before I knew I was at the top of the hill getting ready to drop for the final 10-minute jam. Looking down from the top of the run was nothing but a huge crowd of people and 16 huge features that I could throw all my hardest and biggest tricks on. This was finals, I have to do something huge I thought to myself. My buddy Nick was totally killing the course as we began to take our first runs. He was doing the same tricks as me but he was taking them to a new level and doing them on the biggest rails and boxes. All the judges had their eye on Nick, even I had my eye on him he was killing it. The judges were standing by the Mt. Holly baby blue down rail. I had to do a trick to catch their eye. Right above them was a six-foot rainbow box on top of an ice glacier of snow.  There wasn't any big tricks going down on this box, but I can feel something big going down. At Pine Knob there is a same size huge yellow rainbow rail that sends you to the sky, it’s Gnarly. I once almost died going way too fast on it, lets just say my butt wasn't feeling too good for a couple weeks. I can do all my big tricks on this rail, but the problem is that they are extremely dangerous and scary to do tricks. But what the heck this was finals.

Coming up the towrope, all my friends were on the other side, sitting and cheering for me to do something big. “Come on Dom throw something big, I know you got it in you.” Getting high fives and knuckle pounds boosted up my confidence level, but also boosted nervous shakes flowing through my sweating and out of breath body. Standing again at the top of the hill, my thoughts got to me. What if I fall and lose? What if the trick ends up being not that cool? I have to stop thinking like this. The music was blasting terrible rap music, but I turned on Bassnectar full blast and put in two headphones. Loud sounds and Bassnectar bass was being blasted in to my ear as if I was standing right by the speakers at the bottom of the hill. Its game time now! Flowing the first couple rails and boxes on top of the hill to the beat of my music, coming in full speed into the rainbow rail I felt unstoppable I knew that the feeling I have in my body is like a drug. But it wasn't, it was a feeling of confidence and unstoppability. Back 180 on to cab 270 off.... “What did you just see that?” The judge yelled over the microphone. “That was insane Dom, nothing that big has gone down on that feature all day !” I stomped the trick and the feeling of happiness rushed through my body. This smile is unforgettable. I get back onto the towrope to finish the jam session and after I landed that trick, I just throw down more huge and hard tricks on everything the judges were loving me. Front board slides down huge down rails and stylish spins on and off the rails,  all my friends and the huge crowd of people were all cheering and giving my high fives, as I kept getting back onto the towrope. I have never had feelings like this before it is honestly unexplainable. Felt like I was one with the world. The jam session came to an end, hopefully I made the impression I needed.

“ And first place goes to actually I think we all know who gets that. Dom Ramos get on up here.” My face light up bright red and with a smile that hurt my face. Prizes on prizes, I got so much new stuff. Sitting down in the room filled with happy people just kept sending me a vibe of happiness. I thought to myself, I made this happen. I did this. Practicing all day and night paid off. Dedication was my key to happiness. Trusting your heart and head can make you try things you never thought you could do. That feeling of happiness was worth all of it. Thinking back to when I was just a little kid, I would look up to the older kids who would try there hardest and throw down big tricks in the parks at Pine Knob. Now I have the feeling that theres little kids that were just like me looking up to me now. Anyone can do something crazy and something that makes them feel amazing, but to do that you need to follow your heart and keep doing what you love and great things will come.