A skater in a gray sweatshirt rides on a wooden ramp.

Skater boy

Andreas "Schützi" Schützenberger makes skateboarding dreams around the world come true – with BITURBO tools.

Building epic skate ramps

In the world of skateboarding, Andreas "Schützi" Schützenberger is a big deal. The professional carpenter has been called the "god of skate ramps" and the "halfpipe god", thanks to original designs that have become the stuff of legend. Schützenberger first started his company IOU Ramps in 1994 with only 500 marks. Today, he is one of the most successful ramp designers in the world, having built over 7,500 skate parks in over 30 countries. To continue pushing the boundaries of movement and technique, Schützenberger relies more than ever on cordless tools.

Building epic skate ramps is tough work – but it's easier with our BITURBO tools.

A man holds a Bosch Professional circular saw and smiles.

The trend is going towards cordless. Today, freedom of movement on a jobsite is more important than ever.

Andreas "Schützi" Schützenberger, Carpenter, Skate Ramp Designer, Founder of IOU Ramps

A huge tire stands against a wall with an elephant motif.

Building dreams

BERLIN – “I build dreams," says Andreas Schützenberger. Better known as "Schützi" in the skateboarding community, the professional carpenter-cum-skateboarder was frustrated by the lack of good ramps out there and decided in 1994 to combine his two passions in the ultimate job: Building custom skate ramps. A technical perfectionist, Schützenberger applies his love of movement and an engineer's eye to his constructions. His ramps may be built "for the kids", but they are so technically robust that they're practically elephant-proof. A claim that sounds totally wild until you realise Schützenberger is serious. He has tested his designs with circus elephants – and immortalised the fact in the IOU Ramps logo.

A boy skates on a wooden ramp with a glass railing in a building.

Ramping it up

Legend has it that he invited two circus elephants each weighing 4.5 tonnes to the inauguration of one of his skate parks and the gentle giants walked across the wooden ramps as though it was the most natural thing in the world. Elephants have been his totem animal ever since and feature prominently at his company IOU Ramps. "IOU stands for Innovative, Original, Unique," says Schützenberger, whose designs are famous for ramping things up. A typical example can be seen up on the ceiling of his workshop: Suspended a few metres off the ground and encased in wood and acrylic is a half-pipe ramp. Because even Schützenberger, a self-proclaimed workaholic, needs an occasional break from woodworking and, while he's at it, why not enjoy the view?

A man in a gray shirt is smiling while holding up a white skateboard.

To conquer new spaces as a skateboarder and ramp builder, you need ambition and stamina. That's also true for power tools.

Andreas "Schützi" Schützenberger, Carpenter, Skate Ramp Designer, Founder of IOU Ramps

A man is working with tools on a wooden skate ramp.

Ambition and stamina

Up in the hanging half-pipe, Schützenberger is planning to build a mobile meta ramp. “To conquer new ramps as a skater and a skate park builder, you need ambition and stamina. This is also true of the tools," says Schützenberger, who has built over 7,500 ramps in over 30 countries. The biggest game-changer for him has been the evolution of corded to cordless: "There are many projects on which I can only use cordless tools. A mobile jobsite is really, really important." But could it really be time to cut the cord entirely? That's something that Schützenberger will put to the test today with our high-performance BITURBO tool series.

A craftsman uses a Bosch Professional miter saw in a workshop.

A new generation

BITURBO Brushless tools represent a new generation of Bosch Professional cordless tools that deliver up to an astonishing 2,000W of equivalent corded power – with just one 18V battery. This high-performance 18V series includes angle grinders, SDS max and SDS plus hammers, circular saws, plunge saws, mitre saws, and more, all more powerful than our previous cordless tools. The unprecedented power is thanks to a high-performance brushless motor and electronics optimised to exploit the capacity of our high-performance ProCORE18V batteries. With BITURBO, Schützenberger gets corded power without the cord. And he doesn't even have to upgrade to a higher voltage class or use two 18V batteries, keeping extreme power light in his hands.

A man holds a blue Bosch Professional battery nailer and a skateboard.

I can even pick up this mitre saw with just one hand and comfortably carry it to the jobsite!

Andreas "Schützi" Schützenberger, Carpenter, Skate Ramp Designer, Founder of IOU Ramps

A Bosch Professional miter saw is being operated by a person.

Cutting edge

To prepare a few boards, Schützenberger puts our BITURBO mitre saw to work. Designed for a wider range of applications than other 216mm-blade mitre saws on the market, the GCM 18V-216 Professional offers a cutting depth of 70 mm, helping him work faster than usual. Thanks to its flexible arm and a laser, the saw makes it easy to get exactly the angle Schützenberger needs and to make the perfect cut. The mitre saw comes with an ergonomic handle and can easily be transported: "I can simply grab it with one hand and comfortably carry it to the jobsite." The saw is also compatible with our dust extraction system for dust-free working and even sports a quick, tool-free blade change – features that earn an appreciative nod from Schützenberger.

A man wearing hearing protection is working with wood using a Bosch Professional router.

Freestyle working

Schützenberger carries the boards up to the half-pipe, where he needs to do some free-styling with the BITURBO GKS 18V-68 GC Professional circular saw. As a woodworker, he values powerful tools that offer precision and freedom of movement. “With a hand-held circular saw like this, I can cut a radius in 24mm-Multiplex boards instead of cutting straight,” he explains. This helps, for example, with fitting in the coping, a steel pipe that skaters use to slide or balance on the edge of the ramp. Schützenberger also likes the tool's many details: "Easy depth adjustment at the touch of a button and there's a connection to the dust extraction system precisely where you need it and doesn't get in the way – these are aspects which are very important to me.”

The angle grinder has great handling, but also tremendous power. The battery just doesn't give up. And I can adjust the speed with a push of a button. Now that makes working fun.

Andreas "Schützi" Schützenberger, Carpenter, Skate Ramp Designer, Founder of IOU Ramps

A Bosch Professional angle grinder cuts metal, sparks fly.

All work, all play

Finally, he prepares the metal trim with the BITURBO GWX 18V-15 SC Professional angle grinder, which offers 50% faster cutting and more metal removal than its cordless predecessors. Thanks to the X-LOCK system, he can easily and securely change grinder discs with just one click. He shares a list of the grinder's other benefits: "It has great handling, but also has tremendous power. The battery doesn't give up, it just carries on. And I can adjust the speed directly on the tool with just a push of a button." The grinder also comes with intelligent protection features, including X-Brake, KickBack Control, and Drop Control. The 51-year-old skateboarder grins: "Now this makes working fun."

Six skateboards hang on a wall, colorful designs and graffiti visible.

Ready to roll

Thanks to his new BITURBO tools, the ramp is ready in a matter of hours. Schützenberger swaps his tools for a skateboard and gets ready for a trial run. He drops in with a few tricks that reveal the skater boy deep inside. He does a front-side kickturn, an axle stall along the coping, rolls in again, does a 180-degree flyout. Schützenberger looks calm but focused; it may look like play, but it's still a quality check. When he lands his final trick, he turns and faces us with a satisfied grin. "The day I stop loving skateboarding is the day I'll stop building ramps," he says. "But I've still got some years in me. It's just too much fun."