RampShot: New Game Craze Is a Long Island Original

Have you ever said to a friend with a good idea, “You should invent that, man!,” and then, after a couple cold ones, “You should totally patent that, man!”

Do you know anyone who has ever made, or patented, that thing? It could happen.

Last year two Long Islanders, longtime friends Joshua Bonventre and Kevin Texeira, put their heads together to perfect a new party sport. Bonventre, a physical education teacher in the Shoreham-Wading River Central School District, came up with the initial idea of a ramp with a net to catch balls—a challenging and fun game for all ages. He created the first prototype from scrap wood and showed it to his friend Kevin—and the rest, as they say, is history.

Bonventre says, “We were both at a barbeque at a friend’s house. Without hesitation Kevin said, ‘I’m in!’” Their creative and business venture, Shore Creation, was formed.

Bonventre and Texeira worked with a West Babylon manufacturer to perfect a durable plastic ramp. The plastic is also washable and can be left outside, so it’s perfect for the beach. As Bonventre asserts, “We’re all about being at the beach, in the backyards, having fun with friends and family. Thinking about all the toys we’ve bought for our kids over the years, we wanted it to be durable—and made in the USA.”

Getting a ball to land in the net within the ramp is not just a matter of skill—oh, no—RampShot is also a game of chance thanks to its unique design. Grooves on the ramp can send a ball off in any direction—hence the tagline “Get in the groove!” RampShot is designed for ages 10 and up.

It’s good that Bonventre and Texeira have friends they can count on. The happy people in shorts depicted on their colorful packaging and website are all friends of theirs who are clearly having a ball playing RampShot. What’s not so clear is that all of these folks were freezing on Long Island beaches last October in order to get the photos!

After the first run of RampShot games came off the assembly line and into custom boxes, the two launched RampShot last November, and in short order the game was featured on the A&E Network’s Project StartUp and was recognized by the National Sporting Goods Association as one of the top 10 new products in the industry! RampShot took off like a shot, selling to athletic programs and to children’s camps, including Future Stars and the Ross School Summer Camp. Within a couple of months the games were sold out completely!

Increased production guarantees enough sets for every party in the Hamptons and beyond. In addition to being available from the RampShot website and at outlets across the country, the game can be purchased from Olympia Sports in the Bridgehampton Commons. RampShot is made for four players.

When the inventors brought their game to the Dan’s Papers offices in Southampton last week, we certainly enjoyed trying it out. No doubt it would have been smart to take them outside.

Matthew Longo from the advertising department beat my team of one handily—but everyone had a great time and we didn’t break much office equipment—the RampShot balls are quite light. There’s a handy video on the website (watch below) that explains all the rules. If I were to perfect my technique, I think it would involve a lot of lunges—which would be so Hamptons beach body!

Bonventre and Texeira attended the National Sporting Goods Association’s Innovations Arena in Texas last week, so it’s raining orders for their product.

What’s next for RampShot? Lots! The first RampShot tournament will be held in Cayuga, NY in June. Why Cayuga? “They reached out to us,” Texeira explains. Look for a Hamptons RampShot tourney on the horizon…

Find out more at rampshot.com and olympiasports.net.