Ah yes, Downhill Jam, the most infamous of the Tony Hawk levels. If you’re like me, you’ve come here in frustration. “WHERE IS THAT LAST VALVE,” you say, and I hear you. Same with that pain-in-the-butt skill point at the start of the level, or that Huge Water Hazard that for some reason doesn’t want to give up its secret. Well I’m here to walk you through all of it, with pictures and everything.

Table of Contents:
Open 5 Valves
Collect SKATE
Collect 5 Hard Hats
Get the Secret Tape
Madonna the Huge Water Gap
Air Walk the Hydrophobic Gap
Collect Skill Points
Find the Alien
Complete All Gaps
Collect the Vicarious Visions Logo

Open 5 Valves

Valve 1

Just as you begin, use the hill to your right to ollie onto the pipes. Grinding the pipe opens the valve.

Valve 2

This one is just sitting on a ramp near the first big right turn of the level. It’s surprisingly easy to miss if you don’t take this path often.

Valve 3

Just before the downhill half pipe you’ll see a valve up high on a rail. If you take the ramp on the left before the half pipe, you can grind the pipe to open the valve.

Valve 4

After the half pipe is a STEER CLEAR sign bifurcating the path. If you’re perfectly centered when you ollie off the short ramp before it, you should hit the valve. If not, you can always cheese it by trucking up this obstacle from the opposite side.

Valve 5

Hidden in shadow just before the end of the stage is the last valve. You have to hit it with your body, or ride the wall to open it. I recommend approaching it from an angle and reaching it with an ollie.

Collect SKATE

Letter S

Just before the first big right turn of the level is the S. Leap off the nearby ramp to get it.

Letter K

The K rests above a grindable rail just before the downhill half pipe. Leap off the ramp to reach the rail.

Letter A

Above the downhill half pipe is a concrete plateau with the letter A. Ollie from the quarter pipe below it to claim it.

Letter T

After the large STEER CLEAR obstacle is another short ramp that will fling you high into the hydrophobic approach. Stay centered off this ramp to collect the T.

Letter E

On the far side of the hydrophobic area is the final letter E. It’s high above a quarter pipe, so build up enough speed to reach it.

Collect 5 Hard Hats

Hard Hat 1

Immediately as you start you’ll see the first hard hat high above the left quarter pipe. Anyone can reach it, but the tight quarters may prove lining up your shot tricky. Gather speed from the starting hill and pull a hard left (down and left) to make yourself perpendicular to the rusted texture below it.

Hard Hat 2

On the left side, halfway down the downhill half pipe (say that three times fast!) is the second hard hat. Approach it at an angle for a quick grab.

Hard Hat 3

Just after the downhill half pipe is a hole on the right. Ollie from the nearby ramp to grab the hard hat (and be sure to grind the sign’s rail to survive).

Hard Hat 4

Just before the hydrophobic area is the fourth hard hat, high above the quarter pipe. The rust on the ramp indicates where to align yourself for it.

Hard Hat 5

Just before the finish line, take the high path on the right and ollie to reach the final hard hat.

Get the Secret Tape

Reaching the secret tape requires climbing to the highest point in the level and taking a leap of faith. Begin by taking the pipe near Valve 3 up to the plateau where the SKATE “A” was, and continue to the other side via another pipe.

Madonna the Huge Water Hazard Gap

Check your grab tricks in the Skater menu to refresh yourself on the Madonna input.

You can’t grind this gap for it to count, so make sure you have enough speed (a full special meter should do) and leap off the nearby ramp at an angle. Hold the Madonna for a moment. If you aim for the path at the end of the pipe, the game with credit you with the gap.

Air Walk the Hydrophobic Gap

Check your grab tricks in the Skater menu to refresh yourself on the Air Walk input.

This gap requires speed. Make sure you have the points allocated properly on your skater, and use the long slope beforehand to rocket into the center ramps. Hold the Air Walk for a moment. If you can make it to the other ramp, the game will credit you with the gap.

Collect Skill Points

Skill Point 1

This vert skill point teases you from the moment you start the level. It’s on a ledge high above the right side, and there’s no obvious quarter pipe to get up there. If you spend your skill points on Ollie and Air, you should be able to reach it with a full Special meter.

Use the left quarter pipe to do a rapid combo and land with a full special meter. Then, ollie off the opposing hill with the right timing (slightly later than you might imagine) and you should make it up to the ledge. On the ledge is a small quarter pipe leading to your skill point.

Skill Point 2

Just after the first big right turn in the level is the second skill point, easily accessible from the quarter pipe below it.

Skill Point 3

To the left side of the hydrophobic area is the third skill point, easily accessible from the quarter pipe below it.

Find the Alien

There’s a doll of an alien you can collect to zero fanfare. At the start of the level, hold down to stop. Turn to face the corner behind you and to your left. Collecting all the aliens will grant you a new skater.

Complete All Gaps

Huge Water Hazard (1000 points)

You can’t grind this gap for it to count, so make sure you have enough speed (a full special meter should do) and leap off the nearby ramp at an angle. If you aim for the path at the end of the pipe, the game with credit you with the gap.

The Downhill Half Pipe (200 points)

With enough speed, you can reach the top of the fence guarding the left side of the half pipe. Make sure you hold a neutral grind, or else you’ll only do a lip trick. Grind the entire fence segment to earn this gap.

The Other Downhill Half Pipe (200 points)

The right side of the downhill half pipe is grindable. Approach it with enough speed at an angle to grind it the whole way.

Pipe Flip (1000 points)

The pipe leading from the downhill halfpipe plateau to the bridge approach counts as a gap if you grind the whole thing.

Huge Distance (375 points)

The recessed ramp just before the hydrophobic area will launch you a massive distance. Approach it with enough speed, time your ollie at the end of the ramp, and collect some easy points.

Hydrophobic (250 points)

This gap requires speed. Make sure you have the points allocated properly on your skater, and use the long slope before hand to rocket off the center ramps. If you can make it to the other ramp, the game will credit you with the gap.

Neversoft Electric Co. (1500 points)

Just after the hydrophobic area and before the finish line is a high building on the right hand side. If you leap to it from the edge of the qaurter pipe, you can reach the grindable edge of the wall. Grind the entire length to earn this gap.

Collect the Vicarious Visions Logo

Begin by taking the pipe near Valve 3 up to the plateau where the SKATE “A” was, and continue to the other side via another pipe.