Ryusei Ouchi takes a deep breath as he uses his cane（手杖） to feel out the edge of the three-metre-high ramp（斜坡）, walks to the edge and then drops in.
Like all skateboarders, the rush of air, the thrill of the ride, the sense of achievement in completing a trick are drew the 19-year-old to the sport. Unlike other boarders, however, Ouchi is almost （ complete） blind.
Ouchi was born with perfect vision but since being diagnosed（诊断） with eye condition at the age of seven his sight has worsened to the point where he needs a cane to navigate his local skatepark in Tokorozawa, north of Tokyo.
Dropping in off large ramps, riding rails and even performing handstand tricks, Ouchi has impressed the local skateboarding community and earned him a considerable following on social media. He is well aware the dangers but says it comes with the territory.
Ouchi （start） skateboarding at 15 when his eyesight began to worsen faster. He realized he wanted to learn it was too late.
Skateboarding with friends gave Ouchi an outlet to express （he） and he now heads to the skatepark several （time） a week. It took him a while （ become） fully accustomed to the layout, he said, but now he has a good mental picture of his surroundings, （ free） him up to perform more tricks.
