The meaning of "do a full-pipe roughie"

Solution 1:

(Partial/tentative answer) I would guess based on the context that it refers to some skateboarding stunt, but I can't find any other examples of the exact phrase "full pipe roughie" being used or defined.

My guess is based on the following evidence:

• According to the "Under the Dome Wiki", Ben Drake "was a fanatic fan of skateboarding". Michael's answer confirms that this is also part of his character in the original novel.

• Ben is apparently a teenager, and some kind of skateboarding stunt seems plausible as the highlight of a teenager's life (up until the romantic experience mentioned in the quote).

• "full pipe" is a term that comes up fairly often in reference to skateboarding. E.g. you can see it used in the title of the Youtube video "Full Pipe Skate", which also demonstrates why it might be considered an accomplishment to stay "vertical" (approximately) while doing some stunt involving a full pipe.

Solution 2:

I'd guess 'staying vertical while doing a full-pipe roughie' means

staying upright while surfing a wave that has formed a 'full-pipe' around the surfer

a 'roughie' being a rough wave / sketchy ride.