Despite shortcomings, our skate park is a real asset to the community.

Max Whitehead, 10, looks on as Jorge Rodriguez, 22, grinds at the Coconut Grove skatepark in Peacock Park. Photo by Lindsay Brown

In the ’90s, we had the double-sided curbs at Coconut Grove Bank. So for skateboarders, it was either that or take the train downtown.

Nowadays the Grove is a Miami skateboarder’s paradise, and it all revolves around Peacock Park. The onetime hippie enclave is now home to the One Cool World Skatepark. City of Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff started it when he first came into office to provide a safe environment for young skateboarders to practice their sport. He is now pushing towards the building of a bigger and better Biscayne Skate Park, in Downtown Miami [1].

According to the Tony Hawk Foundation, skateparks offer a number of benefits to local communities: “The 13-million skateboarders in America only have about 2,000 skateparks nationwide. That means the vast majority of them are skating in the streets. Skateparks, even the more challenging ones, are far safer than kids rolling through busy streets.” They also “provide a place for kids who aren’t attracted to traditional team sports a place to go and express themselves in an individual and athletic manner. Getting kids, particularly at-risk kids, involved in a personal and esteem-building activity like skateboarding helps them build the confidence to do well in other aspects of their lives.” Source [2].

“The Coconut Grove skateboard park was an experiment. They learned a lot from it. There’s good things and bad things with it,” said Seth Levy.

Chance Levin, 10, practices on the halfpipe at the Coconut Grove skatepark. Levin has been skating for eight years since his mom bought him his first skateboard. Photo by Lindsay Brown

Levy heads the MiamiSkaters.com website and is working with the City of Miami toward the building of the concrete Biscayne Skate Park downtown. The Grove’s One Cool World Skatepark is made out of wood, and has been aging in the Florida sun since 2002.

“The wood part, they knew it was temporary but they still have not replaced it. In a place that has hurricanes, and just in general, you can never have a wood park that lasts for more than 10 years. It just doesn’t work,” Levy added.

Francisco Ramirez, 12, falls while doing a trick at the Coconut Grove skatepark located near Peacock Park. Ramirez began skating two years ago but has mastered several tricks in that time. Photo by Brittney Bomnin

But in the eight years it has been in existence, the short-term effects of One Cool World Skatepark have already been felt throughout the community.

“That’s how I got good, skating this,” said Demmier Vargas as he pointed through the fence at the One Cool World Skatepark.

Demmier is 18 years old and has been skateboarding for more than four years. He doesn’t mind having to wear a helmet, but paying fees to skate the park can add up, he said, especially for the hardcore skater.

“It’s every day for me, just coming over here and shredding,” Vargas said.

Having to pay fees to skate on soggy, old wooden ramps blocks the access and quality of self-progression for the individual skater.

Also adding to the growing sense of frustration among the skateboard community is the ground at the Grove park.

“You cannot flow on a surface like this, rough concrete,” said Bobby Stack.

Stack has been riding a skateboard since 1973. He has seen the sport of skateboarding ebb and flow through all the trends: little boards, big boards, big wheels, little wheels, pools, ramps, street and downhill.

“The speed that I pick up there, I should be able to maintain through the whole entire park,” said Stack, motioning to a large quarter-pipe (ramp). “But I can’t because this is not a skateboard terrain. This is an asphalt street terrain. You need soft wheels, and not every kid rides soft wheels. Everybody rides hard wheels.”

Years ago, skaters used to find the smoothest surfaces in Downtown Miami, but they  always got kicked out, either by the cops or the security guards.

“I think the fact that they need a venue is quite clear,” said City of Miami Police Sgt.  Angel Calzadilla.

Elliot Castellano, 21, sits down after a run to discuss his trick with other in-line skaters at the Coconut Grove skatepark. Photo by Lindsay Brown

Commissioner Sarnoff is working to provide a new venue on Northeast 19th Street, but he has encountered local opposition to the project.  There are no plans to upgrade or improve the current Coconut Grove Skatepark.