The Ocala Skate Park can host up to 700 skaters, allowing riders to share tips and tricks and hone their skills among skaters of all ages. However, Phil Hajal, owner of Ocala Skate Shop and professional skateboarder, is worried that the lack of space has caused the park to be overcrowded, increasing the risk of serious injury for all participants, he said.
In January 2024, the Ocala City Council allocated $500,000, from the city’s engineering department budget, to renovate the Ocala Skate Park. Despite the allotted funds, the city has yet to approve the project’s design in a city council meeting, preventing construction from beginning.
Hajal, 47, a pivotal figure in Ocala’s skating community, said he recognizes that the overcrowding can make the course feel “unusable” at times.
“If there's a hundred people there it's not even rideable without getting injured,” he said. “It is a guarantee someone's going to get injured and possibly even get killed, especially a child, because there's no real rules there.”
City officials had planned to include the issue on the council’s Tuesday meeting agenda, but it’s not quite ready for their review and approval, said Gregory Davis, the city’s public information officer.
“It’s still in the procurement process,” Davis said. “It all comes down to contracts and specific information being approved by certain people.”
The renovations will include two bowls and a snake run. A bowl is a curved, concave ramp that teaches skaters balance and how to use momentum. A snake run is a long, curved course that forces skaters to learn speed control.
Overcrowding and injuries
On weekends, when the park is most crowded, children comprise the demographic of skaters facing the greatest risk.
In 2020, Lauren Robarg took her son, Jackson Whitehurst, to the Ocala Skate Park where she said he suffered a broken collarbone in an accident.
“A BMX bike knocked him over and hit him. It was later in the afternoon when the park is the busiest,” she said. “That's a pretty intense injury for a 4 year old.”
Like other parents and skaters, Robarge, 29, said she avoids the park at certain times due to the increased risk of collisions.
“After the accident, he was scared to go for a while,” she said. “It just gets so congested and dangerous because people are just hitting each other left and right because of how small it is.”
Skaters have been confined to the 10,000-square-foot street course since the park’s opening in 2019, but the renovations will add approximately 20,000 square feet of skateable surface, giving riders space to practice more safely.
Even more experienced skaters are at risk due to the park’s overcrowding. Mike Chenard, 50, was sidelined from skating for two months after he sustained a broken ankle due to the park’s overflow, he said.
“I kind of had to bail because somebody got in my way, and when I went to run out, I stepped on my board funny and my ankle twisted one way, and I went the other and broke my ankle,” Chenard said. “I didn’t want to run over this little kid.”
While Chenard recovered quickly, he said that the potential for serious harm will continue to grow.
“Obviously I want to see the rest of the park get built so I can ride, but there clearly isn’t enough room with how it is now,” he said. “I'm surprised more people haven't gotten hurt and they probably have. I just don't know about it.”
Some visitors come from miles away like Jake Roberts, 19, a student at the University of Florida who frequents the park. He is often unable to practice more advanced tricks due to crowds and thinks the overflow is a “serious problem,” he said.
“It gets chaotic over here,” Roberts said. “I’ve seen little kids break arms and stuff. It’s kind of gnarly.”
With the increased threat of injuries, Hajal said he is hesitant to refer young skaters to the skate park.
“You don't want to get run over by a grown man because you're sharing the park and there's no one there to teach these kids the proper etiquette of skating,” he said. “Young skaters need to know how to skate safely, how to fall, how to take turns, how to watch out for each other.”
To prevent kids from being seriously injured, they need to understand the importance of skate park etiquette, said Dan Markham, 34, a lifelong Ocala resident and skateboarder.
“As older skateboarders, we have to talk to young kids in a way not to where it's like we're going to make them feel bad, but it's to educate them,” he said, “I wish that that would've happened for me when I was a kid. I had to learn skate park etiquette on my own.”
Renovation benefits
The planned renovations will help the crowding by giving beginners obstacles that will allow them to learn the fundamentals safely, Hajal said.
“Some of the obstacles would be a part of a beginner street course,” he said. “It would really help them grow and learn.”
Platform Group, a Tampa, Florida-based skate park design and construction
firm, accepted the city’s request for proposal. Chris Miller, a project manager for Platform Group, said he is certain the final product will be up to par.
“We have full confidence that the project will meet the city’s expectations as we have worked closely together with Ocala throughout the process,” Miller said.
Hajal, who helped pioneer the current street course, is optimistic that Platform Group will deliver a well-constructed and reliable course.
“They’re a great company and as a community, we’re eager to see what they do,” he said. “These are great guys that know what they’re doing.”
After the park’s revamp is complete, Hajal said he wants Ocala’s skating community to continue to grow and give back to young riders.
“I think it would be a cool community program to do skateboard lessons out at the park as something free for them,” he said.
Even though the project remains in limbo, Hajal said he remains confident that the skate park will eventually be completed.
“It’s something years in the making and will be great to finally have it all done,” he said. “Not only for the high-level guys but for the kids so they can learn in a safe environment.”
