Chris Davis, 22, grew up riding BMX in the area near the Ocala skate park and often had to make ramps out of trash cans and pallets, buy plastic ramps from stores or use parking lots because there was no skate park at the time.
The skate park opened in 2019 when Davis was 15 years old and he described the fact as “revolutionary.”
At Saturday’s expansion grand opening event, Davis said it was good to see Ocala investing in the skate community. He also pointed to the variety of ramps in the newly expanded and renovated park and said he “loves” that it was built by skaters for skaters.
“[The skate park] brings a large community together from all parts around,” said Davis. “It gives an avenue for younger generations to actually learn how to skate in a more healthy environment, rather than the risk of getting hit by cars and stuff like that.”
Davis hopes the skate community in Ocala continues to grow and to come together.
The event drew hundreds of people from across the state, including families, friends, vendors and individuals looking to build community. The expansion also added more than 6,000 square feet of new terrain, including a competition-size bowl and a snake run.
Doors opened at 11 a.m., followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony with city leaders and veteran professional skateboarder Rodney Mullen, who also hosted a meet-and-greet. The event featured live deck painting by local artists, live music and trick competitions throughout the day, and concluded with a free screening at the Marion County Theatre followed by a Q&A with Mullen.
Ashley Bellar, Silver Springs resident and commercial painter, came to the event because her brother and oldest daughter skate.
She mentioned her daughter has skated since she was 3 years old. They have been coming to the Ocala skate park for five years, since it was the only skate park they knew about when they moved from the East Coast.
“We have loved living here since we moved here,” Bellar said. “The community, everyone is so nice.”
Nick Gaskins, a 39-year-old salesman and Ocala resident, visiting the skate park for the first time, said Mullen was the reason he started skating as a kid and one of the reasons why he came to the grand opening event.
“He's been a hero of mine ever since,” Gaskins said. “He helped a whole generation get into the sport.”
Gaskins said the skate park is important because it allows people to express themselves and practice the sport without fear of getting in trouble or being forced out of spaces not intended for it.
He said every city should have a skate park and a space where people — not just skaters, but also BMX riders and scooter users — can practice what they do.
Public relations specialist for the city of Ocala, Misti Barrett, said the expansion is one step toward giving people a space to explore their passions and the community a place to come together.
“The skating community really expressed that this is something that they would like,” Barrett said. “We have a very strong skating community here, so we heard the need, and we delivered.”
Steve Schultheis, a 40-year-old Ocala resident and father, said he grew up skateboarding and now his two kids are also into it, so he came to the event to take part in the skateboarding culture and to “keep the dream alive.”
Schultheis was excited to see professional skateboarders and have a good time with his family. He said it’s important to invest in communities and their future.
“I'm just excited to see that skate culture and just Ocala in general is blooming,” Schultheis said. “I think it's awesome to see.”