Team Pain is cranking on the Ed Austin Skatepark in Jacksonville, Florida. There’s an article in the Florida Times-Union that talks about the situation a little. It looks like they might be getting another street plaza in Arlington as well? (“When the new site is completed it will be about 6 miles away from Ed Austin Skate Park.”) Maybe it’s a typo in the article, and “Skate Park” should read “State Park.” I’m no local… but Martin Ramos, the owner of nearby Kona displayed some astonishing character when asked about competition from a nearby and assumedly free skatepark: “What is good for skateboarding is good for Kona.”
10 comments
Michael Hensley
I live in jcksonville and skate kona and ed austin both once a week! Free parks will not hurt kona! kona is a great facility worth paying for, kona is as important to jacksonville as the st. johns river! (and yes I do fish) Marty said it right its all good for skating in jacksonville!! We will not stop giving to the park that we grew up in, where my son and I now skate and my grandchildren will skate!!
Norm
I did a pretty thorough park review of this place on my website, busstopmag.com. Just look back a few pages. We had some things going on for go skate day, and I did a park review just before that. It’s a fun park, and I’ll have to admit it did motivate me to learn to skate tranny a little better. Overall, a great park.
Paul Myrick
It all started with a vision my old and best late friend Martin Ramos, Sr. had to provide a safe, chaperoned place for kids to have fun, and parents not to worry. As a contractor, I helped him throughout the early growth process of the Park.
I am so pleased it is still a family run monument to the man who started it all. Good going Martin!
Paul Myrick
Kilwag
Stop mumbling.
Pay-to-skate has to be a hard way to make a living when there are free outdoor parks and it’s sunny 95% of the time in your location.
enemy combatant
“my implication is that he
Kilwag
No EC, my implication is that he’s taking it in stride instead of getting bent out of shape or worrying about a loss of business. A more predictable response would have been something like “We’re not worried, we have a loyal customer base…”
Err, what Duders said about the high ground.
duders
besides the fact that kona and DOS are apples and oranges, one could indeed imply that a free skatepark would take away business from a pay to skate skatepark if they are near each other. however this guy is taking the high ground and not looking like an asshole… DOS exists, i would presume, mainly because it rains so much in portland. anywhere that its sunny indoor parks have a much harder time staying afloat.
enemy combatant
“but Martin Ramos, the owner of nearby Kona displayed some astonishing character”
It seems your implication is that he has been somehow harmed.
Kilwag
Not sure how you are making that connection.
enemy combatant
So the city of Portland shouldn’t build any parks ‘cuz DOS exists???