Kona: Was Modern Skateboarding Developed Here?

[Metro Jacksonville]

Kona: Was Modern Skateboarding Developed Here?



In 1977, Tony Alva and the other Lords of Dogtown performed the first arial trick on the lip of an empty swimming pool during a California drought.  This is widely recognized as the birth of modern skateboarding.  The same year, skipping states and cities and time zones,  Kona Skatepark opened in Jacksonville and an unexpected connection between the scene in California and the Skatepark here in Jax began a movement that would transform into a major sport that is pursued by athletes in almost every country of the modern world.  Check out the legends and listen to how it happened in a special video presentation after the Jump.  MJs Bella Coley reports from Kona with owner (and skater) Martin Ramos.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-jun-kona-was-modern-skateboarding-developed-here

[Roger904]

I think you meant 'iconic' not 'ironic'

[Tacachale]

This is a fabulous video. The only complaint is that Martin Ramos doesn't even begin to take enough credit for what his clan has done for Kona and skating in Florida.

What he doesn't mention is that by 1979, Kona had already gone the way of nearly every other skate park in the world and closed its gates. The bottom fell out of the market, in a similar fashion to another teen-oriented industry, video games, only a few years later.

Kona would have become just another footnote in the history of skateboarding, but Martin Ramos' family determined it still had potential and bought the park. They kept it open even as the other first-generation parks continued to close in the early 80s. They soldiered on through the years, giving locals and travelers alike a stable place to skate. Martin Ramos has certainly done his family proud since he took it over.

By the time skateparks made a comeback, Kona was an old veteran. With its throwback snake run and the tombstone bowl, the park offers an extremely rare glimpse back into skateboarding's past. In Jacksonville, a kid can skate the same park their parents and grandparents did when they were young. That's saying something.

The Ramos family are true Jacksonville legends and Kona is a gem.

[BackinJax05]

Kona...the pride of Sin City