Kona Skatepark in Jacksonville’s Arlington area opened on June 4, 1977, during the skateboarding boom and is widely recognized as the world’s oldest surviving commercial skatepark, a status affirmed in 2019. Founded by Martin and Helen Ramos with investors, it quickly became a major competition venue, then briefly closed after a failed construction project bankrupted the park. Reopened by the Ramos family in 1979 as a safe place for local youth and families, Kona continued to innovate with early ramp designs, professional events, and even a skate magazine. It later gained wider fame through celebrated performances, influential visitors, and its lasting role in American skateboarding history.