Olliewood
Olliewood is the name of an indoor recreation center which houses a skateboard bowl in Hollywood, Florida. It is owned by Alan Gelfand, the skater who created the Ollie. The moniker of the facility is derived from the name of his hometown, where he still lives, and his nickname “Ollie.” It consists of two floors and contains a 48-foot (15 m) bowl (a.k.a. the Olliewood Bowl), a video lounge, vintage game arcade and several other amenities for guests and visitors. Opening in 2002, Olliewood was originally just a halfpipe-style ramp. Then the following year it underwent a major transformation and was turned into a bowl. The facility has since hosted several important contests and events. Olliewood has also appeared in media, including a cover with Gelfand on Concrete Wave magazine. Guests and visitors at Olliewood have included Mike McGill, Steve Caballero, Andy MacDonald, Benji Galloway and Jason Ellis. Pros from Tony Hawk’s Boom Boom Huck Jam and the Vans Warped Tour have been known to drop in on Olliewood whenever their shows are in South Florida. Olliewood was initially semi-public, opening its doors to the skate community on certain days of the week. Nowadays it is maintained as a private facility and is strictly invitation-only.