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 inventor of the Ollie. The name of the facility is a marriage of his hometown, where he still lives, and his nickname “Ollie” which predates his invention of the trick in 1977. It consists of two floors and contains a 48 foot bowl (a.k.a. the Olliewood Bowl), a video lounge, vintage game arcade and several other amenities for guests and visitors. Olliewood sprung to life in 2001 and by 2002 it opened its doors to the public. In 2003 the Olliewood’s half-pipe underwent a transformation and was turned into a bowl. The half-pipe and 48 foot bowl at Olliewood has hosted several major events and contests. Olliewood (and Alan) garnered press soon after opening and have appeared on the covers of several publications. 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 or 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.