Florida Vert History, Myths, & Legends: Rodney Mead & Gnarly Charlie

A legendary Florida vert ramp didn’t just appear, it survived. We’re down in Holopaw, Florida with pro vert skateboarder Rodney Mead and Daytona OG Gnarly Charlie while we work on Rodney’s Vert Ramp Rehab project and swap the kind of stories you only get from decades in the trenches. If you grew up on 80s skateboarding, backyard halfpipes, and the loud, messy magic of local scenes, this one hits deep. We get into Rodney’s early setups, the ramps that taught him everything, and the hilarious Christmas morning disaster where the “hidden” boards got found and the punishment lasted longer than the stoke. Then we jump straight into the real-world problem every ramp builder knows right now: lumber prices, material shortages, and how fast a rehab budget can explode. Rodney also breaks down the full saga of how the Orlando Vans Skate Park ramps shut down, got refurbished, and ended up being bought, sold, dismantled, hauled, and rebuilt into a new home base for Florida vert skateboarding. From there, it opens up into the bigger picture: Florida vs California skate culture, why the West Coast got the spotlight, and how social media changed the rules for getting recognized. Rodney shares his competition path from Vans events to Tampa Pro points, X Games proximity, and the surreal Combi Pool “golden ticket” year that got derailed by a decades-old warrant, only to lead to a passport and international contests like Vert Attack. We close with Charlie’s Team Pain mega ramp build stories and what it’s like to watch history get built from raw wood and stubborn will. If you’re into vert skateboarding, ramp building, skateboarding history, or Florida skate culture, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a five-star rating. What’s the most legendary ramp story you’ve ever heard or lived?