It’s a Tuesday night in February, the kind of Ohio winter where the air feels like wet needles and the sun checks out by 4:45 PM. Normally, this is when the warehouse district near Port Columbus starts buzzing. You’d hear that unmistakable clack-clack of wheels hitting wood echoing out of a nondescript building on East 5th Avenue.
But things are different now.
If you’ve been looking for Skate Naked Columbus OH, you’ve probably noticed the silence. After 14 years of serving as the heartbeat of the local scene, the city’s premier indoor facility closed its doors in August 2024. For a lot of us, it wasn’t just a park. It was the only reason we didn't lose our minds during the six months of the year when Ohio weather turns outdoor concrete into an ice rink.
The End of an Era on East 5th Avenue
Honestly, the news hit like a bad slam on a concrete 10-stair. In the summer of 2024, the owners—Jeff Trasin and Jon Hammond—dropped the bombshell on Instagram. They weren't closing because of a lack of interest or bad business. They were losing the building. The phrasing was vague but heavy: "it’s out of our control."
That's the nightmare scenario for any indoor park. You can have the best community in the world, but if the lease goes, the ramps go.
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Skate Naked wasn't just a room with some boxes. It was a massive, 20,000-square-foot labyrinth of street sections, a bowl room, and a snake run that felt like it never ended. It took the "best of" Columbus street spots and put them under one roof. When you walked in, you paid your twelve bucks, signed the waiver, and entered a world that felt completely separate from the industrial grayness outside.
Why the name?
People always ask. No, you didn't actually skate naked. The name was basically a middle finger to the strict "full pads" rules of the 90s and early 2000s. It stood for "naked" of the gear—skating at your own risk, the way most of us did in the streets. It was a badge of authenticity in a world that was trying to sanitize skateboarding.
More Than Just Wood and Nails
You can’t talk about Skate Naked Columbus OH without talking about the culture they built. It wasn't just a clubhouse for the bros. In the later years, employees like Sie Logsdon and Scar May pushed hard to make the space more inclusive.
They started Saturday morning sessions specifically for girls, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ skaters.
They kept the price low—five dollars—to make sure anyone who felt intimidated by the "mainstream" crowd had a safe spot to learn. That’s the stuff that doesn't show up in a business ledger but matters immensely for the health of a city's subculture.
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- The Pro Shop: Embassy Boardshop had a satellite location inside, meaning you weren't stranded if you snapped a kingpin or blew out a bearing.
- The Vibe: It was a "babysitter" for some, a training ground for others, and a second home for the regulars who spent every night there until 11:00 PM.
- The Diversity: You’d see 6-year-olds on scooters sharing the same line with 40-year-old dudes trying to reclaim their kickflips.
The Current State of Columbus Skating
So, where does that leave everyone in 2026?
It’s a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the city has been pouring money into outdoor parks. You’ve got the revamped Dodge Park and the new concrete at Tuttle. Suburbs like Gahanna, Bexley, and Worthington have stepped up their game with decent outdoor facilities.
But outdoor parks don't solve the "Ohio Problem."
When it rains, you're done. When it snows, you're done. Without an indoor hub, the scene feels fractured. People are back to skating parking garages—shoutout to the one behind the UDF on Indianola—or just waiting for spring. There are rumors of "private" setups in basements and barns around the 43219 zip code, but nothing that replaces the scale of what we lost at Skate Naked.
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The Realities of Running an Indoor Park
Let’s be real for a second. Running an indoor skatepark is a brutal business. You’re paying for a massive footprint, insurance that would make a sane person cry, and electricity to light up a warehouse all night. Most of these places barely break even. They are labors of love. When Skate Naked died, it wasn't just a business closing; it was a gift to the city being retracted because the logistics no longer worked.
What You Should Do Now
If you're a skater in the 614 looking for a fix, you have to be a bit more creative these days.
- Support Local Shops: Without a park hub, shops like Embassy become the de facto meeting spots. Go there. Buy your wheels there.
- Hit the Garages: If you’re desperate in the winter, the Indianola/Oakland Park Ave garage is a known winter refuge, but keep it low-key. Respect the space so it doesn't get capped.
- Advocate for Indoor Space: The city of Columbus has shown they are willing to build parks. The next step is a public-private partnership for a municipal indoor facility. It’s been done in other cold-weather cities; why not here?
- Follow the Old Crew: Keep an eye on the former Skate Naked regulars and staff on social media. If a new project or a "pop-up" park ever happens, that's where the news will break first.
The loss of Skate Naked Columbus OH left a massive hole in the Midwest skate scene. It served as a reminder that these spaces are fragile. They aren't permanent fixtures like a post office or a bank; they are living, breathing communities that require a roof and a lot of heart to survive. For now, the "RIP Skate Naked" stickers on the back of street signs around Columbus say it all.
Grab your board and hit the street spots while the weather holds. If you see a dry patch of concrete under a bridge this winter, take advantage of it. The community is still here; we’re just a little more scattered than we used to be.
Actionable Next Steps:
Check the current status of outdoor parks like Dodge or Tuttle through the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department website to see if any seasonal maintenance or upgrades are scheduled. Support local skate advocacy groups like the Friends of Columbus Skateparks to help push for future indoor facilities.