Hilton Head unveils design for new skate park after community advocacy

EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this story did not accurately portray the condition of the current park, or clarify the timeline that brought this new park to council. We regret the error.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — The Town of Hilton Head Island has unveiled plans for a new skate park and pump track at Crossings Park, replacing the previous Bristol Areana Park and adding new infrastructure for riders of all skill levels. The project, years in the making, drew renewed momentum after local youth brought their concerns directly to town council.

Youth advocacy helped push project forward

Mayor Alan Perry said the project’s roots stretch back decades but credited a group of young skaters with giving it a final push.

“Gabriel over here and his buddies came in to town council one day and said, ‘Where’s the skate park? When are you going to redo our skate park? When are we going to have a pump track?’” Perry said. “It took Gabriel and his friends to come in and say this to council. And council listened. And they heard.”

Gabriel Hicks, 13, said the existing skate park had fallen into disrepair and that previous discussions about a replacement had not produced results.

They tried to repair it,” Hicks said “but you can’t repair it fast enough.”

Hicks said he and fellow skaters attended town council meetings and encouraged others in the skating community to do the same. He said his message to other young people seeking change in their communities is straightforward.

“You just gotta stand up for yourself,” Hicks said. “If you really want something, you gotta go get it.”

Design and location

Neal Eike, Senior Project Manager with Capital Projects for the Town of Hilton Head, said the new skate park will be built at the site of the existing Bristol Arena facility at the corner of Arrow Road and Helmsman Way, near the entrance to Hayne Point at Crossings Park.

“We’re going to be taking the existing skate park at Bristol and demolishing that, building a new skate park in its place,” Eike said. “It’s going to be all new concrete, all new ramps, half pipes, quarter pipes.”

The pump track will be constructed behind the skate park, in the area adjacent to the Meadows Soccer Area at Crossings Park.

Eike said the project has been in design for approximately four years, informed by the town’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan and its updated Strategic Action Plan. The design process included online polls, open houses, and community input on features and layout.

“That’s been sort of a four-year collaborative process between skaters, people in the town, and also our design team,” Eike said.

All-ages, no-cost access

Eike said a core principle guiding the project was accessibility, designing a facility that works for beginners through expert-level riders with no barriers to entry.

“No barriers of entry as far as cost,” Eike said. “How do we design and build something that works for everybody and gets everybody excited? It’s a tough needle to thread, but I think we did it.”

Mayor Perry said the project reflects a broader effort to attract younger residents and build community spaces for Hilton Head’s future.

“Hilton Head’s gotten older over the years,” Perry said. “One thing we want to do is attract a younger generation. Because that is our future.”

Timeline

Eike said the town plans to put the project out for bid in October, with construction expected to begin in February 2027 and be completed by the end of 2027. Project materials, including a 3D fly-through video and design exhibits, are available on the town’s Capital Improvement Projects dashboard on the town website. [Capital Project Dashboard]