Extreme Sports in South Florida
Title
Extreme Sports in South Florida
Creator
Fernando Fuentes
Date
10/18/2024
Text
Back in the mid 1990s my dad and his friends would ride their ATVs and dirt bikes all over new suburban areas. Most of Kendall in the early 1990s was nothing but farmland and new communities in the process of being built. Riders would tear it up in abandoned construction sites, open land, and on the streets as well. They created trails, jumps, and berms. No one cared if the land was private property, they were just trying to have fun and go off-roading. Over time, local law enforcement eventually pushed riders off the land and established security in the area. Riders were bummed out but there was nothing they could do. They knew they were in the wrong, but they just wanted to have fun and make use of the land around them.
I was raised in the same neighborhood that my dad grew up in, Devon-Aire. It looked nothing like he had described it. There was nothing but suburban homes, parks, and schools. I lived in that area for about 6 years before my family moved to Pine Acres. I still do not understand why people still call it that. The pines were wiped out during Hurricane Andrew! Anyway, we have been living here since 2011. My neighbors are chill for the most part. Many of them throw late night parties on random days of the week and no one calls the cops on them for noise complaints. Now, next to my home there are these power line fields owned my FPL and Miami-Dade County. The sickest part about this is that the fields stretch for about 1-2 miles and diverge into more open land between communities alongside canal water systems. The only things on these fields are power lines and some minor plant life. These fields provide neighbors with lots of benefits. People will play with their kids, walk their dogs, tailgate, launch fireworks on holidays, and most importantly, go off-roading on this land. As great as this all is, it is important to remember that people are technically not allowed to go on this land.
On one random Saturday in 2020, my dad and I decided to go off-roading on these fields. During the COVID-19 Pandemic we became very bored at home and decided to create a makeshift ramp to jump our dirt bikes with. We grabbed a Lifetime table, opened the legs on one side and put a thick piece of plywood on top. From there we brought it out to the fields and started jumping our dirt bikes off it. We were getting some SICK airtime! We jumped at least 10- 15 yards every time we launched off that ramp. At some point, people were gathering on the sides of the field to watch us. That fun only lasted for about 20-30 minutes before a cop showed up. I mean seriously!? What grumpy-old-man of a neighbor had to call the cops on us?! We were having a great time! THE NEIGHBORS were having a great time! Anyway, the cop was cool; she was actually an off-roader herself so she was able to sympathize with us. We ended up taking our ramp off the field. The next day, we jumped the ramp next to our driveway. Can’t call the cops if we are on our property!
So, this incident got me thinking about what other off-roaders in South Florida have to deal with. For us it is easy because we live next to a little bit of open land but imagine all the people who live in other neighborhoods and want to go off-roading. The nearest places to ride legally are Miami Motocross Track (MMT) and someone’s private land if they give you permission to. The worst part is that depending on where you live, MMT might be 30-40 minutes away along with having to deal with traffic. Another downside is the fact that MMT is the only motocross track in all of South Florida. This makes it hard for people to be able to go off- roading. It could also lead to people riding more and more on private property and/or public roadways, causing issues for landowners and law-enforcement officials. Southern California has 10+ motocross tracks whereas South Florida only has 1 motocross track. Granted, Southern California is a bigger metropolitan area compared to South Florida but when you look at it from that perspective, it goes to show you how the culture of off-roading is not as popular in South Florida vs other parts of the country.
This applies to other action sports as well. As an avid surfer I can tell you that South Beach is an amazing break, but if you are looking for wave consistency you will not find it. This beach break only receives swell a handful times out of the year. This is due to a gap of about 90 miles between the State of Florida and the Caribbean islands that swell must squeeze through in order for South beach to recieve waves. It is crazy to think that if the Caribbean islands did not exist, South Florida would contain some of the greatest beach breaks in the world. The nearest consistent surf break in Florida is located in Fort Pierce. This beach is located above the Tri- County area (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County) and is about a two-and-a-half- hour drive from Miami to get there. The only sport that is growing and continues to stay popular is skateboarding, especially since Lot 11 Skatepark opened in downtown. Ever since their grand opening in November 2019, they have had pro skaters from all over the world continue to come and skate in the City of Miami, growing the skateboarding scene in South Florida. I mention all of these things to show how this world of extreme sports is bigger than people actually realize.
The world of extreme sports, from off-roading to surfing and skateboarding, holds a much larger presence than many might realize, even here in South Florida where the opportunities can feel limited. My own experiences highlight both the joy and the challenges that come with finding places to practice these sports. While off-roading might have been easy in my dad’s day, today the rise of suburban development and stricter regulations makes it harder to enjoy our passions freely. Still, whether it's off-roading on unofficial land, catching waves at inconsistent breaks, or skateboarding at the thriving Lot 11 Skatepark, the culture of extreme sports continues to persist. It speaks to the passion of its community, always finding a way to make the most of the environment around them.
I was raised in the same neighborhood that my dad grew up in, Devon-Aire. It looked nothing like he had described it. There was nothing but suburban homes, parks, and schools. I lived in that area for about 6 years before my family moved to Pine Acres. I still do not understand why people still call it that. The pines were wiped out during Hurricane Andrew! Anyway, we have been living here since 2011. My neighbors are chill for the most part. Many of them throw late night parties on random days of the week and no one calls the cops on them for noise complaints. Now, next to my home there are these power line fields owned my FPL and Miami-Dade County. The sickest part about this is that the fields stretch for about 1-2 miles and diverge into more open land between communities alongside canal water systems. The only things on these fields are power lines and some minor plant life. These fields provide neighbors with lots of benefits. People will play with their kids, walk their dogs, tailgate, launch fireworks on holidays, and most importantly, go off-roading on this land. As great as this all is, it is important to remember that people are technically not allowed to go on this land.
On one random Saturday in 2020, my dad and I decided to go off-roading on these fields. During the COVID-19 Pandemic we became very bored at home and decided to create a makeshift ramp to jump our dirt bikes with. We grabbed a Lifetime table, opened the legs on one side and put a thick piece of plywood on top. From there we brought it out to the fields and started jumping our dirt bikes off it. We were getting some SICK airtime! We jumped at least 10- 15 yards every time we launched off that ramp. At some point, people were gathering on the sides of the field to watch us. That fun only lasted for about 20-30 minutes before a cop showed up. I mean seriously!? What grumpy-old-man of a neighbor had to call the cops on us?! We were having a great time! THE NEIGHBORS were having a great time! Anyway, the cop was cool; she was actually an off-roader herself so she was able to sympathize with us. We ended up taking our ramp off the field. The next day, we jumped the ramp next to our driveway. Can’t call the cops if we are on our property!
So, this incident got me thinking about what other off-roaders in South Florida have to deal with. For us it is easy because we live next to a little bit of open land but imagine all the people who live in other neighborhoods and want to go off-roading. The nearest places to ride legally are Miami Motocross Track (MMT) and someone’s private land if they give you permission to. The worst part is that depending on where you live, MMT might be 30-40 minutes away along with having to deal with traffic. Another downside is the fact that MMT is the only motocross track in all of South Florida. This makes it hard for people to be able to go off- roading. It could also lead to people riding more and more on private property and/or public roadways, causing issues for landowners and law-enforcement officials. Southern California has 10+ motocross tracks whereas South Florida only has 1 motocross track. Granted, Southern California is a bigger metropolitan area compared to South Florida but when you look at it from that perspective, it goes to show you how the culture of off-roading is not as popular in South Florida vs other parts of the country.
This applies to other action sports as well. As an avid surfer I can tell you that South Beach is an amazing break, but if you are looking for wave consistency you will not find it. This beach break only receives swell a handful times out of the year. This is due to a gap of about 90 miles between the State of Florida and the Caribbean islands that swell must squeeze through in order for South beach to recieve waves. It is crazy to think that if the Caribbean islands did not exist, South Florida would contain some of the greatest beach breaks in the world. The nearest consistent surf break in Florida is located in Fort Pierce. This beach is located above the Tri- County area (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County) and is about a two-and-a-half- hour drive from Miami to get there. The only sport that is growing and continues to stay popular is skateboarding, especially since Lot 11 Skatepark opened in downtown. Ever since their grand opening in November 2019, they have had pro skaters from all over the world continue to come and skate in the City of Miami, growing the skateboarding scene in South Florida. I mention all of these things to show how this world of extreme sports is bigger than people actually realize.
The world of extreme sports, from off-roading to surfing and skateboarding, holds a much larger presence than many might realize, even here in South Florida where the opportunities can feel limited. My own experiences highlight both the joy and the challenges that come with finding places to practice these sports. While off-roading might have been easy in my dad’s day, today the rise of suburban development and stricter regulations makes it harder to enjoy our passions freely. Still, whether it's off-roading on unofficial land, catching waves at inconsistent breaks, or skateboarding at the thriving Lot 11 Skatepark, the culture of extreme sports continues to persist. It speaks to the passion of its community, always finding a way to make the most of the environment around them.
Collection
Citation
Fernando Fuentes, “Extreme Sports in South Florida,” Everything Speaks To Me , accessed September 18, 2026, https://everythingspeakstome.com/items/show/395.