Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced this week the creation of the “Hulk Hogan Trail” in Clearwater to honor the late professional wrestling icon. Speaking at Hogan’s Hangout, a restaurant owned by the Hogan family, DeSantis unveiled plans for a two-mile section of the Clearwater Trail to carry Hogan’s name. The designated stretch runs between Oak Avenue and Coronado Drive.
The governor explained that the trail will feature exercise stations painted in Hogan’s signature red and yellow colors. “People bike, they run, they walk, but why not have a pull-up bar there so people can knock out a few sets along the way? It’s something that’s going to make a big difference,” DeSantis said.
Hogan, born Terry Bollea, passed away in July at age 71. DeSantis praised his legacy as one of the most recognizable figures in professional wrestling history. “Hulkamania is going to live forever,” DeSantis said. “You’re never going to find somebody who eclipses him in terms of the star power he brought.”
Hogan’s son, Nick Bollea, attended the ceremony and said Clearwater was always home for his father. “This is something my dad would be so, so proud of,” Bollea said. “No matter where his career took him, he was always grounded here.”
In his later years, Hogan became politically outspoken, publicly supporting President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. At the 2024 Republican National Convention, just days after the attempted assassination of Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, Hogan took the stage, ripped his shirt in classic fashion, and declared, “Let Trumpamania rule!”
DeSantis said the trail will preserve Hogan’s legacy for future generations. “His memory is going to live a long time,” the governor added.
