Metro 1-Year Anniversary Party

Posted on Wednesday, February 25, 2004 by Ryan

Words and Photos By Ryan Clements

    Metro Skatepark is located a couple hours outside of Tampa in a town called Sanford. As you get off of I-4 and head towards the park, the surroundings are pretty nice. But it progressively gets worse as you near Metro. The skate park is actually in an old, run down shopping center, but it makes for great atmosphere. There's a very authentic Mexican restaurant, right next door to a pizza joint with $1 slices, alongside a head shop. It seems that the surrounding businesses would be stoked on the draw of the skate park, but not the head shop.

    First off, the head shop has a stupid name - it's called "Pipe Dreams," and you see all type of Jencos and piercings running in and out of that place, but here's the catch: Skateboarding is not permitted on the sidewalk, anywhere. Ironically, the only store in the entire plaza that cares about this rule is Pipe Dreams. Instead of asking you nicely not to skate on the sidewalk, there's some psychotic, middle-aged lady with a shaved head and rat tail that screams (I mean SCREAMS) at anyone simply standing on a skateboard. One kid had enough, and told her what's up. She screamed, "LICK MY ASS YOU LITTLE F'ING PUNK!" Enough said. Go buy your bongs somewhere else.

    As for the skate park itself, it's great. It's owned and operated by 100% skateboarders. The course is very street oriented and well designed. Their events are fun and laid back and the Anniversary Party was a fun time all day (and night) long. If they keep doing things the same way, but maybe pick up the pace a bit on the contests, I can see them being there for a long time. Thanks for the fun, even though I didn't stay for the show/party. Oh yeah, there's an actual nightclub in the same shopping plaza, too. It's nice to go to another skate park and get the same feeling I do here at Skatepark of Tampa.