Go Skateboarding Day 2007
Posted on Friday, June 22, 2007 by Ryan
NO Skateboarding (Downtown) Day 2007
Words by Ryan ClementsPhotos and Captions by Rob Meronek
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The Bro Bowl
I guess that the Tampa Police Department heard about Go Skateboarding Day in Downtown Tampa just like we did. We rolled up a little after 9:30am and there were literally 50 Police Officers at the Bro Bowl having a meeting. I’m not exaggerating, I’m not embellishing, there REALLY were 50 of them.
Upon arrival we got a sheet of paper from TBD that outlined the anti-skateboarding ordinance in the City of Tampa. Apparently there is no skateboarding permitted AT ALL in Downtown Tampa and the men in blue were there to strictly enforce that ordinance.
They were making their presence very known. I brought a flat bar and they told us that we weren’t permitted to “modify a public park” and if we didn’t remove the bar that it would be confiscated. In addition, no one was permitted to pass out water or BBQ or even give out some t-shirts. Hell, Swill wasn’t even allowed to clean off the area of the slab that Reynolds did the kickflip melon onto in The End. I guess you need a permit for all of that stuff. Permits to sweep?
All of the news stations were out there. All of ‘em. I did about four or five interviews, but none that I saw later that evening seemed to mention the gross waste of our tax dollars that was occurring. So needless to say there was no way that we were going to skate through Downtown and hit the double set for a jam with that type of Police presence. What’s the point of all of us walking into battle like that knowing that we’re going to jail?
While we were at the Bro Bowl apparently Tampa’s finest were safe-guarding the rest of the City. I have friends that work all over Downtown. I was informed that there were six Officers at Bank of America, six Officers at 501 Kennedy, six Officers at the 7/11 Double Set, and 10 Officers near the Art Museum. I can’t verify that because I didn’t see it, but here’s an email from a spy:
There were like five or six here at 9:30am this morning. They just sat outside on the bus route. They shut the gate at exactly 11am and then they were waiting at all entrances to the building. It was just XXXXXX and I in here so we couldn’t leave. Then they opened the gate right at 1pm again. XXXXX, our President, said there were a ton of them at Bank of America. He thought a bank got robbed or something with how many cops there were!
Let’s not forget the ghetto bird. That’s right, a Police helicopter hovered over us for a large portion of the day.
No Skating Downtown
So we walked. Yep, that’s right, we picked up our skateboards and walked into Downtown and hung out at Joe Chillura Park for a few minutes. On the way in people were coming out of their offices to see what we had going on because we were live on the 12 o’clock news (we must be very important). Then we walked back to the Bro Bowl…there were a few renegades that put their boards down and skated. Two kids got popped and arrested. Fallen soldiers?
Everyone was invited back to Skatepark of Tampa where they skated for free and ate all of the food that wasn’t permitted to be cooked at the Bro Bowl. Thirsty kids are allowed to receive water at Skatepark, too. Imagine that. The Session went on until 5pm.
Best Trick at Ghetto Gap
The final mission of the day was a quick Best Trick at the Ghetto Gap. I rolled up and some kid was spray painting on the loading dock area. I was like, “What the hell are you doing?” He stopped. Next thing you know, there are other skateboarders fighting in the street. For real. They were throwing blows. I started yelling at them, calling them morons and reminding everyone that they’re giving everyone a REASON to thinks that skateboarders are a bunch of morons.
NOTE TO KIDS: If you do stupid things like spray graffiti at skate spots and fight in the streets you’re as dumb as people think you are. Make me proud to be a skateboarder, man, and next time don’t leave any trash behind either.
About six or seven tricks went down, but my highlight was when Schaefer ollied it! He got $20 for that one!
Back at Skatepark at 8pm we had a free Video Premiere for Element’s new flick, “This Is My Element.” It was a bit long and the music wasn’t my favorite, but Levi Brown, Jimmy Lannon, and Tony Tave were absolutely amazing. The skating in the video is top notch all the way around. Nyjah is so good that he’s boring…a total phenomenon.
The Final Word
I was talking to one of the reporters after she interviewed me yesterday (off the record) and she told me that some of the Officers on duty at the Bro Bowl also agreed that it was just way, way too much overkill. Of course you won’t see any of that on Bay News 9 and you won’t hear Gail Sierens talking about it either…no one is going to dis the cops as a whole on local TV.
But I will say that the vast majority of the officers, with the exception of a few, were polite, respectful, and downright cool…and for that I want to thank them. I realize that they have a job to do and they were following out orders. In addition, I’m stoked for not getting arrested for skating. Did I say that?
Happy Go Skateboarding Day to all! I wonder what someone has planned for next year? See you there!
Ryan
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