Tampa Pro 2004 Day 2: Thursday

Posted on Thursday, March 11, 2004 by Rob Meronek

Tampa Pro 2004 Day 2: Thursday, March 11, 2004

Words and Photos by Rob Meronek

Chris Cole is definitely going to be in the Finals if he keeps skating like he did yesterday. Perfect switch 360 flips and high speed kickflip backside tail slides are a few things he's consistently throwing down out there. Willy Santos came back from under a rock and seems to be skating pretty good, too.

Everyone who has won a prior Tampa Pro event is automatically in the Semi-Finals on Sunday. Mike V. won the first Tampa Pro Contest so he'll be in there after Mike V. and the Rats play on Saturday night at Masquerade. All ages are welcome at that so I'll see all you 12 year old girls that hang out on Ryan Sheckler's page. Actually I heard Sheckler's not coming because he has some social studies project or something. I think this will be the first year of Tampa he's missed since popping out of the womb. Last year's winner, Tony Trujillo, is here also.

It's going to be an amazing Sunday with Koston and Reynolds already in the Semi-Finals. I heard they are both coming, too. Speaking of hearing things, I wish I could talk about all this crazy industry gossip and rumor mill crap I'm hearing. Big time stuff is going on in skateboarding these days. I think it's going to change as much in the next five years as it has changed in the last 15. I just hope I can always work in skateboarding because the normal work world sucks for real. Been there a long time. Anyway, I'll keep adding photos to the list to your right as the day goes on.

The weather's looking good for the weekend also. Nice.

Rob

Paul Zitzer - indy

Paul Zitzer - cab tailgrab

Paul Zitzer - frontside nosegrind

Paul Zitzer - frontside tailgrab

Paul Zitzer - backside tailslide

Neal Hendrix - frontside heelflip

Nate Jones - front board

Neal Hendrix - backside 360

Gershon Mosley - backside tailslide

Darrell Stanton - nollie front board

Brian Howard - frontside tail grab

Guilherme Zollin - switch backside 5-0

Ricardo Oliveira Assis - 360 flip noseslide

Chris Cole - backside 5-0

Greg Lutzka - switch tailslide

Bastien Salabanzi - alley oop kickflip on the quarter (900k mpeg video)

Danny Vieira - kickflip over the 12 foot deck (700k mpeg video)

Bastien Salabanzi - kickflip front board (900k mpeg video)

Bastien Salabanzi - cab flip (1.1mb mpeg video)

Tony Trujillo - 360 flip

Tim O'Conner - backside 270

Dylan Rieder's not pro or skating in the contest. He's just hanging out this weekend - kickflip

Bastien Salabanzi - frontside nosegrind

Bastien Salabanzi - switch 270 front board

Bastien Salabanzi - backside flip

Peter Ramondetta - kickflip

Chris Dobstaff - kickflip

Nate Jones - ollie

Ryan Fabry - frontside air over the hip

Dennis Busenitz - 100mph kickflip

Danny Vieira- giant 360 flip over the 12 foot deck

Danny Morrin - frontside bluntslide

Tampa Pro Tampa Pro 2004 Video Premiere at Masquerade in Ybor City

by Rob on Monday, May 24, 2004

Party photos from the Tampa Pro 2004 Video Premiere

Tampa Pro 2004 Day 5: Sunday, March 15, 2004

by Rob on Monday, March 15, 2004

The skating on Sunday was amazing. Bastien had the place in an uproar during every run...

Tampa Pro 2004 Awards

by Rob on Monday, March 15, 2004

There is not enough time and not enough awards to give one to every single person that deserves one...

Tampa Pro 2004 Contest After Party

by Rob on Monday, March 15, 2004

It was nice to see everyone out at the Green Room after the Contest. I guess these photos might be a little dull if you weren't there, but oh well.

Tampa Pro 2004 Saturday Nightlife

by Rob on Sunday, March 14, 2004

More good times, everyone out late, and it's all going down again tonight after we see one of the best Semi-Finals we've had in a long time...

Tampa Pro 2004 World Industries Moat Race

by Rob on Saturday, March 13, 2004

Kids will do anything for product, including having a race in sketchy sewage running through a moat going around the Park. Check out the antics here.

Tampa Pro 2004 Vert Contest

by Rob on Saturday, March 13, 2004

Everyone in the Vert Contest ripped so hard they all made it to the Finals. Well, maybe it was because there was only 15 of them. Here are some photos from the contest...

Tampa Pro 2004 Day 4: Saturday Street Qualifiers

by Rob on Saturday, March 13, 2004

It seems like it was definitely harder to make the cut today that it was yesterday. The computer's random sort landed a ton of rippers in todays heats...

Tampa Pro 2004 Day 3: Friday Nightlife

by Rob on Saturday, March 13, 2004

The same old fun times with great friends never gets old...

Tampa Pro 2004 Friday Street Qualifiers

by Rob on Friday, March 12, 2004

Photos from Friday's Street Qualifiers

Tampa Pro 2004 Team Manager and Industry VIP Contest

by Rob on Friday, March 12, 2004

Ryan Clements wins it...