Recent Articles

Gib's Going to the West Coast

by Rob on Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Gib's out of here to move to the West Coast so we all got together for one last after-hours session in the Park.

The Great Case of the Poo Poo Bandit at SPoT

by Rob on Tuesday, May 08, 2012
We've got a perpetrator here committing atrocious acts, or should I say poopetrator. Yep, this mystery character I refer to as the Poo Poo Bandit is not settling for the plain old upper decker. That's too easy since you have actual privacy when executing that despicable act. This fecal criminal is TAKING A DUMP IN THE URINALS here at SPoT. Yes, you read that right. Full stand up, forward facing, hot steamy log pinch in plain view of any would be innocent bathroom arrivals. The poopetrator has struck three times now (three times!?!) and it's about time we get to the bottom of it.

May the Fourth Be With You at The Bricks

by Rob on Saturday, May 05, 2012
I rolled through Ybor and The Bricks last night where the Star Wars nerds got loose.

Staff Meeting at Turtle Ditch

by Rob on Thursday, May 03, 2012
Today we took the middle of the day off to skate. After going all the way out to the new unfinished Apollo Beach park, we got kicked out within minutes of barging it. Oh well, we spent the afternoon at plain old crusty Turtle Ditch in Tampa instead.

A Tour of the Chicken Coop

by Porpe on Friday, April 27, 2012
Photos from Atlant's DIY spot the Chicken Coop

Damn Am Atlanta Presented by Nike SB 2012 Finals and Skullcandy Best Trick

by Porpe on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Damn Am Atlanta 2012 Finals and Best Tricks

Petoskey Stone Nike SB Dunk Low in Ybor May 1

by Wit-E on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Coming May 1st to SPoT Ybor is a Dunk Low Premium that has been generating alot of buzz lately.

Frank Kozik Nike SB Dunk High: In Ybor Today at Noon

by Rob on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Going on sale today at noon at SPoT Skate Shop Ybor is the much anticipated Kozik Dunk High Quickstrike.

Red Bull Mind the Gap 2012

by Porpe on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Red Bull Mind the Gap 2012

Damn Am Atlanta 2012 Semi-Finals Jams

by Rob on Saturday, April 21, 2012
Top two from the Qualifiers go straight to the Finals. The remaining 28 below are fighting for a top 10 spot in the Semi-Finals to join them in the Finals.

Damn Am Atlanta 2012 Jams

by Rob on Friday, April 20, 2012
The top 30 from the Qualifers Jams below skating on Saturday make the cut to Sunday. Top two go directly to the Finals and the remaining 28 skate in the Semi-Finals where the top 10 from there join the two already in the Finals.

Spring Roll Presented by DVS and Matix 2012

by Porpe on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Photos and footage from Spring Roll 2012

It Was This Big: A Fishing Trip With Tolentino and Montesi

by Ryan on Saturday, April 14, 2012
There’s nothing like blowing off a day of work to go fishing. It’s not often that I do that, but I couldn’t decline this invite to hang with such a fun crew. The best part of this trip was that our captain was a true professional and got our 11 person group into the absolute best spots about 10 miles off of John’s Pass on St. Pete Beach. We caught nearly 200 fish and kept about 110 of them.

Vans iPhone Case Digital Product Toss Results

by Rob on Thursday, April 05, 2012
Everyone gets a random number assigned, sorted, and someone whose email starts with "degch870" came out on top.

Tampa Pro 2012: Stats and Live Broadcast Replay

by Rob on Tuesday, April 03, 2012
The Finals at Tampa Pro has an hour of some of the best skating you'll ever see in one place. Check the full replay here.

Lil Wayne Buys Majority Ownership in Skatepark of Tampa for $9.3 Million

by Rob on Sunday, April 01, 2012
Hip hop artist Lil Wayne and his Cash Money empire announced today their further expansion into skateboarding with the closing of a deal with Skatepark of Tampa to acquire a majority ownership in the long standing skateboard facility.

Tampa Pro 2012: Contest and Skate Photos

by Rob on Wednesday, March 28, 2012
A few skate photos and sequences from the weekend.

Tampa Pro 2012: Chill Cam Dump

by Rob on Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Not only did I have my phone out filming the whole weekend, I also had my camera pointed in your face, and sometimes mine. Here are some of my favorites from the weekend from the Contest to the nightlife and everything in between.

Tampa Pro 2012 Finals Skaters

by Rob on Sunday, March 25, 2012
A list of people skating in the Finals. Live at skateparkoftampa.com right now!

Tampa Pro 2012 Semi-Finals Skater List

by Rob on Saturday, March 24, 2012
Here's the list of skaters in the Semi-Finals. Top 10 will join Chaz Ortiz and Torey Pudwill in the Finals.

Tampa Pro 2012 Skaters and Heats

by Rob on Friday, March 23, 2012
Top 30 make the cut to the Semi-Finals on Sunday where the whole thing will be on live webcast at 11am EST at skateparkoftampa.com/TampaPro

Thursday at Tampa Pro 2012

by Rob on Thursday, March 22, 2012
I spent the entire day up front doing registration and serving up a lot of high fives and handshakes, but I did manage to break out every now and then shoot some photos here and there. I can't wait for this weekend to be in full swing. I'm ready to work hard and lurk hard.

LRG Demo 2012

by Rob on Monday, March 19, 2012
Thanks to the LRG team for stopping by and killing it on the street course. Here are some photos and video footage.

etnies Demo Benefiting Boards for Bros

by Rob on Sunday, March 18, 2012
Thanks to the enties team for stopping by for a demo and autograph signing. Check out some photos and video coverage here.

CCS Lurk-A-Thon

by Rob on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
The CCS Lurkathon was two quick best trick contests and some free gear.

Booze Cruise 2012

by Porpe on Tuesday, March 13, 2012
While HiDefJoe and Rob were in LA hanging out with superstars, I was in charge of covering our Booze Cruise. Here is the footage and photos.

Gratitude Art Show at The Bricks

by Rob on Monday, March 12, 2012
If you were out for the Gratitude Art Show opening at The Bricks, thanks for stopping by. Here's a portion of the work and some lurk. It will be up all month long and through Tampa Pro.

Mike Mo and Tony Hawk's House: SPoT Life Lurking

by Rob on Wednesday, March 07, 2012
When we landed at LAX, it was 1am our time. It was a two hour drive to Mike Mo's house where we arrived and went straight to the local bar in his little hometown of Simi Valley, The Arena. What a scene.

Skateboarding Gives Back at The Berrics

by Rob on Monday, March 05, 2012
Skateboarding Gives Back was the first ever Best Trick Contest at the Berrics to benefit the Get on Board charity. SPoT Productions donated services and assistance in running and organizing the event.

Max Schaaf 4Q Velvet Posters in the Shop Soon

by Rob on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
We'll have a limited number of these Max Schaaf 4Q Velvet Posters available in the shop soon.

Old Man Appreciation Bowl Jam Presented by Creature

by Rob on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The Editor nearly had a seizure while trying to capture all the cover shots at this one. Thanks to Creature and Stone Brewery for the support on the Old Man Appreciation Bowl Jam. We have about a year's subscription worth of covers from this session. Frontside Grind Magazine circulation is up 10,000%!

5boro Premiere at The Bricks

by Rob on Monday, February 20, 2012
Thanks to everyone who came out for a drink and a ripping video premiere. Willy Akers is finally pro and the 5boro video is finally out.

Valentine's Day Massacre 2012 Presented by Vans

by Porpe on Monday, February 13, 2012
Photos and Video from Valentine's Day Massacre Presented by Vans 2012

Sole Killers

by Wit-E on Sunday, February 12, 2012
Some of us have grown up with an ever growing love for sneakers. To some, sneakers are made to be collected and treasured like sports cards. They never dare to wear their precious Jays or limited edition SBs. Many times these type folk often forget what kix they even own. But in my opinion, sneakers are made for wearing.

10 Years of Tampa Pro Upside Down

by Rob on Tuesday, February 07, 2012
The story of losing at Tampa Pro is an amazing tale of human drive and determination. Follow your nightmares and you too can end up at the bottom, recognized for your valiant efforts, high fived in the gutters of Ybor, and celebrated by the last few true dirtbags in skateboarding. Here's to y'all!

A Roll Through Downtown Tampa and Turtle Ditch

by Rob on Saturday, February 04, 2012
Rolled through University of Tampa and downtown Tampa, including a stop at my favorite little crusty skate spot, Turtle Ditch. These were all shot with the Nikon D3S.

Grind for Life 2012 Stops at SPoT

by Rob on Saturday, February 04, 2012
Thanks again to everyone from Grind for Life that came to SPoT today.

Pine Green Dunk Low Nike SB February 2012

by Rob on Wednesday, February 01, 2012
New from Nike SB this month comes a Dunk Low in pine green and black with atom red accents. This Dunk is reminiscent of the Deftone Dunk Highs from 2003.

Clash of the Crews 2012 Presented by Arnette

by Rob on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Thanks to all the shops and homies that came from all over the southeast to the first Clash of the Crews at SPoT.

Agenda Long Beach, LA, and Zumiez 100k

by Ryan on Monday, January 30, 2012
My first trip of the year was pretty damn eventful. I don’t think I could have asked for anything more. I went to LA, Long Beach, Encinitas, and Keystone, CO, all in a week’s time, and it was quite an adventure. Good times, great skating, and amazing people. Thanks to Agenda and Zumiez for making it all possible…

Digital Product Toss Results: Organika Quim Cardona Deck

by Rob on Monday, January 30, 2012
Everyone gets a random number assigned, sorted, and someone whose email starts with "sic4lyfe" came out on top. Check your email, Mr. sic4lyfe.

2012 Schedule for Clash of the Crews

by Rob on Saturday, January 28, 2012
The full details for the weekend on Clash of the Crews at SPoT.

Clash of the Crews 2012 Jams/Teams So Far

by Rob on Friday, January 27, 2012
Each Crew gets five skaters plus one optional old guy. As of Friday night at 8pm when I put this together, all the teams were not completely assembled and here, but here's what we have so far.

Dave Hackett Bio

by Rob on Friday, January 27, 2012
Dave Hackman Hackett (born David Jude Hackett on November 12, 1960) from Malibu, California is one of innovators and pioneers of professional skateboarding. He is, according to peers, one of the most stylish and influential Skateboarders in the World.

Tampa Pro 2012 Presented by Nike SB Schedule

by Rob on Thursday, January 26, 2012
The full schedule for Tampa Pro 2012 including a summary of coverage from last year.

Photo Album + Record Sale Show at The Bricks

by Rob on Sunday, January 22, 2012
Thanks for stopping by last night if you were here at the Photo Album Art Show. Here's what I found in my camera this morning.

Friday Afternoon Locals

by Rob on Friday, January 20, 2012
Before headed home from a desk-bound day in Innetech, I stopped and shot some sequences in the Park.

Tampa Tourist Mission: Downtown and Channelside Cruiser Board Tour

by Rob on Friday, January 13, 2012
How many tourist missions have we had in all these towns around the world? I love all this time back in Tampa before travel madness starts up again in the spring. It's time for a tourist mission in our own town. Downtown in my neighborhood. I took the cruiser board and my big fat camera for a stroll through and came back with this chill cam dump.

Element Session at SPoT

by Rob on Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Sometimes when you "hail Mary" it, you get a shocker and actually make it, your jaw dragging on the ground as you roll away, arms in the air. That happened a few times during the Best Trick Contest we had with the Nyjah Huston, Evan Smith, and Levi Brown as judges during the Skate With the Element Team session at Skatepark of Tampa. Thanks to everyone that stopped by and to the Element Team that hung out all afternoon with everyone.

Happy 10 Years

by Rob on Sunday, January 01, 2012
It's been ten years of me working full time at SPoT.

Boards for Bros 2011 Christmas Eve Distribution

by Porpe on Sunday, December 25, 2011
On Christmas Eve Boards for Bros crew went out and distributed over 100 skateboards

Digital Product Toss Results: Blind James Craig Deck

by Rob on Friday, December 23, 2011
Everyone gets a random number assigned, sorted, and someone whose email starts with "rhdixon79" came out on top. Check your email, Mr. rhdixon79. Thanks for diving in on this DPT. Check out all the comments submitted here. They're in the random order that was done for the drawing. Watch for another DPT real soon.

Toys for Tatas 2011

by Rob on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Before the year closes out, we go on one last charity mission for the underprivileged kids out there. Tech Deck and Boards for Bros hooked it up for our 6am drive through at the local nudie joint. It's an event called Toys for Tatas hosted by radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge and his crew. Thanks for all the radio mentions and a little bit of airtime. I hope those kids are as happy as we are.

Boards for Bros North Carolina 2011

by Womble on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Embassy Skate Shop and Ed Womble did a Boards for Bros distribution in North Carolina.

SPoT Ghetto Christmas Party 2011

by Rob on Monday, December 19, 2011
It's been ten years of the SPoT Ghetto Christmas Party. Here is a small sample of the madness in my camera when I woke up.

Nerd Out: Tampa Am 2011 Live Broadcast Statistics

by Rob on Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Hopefully if you weren't in Tampa, you got to check out the live broadcast here on the site that we do for Sunday's Semi-Finals, Finals, and Best Trick. Sometimes I love numbers, so let's dive into some.

Boards for Bros 2011: First Distribution

by Rob on Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Our friend Andreas works with kids in an outreach program and told us about a gathering he was having in Robles Park last Saturday with some kids from the area. We figured it was a good time to unload a bunch of Boards for Bros completes at once.

Tampa Am 2011 After-Party and Damn Am of the Year Awards

by Rob on Friday, December 09, 2011
Thanks to everyone who joined in on the dance party and good times at the Tampa Am After-Party at The Bricks. We also had the Damn Am of the Year Awards. Check out a classic list of party photos and some banter.

Tampa Am 2011 Sunday Awards and Credits

by Rob on Friday, December 09, 2011
Sunday at Tampa Am was a crazy day for our staff. From them running the shop and the largest crowd of the weekend to us putting the finishing touches on the live broadcast production, Sunday is a very hectic day, but also the most fun and the best skating.

SB Chronicles Premiere at SPoT

by Porpe on Thursday, December 08, 2011
The building was full for the SB Chronicles premiere at SPoT that was shown after Saturday's Tampa Am Qualifiers.

Tampa Am 2011 Saturday and SB Chronicles Premiere

by Rob on Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Saturday at Tampa Am was another 117 people in the Qualifiers and the premiere of Volume One of the Nike SB Chronicles.

Friday at Tampa Am 2011

by Rob on Tuesday, December 06, 2011
A few skate and lurk photos from the day at the Park and also the Dr. Octagon show in Ybor.

How Trevor Colden Won Tampa Am 2011

by Rob on Monday, December 05, 2011
It was real close between Luke Hampton and Trevor Colden, but when the dust settled, it was Trevor in first by less than a point.

Tampa Am 2011 Thursday Welcome to Town Party

by Rob on Monday, December 05, 2011
I don't want it to be over, so all week long, I'm going to be sharing my photos from the Tampa Am weekend here. The Thursday night Welcome to Town Art Show and Party seems like it was already so long ago.

Tampa Am Semi-Finals Skater List

by Rob on Saturday, December 03, 2011
Top 10 from the Semi-Finals skaters below make the cut to the Finals to join Shawn Hale and Evan Smith who both qualified first on Friday and Saturday and get to skip the Semi-Finals. Watch it all right here at noon EST on Sunday live.

Digital Product Toss Results: Johnny Romano Real Deck

by Rob on Saturday, December 03, 2011
Everyone gets a random number assigned, sorted, and someone whose email starts with "jblackburnjr" came out on top. Check your email, Mr. jblackburnjr. Thanks for diving in on this DPT. Check out all the comments submitted here. They're in the random order that was done for the drawing. Watch for another DPT real soon.

Tampa Am 2011 Skater List for Friday and Saturday

by Rob on Thursday, December 01, 2011
The full list of who's skating in the Qualifiers at Tampa Am 2011.

Digital Product Toss Results: Danny Garcia Habitat Deck

by Rob on Thursday, December 01, 2011
Everyone gets a random number assigned, sorted, and someone whose email starts with "spudz14" came out on top. Check your email, Mr. spudz14. Thanks for diving in on this DPT. Check out all the comments submitted here. They're in the random order that was done for the drawing. Watch for another DPT real soon.

Shake Junt Premiere at The Bricks

by Rob on Monday, November 28, 2011
Thanks to everyone that came out for the Shake Junt premiere. Thanks to Shake Junt for the promo and Shane Heyl for the personal letter.

Early Morning on Black Friday 2011 Presented by Vans

by Rob on Friday, November 25, 2011
Thanks to everyone who waited overnight and hung out to skate and shop today with us on a nice Black Friday morning after turkey blasting ourselves.

Getting Ready for Black Friday

by Rob on Thursday, November 24, 2011
We were at the Park early this morning getting ready for tomorrow's big sale and free skating before moving on to stuff our faces. Thanks to Vans for hooking it up. Check out a few photos of what we set up today.

Black Friday Weekend Sale Presented by Vans

by Rob on Monday, November 21, 2011
Our Black Friday Weekend Sale presented by Vans begins at midnight EST online and 7am at the Skatepark of Tampa Shop. All Vans shoes and apparel are 25% off. The entire store is 15% off, even things that are already on sale. This goes on through Sunday at midnight.

New SPoT Course Completed November 2011

by Rob on Monday, November 21, 2011
The new course is done. Watch it get destroyed live online during Tampa Am on December 4th at noon.

Faces of Deck Art Show at The Bricks

by Rob on Sunday, November 20, 2011
Over 50 artists were in on this one. If you were at The Bricks last night for the show, thanks for stopping by. I got a nice chill cam dump out of it.

Course Construction Progress and Shop Tour: November 18, 2011

by Rob on Friday, November 18, 2011
Take a stroll through the Shop while you check out course construction progress.

The Seamus Ramp

by Rob on Thursday, November 17, 2011
It was a quick session after work and before the fast sundown at The Seamus Ramp.

Warped Tour 2011

by Jorge on Thursday, November 17, 2011
I know Warped Tour happened a couple months ago, but check out what happened when Skatepark of Tampa occupied it.

P-Rod Best Trick Contest 2011

by Jorge on Thursday, November 17, 2011
Thanks everyone for coming out to the P-Rod Best Trick contest. Hopefully you got some free gear courtesy of Nike SB.

Boards for Bros Kabul, Afghanistan

by Porpe on Thursday, November 17, 2011
Filmer Joe has a brother in the military who is stationed in Afghanistan. He had a box full of Boards for Bros donations shipped to his base to do a distribution for us. Maybe one day we will be doing Damn Am Afghan and distributing more Boards for Bros with him.

Course Construction November 16, 2011

by Rob on Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Just a few days left to go. Is that a hip?

Course Construction, November 15, 2011

by Rob on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Course construction continues for 2011.

A Rant About Our Local Gub'ment and Their New Skateboard Facility

by Rob on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
As a private business that makes money by having people pay for admission at a skateboard facility, we get super heated when a gub'ment, especially in our own hometown, tries to build a skatepark with tax money and then charge kids to skate it.

Course Construction November 14, 2011

by Rob on Monday, November 14, 2011
We're in the middle of our 19th annual course re-construction. Schaefer, Nick, Alex, Bobby, Frosty, Jacob, and Mark are tearing it down and Team Pain is going to build it right back up new.

Harvest Jam Presented by Expedition 2011

by Rob on Monday, November 14, 2011
Photos and video from the Harvest Jam Presented by Expedition 2011.

SPoT All Ages Awards End of Year Final Results

by Rob on Sunday, November 13, 2011
The End of Year Awards are calculated by taking your top two placings from contests during the year. Here are the final results for 2011.

Tony Hawk Stand Up For Skateparks Event in Vegas

by Ryan on Sunday, November 13, 2011
The bottom line: The event raises awareness, and most importantly money through donations and auctions, for the building of skate parks in the areas that need them most. The Tony Hawk Foundation has monetarily contributed to nearly 500 skate parks. Talk about concrete evidence of effectiveness!

SPoT All Ages End of Year Awards Standings So Far

by Rob on Thursday, November 10, 2011
There's one more contest left in the year: Harvest Jam All Ages Contest Presented by Expedition on Saturday, November 12. Here are the standings so far. Right after the Harvest Jam, we will update these results and all head over to The Bricks for the All Ages Awards.

Road Trip to NYC Street League 2011

by Ryan on Wednesday, November 09, 2011
In Part 1 of my bike ride up the east coast I went from Tampa to NYC to watch Street League. Here’s Part 2, which was NYC to Tampa

Chill Time South Africa 2011

by Ryan on Wednesday, November 09, 2011
I’m sure by now you’ve seen plenty of coverage from the Maloof South Africa event, but maybe you haven’t seen some amazing non-skating photos yet.

Damn Am of the Year 2011 Results

by Rob on Tuesday, November 08, 2011
If you make the cut to Sunday at at least two Damn Am contests during the year, you're in the running for Damn Am of the Year. Your top two Sunday scores are averaged to get the final score. Results for 2011 are here.

15th Annual Johnny Romano Skate Jam Benefitting Make-A-Wish

by Rob on Monday, November 07, 2011
Porpe shot photos at the 15th Annual charity event in Texas.

Halloween and Guavaween at The Bricks

by Rob on Monday, October 31, 2011
Friday night at The Bricks was a pre-party before the night of Guavaween. Here's some photos from each night and some video footage of Ryan Clements' amazing costume.

Blowing it in Tampa Am

by Rob on Monday, October 31, 2011
If you're coming to skate Tampa Am next month, don't worry about blowing it. I went through 10 years of results to find some interesting names at the bottom of each day's Qualifiers for Tampa Am. It almost seems like it's an honor to get DFL at this point. Someone needs to step in and make a trophy for that.

Boards for Bros South Africa 2011

by Rob on Friday, October 28, 2011
Porpe packed up an extra checked back on the trip to South Africa so he could hook up a bunch of locals with some completes.

Krux Kickflip Challenge 2011

by Rob on Friday, October 28, 2011
Photos from the Krux Kickflip Challenge.

Tampa Am 2011: Thanks for Watching

by Rob on Thursday, October 27, 2011
The full details for the weekend on Tampa Am 2011.

Boards for Bros Assembly Line

by Rob on Thursday, October 27, 2011
Last night there was a volunteer session for putting all the Boards for Bros donated skateboard parts together. We'll be rolling through some local neighborhoods as usual this year in December. Thanks for your support of our charity. If you have questions or hardgoods to donate, email ryan@skateparkftampa.com.

Damn Am Woodward West 2011

by Rob on Thursday, October 27, 2011
What a weekend. The last Damn Am of 2011 is a wrap. Check out photos and video from a weekend of ripping skating in the woods.

Tampa Am 2011: Already in the Cut

by Rob on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Top two from all Damn Ams of the year get a spot directly in the Tampa Am Semi-Finals, bypassing 200+ rippers that have to fight for a top 16 spot in the Qualifiers. Those skaters are...

Woodward Damn Am Semi-Finals Heats

by Rob on Sunday, October 23, 2011
Top 10 from the Semi-Finals Heats make the cut to join Chase Webb and Oscar Meza in the Finals.