Interview With Brian Schaefer Before the Pro Contest Article at Skatepark of Tampa

Interview With Brian Schaefer Before the Pro Contest

Posted on Monday, March 11, 2002 by INTERVIEW

A Short Interview With Brian Schaefer

Monday, March 11, 2002 - days before the Tampa Pro 2002 event.



If you would rather listen to the interview than read it, click here to hear the audio. (an 800k wav file)



Rob: Alright, it's Monday night, the week of the pro contest. What's going through your head right now?

Brian: Well, one day is over already - we did good and got a lot accomplished with the banners - just hoping that all the prep work is done - which is sooner than later I guess I can say until I can sit back and watch everyone roll into town and skate a little bit, not that I can even do that but, just looking forward to the whole contest and all the preparation that goes into it.

Rob: What kind of prep work is left to be done? I mean, you got the banners left a little bit, the vert ramp's done, the mini ramp's plied - it's not like there's gonna be a mini ramp contest like Frazier said "It's lucky they got the mini ramp done first." But what else is left? Just kind of hanging out waiting for people to roll in and the event to start or what?

Brian: Pretty much - a lot of banner work - which I feel sometimes is the biggest production of the whole event and um...

Rob: You got the banners on the vert ramp left, too.

Brian: Yeah, the banners and a lot of little prep here and there - the stickers and a lot of little stuff around the bowl, etc. Making sure all the employees are ready to handle things the way we want handled. Dealing with the trophies at the last minute...

Rob: Oh, so what's up with the trophies - did we figure that out yet?

Brian: We did. Greg Chapman that handles Zoo York wood and Chapman Skateboards is stepping in at the last minute so we didn't have to makeshift...

Rob: So we didn't have to take Ybor Brew and a cigar from Tampa and glue it on a platform and give that out?

Brian:...yeah or ask Larry Perkins to throw something down for us...

Rob: Talk about what you were worried about happening like someone getting hit by a car or someone going in the moat and stepping on glass...

Brian: I guess ... other than the contest itself which I feel is the easiest part...just because we've done it and have so much experience...

Rob: It's all that side chaos that we have to worry about.

Brian: Rather than the side chaos, I think it's the parking situation also I'm always afraid that the bleachers might fall in...but if we get through this year, I think we'll be good because we're going to remodel all the offices next year...and that will be one less worry for next year. The parking especially - we look forward to hopefully figuring something with that so people can be accommodated a little more. I wish we had more space to have to whole world here because I think there would be a hundred times more people.

Rob: Yeah as we saw during the am contest, parking was a little bit of a disaster with flipped that Altima in the moat.

Brian: Yeah, that's the party - that was chaos - at least no one got hit by a car...

Rob: ...or a toilet...

Brian: The funniest thing about the am contest was Dustin Charlton walking around with that helmet the whole time. Oh and one thing that's on my mind more than ever - what the hell are we going to do for the ten year anniversary? We gotta work on that.

Rob: We're sending the call out for video, pictures, whatever you got to help put something together...

Brian: If you had a good time in Tampa over the last nine years and you documented it, we want your goods.

Rob: alright - this interview is over and out.

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