A Tampa Am Primer

Prior 1995 the concept of a nationally recognized amateur skateboarding competition was non-existent. Initially, Tampa Am started as a small local contest, but was famously won by Donny Barley in 1996 kickstarting the phenomenon that it is today. Today, if a skater refers to "The Am" everyone knows what they're talking about. Over the span of its 30 year history, Tampa Am has established itself as the ultimate battleground for the world's elite amateur skateboarders, setting the stage for future professional careers. Early victors of Tampa Am, including skateboarding legends like Donny Barley (1996), Nyjah Huston (2005), Felipe Gustavo (2007), Luan Oliveira (2008 & 2009), and Dashawn Jordan (2016), have not only turned pro but have also become some of the most well-known figures in the skateboarding. Tampa Am is an institution that's accepted as the Global Amateur Championship. As the level of skating continues to rise, so does Tampa Am's reputation as the most important contest in skateboarding.

Who Can Skate It

Skatepark of Tampa is dedicated to making Tampa Am accessible to the most diverse collection of skaters possible from throughout the world, both male and female. In order to provide that opportunity for the unknown or up and coming ams, while also ensuring that the most well known and established ams are recognized, we use a two-tiered qualification system that includes the Last Chance Open on Friday and the official Tampa Am Qualifier on Saturday. Different criteria (with some overlap) determine who skates each day.

Friday's Last Chance Open
Open to 150 skaters that meet at least ONE of the following requirements:

• Can provide one minute of footage demonstrating a level of skill that can potentially make the Last Chance Open top 10 cut and qualify through to the Tampa Am Qualifier
• Has a respected / well-known industry sponsor willing to register the skater and pay their entry fee
• Has prior experience with favorable results in Damn Am or Tampa Am
• Is recognized as a top International Amateur

Saturday's Tampa Am Qualifier
Open to 100 skaters that meet at least ONE of the following requirements:

• A top 10 finish in Friday's Last Chance Open Qualifiers
• A top 12 finish in Damn Am (of the same contest year cycle)
• Has a respected / well-known industry sponsor willing to register the skater and pay their entry fee
• Is recognized as a top International Amateur

Format

Judging

Judging has elements of the objective and the subjective. Tampa Am uses a five-judge panel of skaters that have deep roots and the respect of the skateboarding industry. Many of our judges are former pros. Judges assign scores based on the following factors: difficulty of tricks, style, technique, variety of tricks, use of course, flow, consistency, originality, and whatever else a skater can bring to their run. The high and low scores are dropped and the remaining three judges' scores are averaged to determine a final score on a 100-point scale.

Stakes

In addition to the winner being known by every skater, TM, and brand manager in the world, they will also get the distinction of being included alongside Nyjah Huston, Felipe Gustavo, Trevor Colden and other legends on the list of all time winners.

How To Watch

Watch the livestream at SPoTTampa.com for free. Also check out our SPoT Life edits each day of the event on the Skatepark of Tampa YouTube channel and look for photos and video clips dropping each day on the @SPoTTampa IG along with Facebook, and right here on our site.

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