Pro Tec Pool Party 2009 Article at Skatepark of Tampa

Pro Tec Pool Party 2009

Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 by Rob

By Barak Wiser

Brian is the Category Director from Pro Tec and showed us how to protect our heads and knees with the new-new
Dave and Buster's skiball tourney. Paul Zitzer has a brother, Mark. That's his fiancé trying to beat my low score. He runs Phase II Skate Shop up in Milwaukee
Jon Tubbs, the South Florida Vans rep, just beat up some little kid and took all of his tickets. After 10 billion tickets, you get a free balloon or something
Gonzo fell asleep with a beer in his hand. Then spilled it all over himself and the bed. This is how he sleeps on a wet beer bed
I spy Chris Ortiz
These crazy new blow-up-balloon looking lights they have in there are awesome. Still, I think our Big Ass Fan can beat up your Big Ass Lights
Captain and Casey autograph signing
Steve "The Man" Van Doren on the grill again. You will never starve at a Vans event. He will personally make sure of it
Jimmy the Greek representing Tampa Bay. Man, this may be the best skate photo I took. Sorry
I spy Neal Hendrix and John Lucero
Bob Burnquist was there ripping, but too fast for my point and shoot. I got a great one of him not skating! I spy Bryce Kanights, Tom Curren, and the OG Dagger himself up in the stands
Not just any shoe cake, a Full Cab shoe cake
Steve stopped grilling the burgers and started shooting the Finals. He filmed on his point and shoot, too! I spy Professor Schmitt and Mike Rogers
Legend Steve Olson, Alex Olson's dad
Gonzo and I were fortunate enough to be invited to the Pro Tec Pool Party in Orange County, CA last weekend. We flew out Friday morning from TPA and got there about 2pm. Our hotel was 10-minutes from the airport, but we were fortunate enough to have a prepaid ride via Super Shuttle. Our driver was awesome. It was two hours after we landed before we stepped foot into our Double Tree Hotel. We had to drop off three other groups before getting to our hotel. It would have been faster skating to our destination.

Anyway, we got settled in and went downstairs for the Meet & Greet at 5pm. That's where we got to see the new Pro Tec helmets and pads for Holiday and Spring while we ate chips and salsa and drink 100 beers. That's were the night started. Then we were treated to dinner at Dave and Buster's, located right across the street. That was my first time at that place. It's like Gameworks in Ybor City, but four times the size and they have skiball. They gave us these gift cards to use on the games, but it interfered with my drinking, so I gave mine away to this kid from Zumiez who won a trip out there for high sales or something. After dinner, losing the skiball challenge, and drinking a little bit more, it was time to sleep.

The next day we met for both breakfast and lunch, and then it was off to the Vans store to spend money. They gave us yet another gift card. I bought some slip-ons and headed to the Contest. I walked in during the Masters and the place was packed. It was interesting to see these old guys all in one place ripping. Chris Miller won again! He killed it and looked great the whole time. Some people just look like they belong on a skateboard. It was hard to shoot good photos with a point and shoot from up in the bleachers, but I got a media pass to be by the pool with the billion other filmers and photographers. My little point and shoot still didn't do much. Bucky killed it and got 1st place in Pro and $25,000. I think this is his first time ever winning it. Rune won it last year as well as '05 and '07, but this year he took 3rd after nursing an injured hip. He was on crutches a few days before the event at the Cons headquarters.

It was a fun, long day that lead into an after-party and more good times. Thanks for taking care of us and bringing us out to your shin-dig, Pro Tec and Vans. See ya' next year.

Girls
1st - Julie Kindstrand - $4,000
2nd - Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins - $2,500
3rd - Megan Brown - $1,000

Pro
1st - Bucky Lasek - $25,000
2nd - Omar Hassan - $15,000
3rd - Rune Glifberg - $7,500

Masters
1st - Chris Miller - $10,000
2nd - Christian Hosoi - $6,000
3rd - Nicky Guerrero - $3,000

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