Zumiez 100k 2012 Article at Skatepark of Tampa

Zumiez 100k 2012

Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2013 by Rob

By Rob Meronek

All these party photos and I didn't get a single foot fetish photo? Damn! Blowing it. Maybe these are not as epicly epic as the trailer hyped it up to be. Oh well, that's Hollywood for you. It was straight Hollywood at the Zumiez 100k party the other day. I fanned out and pointed my camera in everyone's face.
This is the line to get in, but for me and my frozen fingertips, it's the line for those heat lamps.
Inside, there's a full wedding style buffet and Hollywood dedications to their top selling staff hanging from the ceiling.
Stu here started as an intern graphic designer at Zumiez. Years later, he's the VP of Marketing. We've been working with Stu for a long time now and I've noticed how he pays attention to the details. One year at a Maloof Money Cup where they had "Zumiez" on every stair, I Photoshopped it to say "Zum Zum". He noticed and emailed me calling me out. Good eye, Stu!
Steve Van Doren is ready for the stage. I think this is the only event I've seen him at where he's not making Vans waffles for people.
Justin is the south regional manager for Zumiez and playing the Reservoir Dogs part this weekend as part of the Hollywood theme of the party.
Shane
Shane Heyl got these kids hyped with his high energy on stage.
Jim
I spoke with Jim Greco for a bit and he mentioned he skipped the snowboarding earlier because he didn't want to risk any injury. He's filming another video part right now. This was a common reason for a lot of pros that skipped the slopes today. I don't blame them. I almost folded myself out there numerous times. Jim and Hosoi might be talking big fashion for 2013 right now.
Justin
Justin Strubing, member of the original Skatepark of Tampa Party Team which now seems to consist mostly of sober dudes. We need a new generation to take it over.
Guy
Looking all around the room, it's like this with pros everywhere. Guy Mariano, Shane, and Jim are getting constant photo requests.
Erik
Erik Ellington was here with the Baker crew.
Skin Phillips is the chief skateboard critic at Transworld. If you're as old as me, you can't say Hugh Bod Boyle's name without getting that song stuck in your head.
Ryan
I always feel like a real important bid'niss dude when I make the cut and get a photo on Tiffany Mongtomery's Shop-Eat-Surf site. She covers all kinds of business in skateboarding, including the story on us parting ways with Ryan Clements and Porpe. I hung out with Ryan the whole time where we both struggled snowboarding and explaining new direction.
Windsor
Windsor James will always make me think of ironing your jeans. Adrian Lopez has definitely never ironed his Loser Machine gear.
Uh, what?
Joey
Clem interrupted Joey's Andale Bearings video recently. Blair from Transworld is still fielding questions about this disgusting photo I took in Australia six years later.
Bryan
Ryan's running his business services company Excel and Bryan Herman here is one if his clients.
Nyjah
Nyjah Huston and Christian Hosoi. Can the rock star level get any higher?
1,200 of Zumiez top performing employees are here and hyped on their company and what they've built together. As someone who's super interested in marketing and branding, this is pretty fascinating to me.
Uh, what?
Holy crap, it's Shooter McGavin, the bad guy from Happy Gilmore. They really took this Hollywood theme to the next level.
Costumes are popular here. Costumes should be popular at all parties.
Mic-e
Mic-E Reyes, I hope to see you and the Deluxe crew here for Tampa Pro.
Louie
I had to muster up some courage in the form of another vodka to ask Louie Barletta for a photo. He was super cool. I've never met him in person before.
Brandon
Brandon Biebel came here on a private jet with Nicky Diamond. I wonder if Shane was on that luxury bird.
Justin
Omar Salazar and Justin Eldridge. Two different styles on the board, one and the same style at the bar partying.
Cole Mathews from Element. Thanks for always having your team at our events.
Marc Falkenstien also works at Element. I forogt to tell them they need to make Evan Smith pro.
Rob
How can I not fan out on Shooter and get my own photo.
Kenny
Oh, no bigs, just a pause for a glamour shot with The Perfect Man.
I'm not sure what Janae is up to these days, but she's in the long line of people like me to take a photo with Shooter.
I never watched all those Austin Powers movies, but how can you not recognize this dude?
Jim
Jim Thiebaud looks like he's giving some kind of rock performance to hype the kids up.
Mike
I'm watching most of the ceremony from behind the projection screen.
That's Johnny Schillereff, founder of Element, addressing the crowd along with a long line of other company founders. Back in the late 80's, I used to live in upstate New York and would go to the same local skateboarding contests as Johnny in Albany. He was super good and skated the sponsored divisions long before I was ready to step it up like that. I was never friends with him back then, but we've met a few times recently and talked about those days. He ended up being the first am on New Deal back then. I ended up going to college in Tampa and am still here today.
Pause for a gear check.
Chaz
Chaz Ortiz got 2nd at Tampa Pro this year. Come back in March, Chaz.
I still feel bad for throwing beer bottles off the second story of Pierre André Senizergues' Newport Beach mansion back in 2009 and participating in a food fight, but at least 20 other industry drunkards were doing it with me. Pierre started Sole Tec, makers of Emerica, Etnies, and formerly eS. He was also a pro freestyle skateboarder back when Johnny Schillereff and I were at those all ages contests in Albany.
Brian
I remember back in the day like 10 years ago when I used to play around with that silly green plant, I was at some skateboard event and the first thing out of Slash's mouth was, "Wow man, you're stoned." Funny call out, but it made me even more shy than the smoke already made me.
Did you know Shepard Fairey once did a piece at Skatepark of Tampa back in 2005? Chris Cole and I both fanned out on him. His words to the crowd about following your heart and creative mind got some of the biggest applause of the night.
Chris
The snowboard industry was there too and I know this dude is sorta popular or something.
Stevie
Stevie Williams, Angel from Krew, and snowboard hypeman guy. What a crowd to be mixing in with here. Then you got me just dorking out putting a camera in everyone's face. Thanks for having me!
Nick
I hung out with Nick Trapasso two nights in a row and both nights he was on full mission to "pound cheeks."
Heath
Heavy's getting ligther. Heath Kirchart told me that he and some Emerica dudes will be in Costa Rica during Tampa Pro. Damn! Oh well, at least Heath won't crush us all in the Team Manager Contest now.
Gabe
Kevin Dunlap started DVS back in the day and Gabe Clement has been working with him since. Gabe's now running things at Matix.
Erica
Jamie Thomas and Erica's new purple hair.
No orange couch at this one.
Andy
Andy Henrie and I spent some time at this spot.
Rick
Koston and Rick Howard got some bangin' gear on. Tight Fourstar jacket and that sweater Koston has I would wear on date night for sure.
Theotis
I saw Theotis Beasley in the airport. He travels in sweatpants. That doesn't mean you should. Only he can do that. He's proud of his new chain hooked up by Dew.
Braydon
Braydon gave Weezy the official authorization to get a Baker and Deathwish tattoo on his face. He said shortly after Wayne called him asking for permission from The Boss, he texted him back with this photo. Wow. This is Theotis, Braydon, Grant, and Andy.
Steve
I never thought I'd be jealous of a hat like that, but Steve Berra's lid is what you want when it's 80 below or whatever up here. We don't even own stuff like this in Florida and had to borrow head to toe gear for snowboarding.
Pharrell had too much of a swarm around him for me to get a legit photo, so I just snuck in on someone else's photo from the side.
Blair
Blair and I got our fan out on R2D2. This was no budget ass contraption. It was a legit noise making, head turning piece of machinery that could have been in the movie.
Travis Pastrana in between double back flips or whatever it is they're doing on motorcycles these days.
Ishod
The Instagramming is at an all time high at events like this. Ishod went snowboarding for the first time today.
Somewhere in this techno crowd is Deadmou5.
This dude won this bike and a ton of other stuff for killing it on the sales mission at Zumiez all year. The shifter is on the right. I don't think I could function on this thing.
Braydon
Robocop and Ironman with Braydon. These dudes were the Instagram stars of the night.
Kermit should but his whole amount all in. There were casino tables everywhere.
Braydon
Jeff Henderson and Braydon in deep party chatter.
It was kind of like a high class wedding. There's a green screen where they'll Photoshop you and your homies instantly on to some crazy background.
The Hollywood wall is dedicated to a bunch of staff.
Express yourself.
Rob
Earlier that day, Clements and I went extreme on the snow sliders. Picture a two story high jump on the right and a drop off as big as those mountains on the left with me meron grabbing for days over the gap.
The lodge has the largest ice skating area I've ever seen.
People swim outside here.
Underground tunnels take you to the party spot.
The sunset here is amazing. That's Josh Friedburg on yet another Insta. Thanks for letting us crash your room teenager style on the floor, Josh. Thanks Zumiez for the invite to this bangin' party. Yep, I'll be back next year.

The Trailer

Yesterday I was invited to hang out at the Zumiez 100k thing in Colorado where most of the industry and many of your favorite pros go to struggle at snowboarding and party for the first big event of the year. I was star struck by skateboarders and Hollywood at the crowd that was there. The party photos are so epicly epic that I had to make a "coming soon" trailer for them. I'll get to those tomorrow after I finally get some rest from a long trip home.

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