This is the line to get in, but for me and my frozen fingertips, it's the line for those heat lamps.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Inside, there's a full wedding style buffet and Hollywood dedications to their top selling staff hanging from the ceiling.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

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!
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Jake Duncombe

Maloof Money Cup 2008
Jake Duncombe frontside flipped the zum zum set first try
Date: July 15, 2008
Photographer: Rob Meronek

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Shane Heyl

Shane Heyl got these kids hyped with his high energy on stage.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Jim Greco

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Justin Strubing

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Guy Mariano

Looking all around the room, it's like this with pros everywhere. Guy Mariano, Shane, and Jim are getting constant photo requests.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Erik Ellington

Erik Ellington was here with the Baker crew.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Ryan Clements

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Windsor James

Windsor James will always make me think of ironing your jeans. Adrian Lopez has definitely never ironed his Loser Machine gear.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Uh, what?
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Joey Brezinski

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Australia Day Four - Mini-Madness
This is Blair from Transworld and some random girl at the bar who needs some clean new undies. Possibly the most disgusting photo ever on the site. I did a close up but it's just too gnarly
Date: March 02, 2007
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Bryan Herman

Ryan's running his business services company Excel and Bryan Herman here is one if his clients.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Nyjah Huston

Nyjah Huston and Christian Hosoi. Can the rock star level get any higher?
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Uh, what?
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Holy crap, it's Shooter McGavin, the bad guy from Happy Gilmore. They really took this Hollywood theme to the next level.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Costumes are popular here. Costumes should be popular at all parties.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Mic-e Reyes

Mic-E Reyes, I hope to see you and the Deluxe crew here for Tampa Pro.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Louie Barletta

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Brandon Biebel

Brandon Biebel came here on a private jet with Nicky Diamond. I wonder if Shane was on that luxury bird.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Justin Eldridge

Omar Salazar and Justin Eldridge. Two different styles on the board, one and the same style at the bar partying.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Cole Mathews from Element. Thanks for always having your team at our events.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Marc Falkenstien also works at Element. I forogt to tell them they need to make Evan Smith pro.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Rob Meronek

How can I not fan out on Shooter and get my own photo.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Kenny Anderson

Oh, no bigs, just a pause for a glamour shot with The Perfect Man.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

I never watched all those Austin Powers movies, but how can you not recognize this dude?
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Jim Thiebaud

Jim Thiebaud looks like he's giving some kind of rock performance to hype the kids up.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Mike Carroll

I'm watching most of the ceremony from behind the projection screen.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Pause for a gear check.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Chaz Ortiz

Chaz Ortiz got 2nd at Tampa Pro this year. Come back in March, Chaz.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Sole Tech Media Day 2009
That's Ben Kelly, the new editor at Transworld. I ended up dragging him through a table full of pastries and cupcakes so he got it the worst. I barely know him. Maybe I should think twice before doing stuff like that. Oh well, good times
Date: February 11, 2009
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Brian Hansen aka Slash

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 that the smoke already made me.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Shepard Fairey is here for the Beautiful Losers show at the USF Contemporary Art Museum. Since I'm not cultured enough to know my artists, here's a few words from Chapin Atchison. Chapin is my assistant now. I have an assistant? Damn, this website is getting out of control.

Graffiti artist Shepherd Fairey "Obey" is getting up by skirting the wheat paste poster techinique. He's had a huge influence on street art, as well as skateboard graphics over the years. By posting this on the side of the Skatepark, he's promoting his mass propaghanda to the public via I-4 as well as visually enhancing Skatepark of Tampa's aesthetics.

Chapin
Date: October 18, 2005
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Chris Cole

The snowboard industry was there too and I know this dude is sorta popular or something.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Stevie Williams

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!
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Nick Trapasso

I hung out with Nick Trapasso two nights in a row and both nights he was on full mission to "pound cheeks."
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Heath Kirchart

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Gabe Clement

Kevin Dunlap started DVS back in the day and Gabe Clement has been working with him since. He's now running things at Matix.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Erica Yary

Jamie Thomas and Erica's new purple hair.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

No orange couch at this one.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Andy Henrie

Andy Henrie and I spent some time at this spot.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Rick Howard

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Theotis Beasley

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Braydon Szafranski

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Steve Berra

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Blair Alley

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Travis Pastrana in between double back flips or whatever it is they're doing on motorcycles these days.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Ishod Wair

The Instagramming is at an all time high at events like this. Ishod went snowboarding for the first time today.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Somewhere in this techno crowd is Deadmou5.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Braydon Szafranski

Robocop and Ironman with Braydon. These dudes were the Instagram stars of the night.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Kermit should but his whole amount all in. There were casino tables everywhere.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Braydon Szafranski

Jeff Henderson and Braydon in deep party chatter.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

The Hollywood wall is dedicated to a bunch of staff.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Express yourself.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Rob Meronek

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Ryan Clements

The lodge has the largest ice skating area I've ever seen.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

People swim outside here.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Underground tunnels take you to the party spot.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek

Josh Friedberg

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.
Date: January 10, 2013
Photographer: Rob Meronek