Eight Years of Tampa Am Memories

I think I started doing the site in like 1997 or something like that. Soon after, I started organizing the photos and articles in a database that would allow them to be stored and accessed no matter what the site morphed into over the years. Over these years, I slowly learned how to use a camera as you can see in this trip down Tampa Am memory lane:

2002:

• Baby Spanky was on his way to one day winning it.
• Ryan Sheckler and PJ Ladd were in the Finals.
• Caswell won a whip.
• The parties were at the Park. I spy Schaefer on stage.
• How many can you recognize from a 2002 group photo?
• Can we please bring back the asshole? Oh, and maybe the boobies, too?
• Ed Templeton was the OG skinny pants guy.
• Jereme Knibbs was a baby human pad.
• Eight years later, someone from some weird company emailed me asking to register this guy, now well into his 30's. Sorry, not happening. You're welcome to come watch, though.

• This was the year of the best after-party ever. Please repeat, Schaefer, especially the drinking beers from trash cans.
• Carnie used to come. Come back, pal.
• We should have started the Skatepark of Tampa Party Team back then.
• Greco was here.
• Spanky won it and rolled away.
• Check out his winning run. Were you doing kickflip backside 360 in 2003? We had a huge bank ramp to baby quarter on top? Man, the course was crazy back then.
• Check out Big Brother's coverage. Too bad you can't read it. Maybe should have scanned those in a little bigger.
• Abdias and Dylan Rieder were in the Finals.

• We've been doing the Moat Race for a long time.
• Big Al was a decade in.
• Marius was a baby, but still made out with Frosty's girlfriend at the time. He got a board for it.
• What happened to Eric Fletcher? He came up after this Tampa Am then disappeared.
• I still don't know how we handled those drunk crowds.
• Grant Taylor was the newest little ripper.
• It was long before the bat.
• What happened to Nyjah's brother.
• The year we thought a limo was cool.
• Sierra Fellers was a Who Dat flow for Mystery and was instantly known to everyone after winning Best Trick AND the whole damn thing. Torey Pudwill was second in the Finals.

• Tim O'Connor was on the mic. He's back in 2010.
• What happened to Dyson Ramones?
• Ashley Harrison was the little girl terror who went on to date Mike Mo Capaldi and some others.
• Tommy Sandoval, pre-historic.
• Nyjah was the Who Dat of the weekend and ended up winning it.

• Dyrdek's Street Dreams film about Tampa Am was hatched.
• Ron Whaley told us about team managing.
• Yesterday's babies are today's grown man rippers. Well, David is still the same size, though.
• What happened to Dallas Rockvam?
• The Moat Race got even more popular.
• Everybody loves Leo.
• Cody McEntire, a Who Dat no one knew from Texas, won it in a ghetto gown large enough for three gangsters. Check the Final results here.

• Antwuan was actually registered to skate the Contest. That was before his face looked like a bathroom stall.
• Malto sacked.
• It was Alex Olson's first Tampa Am.
• Porpe joined our staff and has become an important part of what we do here and with SPoTlight Productions.
• Felipe Gustavo was some flow kid I wasn't going to let in to the Contest. He came all the way from Brazil anyway, no speeka Engrish, so we put him in. He won it. Wow.
• 2007 was the year of Dinosaur Jr, thanks to our new partners, Nike SB.
• A lot of people in the Finals are already pro today.

• John Motta had an amazing run with a firespitting chick. He met her in Ybor the night before. Ah, Tampa memories.
• Antwuan took advantage of free tats.
• We all found out who Vincent Alvarez is. He was on Chocolate flow at the time and had everyone hyped to see an amazing new skater at Tampa.
• Kids figured out the best way to handle the Moat Race was to get naked.
• Over half of the people in the Finals are now pro, including Shane O'Neill.

• This was the year we moved Tampa Am from January to December, so there were two Tampa Am 2008's.
• It was great seeing a girl make the cut.
• Austyn was forshadowing his ledge magic in the Best Trick.
• The Moat Race got bloody.
• Did you make Sierra's list?
• Ybor raging continues.
• Well, we all know who Luan is now. Luan destoryed the Finals that year.

• Still plenty of new friends being made.
• Tampa Am will make you crooked edge.
• Old friends, please keep coming back.
• Thanks to Del for two great shows.
• Luan won it again and Mark Suciu was the new guy turning heads.

• Insert your own memories here next month. See you at Tampa Am for another decade of great skating and old/new friends.