A Decade 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. 2012 UPDATE: Added two more years to make this a decade of Tampa Am memories.

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.
• 8 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.

2003:

• 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 backside flip 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.

2004:

• 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.

2005:

• Tim O'Connor was on the mic. He's back in 2012.
• 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.

2006:

• 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.

2007:

• 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. Listen to Felipe tell that story here.
• 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.

2008:

• 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.

2008 (December):

• 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.

2009:

• 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.

2010:

• Paused to review of history of terrible Tampa Am performances.
• The Atomic Tattoos both continues to get more and more raw with girls getting ass tats.
• Curren Caples supplies the crew with eggs for the Moat Race
.
• Horse mullets live on
• DFL was CJ aka Gratitude.
• Elijah won it and crowd surfed.
• Alec got Damn Am of the Year.

2011:

• The heavy metal parking lot and Atomic Tattos ink traditions continue.
• Dr. Octagon killed it at the Anniversary Party.
• We created our YouTube show, SPoT Life.
• Nike premiered Chronicles at The Bricks.
• Trevor won it with this run. He also crowd surfed.
• Ishod was Damn Am of the Year and has since turned pro.

2012:

• Insert your own memories here this weekend. See you at Tampa Am for another decade of great skating and old/new friends starting on Thursday night at SPoT for our Welcome to Town Party.