Tampa Am 2004 Day Three: Saturday

Story and Photos By Rob Meronek

Saturday is usually the hardest day for us since it follows the 11-Year Anniversary Party that keeps most of the staff here up late on Friday night. The top qualifier from today was yet another "Who the hell is that Brazilian?" kid. His name's Danny Rosario and he's been skating here at the Park for the last two weeks. Looks like it paid off. He was in the first heat of the day and after we saw his run, everyone knew he'd be a pretty sure shot for the golden ticket to advance straight to the Finals with the ten other skaters that make the Semi-Finals cut. He got himself deals with Osiris and Venture after that.

The way the numbers cruched and sorted kept a few people out of the cut that fully deserved it like Andrew Cannon who missed it by 1/3rd of a point, Colt Bowden, and Ahbi Huston who's growing up a little more and developing his style each time I see him skate. Tyler Bledsoe and Grant Taylor are also little kids skating with full grown man style. That's so nice to see. I was happy to see Phillip Trotter in the cut. He was one of my favorite skaters from the weekend. SPoT local Ian Gow has been doing better and better in contests and made the cut to the Semi-Finals today also. This one dude Jared Lee was kind of interesting to watch also. He's only 20 but throws down some old school tricks like pop shuv tail grabs and 360 flip tail grabs. He combines that with new stuff like frontside nosegrinds on the big rail. That landed him in 5th.

JJ Dunn kept himself out of last place because some dude with damn near square wheels skating 2 miles an hour did nothing but some impossible attempt at a trick on the ledge over and over in each of his runs. Some photos from Saturday are below. Click here for Saturday Street Qualifer Results.

Rob

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Marques DeVaughn - feeble grind on the small rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Graham Bickerstaff - 360 flip over the pyramid

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Sean Stockton - kickflip over the pyramid hip

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Ahbi Huston - back lip on the pyramid flat bar

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Nick Dom Pierre - one of the best looking 360 flips of the weekend

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Shawn Frick - feeble grind on the pyramid flat bar

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Grant Taylor - kickflip over the pyramid

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Ahbi Huston - kickflip over the pyramid

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Braydon Szafranski - backside 5-0

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Oliver Rivas - crooked grind on the hubba

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Josh Perkins - frontside 5-0 on the step-up rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Raviv Moore - frontside nosegrind on the big rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Scotty Conley - frontside 360 boneless

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Jayme Erickson - frontside ollie over the hip

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Anthony Shetler - kickflip backside tail slide

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Chris Troy - 360 flip up the step-up

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Dave Capauano - lipslide on the step-up rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Andrew Cannon - kickflip up the step-up

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Anthony Shetler - backside flip nosegrind on the bank to ledge

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Shaun Stulz - feeble on the big rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Josh Perkins - feeble grind on the step-up rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Emanuel Guzman - 50-50 on the hubba

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Colt Bowden - frontside 5-0 on the step-up rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Patrick Webb - feeble grind on the step-up rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Shaun Stulz - kickflip

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Packy Francher - frontside 360 boneless

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Danny Rosario - feeble grind on the flat bar

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Danny Rosario - back lip on the step-up rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Lamare Hemmings - backside lipslide on the step-up rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Ian Gow - frontside noseslide on the big rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Phillip Trotter - frontside boardslide on the big rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Ian Gow - frontside salad on the step-up rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Anthony Shetler - back lip on the big rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Bill Pardee - feeble grind on the big rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Chris Troy - come to the light! 5-0 to the light!

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Danny Rosario - feeble grind on the flat bar

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Drew Heughens - front crook on the big rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Garrett Hill - backside 50-50 on the big rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Marques DeVaughn - frontside boardslide on the step-up rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Matt Fink - nose blunt slide on the big rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Russell Grundy - lipslide on the big rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers John Dickerson - nosegrind on the flat bar

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Matt Mercer - nollie over the big rail and step-up

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Phillip Trotter - frontside 5-0 on the big rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Andrew Cannon - nosegrind on the big rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Chris Gregson - feeble grind to fakie on the step-up rail

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Bill Pardee's kickflip one foot is now known as the Pardee Flip.

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Shaun Stulz - 5-0 on the pyramid flat bar

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Anthony Shetler - 360 flip over the pyramid

Tampa Am 2004 Saturday Street Qualifiers Phillip Trotter - lipslide on the small rail