Tampa Pro 2014 Day 4: Finals and Awards

Curren Caples

Welcome to day four of the 20th annual Tampa Pro here at Skatepark of Tampa for the semi-finals and finals. During the semis, Curren Caples did some amazing tricks, but it wasn't enough to earn him a spot in the finals. Here's Curren on a frontside smithgrind across and down the rail.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Curren Caples

Curren's got a killer backside tailslide through the corner.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Felipe Gustavo

It wasn't Felipe Gustavo's year to win, but he still made some amazing tricks. Felipe did these nollie frontside noseslides every try.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Felipe Gustavo

Felipe Gustavo has one of the best switch kickflips in the game.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Ben Raybourn

I hope you've seen Ben Raybourn fly around in his new Nike SB video that welcomes him to the team. Ben did this head-high backside air to axle bash and went in fakie. It was bonkers.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Kevin Romar

Kevin Romar makes nollie backside heels look really easy.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Brad Cromer

Frank, the SPoT filmer and man behind all the wonderful edits up on the Skatepark's site, said that Brad Cromer's frontside kickflip to frontside rock on the roll in was his favorite trick of the contest. I'm a huge fan of Brad's skating, too, Frank.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Louie Lopez

Louie Lopez was one of many fresh new pros to skate the semi-finals this year. Here he is on a backside kickflip on the China bank.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Mark Suciu

Mark Suciu did some of the hardest tricks of the weekend. He made this switch 360 flip down the stairs during his run, but didn't make the cut to the finals.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

This photo pretty much sums up what the moat race is all about. The poor kid that signed up to run in it had to inhale flour and is about to be hammered by an egg to the back of the neck, all while running through some of the sketchiest water and mud you'll find anywhere on the planet.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Here's your moat race winner: General Mustard. A close relative of the late General Custard.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Paul Schmitt

On my way back into the warehouse I saw this guy with a Schmitt Stix shirt on and he told me the story about it. Apparently there were only 25 of these ever made, and Paul Scmitt had just offered him $500 for it because even he didn't own one, but the owner turned it down. How much does the T-shirt make this photo worth then?
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Geoff Rowley

Geoff Rowley showed up minutes before the finals started to catch the madness that was the 2014 Tampa Pro final runs. I'm guessing he was rooting for new Flip pro rider Alec Majerus in Alec's first pro contest.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Evan Smith

Evan Smith doesn't know what he's about to do on his skateboard until he's already done it. Here he is on a frontside flip disaster on the China bank that nearly caved in the ramp.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Ishod Wair

Ishod Wair didn't stop skating the entire weekend-- he just keeps going and going. You can really tell he's having fun on his board, and it doesn't hurt that he's really, really good on it. Ishod made this backside smithgrind pop-out during his run, and thankfully didn't vomit after it this time.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Ishod Wair

Ishod Wair - frontside bluntslide.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Trevor Colden

This was Trevor Colden's first pro contest, like Alec and a few others. Trevor just turned pro for Skate Mental. He has a really solid backside 180 nosegrind.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Trevor Colden

This is how to pop out of a crook pop-over, kids, and this is how to skate the finals at Tampa Pro.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Chaz Ortiz

The skating at this year's contest was more gnarly than anything that's ever gone down. Chaz Ortiz did some serious moves during his final's runs and landed this 360 flip in all three of them.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Chaz Ortiz

Chaz Ortiz ollies out of his backside tailslides. In one of his finals runs, he kickflipped into backside tailslide across the box and kickflipped out -- I said he did that in a run, right? Unbelievable.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Nyjah Huston

Everyone knew that Nyjah Huston won the 2014 Tampa Pro with the live scoring, so he didn't even need to take his third and final run. He took it anyway and did some of the craziest tricks to go down this weekend.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Nyjah Huston

After being mobbed by fans, Nyjah threw out his old deck from the top of the roll-in. Look how hungry you all are for some Nyjah!
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Thank you to everyone who came out to the contest, and thanks to those of you who tuned in on our website to watch the live webcast. Here's the view the winners will have of all you wonderful fans.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

David Gonzalez

Speaking of fans, you all voted for David Gonzalez to win The Skateboard Mag "Fan Favorite" award. Here's David accepting the award and thanking all of you.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Evan Smith

Evan Smith - winner of the Fender guitars Fender's Finest award. Evan played an impromptu guitar solo and all the girls in the crowd fell in love.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Alec Majerus

Evan Smith - winner of the Fender guitars Fender's Finest award. Evan played an impromptu guitar solo and all the girls in the crowd fell in love.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Chaz Ortiz

Chaz Ortiz- 2nd place, and $15,000 richer.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Nyjah Huston

Nyjah Huston, winner of the $20,000 first place prize at the 2014 Tampa Pro contest presented by Nike SB.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Nyjah Huston

Top 3: Nyjah Huston - 1st, Chaz Ortiz 2nd, Alec Majerus - 3rd.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Eric Koston

Right as the champagne poppped, Eric Koston ran on stage for this epic selfie. Oh, and the camera strap poking in from some guy's camera is about to ruin my champagne shot.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin

Eric Koston

Yep, would have been a great photo, except for the strap dangling in front of my lens. Thanks. Thank you to all of our sponsors: Nike SB, Gatorade, Redbull, Bones, Nixon, Mob Grip, Converse, Silver Trucks, Independent Trucks, Hellaclips, Spitfire, 3D Skateboards, Tired, Skate Mental, Real Skateboards, Beats by Dre, Fender, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Zumiez, Jack Link's, Stance Socks, Dakine, Thrasher, The Skateboard Mag, Coffee Spot, Low Card, Transworld, and Boards for Bros.
Date: March 23, 2014
Photographer: Aaron Austin