Kevin Long Spanks tampa: 2003 Tampa Am contest report

Thrasher Magazine, May, 2003 by Michael Burnett

2003 Tampa Am Contest Report.

TAMPA AM 2003 TOP 20

20 ALLEN RUSSELL

Allen Russell didn't enter this year, although he briefly swashbuckled the course in Tampa Bay Buccaneer's regalia. As this was the park's 10th anniversary and the contest's ninth, I was hoping to pinpoint and interview someone who had competed every single year. Russell was my best guess, but flicked up the whole plan when he opted to watch the Super Bowl instead of talking his runs.

19 THE YBOR HILTON

I didn't even know this hotel existed! The first year I covered the Tampa Am I paid my own way and stayed at the brutally filthy Tropicana Inn. On subsequent trips I traded up to the slightly-less-dingy La Quinta, but never before had I strayed from the lodging ghetto of the immediate park area. Although I'll miss getting my dinner of Fritos and Dr Pepper through the bulletProof glass drawer at the Texaco station, I'm proud to say I'm now Ybor Hilton for life, or, at least, for if I ever go back to a SPOT contest.

18 THE KIDS ARE BACK

Though some were surely over 18, the only overtly grown man in the finals was Danny Morrin. It's not that-you can hold it against him. It's just that, after many years of sponsored ams in the 18-25 range, it's cool to see a strong showing by the youngsters.

17 GRAND PRIZE

SPOT benefactor Larry Perkins must still be under house arrest, because there was no jalopy given to this year's winner. Instead, a micro Ducati motorcycle would be taking the top placer on his victory lap. It looked to be the appropriate size for an orangutan.

16 THE COURSE

It got changed up slightly with no snowboard jump and a regulation-sized handrail in the eight-to-10-stair range. It was backside for goofy footers. There was also a big quarterpipe that went up to vert. A couple of dudes even did tricks on it. Tato Feliciano busted' a bandplant.

15 PUNK IS JUNK. RAP IS CHAP

When the riders signed up for the event, they got to choose the music for their runs from two categories: hesh or fresh. This was a marked change from the days when everybody got rap unless they were wearing Sacto jeans or a trucker cap--in which case-they got Black Sabbath's iron Man. For those keeping score, hesh got picked over fresh roughly two to one.

14 OUR SO-CALLED STAFF

We were supposed to have two other photographers covering this event besides me and I was looking forward to acting strictly as a consultant while my underlings fought the video nerds.

"I'd use the 28mm flash diffuser set just between 1/32 and 1/64th power if I was your" I'd offer, while enjoying a boat of nachos. "And try and get closer to that kid trying the 360 flip noseblunt slide. You've got to fill the frame!" They'd hustle off dutifully.

Of course I never even saw one of the dudes and Patrick O'Dell called me before I left the house to say he wouldn't be able to shoot the event due to a sprained ankle. It was so sad. He could barely drink his beer, take photos of strippers, or get into repeated fist fights he was so injured. And he wonders why those checks are always late.

WHAT ARE YOU? Twenty-five? Twenty-eight? Chances are, if you're on the backside of 20 and don't have a board on the wall (I hate to be the one to break it to you), you're probably washed up. There's no reason to be sensitive about it. We can't all be Kyle Yanagimoto.

Billed as a special event for all the media types, business men, team managers and any others glomming onto the scene (and there's a whole bunch of us), the First Annual Washed-Up Dudes Bowl Contest hosted a hearty turn-out considering it was at 10am on a Sunday morning.

Ex-pros were required to compete shirtless and Dune and Ronnie Bertino traded topless turns with out-to-pasture athletes including Ryan Clements, DJ Peril, Rodney Johnson, Kevin Marks, Jason Rothmeyer, the Bowl Troll, Jamie Stone, Ped Urtz and some local dudes who made the Californians look like the Barneys we are.

In the end it was ex-Zorlac pro and Motobilt trucks Brly Air innovator, Mike Sinclair, who snagged the top slot. He actually ate an entire hot dog in his run and spent the rest of the jam chucking various snack items at his fellow contestants. By the end of the event the bottom of the bowl looked like a fat girl's slumber party.

13 UNLUCKY THIRTEEN

Went to Billy Marks, the winner of the Damn Am and golden ticket holder (which allowed him to go straight to the finals.) I'm not sure if it was the white pants, the lack of sleep, or just the jinx of being the man everyone thought would win, but Billy pretty much screwed the pooch. Undaunted, he got it together for Best Trick, getting first with all the wonderful kickflip-in moves you see here in the mag month after month. He really went for it. I think he thought he was getting another 10 grand.

12 GRAHAM BICKERSTAFF

Graham's been entering these things for years, but this was his triumphant, all-growed-up long-haired debut as a full-fledged Dogtown pup. He hauled balls with nice three flips and pop-shoves and was a definite crowd favorite.

11 DANNY CEREZINI

Last year's number two had some stunning qualifying runs that paired switch kickflip to backside 5-0s down the small ledges with kickflip to backside tailslides down the small rail. Things sort of fell apart in the finals, thus, 11th.