Clockwise from top: The pyramid at the
Skatepark of Tampa seemed to be the most
popular attraction. While llo Turner and the
crew watch, Lance Conklin rotates a 360° kick-
flip. Longtime unknown local Milke Daher
caught in the act of a backside big spin.
Driving into town at 100 mph, our crew of
rambling wrecks may be on their way to visit
you. Brian Schaefer (sequence) is sketchy but
rad on the backside shove-it tip. Party animals
Justin Bokma, Bobby and Paul Zizter wait for
the ramps to get finished so they can ride.
there were some kids that looked to be current, the
overall attitude of this park makes you think back
to the old days. Lots of "classic" boards, big wheels
and pointed noses. The bowls are a little kinked,
but hell, when in Rome, do as the Romans. There
is also a ten-foot metal transition vert ramp that is
more than "exciting." The center of attention for
the local gnarlers is the 9 Bowl, which is fast,
smooth and very grindable. While we were there,
Tom Groholski showed up and even Buck Smith
crawled out of the woodwork. They both fuck that
shit up. The locals turned us on to a party where we
hung out with neighborhood swamp people.
During this party, in a keg crossfire, two friends who
had skated with us at the park all day decided to
have a little fist fight. They were very gentlemanly
as they went about the business of pummeling
face. It was one of the best fights I've seen in a
while. When we were leaving, this Hessian dude
sticks his bloody hand in the car and screams, "Let's
see you put this in your fucking magazine."
We split back to Orlando for the last day of the
show and the once perky sales freaks looked like
wilted flowers after a lonely wedding. We made our
way to a booth where we sucked $4.50 brews and
choked down $2.00 pretzels. Great to be alive huh?
I met up with my pal Schaefer who was in the
process of opening his own park down in Tampa.
Needless to say, we were there. More speeding
and smoking arrived us at the door of the Skate-
park of Tampa. This was a place that I could really
sink my teeth into. The vert ramp was Masonite,
indoors and fast as hell. The street course was still
under construction, but there was enough junk to
have some fun. Mike Frazier, Paul Zitzer and Brian
Schaefer all tear the place to the ground. Some-
where between Frazier's full bore runs, Zitzer's
tailgrab Cabs and Schaefer's nollie destruction,
we lost track of time and ended up skating well into
the morning. This was the opening day of the
park, so there were tons of skaters and the feeling
was awesome. I fell on my head and thought I broke
my collarbone, spending one of the most hellish
nights of my life hurting, sweating and dying. We
left early the next morning and that is the end of
that story. Peace, we out of here.
40