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Tampa Pro 2005 Sunday
Words and Photos by Rob Meronek
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A few interesting and not so interesting things about Sunday at Tampa Pro:
- Tony Trujillo showed up right before the Semi-Finals heats started.
He was already in from being a past Tampa Pro Street Contest winner.
The first time he ever skated the course was in his first run that he took, which got him into the Finals. He only bailed one trick in that run. Now that's rock star.
- Some white guy came storming into the shop pissed at Clyde Singleton’s comedy on the mic. Clyde said something about all the white people in the building looking the same. That was some serious entertainment.
- Another guy in the crowd was bitching and yelling so loud that we actually stopped the contest for a minute to give him some attention. He was super pissed because some camera guy was in front of him and he couldn’t see. We ended up bringing him up to the judges stand to watch from there.
- One of my favorites from the weekend, Billy Rohan, landed a
540 in his run in the Finals [view the footage]
- A lot of people were talking about Chris Haslam potentially winning it, but a few bails in his runs kept that from happening. He destroyed the vert wall during the Mystery Best Trick Contest –
kickflip to fakie, 360 flip to fakie, and also some of that crazy stuff he always does. He made a nollie front foot flip to fakie in on that thing.
- Half way through the Mystery Best Trick Contest on the rail, I left to get started on processing photos, taking notes, and some other work crap because it didn’t look like it was going to get too crazy. There were only a few people skating in it. I guess everyone got a late start because I missed Jereme Rogers’ switch back smith and
Peter Ramondetta’s switch frontside nosegrind, among other things.
- During the Mystery Best Trick on the bank to wall, it was getting ridden like it was a small quarterpipe. People were throwing down blunt kickflips and long, smooth back tails on that thing.
Kyle Berard had by far the craziest stunt and won it with a cab back lip revert coming from the quarter.
- A whole lot of pros were here but missed their runs. For some people, I guess hanging out for the weekend is the main goal. Nothing wrong with that. I had a great time just hanging out. Thanks to everyone that came to our contest.
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Rafael Rodrigo - nollie front board on the big flat rail
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Peter Ramondetta - frontside hurricane on the big flat rail
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Tony Trujillo makes use of three separate obstacles on this frontside grind across the vert wall from quarter to quarter
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Mike Vallely aired out of the quarter to get onto the wall like that. He's going to fakie rock the vert wall on his way back in
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When Chris Haslam did this kickflip to fakie on the bank to wall, everyone thought it was insane. Then he one upped himself and 360 flipped it to fakie to get 4th place in the Mystery Best Trick Contest
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Dennis Busenitz backside tailslides the vert wall like it's a small ledge
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Tony Trujillo - backside disaster on the vert wall coming from the quarter pipe
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Stefan Janoski - switch flip wall ride
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Ronnie Bertino - switch 360 flip over the hip
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Anthony Shetler - switch frontside flip over the hip
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Mike Vallely has huge pop and control on no complys. This one is a no comply on the bank to wall to disaster
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Now that's a switch flick and catch. Stefan Janoski - switch flip over the hip
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Clint Peterson - backside flip
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Bastien Salabanzi made this gap kickflip front board on his second try
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Bastien Salabanzi - plain old kickflip
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