Skate The Sunshine State with Jamie Foy and the Skatepark of Tampa
The Sunshine State sits at the top of skateboarding’s contribution scale. Aside from the actual act of riding the board (invented in California), Florida gave us the Ollie (Alan “Ollie” Gelfand in 1976, Hollywood, Florida), the flatground ollie, kickflip, and pretty much every flatground trick we do today (Rodney Mullen, 1981-1990, Gainesville), the longest running grassroots am and pro contest (Tampa Pro and Am!) and of course The Boss, Andrew Reynolds, is a Florida boy (Lakeland).
"The South Florida skate scene runs deep with history, talent, and community spirit, and today there are generations of pro skateboarders who proudly call it home. From Skatepark of Tampa to Miami's Lot 11 to crusty DIYs dotting the coast, plus all the legendary street spots everywhere you look — the place is a certified skate destination on the map. Ask Jamie Foy, Zion Wright, or Alex Sorgente; the Sunshine State's skate spotlight is bright.
No love letter to Florida’s impact on skateboarding can be complete without a stop by SPoT, where Brian Schaefer and crew welcome the skateboarding world for its industry-shaping Tampa Pro and Tampa Am contests. SPoT lifer Paul Zitzer breaks down the lore of all the legends created there over the years for us, including that of '07 Tampa Am champ Felipe Gustavo.
We meet Nick Katz of Andrew Skateshop, who together with pro skateboarder Danny Fuenzalida started Skate Free and created Lot 11 underneath a downtown Miami freeway. Then there's Tyler Coffman and the local crews keeping it dangerous on the outskirts, building (and re-building) Bum Park, South Florida's finest DIY.
Featuring Joel Meinholz, Pedro Delfino, Ryan Clements, Tyler Bamdas, Phil Hajal, and more, enjoy this core tour of the vibrant South Florida skate community."
With skateable weather year-round and skate spots in every city, pretty much everyone makes a trip down south to Florida to sample its unique way of life. For this occasion, let’s drill down on the southern half of the state. South Florida has its own vibes and more. Deerfield Beach hometown hero Jamie Foy breaks it down: “We’ve got the tri-county area—Palm Beach county, Broward county, and Miami-Dade county. Anyone can hop on the Tri-Rail from north to south, that’s part of the reason we have a sick community. From Palm Beach down to Miami there’s a plethora of skate spots, neighborhoods and cities to explore.”
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