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Caption: TAMPA 2015 PRO
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Caption: For the last 20 years the crew over at Skatepark of Tampa have hosted the annual Tampa Pro Skateboarding contest.
This storyteller was in attendance on behalf of event sponsor, Nike Skateboarding, to cover the contest via social media.
Action stills by Ryan Flynn
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Caption: Over the years this contest has has become a beloved cultural institution.
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Caption: From city streets far & wide the world's best skaters gather in this sweaty warehouse to battle it out.
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Caption: Skater's eyeballs result in brand logos everywhere. The old pan & flash works well to separate the skater from the background noise.
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Caption: Grant Taylor is a treat to watch. Flowing style and explosive power.
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Caption: Grant tends to get up on things not many of us even realized were there.
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Caption: All-terrain Texan, Ben Raybourn, is a radical energy ball, spinning around the course, with a fluid throwback style that's all his own. Love Raybourn.
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Caption: Brazil's Luan Oliveira is straight up one of the best in the world right now. From the rugged streets of Porto Alegre & Sao Paulo to the top of the international skate game. Full throttle, legs like industrial-grade springs.
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Caption: Malto intros iPhone line with Shane. Good lads. Thanks boys!
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Caption: Doing stuff for Nike I tend to look at feet. Brian Anderson comes correct with the classic Janoski and some Pizza griptape. Contest essentials.
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Caption: Team photographer Ryan Flynn keeps it comfortable.
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Caption: Malto's feet favour the Free SB.
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Caption: Charmingly grumpy Belgian Morrocan, Youness Amrani, goes the extra mile and shows off his socks.
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Caption: At the end of Shane O'neill's legs we find arguably the most skilled feet our strange pastime has ever seen.
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Caption: Ishod Wair possibly skates more than anyone and it shows. Next-level skills. He was rocking the Blazer Low GT.
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Caption: This story was getting a little advertorial. Sorry about that. Moving on, we played with live-stream app, Meerkat, a couple of times. Here Southern gent Justin Brock and cuddly team manager, Scuba Steve, watch the moat race from the comfort & safety of Steve's Chevy Malibu.
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Caption: Quality is not too hot but live video via cellphone is pretty fun. It's one of those technologies from old sci-fi I always thought was super far-fetched. "Video phone? Pff. Yeah, right. That'll never happen."
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Caption: Yet here we are. Video phoning, etc...
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Caption: The moat race is no joke. The kids all run under the bridge and up the creek being pelted by eggs from the laughing crowd. Pretty sure the prize packs make it worth it but don't quote me on that.
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Caption: Back inside Brock toured the course...LIVE!
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Caption: Scuba holds it down at the judges booth...LIVE!
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Caption: Ishod describes the scene...LIVE!
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Caption: Course check with Shane and Sean...LIVE!
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Caption: ...etc... You get the picture.
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Caption: Tampa has a bit of a carnival atmosphere with a variety of little side-shows. Catch a tight fade, like Ishod, at the barbers chair.
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Caption: Catch legends, Pat Duffy and Rob Welsh, playing their skate inspired americana as dynamic musical duo Patman and Robin.
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Caption: Witness true puppy love.
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Caption: See Brian simply being Brian.
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Caption: And congratulate Luan on an amazing win. Tampa rules.
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Caption: Bonus boneless: Ishod knows how.
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Caption: THANK YOU Very Much