The History of Skatepark of Tampa—Short Documentary | Core

Ready to learn about the origins of the emblematic Skatepark of Tampa, aka SPoT!? It all started in response to Paul Zitzer’s vert ramp being deconstructed in 1991 when Brian Schaefer sought out a warehouse to give it life again. The warehouse in Tampa, though, doubled as a temporary home in order to make their dream a reality. What has happened since will be forever etched into skateboard history.

The legacy of the Tampa Pro claims the longest running contest in skateboarding (BONUS nugget: the first prize purse was $1,000 sponsored by Airwalk) dating back to 1995. Fast forward 30+ years and SPoT has become the quintessential proving ground in skateboarding.

Today, Tampa Am and Tampa Pro are considered THE events that solidify a skater’s path to being a respected professional, and skateparkoftampa.com has become a cornerstone of the skateboard e-commerce space.

Tap in with Schaefer and Zitzer in this episode of CORE to relive the series of events that created SPOT, hear iconic stories, and get a glimpse into the world that created and continues to breathe life into the legendary Skatepark of Tampa.

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The Platfrm First Person: Braden Hoban Takes On Tampa Pro 2025

Braden Hoban returned to Tampa for only his second time, hitting the course at the 31st annual Tampa Pro in 2025. Rolling deep with his crew—Dakota Servold, David Reyes, Torey Pudwill, and CJ Collin— though his posse wasn’t the only competition he was up against. Contest heavyweights like Yuto Horigome, Vincent Milou, and Ishod Wair were all present at the Skate Park of Tampa, among others that were on their game. Competition pressure aside, Braden held it down in the quarterfinals and move on to the semis/final day. Watch how it all turned out for Braden in First Person.

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