Injuries, crazy tricks and a star-spangled comeback at this year's famous Tampa Pro

The 32nd edition of the Tampa Pro just wrapped up and it delivered exactly what the skate world expects from one of the most storied competitions on the calendar: raw skating, surprise storylines and a finish no one saw coming from the start.

The vibe was event set before a single trick was thrown with Sebo Walker painting the decor throughout the week, giving the setup that personal touch only Tampa Pro seems to pull off. On the mic, Chris Blake — a longtime Central Florida legend — was in the booth commentating alongside Chris Pastras, the founder of Stereo Skateboards. The twist? Blake received his first-ever pro deck with Stereo right there at the event, making the booth feel like a proper celebration.

Skatepark of Tampa

Skatepark of Tampa

Qualifiers: chaos before the show

The qualifier runs gave us plenty to talk about, and a few skaters made sure they wouldn't be forgotten.

Alex Hajimihalis came out repping his own clothing brand, going full hype-man mode and launching t-shirts into the crowd mid-run — a first run entrance that set the tone. Christopher Hiett turned heads with a style all his own, both in fits and trick selection, the kind of skater you watch just to see what comes next.

Then there were the specialists. John Dilorenzo locked in on the manual pad and basically never left it, treating the whole course like it was just him and that one obstacle.

Dalton Dern went in a completely different direction — going absolutely massive on a stall gap that had the crowd losing it: https://www.youtube.com/live/MwvRCBegKnE?si=oC3Lvk8ia2ioWP9_&t=15752

On the rougher side of the day, Jake Ilardi popped his shoulder out on the ender of his second run, one of those wincing moments that goes quiet fast. Fabrizzio Caro — younger brother of Angelo, who was notably absent from the event — carried the family name with some serious skating, making sure the Caros were represented regardless.

In the end, Kairi Netsuke and Jhancarlos Gonzalez from heat 1 got the straight shots through to finals as the top two qualifiers, skipping semis entirely.

watch the full qualifiers breakdown here

Skatepark of Tampa

Skatepark of Tampa

Best Trick: Independent brings a surprise

Independent sponsored the Best Trick and brought out a special obstacle to close out the first day of the contest. Jhancarlos Gonzalez stole the whole show with a wild wallride to take the win, capping off a a goo day he'd already dominated in the main event.

watch the full best trick event here

Semifinals: absentees and opportunities

Two last-minute scratches reshuffled the bracket: Aurelien Giraud down with an injury and Liam Pace's no show pushed Joe Hinson through from 32nd place. Notable absences also included defending champion Sora Shirai and Angelo Caro, last year's Best Trick winner.

Past winners Jagger Eaton and Yuto Horigome loomed large with their free semifinal passes, though Jamie Foy was there strictly as a spectator unfortunately, sidelined by a back injury. Four Canadians made the semis, a solid showing from the north but it was Cordano Russell who took the standout, dominating semifinals with the best overall run.

And yes, if you're wondering, Kelvin Hoefler locked in his 12th consecutive final, a new record once more.

watch the full semifinals breakdown here

Skatepark of Tampa

Finals: eight countries, one winner

Joe Hinson's run from 32nd in qualifiers all the way to the finals had the room buzzing and gave him the crowd's support but unfortunately, he realized he clearly wasn't supposed to be there, finishin dead last by more than 10 points...

Kelvin Hoefler injured himself on the last trick of his second and still landed on the third step of the podium — pure grit. Yuto Horigome got the win snatched away for him for a second consecutive year, finish on the middle step of the podium once more.

In the end the win went to Jagger Eaton who came in on fire after a second-place finish at SLS DTLA last week — the first American victory since 2022 after 3 consecutives japanese wins.

watch the full finals breakdown here

Skatepark of Tampa

Skatepark of Tampa

See you next year Tampa.