On March 11, 2005, 50 professional skateboarders showed up to The Skatepark of Tampa (The SPotT) to compete in one of the biggest pro street contests of the year: the Tampa Pro. Of those 50 skaters, only 32 moved on to the semifinals. One of them was Elissa Steamer.

That might not sound impressive, but keep in mind that the Tampa Pro has never had (and still does not offer) a women's division. Yet Elissa advanced out of the qualifiers with solid runs that included a kickflip up the step-up, a backside tailslide, a big 50-50, and a lipslide.

Competing in an all-male competition doesn't seem that easy, but it doesn't faze Elissa, who's competed in the Tampa Pro every year since turning pro in 1998. "I don't like competing either way, if there's a girls comp or not," she says. "It's not intimidating to compete with all guys. I get a free trip here and I live, like, two hours away [in Fort Myers]."

Elissa has years of experience under her belt, and has proven time and again that she can take out the dudes. This year she took 27th overall. She said she likes competing at Tampa more than at women's events. "This is my park," she explains. "I grew up here."

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