Stories
45 stories from 20 years of doing some good in the neighborhood, rebuilt from tbka.org and the ASF archive.
45 stories
2024
Beach Wheelchairs Initiative: Water Wheels For All
ASF's initiative to bring WaterWheels floating beach wheelchairs to Florida beaches, so people with disabilities can enjoy the water with family and friends.
Project Vet Jet
Project Vet Jet, part of ASF's Veteran Outreach programs, gets veterans out on jet skis for recreation, rehabilitation and camaraderie. It continues today.
Trash To Treasure Coastal Cleanups
ASF's 2024 coastal cleanup initiative targets heavily used Tampa Bay waterways: a win for watersports, marine life and the public.
Adaptive Waterski Clinics With Ann's Angels
Adaptive waterski clinics with Ann's Angels, from veterans learning to ski to FGCU's Adaptive Sports and Rec Day and a show ski team clinic.
PWC Safety: Reboarding And Rescue Training
Personal watercraft safety videos: reboarding and starting a PWC in shallow water, and how professional rescue watercraft operators train.
2023
Access Florida: Watersports For All
Access Florida raises awareness of Florida's accessible beaches, waterways and outdoor activities, starting in Tampa Bay.
2022
Help Florida Now: Emergency Hurricane Relief
Help Florida Now, ASF's emergency hurricane relief initiative, started after Hurricane Ian in 2022 and expanded when Hurricane Helene struck in 2024.
2021
Santa Surprise With ASF!
A holiday Santa surprise from the ASF crew, shared at the end of 2021.
Paul Bertocci: Celebration Of Life
ASF's tribute to Paul Bertocci, a Tampa Bay kiteboarder and Army veteran, shared in February 2021.
2020
Tony Torres: WCMX Athlete, Coach And Author
Pro WCMX athlete Tony Torres led ASF Adaptive Sports as executive director, coaching and mentoring wheelchair athletes, and wrote the Jimmy Wheelz children's books.
2020: On TV, On Video And Back At The Park
ASF Adaptive Sports on RightThisMinute, a friends-and-family video mashup, a call to action and a post-shutdown skate session in 2020.
ASF Adaptive Sports At Tampa General Hospital
ASF brought its real-life Adaptive Sports Circus to Tampa General Hospital to show doctors and therapists how skateboards and adaptive gear can support rehab.
Share The Skate: 100 Decks And An Open Skatepark
ASF's Share the Skate program: youth skate events, 100 #ShareTheSkate decks set loose, and a more accessible St. Pete Skatepark for WCMX riders.
2020 ASF Adaptive Sports Jam
February 14–16, 2020: the second ASF Adaptive Sports Jam brought top WCMX and adaptive skate athletes from around the world to St. Petersburg.
Sheckler Foundation And Boards For Bros In Tampa
ASF filmed the Sheckler Foundation and Boards For Bros in Tampa, getting skateboards into the hands of local kids.
2019
Campaigns That Powered Florida's Adaptive Athletes
ASF's 2018–2019 campaigns: athlete travel, a demo trailer, adaptive fitness and the North and Central Florida Adaptive Sports Awareness Initiative.
2019 ASF Adaptive Sports Jam Recap
The first ASF Adaptive Sports Jam brought WCMX and adaptive skateboarding to the new St. Pete Skatepark, with a visit from the mayor and TV news coverage.
Meet ASF Adaptive Sports
ASF Adaptive Sports, a division of Action Sports Foundation, works with youth groups, organizations and athletes to provide adaptive sports training.
2018
ASF Attends 2018 WCMX World Championships
Tony Torres made his third WCMX World Championships appearance in 2018, with ASF among his sponsors and Tina Tallman as his coach.
Accessibility Project: SS American Victory
An ASF project to improve accessibility at the SS American Victory, a WWII-era ship museum in Tampa.
WCMX Clinics With SBACFL
Learn-to-ride WCMX clinics with Tony Torres and Florida pro riders covering safety, balance, wheelies, 360s and spins.
2017
2017 WCMX World Championship Recap
ASF and the Florida WCMX crew traveled to the 2017 RISE WCMX World Championships in Irving, Texas to cheer on local riders.
2012
What ASF Stood For In 2012: Access, Environment And Youth
ASF's 2012 program pages: preserving access for watersports, environmental action, youth programs and clinics, and internships.
2011
Kite4Kids 2011 And The Treasure Island Downwind Race
ASF's 2011 Kite4Kids event on Treasure Island raised money for All Children's Hospital with kite and SUP races, clinics and a 20-mile downwind dash.
2008
2008: TBKA Becomes Action Sports Foundation
How the Tampa Bay Kiteboarding Association grew into Action Sports Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, in 2008.
Dealing With Squalls, Heavy Gusts And Bad Weather
Why crashing your kite first buys you time when a squall line hits, from TBKA's 2008 safety discussions.
Kite-4-Life: By Kiters, For Kiters
Kite-4-Life, ASF's kiteboarding division, helped local kiteboarding associations preserve access and run events, clinics and community outreach.
The People Who Built TBKA
Meet the long-time Tampa Bay kiters who formed TBKA's leadership team in 2008 and started the push toward 501(c)(3) status.
TBKA Rider Profiles
Tampa Bay kiters introduced themselves on tbka.org in 2008: how they found the sport, their favorite spots and why the local crew mattered.
TBKA Safety Day And Cookout At East Beach
An all-day TBKA safety clinic at East Beach with self-rescue demos, launch-and-land coaching and a community cookout.
Shell Key Cleanup: 40 Kiters, 80 Volunteer Hours
Over 40 TBKA volunteers and Eckerd College students cleared trash from Shell Key with Pinellas County Environmental Management in June 2008.
Wind Spikes: When Afternoon Storms Roll In
A 2008 TBKA warning about sudden wind shifts and 50 mph gusts across Pinellas County during afternoon storms.
Working With Fort De Soto Park To Keep Kiting Access
TBKA's meeting with the Fort De Soto park manager: four rules kiters agreed to follow to protect access at East Beach.
Kiting In Currents Around Tampa Bay's Passes
How opposing and following currents change your power and relaunch, and what to do if a pass or rip current grabs you.
The 2008 Tampa Bay Launch Guide
TBKA's community-written guide to Tampa Bay kite launches in 2008: Skyway, Fort De Soto, Treasure Island, Cypress and Sunset Beach.
The Venturi Effect: Updrafts, Mangroves And Lofting
How mangroves, buildings and curved shorelines create updrafts and gusts at East Beach and the Skyway, and how to stay safe.
Training New Instructors: IKO Assistant Certification
TBKA hosted IKO assistant instructor training so more qualified volunteers could teach kiteboarding safely.
Good Vibrations: Kiters Looking Out For Kiters
Shout-outs from TBKA members: returned gear, borrowed kites and on-water rescues that showed what the community was about.
Madeira Beach Middle School's Curriculum Celebration
TBKA's first school event: kiters met students and parents at a marine-themed middle school on Boca Ciega Bay and donated lesson packages.
Tampa Bay Kite Masters 2008
Recap of the 2008 Tampa Bay Kite Masters race, a most-improved prize for a seven-month rider, and thanks to the sponsors who came through.
Florida Boarder Comp: Strapless, Course Racing And Freestyle
A three-discipline kiteboarding contest on St. Pete Beach: a 5-mile strapless downwinder, course racing and freestyle, plus a pre-party rigging race.
Take Lessons First: Looking Out For New Kiters
Why TBKA members asked newer riders where they took lessons, and encouraged them to ride near other kiters.
Sunset Beach, Tarpon Springs: Launch Guidelines
TBKA's 2008 guide to launching safely at Sunset Beach in Tarpon Springs: wind directions, tides, hazards and etiquette.
Gear Maintenance: Making Your Kite Last
TBKA's tips on sand, sun, bladders and lines to get more life out of expensive kiteboarding gear.
Right-Of-Way Rules For Kiteboarders
The on-water priority rules TBKA asked every Tampa Bay kiter to follow: outgoing riders, converging riders, upwind and downwind passing.