MonsterJam came to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Jan 16th and as any avid fan knows, IT WAS AWESOME!!!!  During it’s yearly two-stop visit to Tampa in Jan-Feb the fans come out to see the huge trucks race, wheelie, go airborne, and just destroy themselves. This year was no different. There was lots of destruction and high flying that brought the stadium to it’s feet. I have found that it is very difficult to do a  review on MonsterJam because I always find it awesome and always gets high marks. This year is no different.

For someone who was just introduced to MonsterJam 2 years ago I see it from a Tampa Bay point of view. Barring the party of the World Finals, I just cannot see any location being more of a party than Tampa for MonsterJam. It is not all just about the performance, though. There is something called the Pit Party which is half of the event, in my opinion. When you drive down Dale Mabry looking for a place to park and you see El Toro Loco hanging from a crane with the infamous Grave Digger right beside it you just realize …… I AM HERE!!!!! 

The Pit Party is present before the MonsterJams. It is a party atmosphere where you can get your pictures taken right beside or in front of the vehicles. You can even touch the tires and see up into the engines on some of these beasts. It is also an opportunity to get an autograph or picture taken with your favorite driver. The drivers are the nicest people you would ever meet at an event like those. They understand why they are here and play it up for everyone, especially the children. Knowing that the boys (and now the girls) aspire to drive a truck of their own, it is a place to start realizing that dream

Be early if you want to meet all of the drivers, though. The pit party is an extra event that you do need a ticket for, but the tickets are available in the Tampa area for free at most Ford Dealers. With the exception of the big names like Tom Meents on Max-D or Adam Anderson on Grave Digger, most of the lines for are only 15-20 minute waits. Some, even less. The Pit party also features food, drinks, entertainment, and lots of cool things for the kids. Did I say souvenirs?   Yes A LOT OF THOSE TOO!!!!!

My review for this years MonsterJam is in 2 parts. Through the eyes of myself and through the eyes of a 3 year old that LOVES monster trucks. I myself give the event itself a 4 out of 5 stars. The only thing I would have liked to see to make it a true 5 was more back flips or attempts at it. Broke trucks were put in the two corners that did not allow the big guns near the end to be able to attempt that back flip. The pit party I give a 5 out of 5 because I carried around 3 boards to be signed for three little boys, and the drivers not once complained about multiple signatures for one person. The boys loved their signature boards also.

Now from the eyes of a 3 year old. WELL, sometimes pictures are better than words.

MonsterJam will return Feb 6th with 16 new trucks and drivers. Get your tickets early to make sure you get your seats before the event sells out. Most of all, enjoy it with your family, for it is a true family adventure.

David “Thrills” is an avid enthusiast of thrill parks and entertainment activities in the Tampa Bay Area. Be sure to follow me on twitter for live tweets or email me at tampathrillme@gmail.com for any questions or concerns. Pictures are the property of David “Thrills”.