Facing Extinction.

Hardcore shows are always a good time. Especially when there's a bunch of people from Polk and Highlands county there. Good times with good people.



Alyssa got things going at a pretty reasonable hour.


Then, Sebring Hardcore. No nonsense, he got right to business.


Last time I saw Ernie playing music he was behind some turntables playing Dirty South Rap jams. Nice to see he's so multifaceted.


Guitar center.


Shredding!






These guys are young, still teenagers. But they can keep up Guitar-wise.


My favorite thing about their live show is that there isn't a lot of bullshit in between songs. Just, "Thanks, this next song's called ________." Their animated stage presence is cool too.


If the venue looks a little rough it's because it's an old Cattle warehouse turned into a Skatepark. There was even an industrial floor scale for Cows and Bulls on the floor.






Both of these dudes are ill at what they do. They're also really cool laid back Highlands County, FL types. I guess they get all their aggression out playing gnarly Hardcore music so they're calm the rest of the time.




Another interesting thing about a lot of Hardcore and Metal bands is that they usually smoke a lot of Weed. And then play this really aggressive, hard music. Makes me wonder how pissed off they'd be if they didn't smoke. I bet the murder rate would skyrocket.


Yeah Alyssa!




I've never seen a Hardcore band get so many girls hyped before. Definitely not a bad thing considering how many fine Sebring girls were in the building.

Thanks to my new friends in Facing Extinction for putting on such a great show.

Gator Days.

Met up with Frank and the Gator posse to shoot in Lakeland.


Frank spotted this pool and checked it. Too bad it was Crackhead Inn. The last thing they wanted was skaters attracting Cops.


Tyler came along.


"What do you think?"


Frank's not jumping down anything today, he's just going to cruise the hills.


He will jump up onto some stuff though.


This is the POV of a hill bomb.


This is the second spot in 10 minutes that Sebring local Fatt anihalated. I've always wanted someone to skate this but no one ever has. It's been around for probably 30 years but no takers. You have to make a curve and bomb a hill.


See? Awesome Fatt. Too bad this photo isn't very good.


OG Lakeland spot. There's a ledge to drop here too.


ARTSY!!!


Aaron met up with us. Always a pleasure.


This means skating here is a bad idea.


Devil may care.


Urban affairs.


Sometimes you can catch Frank in weird facial expressions. I have about a dozen photos like this.





Franks girlfriend Alyssa gets her lady magazines sent to Frank's shop so sometimes they end up in the back of his pickup. Tyler likes them city Womern's.


He also likes killing it at the skatepark. I'd like to take the time to tell you my favorite Tyler Osborn story now. One time after a night out in Sebring he starts talking about how he was harassed by a Cop for drinking in the street in Ybor City. "Don't arrest me for havin' no beer" he told us. "Ain't no crime for no hard workin' man to drink no beer. Don't arrest me for havin' no little bit of pot neither." He continued. "Or for no fishin' in an unlicensed boat with no license." Wih which he concluded in a a heated tone "Does it look like I know the law of fishin'?!?!"


Brandon Knowles came out after skating the Volcom contest. Took him to this thing. No success.


So I took John Reece there. No success. Who wants a go at this spot?


All in all, a busy, long, really successful day.

Cuban Links.

http://www.jpgmag.com/people/SteveAyersPhoto

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevenayersphoto/

And an amazing bonus:

MO MONEY! MO MONEY! MO MONEY!

100 Degrees.

Since it's so brain meltingly (a real word BTW) hot in Florida right now skating is pretty much an evening affair. No one wants to get fried while Kickflipping.


Still from a sequence. gap the channel to Boardslide.


Tumultuous skies all evening.


And a stunning sunset.


I didn't know Earl could do Suski Grinds.


Nosegrind.

Then the dynamic duo decided to start tangling with the hubba.


Duel.






Then Earl pretty much just let it roar and popped out 3 tricks on it.







Thanks bud!