Austin just won in his category at the Vans Amateur Combi Pool Party. I don’t think it’s this front smith that sealed the deal. But, like..I’ll take it.

I don’t get it though. What makes an amateur pile drive front smiths and scare everyone else out of the bowl who happens to try and drop in in the midst of Grayson’s tear? Huh? What?

Caught this one at Lake Cunningham up to San Jose. Went there that evening to meet up with Jordan Richter. Steve Caballero was there, too. Nice little session. It was positively freezing that night — literally freezing. Which I found weird for San Jose. I came up for a two day thing at the studio in Sunnyvale and pinged Jordan before I left to see if he was game for meeting up and doing a shoot after work. Of course he was. Left Los Angeles — which is always dangerous to travel from during the winter cause I’m likely to step onto a plane with a t-shirt and hoodie and wind up in winter-y Helsinki or London. But, in this case — I thought I’d be safe. Not so. It was 31 degrees when I landed in the mid morning.

Threw up after getting dinner at some shitbird “Chinese-Vietnamese” place. I blame myself partly for going some place so dodgy and eating too fast.

Nick Foster came along and helped out.

Mighty’s New Year’s Eve Smith Grind out of that weird whirlpool drainage thing. I haven’t found my way of shooting street stuff, so this is just sorta default-fisheye-low-angle. That’s not particularly creative. But — it is what it is.

First time shooting down there at Burger Bowl, hosted by the exceptionally hospitable Lyle. Awesome backyard spot and plenty of backyard fun. Classic O.C. Sunday afternoon, I’d say.

This was at Skidazzle — a goofy sports wear sales event at the LA Convention Center. I had no idea who Chris Gentry was — it wasn’t until Lizzie and Allysha and I were trekking to try to do a (bust-out) shoot in Salton Sea and Lizzie put Gentry’s, like..rap single on. He’s a smith grinding skate rapper guy, so it seems.

Cody floats up to Venice every once and again. I also see him at Channel Street in San Pedro. This was last year, 2010. I was still learning how to shoot with the 24mm wide-open using a hand-held speedlight, off and to the left as it would always be while shooting right-y.

Christian Hosoi, Front Smith while practice was on for the Tim Brauch Memorial Contest, 2011.

Here’s Noah Montes’ big, carvy front smith laid out on that one back bit of the Venice Beach Skatepark. I kept goading him to get into this one. He took some concrete for his trouble, and my being a nuisance. Worth it though.

I met up with the Montes after a bit of a Tom Hagen Godfather II day at the studio. The Montes were on their way back to Hawaii and had a day to kill before their flight. We met up at the Venice Beach Skatepark to chit-chat and shoot a bit. These boys rip. You’ll know Malakai, Noah’s brother from when I was in Hawaii earlier in the year.

Well, I try my best to get the name of everyone I shoot, but this guy slipped by somehow but that don’t mean that we don’t appreciate a good anonymous Back Smith when we find one.

Back Smiths have their own buttery-ness compared to a tweaked Front Smith..can be a pain in the ass to shoot..it’s a trick that takes a bit to appreciate on the style side, but just every so often you get one that makes me think of Fred Astaire doing a soft-shoe..know what I mean? Do you even know who Fred Astaire was?

Well — whatever..I’m calling this one the Fred Astaire. I’m calling this guy..”Fred Astaire” until someone tells me otherwise.