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THE 10TH ANNUAL
SOUTH FLORIDA TATTOO EXPO
by Max Brand
From the October 2005 issue of Prick Magazine.
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 Mark Longenecker of Endless Summer Tattoo in
Cocoa Beach, Fla. tearin' it up! |
 Wes Diffie of Against The Grain in Melbourne, Fla. had a great time
with his client on Friday. |
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YES! I got assigned to cover the South
Florida Tattoo Expo in Coral Springs. I
was excited because I grew up in the
Florida Keys, but hadn't even been as far
south as Coral Springs in years. Another reason
I was anxious to check out this convention
is because this was the 10th year Dave
and Debbie Amchir have put this party
together! This was also the first year that
Dan King and Cool Cat Tattoo of Fort
Lauderdale, Fla. played the role of the
sponsoring shop. So I hit the road for
the 12 hour journey south to spend
the weekend of Aug. 12-14 at the
Coral Springs Marriott Resort.
This hotel is perfect for a tattoo
convention with its offset
convention hall, and
circular lobby with a
killer bar.
I arrived just before
the convention opened
on Friday. I set up the
PRICK table, and hit my
room to freshen up after
spending all night on the
road. After making it
back to the convention floor, the first thing I found out was that there was not going
to ba a Tattoo of The Day Contest. That was really the only thing that struck me odd
all weekend. Tattoo of The Day is always the best way for everyone to check out all
of the hot ink done at the convention each
day. Luckily, I get to run around taking pictures
and checking out everyone's progress
throughout the day, so I got over it pretty
quick.
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 Nellie of Bent Needle Tattoo in Jacksonville, Fla. at work. |
 "Safety First." Dave Tedder tattoos a dope "cyclops reaper"
on PRICK photographer/writer Max Brand. |
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This show had a little something for everyone.
Great tattoos were done all weekend
along with a suspension show Friday and
Saturday night. About 15 Bands played all weekend, and made it apparent
that south Florida loves the '80s. Artists, vendors, and fans had a blast at the
hotel bar each night, and enjoyed an environment where they could party
and make noise as late as they wanted. A tattoo contest held Saturday, with
awards given on Sunday, kept everyone in suspense half the weekend. Not
to mention, the 1st Annual Classic
Hot Rod Car Show, which lasted
all day Sunday, and was a great way
to end the weekend. Still, for a
10th Anniversary convention, I
expected a few more surprises.
Maybe a big cake or something!
This show was definitely about
the community and the fans.
There were only a few big names
on hand like Tony Ciavarro of
Stinky Monkey, Deano Cook of
Psycho, and Brandon Bond of All
or Nothing. Despite all this, rad
tattoos were done all weekend.
Bruce Bart's booth produced
impressive pieces non stop, while
the crew from Against the Grain
churned out fresh hot ink in an
orderly fashion. My weekend was highlighted early on when Dave Tedder of
All or Nothing Tattoo in Smyrna, Ga. hooked me up with the beginnings of an
awesome Cyclops Reaper Skull on my thigh Friday night. Wait till you see the
pictures when it's done!
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 Winners! |
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The weekend came to a close with the awards given for the Classic Car
Show and Tattoo Contest. Also, a trophy quickly dubbed "Tattoo Artist of the
Year" was awarded to Brandon Bond of All or Nothing Tattoo for his hard
work, extensive touring and dope tattoos.
A huge accomplishment of the promoters was that Dave and Debbie, along
with the crew from Cool Cat Tattoo were able to raise over $50,000 for the
Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.
Oh, and to whoever stole the golf cart Sunday night, you're very bad, and
you shouldn't do that again!
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 Stephanie Fleischman took 1st place for Best Overall
Female. Dee Nuzzo was awarded 2nd place, and won
a few other categories. |
 Stacey and Holly took the trophies for most unusual
tattoo. |
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Winners of the
tattoo contest were:
Best B&G - Bill Mack
Best Color - Luke Barth
Best Sleeve -
Trevor Wilson
Best Portrait -
Beth Burkhart
Best Tribal - Daria Indeck
Best Back Piece -
Frank McCarthy
Best Overall Male -
Noodles
Best Overall Female -
Stephanie Fleischman
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