skate journal: all day fun denver spots then saul’s with the crew (may 27, 2018)
Joe, Chad and I picked up Neil and Rob then headed to Denver. We made Emage and 303 runs before starting at the McNichols area near Civic Park and met up with Kevin. The door was open so I didn’t think we’d last very long. We didn’t. I had seen Rob do some manuals dropping down to the next level, Neil with some manuals and ollies ollies ollies.
So we went over to the Civic Park fountain area and went about that. Lazer and Jake would meet us. I was really struggling with ollies and anything, got up the stage and down the 3, that was about it for me. Neil nose manuals around, Rob manualled around. Rob also lined it out with a bean plant down the 3. Lazer showed and boardslid the ledges against the wall which shouldn’t be possible. Joe was lining out as he does. The ledges weren’t as good as normal. Jake was on the front tails too. Chad had setup a new board and put down a few tricks near the end. Kevin was ripping. Front tails, back 180s down the 3 stair.
We randomly picked up Damon then went to this spot. What a sick spot. I didn’t feel up to skating at first, it was super hot too. But people went at it. Rob manualled it quick then went on to nose manual. Jake was ollieing up the tallest ledge. Lazer was gaping the long two stair. Things were going off really. Dave showed at this spot too. I didn’t see him skate it much though. He looked at the handrail and it probably wasn’t big enough for him. Ha. Joe was filming Chad try a line of 360 flip then nose manual 180. He was also filming Jake try to line out the big ollie, nollie front 180, switch 180, with ollie over a chair which he didn’t quite get. He did get a broken board though. Damon was going nuts trying to backside flip the chair. Kevin was in the mix trying some hardflips, but never got it. Damon never cleanly got the b/s flip, but man the one he technically landed was amazing and I can’t believe he rode away from it. Kevin went for switch flip off a ledge too. I kept messing around and eventually starting trying an ollie up a medium height ledge and kickflip off the lower part. I got it a couple times, but wanted to line it out. Kevin grabbed his phone to film me and I got it first try. Ollie up, kickflip off, ollie up, back 180 off. Neat. Neil had been cruising around with lots of little ollies up everything.
People were chilling and then we found this curb which was quite fun. Oh yeah, Mike had joined us too. He was doing some really long grinds. Dave was front 5-0’ing it easy then did back smith too. Rob had some long ones. The best part was Neil not being able to slappy it. I know he was bummed, but it was kinda funny to see such a ripper struggle with a mostly basic trick. Lazer had some long boardslides. I had some fun slappys and then tried to manual from the sidewalk to the slappy. I got onto the curb, but not into grind. Doh. Felt cool to manual that far. Kevin did slappy back smith. Then people started doing tricks off the curb before slappys. Joe did front shove off, Dave did switch no comply 180 with way too much style.
People were chilling and then we found this curb which was quite fun. Oh yeah, Mike had joined us too. He was doing some really long grinds. Dave was front 5-0’ing it easy then did back smith too. Rob had some long ones. The best part was Neil not being able to slappy it. I know he was bummed, but it was kinda funny to see such a ripper struggle with a mostly basic trick. Lazer had some long boardslides. I had some fun slappys and then tried to manual from the sidewalk to the slappy. I got onto the curb, but not into grind. Doh. Felt cool to manual that far. Kevin did slappy back smith. Then people started doing tricks off the curb before slappys. Joe did front shove off, Dave did switch no comply 180 with way too much style.
Last spot was Saul’s. We gained a few more people. Saul, Ed, Chris, Jake was back. I skated for awhile. Had some fun carve grinds, a few front slashes. Rob was getting it. Saul had his long fast runs. Jake dropped front blunt like it was nothing, did a front lip over the hip, much much more. Lazer had to leave after a few runs. Fuller did boardslides around the deep, manualed everything, front smiths on the gnar coping and much more. Kevin skated it really well. He had a gnarly roll in line. Ed and Chris ripped. Can you tell I just want to be finished writing this? It was a fun session. Tricks were landed, sun set, drinks were drank, fun was had.
(setup 8.25 null monico deck, venture v-hollow 5.25 high trucks, bones medium bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, bones 51mm stf v1 wheels, es accel slim shoes all black size 11.5, footprint gamechanger low profile orthotic insoles)