I was on my way to skate with Dave in Longmont when I got a text from India that she would be coming home to hang out soon. So I turned around and stopped at a very low manny pad near Pearl & Foothills. It’s about 2″ tall. Dave had challenged me to Nollie back shove manual. I’ve never even done that up a curb. I figured maybe a good first goal is to get up a 2″ tall curb. I got a couple up the curb and I could see how maybe I could manual it, but then I went home to hang with Inida.

All day I had thought about the fact that I had to give up on front 50 the day before. It was eating at me. I’ve never liked the Venture 8″ high trucks so I had put low trucks on. I wanted to see if I had better luck with lows. I got to Douglass after a mostly lazy day feeling anxious about trying the 50. I started with some lines and was having fun. Kickflips felt good, tried a couple front tailsides on the curb on the side, had some good feeling wallride nollies, noseslides and crooks on the main ledges. Tried a line starting with front board then b/s flip. I had no real plans after that and I only got one b/s flip, but I followed it with a first try halfcab flip that felt awesome and then totally posed a 360 flip noseslide which I was obviously not close to whatsoever (although it kinda felt possible). After that I went in on the front 50s. I almost got it first try. But after that it was awhile. I was getting into the 50 more consistently at least. I had a few that felt like they would be makes, but I was going slow and I hadn’t waxed the ledge. I was trying noseslides, crooks and 3 flips on the way back. I finally got a front 50. Whew. Then I setup my phone and got another one. I know I’m going really slow, but it felt good to at least do it and not give up. I do think the low trucks are good for me too. They have a quicker pop and being that tiny bit closer to the ledge in the grind feels good. I should have kept skating, but I left after the second 50.

(setup 8.25 null dream machine deck, venture 5.25 awake lows, stock white bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, 51mm v1 bones stf wheels, es swift 1.5 gray size 11.5, footprint low profile gamechanger insoles)

On a very bright and sunny day I met up with Rob at Douglass. I had done some good warming up before I got there and had a fun line covering the micro hip to ledge as Rob pulled up. It was something like front 180, switch noseslide to forward, nollie back shove, nollie front shove, noseslide. It was still fun though. We mostly started on the curb area. Oh yeah, I had a new board and small trucks again. 8.25 with Venture 5.25 High trucks. Not sure why I went for the highs instead of lows, but that’s what I did. My first kickflip felt great. I told Rob that I was 0-40 on halfcab flips the day before and hit my breaking point with the big board. I would like to say never again, but you know me. Needless to say I was happy when I got a couple halfcab flips in a few tries. We were both trying lines. Rob was mixing in wallride nollies, front shoves, kickflips with front and back 50s. He also had a nice b/s flip on the micro hip followed by a solid slam due to a stop rock. Doh. We moved towards the main attraction and mostly lined out those benches/ledges too. I love the cali grind up the yellow curb to start. Rob was starting with no comply or back 180 up the curb. I had a heelflip at some point, some noseslides, a couple crooks. Couldn’t really boardslide. Rob was going for the crazy no comply wallie thing again or boardslides on the longer ledge. We were there for quite awhile before Fuzz showed and then left. Ha. Fuzz started with manual around the curb cut area. I think we chilled for awhile after this. When the clouds blocked the sun it was pretty nice out, but when the sun was out it was so hot. Jack and Carleigh showed. Jack appeared to hurt himself on the first kickflip of the day and a few minutes later put an end to his old chipped up deck. We started skating some more. Rob was going for boardslide to manual. Fuzz, Carleigh and I were going for noseslide variations. Fuzz and Carleigh had good regular noseslides with pop out. I had a fun one to fakie. I couldn’t get the noseslide shove, but neither could Carleigh so maybe it’s harder than she said. Ha. I tried some front noseslides. I was going super slow. A couple kind of worked. Rob was lining out front noseslides with no comply shove up the curb. Fuzz got a couple front 50s. Then I started trying front 50s. And trying and trying and trying and failing and not getting very close. I probably tried 40-50 of them and only kind of got into a couple. Everyone else was sitting and I had to just give up. That is not easy for me.

(setup 8.25 null dream machine deck, venture 5.25 v-hollow, bones bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, 51mm v1 bones stf wheels, es swift 1.5 gray size 11.5, footprint low profile gamechanger insoles)