Early in the morning Rob met me then we picked up Sean and Kevin and headed to REI for birthday boy to get buck. Unfortunately the rail he wanted to hit was knobbed so we played around on the river front manual pad area. There was this dude jumping rope forever. It made me not want to skate the spot, but Kevin and Sean had no problem grinding the edge of it. They did a few flippers too. I didn’t really do anything. Mike met us, he grinded the edge first try too. I hadn’t even ollied and then we got the boot.
So we went to Ceasar Chavez park which was really crowded with kids running around everywhere. We stuck in the back are with the ledge then 3 stair. Rob and I warmed up with a game of SKATE that went on forever before we even flipped the board. Kevin, Mike, Sean were hitting the ledge and stairs. Rob and I really started slow on the game of SKATE. I had a few letters when we started flipping and unfortunately Rob rolled his ankle pretty bad on a heelflip attempt. He took it pretty well and chilled the rest of the day without complaining. Get well soon Rob! Jack, Carleigh and Dave F arrived. Fuzz would arrive later. This spot is so hard to skate. I had no confidence at all and couldn’t even go in on a noseslide initially. Sean was trying 5-0 shove then f/s flip, but settled for kickflip. Kevin was trying for a line of fakie 50 then switch f/s flip or switch flip. He also did front 50, 5-0, and I think nosegrind off the 3, but couldn’t commit to switch crook. Jack was on bluntslides and back tails right away, but pretty sore so keeping it chill. Carleigh was busy starting with kickflips and swearing up a storm when not landing them. ha ha. Mike almost got nollie back tail then front shove. He had some real nice treflips and impossibles on the basketball court. Dave was lining things out. Switch ollie over a shirt, switch no comply 180 front 50 180, switch ride down the 3. I had given up on the ledge for the most part and just started trying a line to make me feel better. Front 180 a little flat gap, fakie flip on flat, switch front nose to forward, ollie the 3 stair. It took awhile and I struggled with fakie flips somehow, but when I landed the line it did cheer me up quite a bit. Carleigh had also ollied the flat gap and had a really funny slam where she hung up and knew immediately she hung up. After my line I messed around and did a little noseslide 270 then beanplant down the 3. I thought it was pretty dorky (it is), but the way Sean filmed it looked rad. Fuzz showed around the time Mike, Dave and I went to the front area and skated the 2 up 3 down area. Kevin joined too actually. I hate how the approach is slightly downhill. Anyway, Mike was almost doing switch manual. It was so sick. He got very close. He also had a hilarious slam where he switch ollied off the 3 and exploded. Kevin ollied this weird little ollie off a ledge then nose manualed the 3 stair manny pad. It took me awhile to ollie the same little gap. It was nothing, but you went right at a rail so it was kind of weird. I couldn’t quick feet the 5-0 I wanted to so I started filming Kevin try a line of 180 then switch nose manual 180. He got so close. He was really struggling, it was tough. Birthday boy really wanted to get a clip, but it wasn’t working. Dave did a cool line. Front 180 up, halfcab 50, back 180 down the 3. I had moved on to get water at that point. I chilled for awhile then forced myself to get a couple halfcab noseslides before I filmed some. Carleigh had done a sick front 50 then ollie the 3. Sean ollied the 3 to the curb cut. Jack did a bluntslide to fakie nosegrind 180. So crazy. I filmed Fuzz do a boardslide to fakie 50 180 out then ollie the 3 stair. It was so sick, he powered through it. Kevin got close to back 5-0 then kickflip down the 3. He got so close, but a couple bad slams at an inopportune moment and ended his board. Then we got dinner! Ha. It was a good, long, frustrating, but awesome day.
(setup 8.25 null abstract 6 deck, Venture 5.6 trucks, venom 91a bushings , sml 53mm og wide wheels, 3 washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 379 b/w size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 4/10 just really sore)