Feeling a bit tired after some early morning callouts for work I went to campus on a slightly warmer night.  I had thought of some lines I wanted to try, but ended exploring more.  I started on the tiniest hip on campus and did a couple little tricks like front slash to fakie,  nollie 270 and front 270 followed by a switch ollie up a tiny curb.  Then I ended up in the parking lot by the rec center in what would be some really impressive sucking trying to back 180 or ollie up a weird curb from a rough brick section.  Whatever though.  I would get the ollie up onto the angled flagstone walkway then try to “gap” back 50 the base of a little fountain and gap back out.  It was surprisingly fun.  I tried to start by rolling off a little rock.  But then settled on a line.  Front shove on flat, back 50, kickflip on flat, ollie a little 4’ish flat gap.  I got the line.  It was fun even though the back 50 game to a halt and the gap out wasn’t very pretty.  The first try ollie the flat gap felt good.  Then I wandered around somehow finding new paths I’ve never seen before then ended up back at the rec center.  I got a line there that made me happy.  Ollie up the 2, ollie a little snow pile, turn around then heelflip, ollie the 3.  I was hyped on how easily I was getting up the 2 and happy with the larger setup for that.  The snow pile ollie right after the two stair was hard and felt almost like exercise trying to pop again so quickly.  I got two heelflips.  The first one was followed by a legit slam down the 3 stair.  It’s one of those sets with the crack in front which shouldn’t matter for a 3 stair, but it made it hard for me.  When I did get the ollie down the 3 my legs wanted to give out, I was so tired and squated low and held on for dear life. It was fun. I added a little nose stall shove jib on the step after. Last thing I made myself do 5 flip tricks at the art building.  Since I had already done kickflip, bs flip and heelflip they were out.  I would get fakie flip, varial flip, halfcab flip, fs halfcab flip and fakie bigflip.  I got denied on halfcab heels, treflip, front heel, switch flip.  I was also randomly close to a couple nollie bs flip.  But when I got the sketchy fakie bigflip I called it and left for the night.  Not quite as hyped on how I skated as the other night, but still happy to be motivated and trying to skate street more again.

(setup null 8.5 plant life, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8, venom 88a bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 blue/gum size 11.5, footprints elite mid kingfoam insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

On a very nice day I went to meet Rob and Dave at dog park for a skate lunch.  It was colder than it seemed like it should be.  Although it did warm up quickly.  Some other older skaters were skating too and then some youngsters at the end of the session.  I skated well and with some motivation again.  We were all skating hard it seemed.  Dave was mostly trying lines to manual the picnic table.  5-0s, kickflips, etc to get the line going.  Rob had some halfcab boardslides to fakie some with a little shuffle after, front board the tall bench, halfcab nose, front 50 the new ledge first try, fakie bigspins.  I started with a poser line of ollie to fakie the steeper wedge, fakie flip, switch back nosegrind the little guy.  I never committed to the sbng.  I did back 5-0 and 50 the the little guy which I haven’t done in a bit.  I got on the cinder block ledges pretty easily for once.  Tried the Joe Hamilton, but didn’t get one although I had a ghost front board that was pretty funny.  I had one halfcab noseslide 270 out attempt that cool even though I know it didn’t count.  Couldn’t get noseslide 270 shove or nosegrind 180.  I ended trying to ollie the jersey barrier off the decked wedge.  I would eventually get it and came so close to a treflip after.  The treflip would have been such a great ender.  Still, had a blast skating with the dudes in the sun and being motivated again.  Dave’s manuals were gnar.

(setup null 8.5 plant life, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8, venom 88a bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 blue/gum size 11.5, nb# abzorb insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

Rather than feel sorry for myself for being in pain and not skating well I went to campus in search of new/old/different spots I haven’t skated before or in years.  I would start behind the student center.  Initially with some straight dorking to get warmed up.  Then slightly less dorking for a warm up line that would stoke me out.  A kickflip fakie on the mellowest slope ever solely as a way to warm up and setup switch for switch 180 over a little grate into a little slope, ollie off a two stair (that had a crack a couple feet after so it felt like a little gap) then pose a back 180 down a 3 stair. Ollieing the little gap felt incredibly fun and reminded me how street skating soothes my soul.  I never got close to the back 180, but I didn’t really care and moved to the front where I took some time to ollie up the two stair, ride off (it was dark) and then noseslide a tall rounded bench.  I looked around for a while and ended up at the Baker ledge.  I feel like I was somewhere else before this, but can’t remember.  I tried a line of manual, noseslide to fakie, fakie flip.  Never got the fakie flip, but started not caring and trying switch flips instead and got very close to one.  Also got a little crook jib and ended with a front 50 that I didn’t think I’d be able to get because it was dark and due to ice I had to get on a somewhat taller section.  It was an incredibly fun feeling front 50.  I went home happy after that.  

(setup null 8.5 plant life, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8, venom 88a bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 blue/gum size 11.5, footprints 5mm insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Was so incredibly sore.  Rob and Kevin were there when I arrived.  We chatted then went to it.  I have waited too long to write this so remember very little.   Eric and Sean would show too.  Cass eventually.  I did not skate well for a couple of hours because I was so sore.  I only remember the end of the session when Sean and I were trying lines.  He would get his.  Something like kickflip the wallie world, front nosegrind the metal bench, nollie back nosegrind 180 the cinder block bench.  Also close to front 180 the hydrant, fakie flip, fakie crooks.  I was trying various tricks and just trying to ollie onto the double wide cinder blocks.  I could not do it to save my life, I was so scared.  I had wallies, halfcab flips, the worst little switch crook jib and more, but still only managed the worst slow ollie up to manual stall. Sorry for not remembering everyone else.  I know Rob, Kevin and Eric were ripping.  Rob halfcab boardlides to fakie.  Kevin almost got fakie 5-0 halfcab out.  Eric casually heelfipped a parking block, 5-0s.  Then we met Jack, Dan and Joe downtown and I filmed.  Jack ripped it.  Others had fun.  

(setup null 8.5 plant life, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8, venom 88a bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 blue/gum size 11.5, nb# abzorb insoles)
(pain level 6/10 everything)