Another nice warm early autumn day. Went to dog park for the GB Games. As soon as I set my board down I felt very off, kind of side spasms even. But I rolled around, did some slappies, a few crooks. Played a game of SKATE with Paul where he was bailing every trick and had SKA then came back and beat me. I think he was just hustling me. I lost on halfcab flip and then could not do a heelflip after. Argh. Did some more slappies with old guys. Charlie had a good feeble, Brian too, Shad skated the ledge like a man, Ted ripped the ledge too. Was fun times.

After a nap and the slightest setup change (cast instead of forged baseplates) I went to the side of the school for an hour of flatground. It went better than earlier. I had gotten to 6 flippers in like 15 minutes. Kickflip, fakie flip, halfcab flip, backside flip, fakie bigflip, f/s halfcab flip. Then it took a while to get a couple more like varial flip and f/s halfcab heel. I could not get a heelflip or treflip. They were somewhat close, but not really. Same with nollie tre. Varial heels were closer. Fakie hards not close. Oh well, glad I skated.

(setup 7/10 8.25 null time warp, jessup ultragrip, 5.6 venture v-cast kader with ace bushings, 52mm bones stf v1 103a, new balance numeric 272 army size 12 with half insole and currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 6/10)

Super nice day. I had managed to get my neck to loosen up with some exercises and the theragun. Met Gordon a little later than normal and felt better than expected. Gordon was already ripping when I got there. As was Cody almost getting nollie tre down the 6. Gordon and I mostly skated the blue lurb. He might have gotten switch manual. Definitely nollie nose manual. My f/s tricks went better than normal. Got front 50 shove first try, front 50 180, Joe Hamilton. Couldn’t get a back 50 though, was close to kickflip 50. My neck was allowing me to skate, but I was still a little hesitant. I didn’t really land flip tricks even though they felt great on my smaller woke setup. Managed to ollie into the downhill ledge which I hadn’t done in forever. Got another front 50 into the bank which was harder than it should be. I’m missing a lot, but it was a fun session.

(setup 8/10 8.25 null time warp, jessup ultragrip, 5.6 venture v-hollow with ace bushings, 52mm bones stf v1 103a, new balance numeric 272 army size 12 with half insole and currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Woke up with such a painful and stiff neck. Tried to loosen it up throughout the day, but it wasn’t good. Went to dog park since Nolan was passing through and wanted to meet there. We had a heck of a crew. Ladd, Donnie, Nolan, Sean, Garrett, Joe, Will, me. We started at dog park initially, but it was really heated with some youth going hard. I had only done a few slappies and stuff. Over to Valmont where Will b/s flipped the euro hip. We skated in the pond for a while. Nolan easily did blunt to fakie along with other tricks so easily. Ladd had some big pop. I did some very tech axle stalls. I had some fun noseslides on the bump to ledge. Also some fun grinds on the little bowl area. Then I mostly just posed flip tricks on the bank with Sean. Except he landed his. I came remotely close to f/s halfcab heel and even closer to fakie hardflip. Sean did nollie back heel then f/s halfcab flip. Joe with the amazing every try fakie hardflip over the hip and ollie the barrier from flat. Donnie madman attacking the rainbow rail. The grind ollie grind was so cool. Nolan pole jam to manual, first try back noseblunt on the volcano then the funniest peter blunt ever on the rainbow. Donnie’s kid running to the plaza and Sean saying “See Donnie your kid wants to go to the real park” was hilarious. Garrett was slaying it. One of the best kickflips to fakie I’ve seen, hurricane the barrier, so much style. Sean ended the session on a very non-Sean like trick was a highlight. I gotta get one of those fakie hards!

(setup 8/10 8.25 null time warp, jessup ultragrip, 5.6 venture v-hollow with ace bushings, 52mm bones stf v1 103a, new balance numeric 272 army size 12 with half insole and currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 7/10 neck)

For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to skate after my first day in the office after vacation in NYC. Nope. It was cool walking into a park and seeing so many of the normal crew though. Will, Ted, Steezy, Dennis, and more I’m not remembering. I had my new TJ Rogers bricks. I mean shoes. But maybe bricks is a more accurate description. They felt terrible to skate in. At no point did I do anything good and kickflips were impossible to flick in those shoes. Will went in on some flippers. He did switch heel, switch flip and switch backside flip. All while I think I only landed kickflip.

(setup 4/10 null 20 year 8.5/14.25, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 titanium redrilled to v8, 52mm spitfire f4 99a pink swirl classic, es tj rogers b/w size 12 with currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 6/10)

On an incredibly nice day I journeyed to upper east side of Manhattan for this park Suciu claims ‘best park‘ on. My body was not doing well, like just so achy and sore and not wanting to move quickly. So my initial rolls around the park were sketchy, everything was actually sketchy. I did a warm up line that was so lame. It was like a brief nose jib on the bank to bar, an attempt at boardslide down the last bank to curb, then a bump to front 50. I think I gave up on that. Did some rock ‘n rolls on the smallest part of the bank to curb. Had some bump to crooks eventually. Noseslides down the hubba were sketchy. Tried a line for a while of crook a bench, kickturn on the bank to bank, noseslide to fakie the amazing mellow bank to ledge. The noseslide to fakie took me FOREVER. I had some other fun crooks and noseslides on the ledges on the far side, one kickflip on the bank. After a while I just had to give up, my body was not working at all. It sucked. The park was so amazing, the few skaters there were nice, the weather was good. Oh well, hope to skate there again.

(setup 1/10 null 20 years 8.5/14.25, jessup ultragrip, indy forged hollow 149 with ace bushings, spitfire f4 99a 52mm pink/green classic, new balance numeric 440v2 wide navy size 12 half insole and currex runpro insole)
Pain level 7/10

On a cooler day I biked over to what seemed like a dream skate spot from the photos.  And it was.   Until a carload or rollerbladers showed up.  They were nice and all, but it was weird.    I skated this spot about an hour.  Did not get far into my bag.  Wanted to do more but was on limited time, wanted to hit some other spots and had lost patience sharing the spot with a bunch of rollerbladers.  The front 50 shove out felt cool even if it’s a little kid trick. Came close to 5-0 shove out.

Hit the bank to curb briefly and could only muster some terrible front slashes and a little sw noseslide.  I went over the nearby asphalt hump hip a couple times. 

(setup 2/10 null 20 years 8.5/14.25, jessup ultragrip, indy forged hollow 149 with ace bushings, spitfire f4 99a 52mm pink/green classic, new balance numeric 440v2 wide navy size 12 half insole and currex runpro insole)
Pain level 4/10

After an insanely crowded train ride we ended up at the beautiful prospect park. I’d say it was quiet too, but it was full of people playing music.   Even Ethan’s crew.  So yeah I hadn’t skated or seen Ethan in like 15 years.  He had hit me up once he saw I was in nyc.  He really wanted to show off his local spot.  It was kinda hectic.  Lots of people skating, lurking, drinking, playing soccer.   All on the little section we were skating.   But it was a really good vibe and we did some stuff.  Ethan had some good kickflips, halfcabs, fakie bigspins, nollie tails.  I got some rap horns after a front 50 shove and a sw noseslide bigspin.   I had done a few other basics on the ledge.   Not much on the other stuff.  The little front barrier ride was fun.  Great seeing Ethan again!   Fun session.  

(setup 2/10 null 20 years 8.5/14.25, jessup ultragrip, indy forged hollow 149 with ace bushings, spitfire f4 99a 52mm pink/green classic, new balance numeric 440v2 wide navy size 12 half insole and currex runpro insole)
Pain level 6/10 stiff neck

Met Max at LES.  Was so cool meeting a friend.  The park was empty.  Max was ripping already.  His goofy tricks are so cool.  First thing we did together was the double backside flips.   Which took me too long but at least max got it too.  I bailed multiple axle stalls.  It was so frustrating.   Then max had me go in on the long line basically doing all my tricks in one line.  The Wallride was fun, the crooks were fun, but man I could not do another backside flip to save my life.  Max ollied the rail like 15 times.  

We went to labor.  Visited with Will.   Went to Tompkins.   Reynolds was there, but I didn’t see him skate.  Max played SKATE with a friend.  He did some other stuff.  I just cruised and did some basics.  Aka I skated like normal.   Had a fakie bigflip and a sw noseslide bigspin.   It was a fun vibe for sure. Great day and great seeing Max.

(setup 2/10 null 20 years 8.5/14.25, jessup ultragrip, indy forged hollow 149 with ace bushings, spitfire f4 99a 52mm pink/green classic, new balance numeric 440v2 wide navy size 12 half insole and currex runpro insole)
Pain level 4/10

A little hungover , park had a mist on it as it was raining but most of it is covered, also weirded out by how people don’t say hi or even acknowledge others.   I skated like absolute dookie.   Perhaps not even anything worth mentioning, just the ultra basics.   Was hurting.  There was an old dude that came who was ripping with some freestyle moves and all kinds of tricks. But he would beam so bright after each trick and do them right in front of you. Basically, this session sucked.

(setup 1/10 null 20 years 8.5/14.25, jessup ultragrip, indy forged hollow 149 with ace bushings, spitfire f4 99a 52mm pink/green classic, new balance numeric 440v2 wide navy size 12 half insole and currex runpro insole)
Pain level 7/10

Felt very out of it.   Skated very bad and had no confidence.  Had park mostly to myself until a dude Mark showed up (it’s funny because after I went back I watched the Asics video and he was in it).  I had taken forever to do some basics like noseslide to fakie the bank to ledge.   Couldn’t front 50 the bank to ledge.  Eventually got a line of rock fakie, fakie flip on flat, sw front nose the ledge.   Hated my Indy’s.   Took too long to do a front slash the tiny vert qp then kickflip on the bank.  Lastly took even longer to backside flip the hip. Like so long.  30+ minutes.   Was losing my mind, wanted to quit skateboarding.   

(setup 1/10 null 20 years 8.5/14.25, jessup ultragrip, indy forged hollow 149 with ace bushings, spitfire f4 99a 52mm pink/green classic, new balance numeric 440v2 wide navy size 12 half insole and currex runpro insole)
Pain 6/10