skate journal: idaho springs and breck with neil, rob, cass (july 10, 2026)
After a much needed day off of skating we rolled up to the mountains. First stop was a breezy and sunny Idaho Springs. Was a pretty fun session. Neil was able to tap into the fire and get going. He had wallies, manuals, noseslides, one foots, crooks, boardslides. This is the Neil we know and love. Rob was shredding too. Manuals, back 50s, ollies. Cass was boardsliding the bigger rails, some frontside. I was the last man standing, for quite some time. I was happy with some crooks (even if a younger dude came and did them 10 feet further), one incredibly slow front 50, quick up noseslide, kickflip on the steeper bank that was bad then a kickflip to fakie on the mellower one.
Then we drove up to an almost empty Breck park (that would fill in a little shortly after we arrived). The road leg soreness had settled in and it took a long time to feel good. Cass was on front noses pretty much immediately and would get close to bigspin out. Rob had the sick back 50s onto the bank then lined them out with boardslides, maybe noseslide too. Neil with great one foots on/over/down the hip, front 50 into the bank like Rob, I think kickflip the hip. I skated like 2 hours longer than anyone. I wish I had a lot to say, but it basically took me that long to land anything so that’s why. I just keep hucking until the stars finally align. I did beat Cass to crooks on the ditch to ledge, had some fun noseslides to fakie on it. Took a long time to get a fun line of front 50 the weird noping tight qp, ollie the hip (couldn’t get kickflip) then noseslide to fakie. Almost got a similar line with kickflip on the bank and crooks after. Spent a long time trying back 50 on the upper deck of the miniramp, but it was an ultra fun ride away with the roll in. Hucked a little. Got close to noseslide the bump to snowboard jump. Ended making myself do 10 qp tricks on the little section. Last trick was dumb, but fun – rock to feeble (but not in one motion like good people do it).
(setup 7/10 8.5/14.25 null purple archway, pepper g5, ace af1 hollow 55, old spitfire f4 99a classic 52mm pink, vans half cab wafflecup b/w size 12 fp gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 6/10)