Bernie and I headed to Woodland via 285 on a long drive that neither of us had done before. We arrived at the park about 20 minutes or so before Dave L would show up. There would be waves of little kids treating the skatepark as a playground, but for the most part we had it all to ourselves. Warming up went okay, I felt a little rusty from a day off (ha ha). We had some warm ups of mostly 50s on the various little perfect ledges. Seriously, why is Team Pain incapable of such simple ledges? This park was even better in person. Although I had a terrible slam on a front nosegrind 180 attempt where I came very close to rolling my ankle badly. Luckily I was okay (until the next day when I would realize my neck was super messed up). Bernie was quickly on the manual tip. Dave L also casually manualled and nose manualled. I got a b/s flip over the hip in a few tries. Bernie took a bit to get one and he said it was the first time he’s been frustrated while skating again. Dave took a bit to get kickflip over the f/s hip, those are so hard. I took way too long to get a bad treflip flyout. I got the line in the vid pretty quick. Actually, I did several b/s flips, but with too much toe drag. I had hucked some 270 heels over the hip too and wasn’t close. Dave had some nice lines throughout the park when the kids weren’t around. Bernie did both of the manuals in the clip pretty quick. He couldn’t quite get halfcab nose manual back 180 out though.

After hitting up Mountainside skateshop we ended up at the Manitou Springs skatepark. Wow, what a weird and mostly terrible skatepark. The coping is nonexistent in places, you can’t tell if there are banks or quarterpipes. It was super hot, but we skated for about an hour. I did one kickflip on one of the big main banks. That’s about the only trick I did even though it seems like I tried more. Bernie didn’t quite get hardflip on the same bank. Dave chilled a bit and cruised his stylee ollies around. The scene there was something out of a movie. Kids on vacation, old school young dude playing Blink 182, mountain man with trial shoes. It was fun.

Then we went to the high school since Ryan suggested there was something the dudes wax up. We were really surprised to find such an absolutely perfect ledge. I was really sore/tired at that time and even nosesliding it seemed impossible at the start. I would only go on to get noseslide, noseslide to fakie and crooks. Bernie would do front 50 and front tail I think. Dave had some good front 50s, front noseslides and a killer line. Ollie up the lower bench, boardslide to fakie, switch 180 off. He also back 50’d the 2nd level. Bernie manualled it. I posed some gap to noseslides. I needed the motivation of ollieing up the ledge to commit and unfortunately that was a little too hard for me. I only got up it once. I committed and proved to myself that I could do it, but I didn’t land it. I had done a few flippers in between tries. Super fun day even if I didn’t get one of the gnarliest tricks I’ve tried (ha).

(setup 8.3 null spanbauer pro deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, bones medium bushings, spitfire f4 101a 51mm radial slims, new balance numeric 288s navy, no insoles)
(pain level 4/10 some arthritis pain)

A little after 9am on a Sunday I went over to the school as Dave F said he was gonna be there with a friend. Tony. He was cool. Total surfy style going fast on slappies. I had a new board and wheels – Enjoi Wallin deck with Franky Villani graphics and Spitfire F4 51mm radial slims. It’s crazy how good the F4s felt compared to what I’ve had recently (blanks and classic formula). Those guys were already warmed up and trying feebles on the double sided curb. Dave had a nice front board. Tony did a rad noseslide over the drainage hole. I had some okay slappies. I had put the lows on again with a riser. They flipped nice. After awhile we were mostly at the hook area. Dave and Tony were doing amazing noseslides through it. I slowly worked up to some front slappies through it and they were so incredibly fun. Tony ollied the gap to the sidewalk a few times. Dave would end up doing a no comply over it. I was trying to line out, flip trick, slappy, gap. I got halfcab flip then front slappy, but missed the ollie. Then I did one of the best fakie bigflips I’ve done in awhile, got a questionable front slappy and missed the ollie again. Then I took awhile to do a switch front 180 up the curb cut then kickflip off, missed the front slappy but still rode away then tried a no comply flip over the gap, but didn’t get it. Fun morning.

Then I met up with Garrett and Jack and we met up with JJ, Sean, Jeff, Ryan, Cass, Ted, Joe, Brian and probably more I’m forgetting. We went to that new ledge school on Tejon. Well, the old school with the knobbed rail that now has tons of ledges. People were hitting the ledge over the gravel gap. I felt very out of place, and failed at noseslides forever. Jack casually did front tail front heel and back lip shove. Sean did a bunch of front tail variations, but not the one he wanted. Garrett did crooks and crooks fakie quick, but no halfcab noseslide nollie flip. JJ tried to run into the wall. Jeff did nose manual nollie flip and a textbook switch tre. Man it ruled seeing Jeff skate again. Joe did the slowest and most chill back 50 ever. It made me jealous.

Then we went down the block to skate a bank to rail. But Ted and I got distracted by this and stayed there for awhile. Okay a long while. I never got the boardslide, I was skating so timidly. Ted front 50’d it. Cass joined after awhile and got close to the boardslide, but like me struggled with how inconsistent that side was. Jeff would show up and front 50 it casually. Then Brian showed up who I haven’t seen in forever. He looked as good as ever on the board even though he apparently hasn’t been skating at all. He front 50’d it then went on to front 50 to front board like Ted did.

Last we went to the steep stadium bank. I dropped in once or twice near the top then Garrett was ready to go so I started filming. It took awhile but he got a Janoski flip! It was sick. Joe and Brian tried some tricks too, but never got their feet on them. That was the day. I felt terrible after, I guess the heat got to me. Argh.

(setup 8.25 enjoy wallin, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.2 awake lows, 1/8″ riser, 3 washers inside each axle, 51mm spitfire f4 radial slims 101a wheels, new balance numeric 306 foy blue size 12, nike sb zoom insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

On a warm day Kevin, Dave L and I met in Golden at the univ. We just wanted something different. We started out on a set of long stairs. Kevin and Dave tried a bunch of 180s. I think Kevin may have gotten it all. Nollie front 180, halfcab, back 180, switch 180, switch back 180. I did a couple wallride nollies down a step. I was feeling pretty off. Next we ended up at this crazy manny pad. It was quick with a somewhat tall drop. I was feeling every bit of my cracked tail and had no confidence so I went back to the car to switch out my board. Kevin had already manualled it and switch ollied onto it and Dave ollied onto it when I left. When I got back Kevin said he had landed primo on a nose manual and was over it. We went to the center of the school which has a bunch of stairs. I warmed up on a 3 stair while Dave and Kevin went at a 4. Kevin had made it look so fun with a fun carve after. I got the 4 stair ollie and didn’t want to try any more than that. Dave would get it too. We ended up at a total Stubborns spot. A weird 2 stair with ride on ledge off it. I was skating really bad, but had a fun few runs. Pop shove, front nose jib a tall ledge, ride on back 50. Wallride nollie, front board, ollie the weird gap. Kevin went for a line swerving some tables, 50 a weird round bench then ride on back 5-0 front shove out. He wouldn’t get it. Jack showed up at this point. He did some good back 360s, wallrides. We got the boot from there and ended up at the steep bank that Nolan crook and 5-0d. I never got a wallride. Kevin splatted again, but got a good wallride. Jack had some really good wallrides. Then we went to the downhill ledge. There was a truck parked there, but he offered to move it so we had to skate it. Jack was on the back 50 immediately then went on to do several back tails that were all incredible. Dave, Kevin and I took some time to get anything or even try. It must have looked funny we would drop in like 10 feet from the ledge, roll a couple feel then stop unable to commit to the ledge. I would get a few noseslides and one to fakie. I was trying to slide them further but slammed into the rocks on top and messed up my hand enough that I had to stop skating. Kevin was going for crooks, took a horrendous slam and chilled for awhile. Then worked his way up to a good one to fakie. He grinded a long ways. Dave would get a couple front 50s and one with front 180 out. It was funny how distracted Dave would get. Any car in the distance, noise, etc. It was hilarious. We were beat after that. Street skating is hard, but rewarding.

(setup 8.5 curby deck, ultra grip, venture 5.8 custom hollow cast baseplate titanium hangers, stock purple bushing bones top washer, 52mm spitfire green/yellow swirl classic 99a F4, new balance numeric 913 westgates b/w size 12, no insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

On a cloudy warm morning I went to the dog park before work. I work lates again and am still having to wear glasses so the cloudy skies would help. I had changed my setup yet again, 8.5 this time. I feel like I should just accept it’s the ideal size for me. Anyway, warming didn’t feel great, I struggled with a lot of things, but ollies felt decent. I had a warm up line of front 5-0 the min cinder block, front 50 the low pad, boardslide the wallie barrier, then kickflip. Except the kickflip took for freaking ever! I couldn’t believe how bad they felt. Next warm up line was front shove on flat, crooks cinder block ledge, kickflip on flat, back 50 the low pad, front 180 the mini cinder block. This took way too long as well. My crooks were terrible, front shoves were terrible, kickflips were terrible. It took a few tries to get a back 50, but I ended up getting them decent. I changed the line to pop shove, back 50, front 180. The front 180 did not come easy, but at least I did back 5-0 before that to make it feel cool. Then for the super depressing part of the session, front 50s on the cinder block. I thought I’d just do it then front nosegrind 180 the mini cinder block after, but no, the front 50 felt terrible. It wasn’t that I couldn’t do it, it was that my mind didn’t want to. I got a few, posed some flips tricks and was about to leave super depressed. Instead I made myself huck a couple dream tricks for a few minutes. I tried halfcab noseslide 270 shoves on the cinder block ledge (not even remotely close) and switch crooks on the metal butter ledge. I got kinda into a couple of those so at least that felt cool. I left somehow not in a terrible mood.

(setup 8.5 nolan null deck, ultra grip, venture 5.8 custom hollow cast baseplate titanium hangers, 52mm spitfire green/yellow swirl classic 99a F4, new balance numeric 255 b/w size 12, thin rubbery adidas insole)
(pain level 3/10 some knee pain wanting to come through)

Knowing I wouldn’t have a chance to skate later today I woke up early and felt like a dog park run.  I was there and had done a slappy or two by 7am.  I warmed up much quicker than the last time and went on to have a pretty good session.  Even if by the end of it I was totally exhausted and useless.  I had a new deck.  I started with boardslides, noseslides, slappies and tiny ollies.  I was pretty into trying lines as always there.  I liked how the tiny pad was before the cinder block ledge.  The first warm up line was manual, crooks, kickflip on flat.  Going the other way was something like halfcab noseslide, slappy crook, ollie the little metal ledge.  One that took me awhile was back 5-0 the tiny pad then front 5-0 the cinder block ledge.  The 5-0 was scary to me because I did it near the end having to come off the end rather then the middle like I normally do.  Going the other way I was trying front 50 (or 50 shove), crooks the metal/plastic ledge then ollie the mini cinder block ledge.  Not sure if I actually got that.  I tried a few front nosegrinds on the mini cinder block ledge, got a front tail on the lower step, not close to halfcab crook.  Kinda got a line of fakie flip, fakie 50 the lower step, fakie nosegrind the mini cinder block.  The fakie nosegrind may have been more of a manual.  I tried treflips for a bit and couldn’t get my feet on one.  Ended trying fakie 50 halfcab out on the mini cinder block ledge and got really close, but called it a day and went home to work.

(setup 8.25 null curby deck, venture 5.6 v-hollows, doh dohs 88a boardside bushing no washer minilogo 94a roadside with flat washer, 53mm purple swirl blank wheels, new balance numeric 288s white/gum size 11.5, no insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Feeling a little better I rolled over to the curb to test out some new bigger wheels.  I was inspired by Max to step up my game.  There were puddles and snow around most of the curbs so I just did a couple little slappies then headed home and put a new 8.5 deck on.  Campus had more snow and puddles than I wanted too.  I ended up at the Earth Sciences building ( I think). The main ledge is knobbed now which is a bummer.  I have felt somewhat sick for a month now and do not have much energy.  It showed.  I skated slow and without any confidence.  I tried lines starting at the ledges and coming around to the same ledge as a manny pad from the other side.  I had a nose stall shove, manual.  My kickflips were way better than normal.  The bigger wheels/higher trucks got me into frontside stalls way easier.  Almost got manual, did a weak front tail stall, actually landed a halfcab flip.  It was pretty blah.  I did get a little nose jib to fakie on the side part of the ledge up the curb.  It was way harder than it should have been for me.  Then I did a couple front 50s on the nearby step ledge and called it a session.

Then I went to Saul’s and really sucked it up. I guess having the risers/bigger wheels messed with me.  I didn’t past carve grinds and axle stalls.  Eric was skating good and playing great music (DJR and Jesus Lizard).  He almost had lipslide to fakie around the corner.  Saul has the best lines.  Eric made a funny joke how Saul just needed to turn left to double his skills.  Ha ha.  Saul almost got back 5-0 to tail.  Peewee showed at the end and was warming up with some switch carves, but I ended up taking off.

(setup 8.5 null collage, venture 5.8 cast baseplate with titanium hanger, 1/8″ riser, 54mm spitfire f4 99a green lance mount classics with all speed washers on the inside of the each axle, bones medium bushings, jessup ultra grip, new balance numeric 288S b/w size 12, no insoles at all, incrediwear knee sleeve)
(pain level 5/10 skated scared that i would be in more pain than i was)

On a cold night I went into the garage just wanting to do a few kickflips. I wanted to see where the flick hole would form and do a preemptive shoegoo. At first I felt totally worthless and had no desire, but then I did a few kickflips and it was fun. Ollie joined me and tried exactly 10 kickflips and didn’t get too close this time. I added fakie flip, backside flip, nollie front 180 to my list and hucked a few switch flips/heels that felt close.

(setup 8.38 null curby deck, venture 5.8 cast baseplate with titanium hanger, 51mm bones stf v1 with all speed washers on the outside of the axle, bones medium bushings, jessup ultra grip, new balance numeric 306 foy blue/white size 12, nike sb zoom air insoles)
(pain level 2/10 least in awhile!)

Another cool morning, but the clouds gave a fun east coast vibe. I had new shoes ( Adidas City Cups, basically the thinnest cupsole I could find with a wide toe box ) and finally setup a new 8.25 deck. . I rolled around for awhile without much aim or direction, but was trying stuff. I tapped into my inner Eric and tried to front 180 the wallie barrier. I kind of got it, but never clean. I was trying it in a line. Crooks, 180, fakie nosegrind. After awhile I gave up because I’m trying to not spend a whole session on one thing. I tried front tails on the half cinder block ledge, switch front crooks on it. Tried kick back 5-0 on the regular one, never committed, got close to halfcab crook. Ended trying fakie front noseslides on the cinder block bench and got close, but had to leave for work. I had done a few flippers. Halfcab flips both ways, fakie flip, b/s flip.

(setup 8.25 null curby deck, venture 5.6 v-hollow trucks, 52mm easy street v5 bones wheels, 3 washers outside each axle, bones medium bushings, adidas city cup shoes size 12 burgundy, stock insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

On a warm day Joe picked me up and we decided to go explore rather than go to the skatepark. We started at Creighton which we haven’t really skated before. First thing we found was the super crusty fountain. It had a lot of potential, but it was super hard. We both did the side rocks, both posed bonelesses over the hip. But we got the boot before we could really get comfy with it. As we were walking off we found an amazing wallride spot. Doh. Then we had a fun mellow hill bomb to a nice 3 stair that we 180’d. My back 180 took too many tries. Then we did a weird little line of ollie a manhole and kickflip into a mini bank with some fun ollies after. I got it first try. We got the boot again and Joe got it on the way out. We hit this huge bank next that Joe does the ollie on. It was way steeper than it looks. I didn’t even try. Next we ended up at Central HS where we spotted a prefect virgin granite ledge! We decided to hit the stairs first. Joe did his real quick. I did mine not so quick and I was definitely still feeling the arthritis pain. It was still fun though. Then we went over to the perfect granite ledge and got fresh tracks. Joe got front 50 pretty quick and I got crooks. We kept playing around, that ledge was not short and the runway was a little downhill and awkward. We each did a few things. Joe looked good getting on them front 50s easily. He also got 180 out. Near the end I forced myself to try front 50. I got closer and closer until I finally landed a super slow one. I was super excited about it and hugged Joe after. Considering how bad my arthritis was it felt pretty epic to get up on one of the taller ledges I’ve done in awhile. And it was granite! We moved on, basically just skating/ walking and eventually ended up back at the car. What a fun day.

(Setup 8..25 null abstract 6 deck, venture 5.6 v-lights, 1/16” riser, bones medium bushings, 52mm spitfire tablet f4 99a, jessup ultragrip, new balance numeric 306 foy black/gum size 12, nike sb zoom air insoles)
(Pain level 6/10 arthritis sucks)

Feeling pretty sore, but not knowing what else to do I went skating. Ha okay it’s not that bad, I wanted to skate once the wind died down. I went to meet Garrett at the dog park. I was there first, only a couple people were there. I was less into it than I thought I would be. I had a new deck. 8.5 Curby. I was excited to scratch it up so I got to boardslides and noseslides quickly. But overall I didn’t really do much I was excited about. Just continued to maybe improve a little on back 50s on the low step and I managed to finally halfcab noseslide the tall side of the black ledge. That was the highlight, then I pretty much just stopped and watched Garrett. Garrett is smooth, skates fast, looks good on board. He nose manualled the black box like it was nothing. Oh yeah, we played a game of SKATE where I basically landed nothing. I filmed garrett get a couple tricks on the barrier then we split and filmed at Wilville. It was one of the harder lines I’ve filmed in awhile having to run down stairs while hopefully not shaking the camera much. He got a really rad line.

(setup 8.5″ null curby deck, venture 5.8 titanium hanger with cast baseplate, 3 washers inside each axle, 53mm sml og wide wheels, bones medium bushings, new balance numeric foy 306 black/gum size 12, footprint gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 6/10 ugh)