On a rainy night I arrived to Square House. I had been feeling a little under the weather but the session would get me feeling better. I never ended up doing a run on the ramp as Dave was getting going on the street and I joined him. There was a new bank to curb and little qp that was interesting. Both Dave and Saul fell on the kink at the bottom of the bank. We wouldn’t get a whole lot on it although the young kids that were there were able to line out a bunch of tricks. Bryan showed and we mostly lined out the new little ledge for a while which was fun. I think at one point I had a line of kickflip to fakie, halfcab noseslide, switch noseslide 270 shove. I would also get really close to noseslide 270 shove and somewhat close to halfcab noseslide 270. Bryan struggled to get his patented fakie bigspin tailslide, but when he did he added 270 shove out. Eventually the ledge session came to an end and we were lining things out. Dave had joined back, Tom was there as was Kyle. Tom had good back tails and switch back 50s. I tried a line of crooks the bump to ledge then noseslide 270 shove and still couldn’t get it. Dave was shredding did shove up the euro like 2nd try, lining out the bank to curb to bigger qp and the bank. At the end Brian watched as I could not land a slow treflip and Dave could learn noseblunt slides across the pyramid. Fun session. I’m missing a lot of the action but it feels like an eternity since I wrote it.

(setup 8.25 null spanbauer, jessup ultragrip, thunder 148 hollow lights with venom 88a bushings, spitfire 51mm classic shape f4 101a, vans half cab maroon size 11.5 nb# 272 insole)
(pain level 4/10 lots of skating recently)

Feeling run down I rested most of the day then mustered the strength to skate some flatground. I was armed with a new pair of 288s, my current fav shoe. I mean I say that because they work the best, but I wouldn’t say they are a favorite. Anyway, I did a few little front slappies on the hook then went to the side of the school. To my surprise I got my first 5 kickflips in a row. I was skating extra slow, resting between each try. I had obsessed about halfcab flips and they did not come easy. I got a few, most of which didn’t feel great. Tried a bunch of f/s halfcab heels that were close, a couple Rick flips were close, switch/nollie flips were not close. Eventually got a very slow 270 flip then went home.

(setup 8.38 smoke valley null, jessup ultragrip, ace af1 low 55, 52mm bones stf 99a v3 slims, new balance numeric 288S green/gum no insoles)
(pain level 4/10 achy)

After dinner I went over to the side of the school on a really warm and nice night.  I had new NB# 425s.  They had a great flick and felt good on day one.  I had the goal of doing a rick flip and a treflip and that was it.  I would get neither, but was close to both.  Did a few basics and came close to switch and nollie flips as well. 

(setup 8.25 null spanbauer night skate deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.2 lows no big washer, spitfire 52mm f4 99a classic shape 3 rings inside, new balance numeric 425 black/gum size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

A little crisp in the morning, but really nice once we got going. Cass and I were there first and there was only a few people skating. We had a solid couple hours before it got crowded. Now that doesn’t mean we warmed up quickly. Ha ha. I was still sore from playing ball a couple days ago. I had new shoes and was struggling to find the flick with them. I basically spent the whole time trying two lines, which I would get. The “warm up” line that took way too long. B/s kickflip on the little chip, crooks the little ledge, backside flip the hip. Then the next one which wasn’t supposed to be the only other line I got, but soreness got to me. Kickflip to fakie the little chip, switch front nose the ledge, fakie bigflip the hip. I had done some boardslides on the little rail and failed to 50 the bump to ledge, also failed to ollie the hydrant mostly because I can’t push that hard with my achilles yet and I kind of hurt it. Argh. Cass had some good front boards on the flat bar and then fakie front boards. He had some poppy ollies over the a-frame and kickflips over the hip. He came close to bigflip over the hip. Sean came and did some ollies and 50s. But oh man they were sick! The long front 50 was sketchier than he made it look, the uphill 50 gap to the bank was NUTS. We then got some tacos and checked out a nearby school, that had nothing more than a weird bank to curb that I did a pivot on.

(8.25 null spanbauer, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.2 lows bones medium bushings, spitfire 51mm 101a classic shape with 2 washers inside, new balance numeric 288S b/w size 11.5 440 insoles)
(pain level 5/10 still sore from basketball/bad diet)

After another Sunday getting stuck working way longer than needed I eventually made it out to a parking garage off Valmont to skate some flat. I avoided the library spot only because I was in a super foul mood after working and didn’t want to be around people. One of the better garages for flatground is now totally vacant and I made good use of it. Well, I skated in it for an hour and a half or so. I had brought my 8.5 and 8.25 setups and after a quick spin to compare realized how stupid 8.5 feels to me. I got to my warm up line of kickflip, no comply 180, fakie flip pretty quickly. Then I went in on 2 trick lines. Fakie flip followed by halfcab flip. Halfcab flip took too long, but then started a line with it then did b/s flip. Did quite a few cruddy b/s flips and couldn’t get fakie bigflip after. Gave up on that one and then everything kinda turned into random hucks. I would get a first try fakie varial flip, eventually a fakie bigflip, couldn’t get a heelflip to save my life, f/s halfcab flip, super close to nollie varial flip and somewhat close to nollie front heel. I was kind of close to nollie treflips so I setup the phone to have one clip of the session and much to my delight I landed one in a few tries. I didn’t have much time left to skate so I called it on a good note. I was pretty bummed on how I change setups all the time making these tricks harder. And the fact that I spent another week basically on 8.5 when I should know by now that I always end up disliking 8.5. Argh. I can skate 8.25 better. I should stick with it and I really hope I do for quite some time.

(8.25 null spanbauer, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate titanium hanger, venom 91a bushings, spitfire 51mm 101a classic shape, new balance numeric 288S b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 2/10!)

Went out to the garage not feeling overly motivated, but tried to stay focused on trying the tricks I want to learn in 2022. I was met with complete frustration not landing anything. It was so frustrating. I was seriously not landing anything. I did have a new pair of white leather 288S to blame for weird flick. At one point I got a few ultra basics in a row, but nothing cool. Did get remotely close on switch flip and tre.

(setup 8.25 null vhs, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.6 v-hollow royal bushings flat top washer no big washer, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic, new balance numeric 288S white size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 4/10 some achilles mostly just general soreness)

On a nice morning that was breezy at times I went to meet Bryan, Jake, Will, Rob at dog park. I’m alway late of course, although this time only a few minutes and everyone was at Valmont. I was hyped on the idea of warming up there and there wasn’t many people. I was riding my 8.25 setup this time. It was okay. Had fun pumping around a bit then getting the rainbow grind, kickflip to fakie on the bank, no comply bigspin on the bank, some fun axle stall on tight quarterpipes in the pump zone and would eventually get the noseslide then kickflip to fakie line again. But man I did it so bad. Bryan had some cool powerslides, almost pressure flips, quick turn arounds to cab bigspin on the bank. Jake did grinds in the deep end of the bowl, maybe a front blunt on the volcano. Rob had steezy carves on the barrier and almost got the rainbow grind.

Then we went to the ledges. Saul joined, did some slappies and more that I didn’t see. Rob continued his killing spree with nose manuals, back 50 nollies, nollie front 50 back 180. I didn’t really do anything I was proud of in any way except a 2nd try 3 shove and a halfcab flip in SKATE against Jake. Jake was ripping. Saw Will get some nose manuals. Bryan did his patented fakie bigspin tailslides.

Saul and Jake were calling for HH so we did it. Sean joined. There were a few people initially, but they would leave. One of them had a cool old Null message in the bottle deck. It’s a weird park. I can’t say I like it, can’t say I hate it. The transition makes more sense than Valmont, but at the same time it’s really hard to get speed for a lot of it. Saul had some good lines though lots of his quick grinds and almost back 50 over the hump. Jake killed it front 5-0s, disasters, roll in, fly out nose grabs. I had fun, a dorky little kickflip over a mound, a few back 50s. Rob cruised it well as did Sean. Then I went back to dog park and just filmed then filmed at street spots. Garrett came up big. Good day.

(setup 8.25/8.3 null 5.8s with forged baseplates, 52-53 wheels, new balance 212s size 12 272 insole)
(pain level 5/10 ugh)

Had changed my setup to the 8.25 with new wheels on it and some new 288s. Went to the wood bench research area well after dark. Everything felt off. Smaller board, smooth wheels, thicker shoes. I wanted to land a bunch of flippers, but I only got kickflip and fakie flip. I couldn’t back 180 the little brick gap which was borderline setting me over the edge. I was able to ollie onto the ledge much easier than last time at least. I left after about 30 minutes realizing I just didn’t have the energy to keep skating.

(setup null 8.25 glenosaur, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 v-hollow bones medium bushings, 51mm satori atchley 101a washers outside, new balance numeric 288s grey size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

My achilles was not hurting too bad and I had a new pair of Swifts.  There were some puddles around that I spread out and started the warm up process.  It went alright.  I had done a few none pop things before making myself do a few flippers.  Kickflip then fakie flip.  B/s flip then halfcab flip.  This put me in a good mood and the new shoes were feeling good.  Then I had to try and skate the ledges and ruined the mood.  I would get a line of front 180 into the bank, halfcab noseslide, front 50 the black ledge.  But the front 50 did not come easy.  I also tried a line of crooks the end of the up ledge, heelflip, ollie to fakie the wedge.  The heelflip took forever.  I don’t remember how the session ended, I think I just got tired and called it a session.  

(setup null 8.25 nullosaur, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 red cast baseplate v-hollow hangers, bones hard bushings, 50mm spitfire f4 classic shape 99a, es swift 1.5 cream size 12 stock insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Directly after a stressful day of work I bolted to meet up with Rob, Neil, Dave and we drove to Lakewood.  It was hot.  The ramp had been done since last time we were there. It was crazy how fast the coping was and how smooth the ramp was.  It took some getting used to.  Jake was there as was John the owner who only skated switch on his daughters 7.5″ board.  Ha ha.  He had some good switch carves, axle stall, switch back smith.  Dave had been there recently and it showed.  Grinds over the hips, around the bowl corner like it was nothing.  He would get up to back tail over the hip, switch crook the mellow corner, back d, backside ollies over the hip.  It’s really hard to describe how hard he ripped.  Jake was quick on the grind over the hip too, he would get a few.  He had some nice grinds around the bowl corner too, lots of front 5-0s and the only one to successfully get the ollie transfer.  I battled the transfer with him and landed something, but I never got enough transition.  It was fun hucking though.  I also had some fun back 50s, a few other rampy tricks and a couple back disasters on the tiny qp (couldn’t get the treflip after though doh).  Rob’s carves through the corner are incredible, fast slash grinds, back 50s.  Neil got some rampnesia again, even on the little 3′ wall.  But man he flowed around that bowl slashing grinds and ollies when he got in there.  

(setup 8.25 null spanbauer pro deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast baseplate with riptides v-hollow hanger, 3 washers inside each axle, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing, spitfire f4 99a 50mm classic shape, es switch b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 5/10)