On a winter Sunday I went to dog park to meet the Nullers. It was windy and cold when I arrived and I couldn’t find the motivation to try whatsoever. I had an 8.5″ board and it just felt weird so I went to the car and traded for the 8.75 waiting for Riley to show up. Yes, that’s right, Riley! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him skate and I’m so happy his knee is doing better. There was a brief period where I was actually trying, it was only when the wind had died down. I was trying halfcab crook while Kevin was trying nollie 180 switch crook. Sean, Hayden, Peyton, Bo, Riley, Garrett, Jack were all there ripping. Peyton did the fastplant fingerflip pretty quick. Garrett had some pretty funny slams. I had a lot of trouble committing to a front 50, finally got a slow one at the end. It was great seeing Riley skate. He looked great on his board. Front blunts, back tails, switch flips, switch heels, halfcab crooks, 5-0 180s, just ruling it so hard.

Then we went to the new campus spot again. And it was just as cold as the week before. Luckily I skated for awhile and it was fun skating with everyone. They all skated the top ledge, I skated the ground level one. I locked into a couple fun crooks then started hucking crooks shove. In a reasonable amount of tries I landed one and even smiled! I tried crooks bigspin for awhile, but my knees started to lock up. Then I froze. I mean filmed. The dudes killed it. Jack’s blunt pop out was popped so high. Sean is so incredibly smooth and solid looking on his board. Garrett came up short, but had some entertaining slams at least. Ha. Peyton took a beating too, he almost put down shove late front shove. It was crazy how close he got and the slams he took. Riley was ripping and rattled off a few basics in true ripping Riley fashion. Bo had a sick front 50 kickflip. Kevin was ripping as well, he stacked a couple clips. The kick back tail was so good. He can get up ledges so easily. Hayden’s fakie 5-0 was bonkers. These dudes rule, but I am so over winter and freezing when not skating.

(setup 8.75 null event horizon deck, venture 6.1 trucks, bones medium bushings, bones easy street v5 52mm wheels, new balance numeric 306 foys white/gum with nike sb zoom air insole)
(pain level 5/10)

Went to dog park on a cool, but sunny day. Dave L was there. The parking lot was being redone so I had to park the next street over. I wasn’t as cool as the dog owner who parked his car on the median. I wore my PJ shoes in hopes of reducing some soreness. It seemed to help. I had also put the 5.6 axles on too. Initially my board felt excellent. I had some new Spitfire 52mm tablets. Dave was doing his warmups over the parking block. I was feeling out a few things. Got a bad line of ollie the little narrow ledge then slow back 50 the step. Also boardslide a bench then noseslide 270 the next one. Dave got the kickflip over the parking block then quickly stacked tricks on the benches. 50s, 5-0s, manuals, nose manual, almost nose manual 180. Then he was mostly working on switch front boards. I tried a line for awhile of crooks a bench then 360 flip , but never got a 360 flip. I did have a good feeling halfcab flip earlier at least. I slammed pretty hard trying to get a back 50 over the top of the black step. Got front 50 180 first try, sketchy fakie nosegrind first try, halfcab noseslide to fakie. Slammed on a treflip. Also slammed trying halfcab noseslide 270 shove. Argh. I had mostly fun though.

(setup 8.3 null collage deck, venture 5.6 v-lights, 1/16″ riser, spitfire 52mm tablets 99a f4, 3 washers inside each axle, bones medium bushings, jessup grip, new balance numeric 533 grey size 13 with stock insoles)
(pain level 4/10 just sore still)

Starting to feel a little better after catching a cold I went to the curbs across the street at the very second the winter storm kicked in with a fierce wind. I did a couple slappy crooks, a couple ollies, and a front slappy and left. I had new wheels and my 8.5 setup. The STFs felt real good on the street.

(setup 8.5 null nolan deck, Venture 5.8 trucks (cast baseplate titanium hanger), indy 90a bushings , bones stf v5 54mm wheels, 3 washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 306 foy b/w size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level – I don’t know since I lasted about 5 minutes)

Went to Dog Park on a Saturday to meet Sean and Garrett before the big King Of The Hill contest. I was feeling pretty lazy. Almost no one was there when I arrived, but Denver/Fort Collins dudes started showing up. I was hyped on Mike and Austin of Reed Wheels fame. Although they both had smaller boards which I didn’t need to know. Ha ha. I putzed around for awhile mostly watching the new people rip and and enjoyed watching. Mike is so good. Then Sean came and we went to play a game of SKATE. After a couple bails I felt the twinge I haven’t felt in awhile. Plantar Fasciitis. No!!!! Ugh. It ruined me. I couldn’t really skate after that even though I posed some nollie tres. Sean took me out with nollie back heel. I put some 212s in the car on, but didn’t really skate. Bo’s friend Andrew was doing crazy techgnar lines. He did a kick front board on the 2nd tall rail so good. Mike and I were blown away. Oh yeah, Mike B had shown and was quickly ripping. Back smiths, back tails, all that. Forgot to mention Garrett too. He hasn’t been on the board much, but had a nice treflip nose crack. Ha.

Ollie, Gabe and I had a fun cruise down the hill to the contest. It was fun to watch. Easily the gnarliest skate event I’ve ever seen. Near the end Gabe, Ollie and I went to dog park. It was mellow, a nice group of older skaters almost all of which were wearing NB#. Crazy. I was wearing some 379s I had with the ol’ Nike Zoom Air insole. It didn’t really seen to help/hurt the PF pain. Gabe and Ollie had never been there before. Gabe was super hyped and got in the mix quick. We both ollied off the kicker then joined a few others in trying to kickflip off. Gabe got his sooner. Ollie had some nice front 180’s off. One dude stuck a nice treflip. I would eventually get the kickflip and it was one of the better feeling kickflips I’ve done. It was good enough that someone actually commented to me that it was ‘perfection’. Not sure I’ve ever had the complement before and it felt pretty cool. I followed it with a treflip with a lot of heel drag in the landing. That didnt help the PF pain, but it felt cool. After that I didn’t really skate much, just did some dorking. The park was filling up. Ollie had some nice manuals and was going for boardslide on the flatbar and slammed really hard. Gabe had some nice front 50s which impressed me. Bo showed up and asked me to film something. I settled with a boardslide then crooks as the kicker session was in effect and right next to the benches. Then Ollie and I got a cool combo where he ollied a parking block and I did no comply flip. Then I watched everyone rip and help give Gabe pointers on boardsliding the wallie block. Hayden had shown up too which was fun to watch. Fun day, we got some pizza after that.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, venture trucks 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger , bones medium bushings, spitfire 51mm classic f4 wheels, new balance numeric 533v2 gray stock insoles – then black 379s size 12 with Nike zoom air insoles)
(pain level 5/10 plantar fasciitis back in effect ugh)

Kevin and I showed up with Christmas completes and had someone take a photo of us.  We were thinking it would be funny to just leave after that. Ha. Kevin had some Venture lows instead of his normal thunders.  I sized down to 8.3 with the new venture 8.25 trucks.  I had huge new wheels. 53mm SML wheels.  I was super hyped to support that company, but should have gotten smaller wheels as I really struggled for awhile.  Kevin on the other hand was totally shredding rattling off ledge tricks.  Nosegrinds, back smith, 5-0s.  Carleigh showed up and pretty quickly joined Kevin on the bump to barrier.  He did different tricks until she landed the boardslide.  The nosegrind was sick. Carleigh did the boardslide pretty quick.  There was almost no one skating so we told Rob to come back.  He did. Rad. Of course the crowds had reformed unfortunately.  The only thing I did that I was hyped on was the line Kevin filmed.  I did it a couple times before filming.  Way better of course (Just joking, but since there is no footage in my head it was better). Ollie the flat bar (hyped that this seemed easier on the smaller setup), wallie the barrier, nollie back tail the small narrow ledge, crook the black ledge.  Carleigh and Rob jumped on similar lines. Rob with the ollie then front 180 over the barrier.  Rob gots pop.  But it’s funny because he can’t wallie it.  Carleigh did ollie, wallie, front 50. 

Later on we met up with Jack at his wood spot.  It was so hot.  That spot is so hard. Well, not for Jack and Kevin. They were ollieing up the weird corner like it was nothing.  Both doing manuals. I think jack ollied the big two out of manual. Kevin did manual drop down to quick back 180.  Kevin ollied the flat gap easily.  Jack did a bunch of tricks over it. One of the steeziest backside bigspins I’ve ever seen, backside flip, impossible some more I’m forgetting.  Carleigh and I were struggling to get up the corner ledge. It was frustrating. I was posing ollies over the flat gap.  I eventually got the ollie up the ledge. Did a boneless down a level, then somehow made it over the flat gap. I say ‘somehow’ because what I did was not technically an ollie.  It was some weird awkward momentum that got me over the gap. It stoked me out regardless.  It also showed Carleigh that if she actually ollied she could do the gap. She tried that while I tried another line to clean up the ollie.  I tried ollie up the ledge, kickflip on the narrow ledge, ollie the gap. I got it and ended it with a back 180 off. It felt awesome.  Carleigh got the ollie too. Jack did a rad quick foot line. Ollie up, gap ollie, half impossible.  Wow. It inspired Kevin to switch flip the gap.  Unfortunately an hour and a half later he gave up after landing on several. Doh.  Fun long day of skating though. I like my new setup so far. 

(setup 8.38 null event horizon deck, venture 5.6 trucks, doh doh bushings (88a boardside, 92a roadside), 53mm sml og wide wheels, 3 bearings inside each axle, mob grip, new balance numeric 533v2 pj grey size 13, currex run pro insoles)

On another overcast day with rain threatening I went to Douglass feeling okay and with a smaller board again. I started just kind of putzing around with non popped flatground tricks. Then did a few flip tricks and then mixed in some lines. I really didn’t land a whole lot, but man I was trying. At one point I tried a nollie tre and it made me a little sad realizing I haven’t even tried one for weeks. I got a heelflip, bad treflip, halfcab flips, first try fakie varial flip. I hucked a lot of flip tricks I’ve never done, didn’t really get close to anything, but it was fun. I had some boardslides, noseslides, crooks on the ledge that felt good. I didn’t try frontside stuff really, only tried to ollie onto it which I got on, but never quite got on it. I tried noseslide back 270 for awhile. Maybe made some progress to learning it. It started to sprinkle and I was running out of time so I tried a few front 50s. Didn’t get close at all. I wasn’t upset as it’s been awhile since I tried to ollie that high.

Then I filmed Jack slay it.

Then we skated Saul’s for a bit. I really sucked it up and bailed too many axle stalls and the run outs killed my knees. Eric was ripping though. Back d the deep, manual to feeble fakie, front 5-0 to tail. Saul locked into some back 50s, tried a front 50, had sme of his great long runs. Jack didn’t really skate.

Fun day.

(setup 8.38″ null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside), bones stf v2 51mm wheels, new balance numeric 212 maroon size 12, nike zoom air insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

On a cold afternoon I went searching for dry with a new board and wheels. 53mm! But they are PJ wheels so you know they are still good. Ha. I also had a new deck as I didn’t want to use the soggy cracked tail as an excuse anymore. I went by the research ledge, but it was warm enough for snow to be melting and making it unskateable. So I ended up at the super mellow bank spot that is always dry immediately after a snowstorm. As I was sweeping the salt off of it someone walked into the nearby door and didn’t say anything to me. Cool. I started with the silly soft rock 270 which was pretty fun. I did a few flippers for a bit, like kickflip to fakie, fakie flip, b/s flip. Then the soft rock kickflip out. It took about 20 minutes and I kept switching between trying to go to fakie or regs. So I guess the result was neither. I debating cleaning it up, but decided I didn’t care. Then I skated it in ways I haven’t before. Did a line of back shove then back 180 onto it. Also a line of halfcab flip on flat, manual across it and then a b/s flip on flat. The flatground there is not good, it’s rough. Brand new STFs are always super hard so that didn’t help even though they were larger than I’m used to. Actually, finding the manual point was hard with the wheels that tall. I also tried a line of 360 flip on flat then nose manual, but I never committed to the nose manual. The 3 flips were terrible too, came to a total halt due to wheel bite. Then I did the halfcab flip. Then I tried the ollie over the little gutter. It felt much closer to the wall than it looks on film. I went to get a better one that was more over it, but my phone died. So did I clean it up even though my phone had died? Heck no. I moved on. Ha. Plus the slam hurt way more than I was expecting. I hucked casper stalls for awhile along with trying to grind the edge then manual around. I kind of got a casper stall. I’m glad my phone had died and didn’t record it, because I know it wasn’t proper, but man it felt fun. I think both feet had landed on the top and then I kinda scooped the front one under, but it flipped out really fast and felt great. Last challenges of the day were some backside ledge stall transfers into the bank. Like back nosepick in, back 5-0 into the bank, etc. Couldn’t get crooks transfer. Then I spent awhile trying kickflip back tail stalls. It took awhile, but the one I got felt incredible and I went home in a good mood. It was nice having a solo session. I need them.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s v-lights, venom 91a bushings, 53mm bones sft v1 PJ wheels, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, old rubber STI insole)
(pain level 3/10)

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Lots of gray hair this morning. @skateboard_chicken @fullertrron @edhatesfun #slappy

A post shared by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Dec 30, 2018 at 5:35pm PST

On a really nice morning I showed up at the newly repaved EBRC parking lot where Dave, Ed and Saul were already slapping them grinds. There were a few different sections. I was getting used to new trucks and wheels. Well, the only part of the truck that were new were the hangers so it wasn’t really that different. I had some new Spitfire 52mm classics too, they felt big too. Argh. We went over to the banked area. It was fun to carve, try to tailslide, etc. Saul did the crazy slappy over the death box which was crazy. He was slappying all over the place. Some manuals around the bank were had, Dave almost got front tailslide shove, Ed was popping backside ollies. There was a fun little gap there too. You just had to dodge goose crap. I had a fun kickflip up then ollie the gap. Dave ollied it too, he also hung up on it and took a good slam I guess. Dave kickflipped off the curb then him and Saul bounced. I was stoked how casual Dave’s kickflips were. Ed and I skated awhile longer. I did the kickflip on the bank. Then we went back to the longer slappy curb. Man it’s good. Ed has the best frontside slappys. I got a couple real backside ones, I’m normally not up on it enough.

Then I went to a crowded Broomfield park to meet Sean and eventually Carleigh. There were quite a few older skaters there. Dudes I’ve seen around for years, but never knew. They had tiny setups and it stoked me out. After doing a brief warm up on the quartapotty and blue ledge Sean and I played a game of SKATE. It didn’t go so good for me, I might have gotten one letter on Sean. Since it was over so quick we went for another one, no repeats. This game was awesome! Sean was a gentleman and didn’t get me with tricks I’ve never done. I got letters on tricks I can do though like both halfcab heels, backside flip and something else. I was really surprised to answer back with a first try fakie heel. Especially considering how regular heelflips weren’t working. I was able to get some letters on Sean though. Fakie bigflip, fakie varial flip, 360 flip and nollie tre! I was hyped to get those tricks. We both took awhile to get last tricks. I was going for fakie tre, he was going for Rick flip. Both of us were constantly close, but he got his first and I came close to the Rick flip, but didn’t get it. Super fun game. We mostly skated the blue lurb after that. I didn’t get much. I got a mirror line. Nollie front tail, axle to fakie on the qp, halfcab noseslide. Sean did his front 180 nose manual switch back 180 out so good. Then he tried to mirror out a switch front 50 with a switch back front 50. It took him a long time because he couldn’t switch back 50. But he did get a couple good ones after Carleigh showed up. Carleigh did some good front 50s, kickflips, ollies. I gave up on hard stuff and tried to line out in a way I haven’t before. I did nollie front tail on the blue ledge, boardslide transfer the brown ledge, axle to fakie the qp, fakie 50 the blue ledge. I had done a few flip tricks too. I was really tired and sore when it was all over.

(setup null 8.25 lazer deck, 5.8 venture FTC trucks with forged baseplate, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel bottom one, yellow 92a small top one), no washers inside each axle, spitfire f4 99a classic 52mm green/yellow swirl wheels, adidas busenitz vulc b/w size 12 with stock insoles)
(pain level 4/10 started okay, but by the end I was really hurting)

Having a chill day mostly editing I went over to Creekside with Ollie after putting some new wheels on (Spitfire 52mm radial swirls). It was cold out. I felt the relieve of no video part tricks to film anymore and was having fun messing around. Got front 50 back 180, front and back 50 shoves, front 5-0, slappy crooks, front 50 body varial, some basic flippers. I had a good time. Ollie came close to landing his fist fakie bigspin and got into several front 50s, but never landed one.

setup null 8.5 perception deck, 5.8 venture black icon trucks, venom 90a bushings, 2 washers inside each axle, spitfire f4 radial blue/yellow swirl 52mm 99a wheels, new balance numeric 212 cream size 11.5, stock insoles)
(pain level 3/10 it was cold)

On a snowy day I headed to the Steel Yards garage as it’s the warmest and I love the rough little curb by the wall. I finally remembered my rub brick in the car and made the curb even better. Basically the whole hour and a half I tried two trick lines with a flatground trick and a curb trick. Starting basic with shoves and 50s. Front 50s were incredibly fun as they were going like 8 feet. I got stuck on heelflips though. Never landed one. I probably tried 40 of them. I blame the bigger setup somewhat, but really I had been struggling almost as bad with the smaller setup recently. I skated hard. Those are some of the fastest front 50s I’ve done. I landed on treflip and fakie treflip, but never rode away. A homeless dude appeared in the garage and I hadn’t noticed him walk in and it was just weird all of a sudden looking up and seeing someone. I felt bad for how loud my board was when I bailed. I tried Dave’s challenge, halfcab 50 for awhile. Got pretty close and it feels doable, but never got both trucks on it. Overall it was a fun session even though I hardly landed any flip tricks. At least faster 50s were fun.

(setup 8.5 null perception deck, 5.8 venture black icon trucks, venom 88a bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, bones 51mm stf pj v1 wheels, new balance numeric 345 black/white size 12, footprints 5mm insoles)
(pain level 3/10 feet hurt)