In Germany!  After a night of attempting to sleep I got out of bed early to skate before the rain.  I had a lot of factors going against me. Jet lag, it was cold, I’m old, the asphalt is super rough, I was solo in a foreign country, etc.  
My first trick in Berlin was a switch front nose.  Kickflip took a few tries.   I got to skate for about an hour before the mist and rain took over.  I had finally started to get somewhat in a groove.  Got a couple flippers, crooks, front 50. That’s really it. I was bummed, but considering the odds I was still excited to see the spot and attempt to skate it.  

(setup 8.38 null mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate v-hollow hangers, bones medium bushings, 53mm spitfire f4 classic shape 99a, splay freestyle grey size 12 with custom nb# abzorb insole)
(Pain level 4/10 knee and achilles)

Had a few minutes between work and leaving for Germany.   Wanted to skate in front of my house but there was a tree shredder.  So I rolled down the bike path and ended up near wilville.  Did a few shoves, kickflip, 180s.  A fakie flip, hc flip and bs flip. Then I went home after embarrassing myself trying to Ollie up a curb.   

(setup 8.38 null mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate v-hollow hangers, bones medium bushings, 53mm spitfire f4 classic shape 99a, splay freestyle grey size 12 with custom nb# abzorb insole)
(Pain level 4/10 knee and achilles)

First below freezing session of the season. Went to dog park not knowing how long I’d skate and thought the park would be mostly empty. Nope. There were like 5 scooter dudes, a few rippers and a few other skaters. I started by getting in everyones way on accident. Nothing really new to report, but for a brief period I felt decent on my board. Like I’m finally getting things back. I didn’t really get anything, but would try some harder things and get close like back 50 over the corner of the taller pad, halfcab and front heels, halfcab crooks. Well, I think technically I got a first try halfcab crooks, but it was such a brief jib even I couldn’t count it. I had fun then left when my bushings froze solid.

(setup 8.38 null mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate v-hollow hanger stock bushings no big washer, 52mm 99a tablets, splay freestyle grey size 12 custom flat nb# abzorb insole)
(pain level 3/10)

After running some errands on a nice night I went to dog park and mingled with the youth for awhile. Nick would show in half an hour or so relieving me from being the sole “older” skater. I had put smaller wheels on, bones bushings. Didn’t like either. Warmed up with some lame stalls on the small part of the barrier and a few kickflips. I went 0-10 on slappies to start. UGH. I would go on to skate decently for myself even though I didn’t really land any flip tricks. Maybe I just felt better on my board than I have since my achilles injury. I had some fun crooks on the benches also a really funny willy/crook bonk on the quick up to ledge. Lots of front 50s the taller pad, a front smith stall, nollie front tails, halfcab noseslides the bench, switch front noseslides, switch nose 270 shove and finally wallied wallie world for the first time in months. Near the end I was trying a line of front nose to fakie the bench then halfcab crooks. I got super close on a couple. May have technically gotten one but just a quick jib and no lock in. Nick was fun to skate with, lots of boardslides, shoves, 50 shoves. There were a couple other dudes doing manual tricks, but we mostly had the park to ourselves once the kids left. And man it was so nice out. It was hard to leave but I did get super sore.

(setup 8.38 null mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate v-hollow hanger two small bones medium bushings, 51mm spitfire f4 101a classic shape, splay freestyle grey size 12 nike sb zoom air insoles made into wide toe insoles)
(pain level 4/10 knees weren’t too hyped)

On a breezy, but warm day I met Rob, Eric, Sean and Nick at dog park. It was crowded with some skate lessons or something, but would clear out some quickly. I liked the kicker onto the pad though because I could finally manual it ha ha. I started out on a board with Indy 149s, but immediately traded them out for Ventures. And boy it felt good to be back home. I really liked how the Indy mids skated, but man, they are too heavy. Way too heavy. Maybe if they make a titanium version I’d try them again. At one point I had two halfcab flips in a row which has been awhile. I had too big of wheels on, but it was fun. I got a few nose manuals, didn’t commit to kickflip up the ledge or off, had a lot of fakie flips. Played with the quick up onto the pad then noseslide also crooks. Got a few of those with halfcab nosesldies before. Until the camera came out and then I couldn’t do it. I ended by getting a new trick on taller pad. Fakie front 50 to back board. A Joe H special. It was bad, but still pretty fun. Nick was fun to skate with. Lots of boardslides, front 50 nolie shove. I don’t know which kids Eric was competing with, but he told me a couple times they beat him to tricks. Doh. Rob had the back 50 nollies out again, manuals, halfcab noseslides, back 50 back 180 out, nollie front 50 back 180 out. Was hyped to see him get halfcab back 50. He came really close to fakie nosegrinds on a bench. Sean did what he does best, kill it with style and speed. The ease at which he can 50 the upper deck is amazing to me. He got fakie nosegrind, halfcab nose manual shove, front tail 270, ollied the hydrant like it was nothing, nollie back 5-0s, lots of kickflip and heelflip variations.

(setup 8.38 null mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate v-hollow hanger no big washer, 53mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, splay freestyle grey size 12 nike sb zoom air insoles made into wide toe insoles)
(pain level 4/10 winter/wind sucks)

Running late I met up with Carleigh, Rob, Kevin, Jack, Dave, Donnie, Joe, Cass, Eric, more. We started at the park. Most of us were just getting warmed up, carving around, some ride on grinds and stuff. Jack’s first trick having not even skated the park before was pole jam late shove bolts. Also right into bigspin pivot, wallie the barrier, shredding. It was so rad seeing Carleigh again. She did the rainbow frontside right away, ollies over the hip, maybe a kickflip and pop shove over it. Eric had the pole jams too, back d the volcano, almost front slash the barrier. Rob got a b/s slash on the barrier, crails on the bank, pops over the hips. Dave was in the pump section flowing some grinds on the little qps. He got a rad line ride on grind the little qp stealing Donnies line, nosegrab transfer the point, back 3 the hip. Kevin did an incredible line which I don’t fully remember but I think it involved a front 5-0 the rainbow, back smith the barrier, halfcab onto the volcano, nollie f/s flip the hip. Donnie was popping over everything. I struggled with the noseslide and never got the kickflip after. I did finally get a few kickflips to fakie on the point even if it was only 1/3 of the way up. Baby steps. Cass had front shove and back big over the hip.

Then we went over to the dog park. Kevin has rolled his ankle so wasn’t skating much. Still shredding though. It’s pretty much impossible for me to remember who was doing what. Carleigh had some boardslides, noseslides, front 50. I had fakie 50 halfcab out on the curb. Had a fun line of crooks a bench then front 180 up the curb and switch front nose off. Dave had done it before and Kevin had suggested it. I don’t remember a whole lot else for me, maybe some basic flippers. Jack was totally shredding. Fakie tres over the wallie world every try, back 180 fakie manual trying whatever random trick out. Rob was putting on a demo too. I don’t remember any new ones, but he gave the fans what they wanted. Cass almost got hardflip off the kicker. After a funny start Joe lined out fakie hardflip over wallie world then fakie hard over the orange barrier. So crazy. I’m sure a lot more happened, but I’m not remembering much.

Then we went to Broomfield park. I sat around for awhile until I saw jack trying pop shove nosegrind then went over and filmed it. So incredible. It took awhile so that was how I spent my session which was cool. I did try to skate a little after he got it, but hit my axle on my achilles immediately and it hurt super bad. Darin was there rifling off his quartapotty tricks. Sean joined and delighted everyone with nollie back nosegrind. Donnie was trying switch front pivots on the low to high. Joe tried to ollie up the 6 and got into fakie back tail down the hubba. Carleigh may have gotten back d on the brick qp. I left early because my achilles was hurting so bad.

(setup null 8.38 mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, indy mids 148 with hollow cast baseplate, bones medium bushings, bones 52mm v1 stf 83b 3 washers inside each, splay freestyle grey size 12 nike sb zoom air insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

After work I went to find some flatground to skate, but there were either cars or not enough lights so I ended up at dog park. It was very crowded when I arrived. I hit a stop rock within 1 second of setting my board down. Luckily I did not fall. I had setup a new board – 8.3 and put my Mindys on it. It actually felt pretty good. I did quite a few grinds on the taller pad. It’s crazy how much better new Indys grind than titanium Ventures to the axle. I did not skate well though. I don’t even remember anything beyond some bad front 50 180s. Near the end I forced myself to do 5 flip tricks. Boy did I struggle. I skated incredibly slow and without confidence. But I would get 5 tricks. Kickflip, fakie flip, halfcab flip, varial flip and ended with f/s halfcab flip that took way too long. I had also gotten close to treflip and halfcab heel. Barefoot shoes are not easy to heelflip in for some reason.

(setup null 8.38 mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, indy mids 148 with hollow cast baseplate, bones medium bushings, bones 52mm v1 stf 83b 3 washers inside each, splay freestyle grey size 12 lems insoles)
(pain level 4/10 forgot how much i hate winter and wind)

Went into the garage on a cold and windy night to do some experimenting. During some meetings earlier in the day I had changed a couple of my completes. On my 8.25 I put Indy 149s. On my 8.5 I put Thunder 149s. The 8.25 definitely flipped and felt better, but the wide shoes make 8.25s feel dumb. The 8.5 felt terrible because of the Thunders. I seriously can’t stand how they turn, I could barely balance on them. I wore the Splay shoes again.

Went to dog park on a cool night armed with a happy medium deck of 8.3 with venture 5.8 titaniums. I went on to skate like garbage as is the trend for me lately. I couldn’t manual or pop up ledges easily, crooks didn’t work, I even took like 5 tries to get a switch front nose. Didn’t get past fakie flips on flip tricks. Did get a couple slow front 50 180s out followed by halfcab noseslide then nollie back tail. There was a group of kids there kinda of annoying, but whatever. One other kid skating by himself charging hard who was cool. I had a lot of manual attempts and failed. Settled in on a line of ollie up the little pad, nollie front tail off, ollie onto the taller pad, curve around then front shove off. I was really close to getting that when I had a couple failed ollies up the first curb and focused my old board. Ugh.

(setup 8.3 spanbauer night deck, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 titaniums no big washer, bones 52mm v1 stf 83b washers outside, splay freestyle gray size 12 with naboso activation insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

Another nice day. I met Rob and Eric at dog park shortly after 11. My achilles was feeling much better and I had some new wide toe shoes to try out. Some Splay Freestyle shoes. They are so wide I even wore my toe spreaders which was pretty odd, but kind of amazing. Although they are so wide they made my board feel tiny. I didn’t do much and struggled to land anything. One little line I liked was nollie front tail to fakie the taller pad then switch front nose 270 out a bench. Also had a bunch of fun front slappies the low pad. Rob did some front nose 270s, manuals both pads, back 50s, boardslide transfers and got hyped for a vert ramp. Heelflipping Eric almost got up onto the pad, helped a dude learning boardslides, got denied by the sticky bench on crooks, fast front 50s.

Then after a run to 303, some lunch and chilling with Liz I ended up on the side of the school to skate flatground. I was armed with a 10×10 list from Nate and my 8.5″ setup since the wide shoes made my board feel so small earlier. I was reminded that 8.5 is just a little too big. But overall I think these shoes have potential. After a brief warmup I went into the list.

Kickflip – got one first try then a better one in a few tries
fakie flip – barely got one
Halfcab flip – got a couple but they weren’t easy
Fakie bigflip – first try and got another bad one
Varial flip – took 11 tries, don’t tell the judges
Heelflip – barely held onto one
360 flip – got close a couple times
Nollie back big – I mean maybe it counts on defense?
Nollie f/s flip – not close
switch varial flip – not close
7/10 Not terrible for me. 8.5 is definitely too big

(setup 8.25 early, 8.5 later, ventures, bones wheels, splay freestyle gray size 12 with naboso activation insoles)
(pain level 3/10)