Pretty much right after work I met up with Dave at the new meetup spot on campus. There was gravel everywhere from the recent snow so we moved on right away after Dave shoed me up with a nollie back tail on the curb. Ha. Actually he had been doing it for awhile waiting for me and it was the first thing I tried. We moved on to the little yellow “ledge”. It must be a “ledge” if it has angle iron right? I had new shoes, some Es Accel Slim Plus shoes. I was trying anything to reduce knee pain. They were a big odd, but felt good and my knee pain was less severe so maybe they did the trick. Anyway, we did some tricks. We mostly started with nose jib 270s and stuff. I managed a nollie back tail first try, take that Dave! Ha. We would go on to get a lot. I had crooks, crooks fakie, front 50, nollie front tail 270 shove (maybe a gleNBD?), kind of a nosegrind 180 with the back wheels dragging around, front 5-0 to front board (not much grind if any), remotely close to kick back 50 and front 5-0 kickflip. I couldn’t do a back 50 to save my life though. Dave had nollie back tail, front 50 back 180, switch crooks fakie, switch front crooks fakie, crooks, crooks fakie, back 50, back 50 back 180 (one with a super bad slam to elbow that I can’t believe he kept skating), and super close to halfcab crook to fakie. Way too close. Dave was getting frustrated. We moved on. To the new business building area. The lights were alright, not great, but it was fun. We started with some kickturns on the bank and checked out the spot. We put the table after the bench. It was so much harder and scarier than we thought it would be. I did a million rocks before I finally ollied onto it. Dave had beat me with his amazing cab kickturns then ollie on. I played around with some side rocks and axle stalls with lines too. Almost ollied onto a lower ledge then off a tall drop over a rail, but chickened out. Dave’s front tail was unreal. We played around at the bottom of the new area too. Dave did a cool ride on to ollie on to drop down. I tried to ollie the six stair gap thing (height of 6, distance of 3), but chickened out and just caused pain for myself. That spot is like a skatepark. Fun times with Dave, we skated for a really long time.

(setup 8.5 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 red cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing flat washer top, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape with all washers outside the wheels, es accel slim plus gray size 12, xero thin insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

After a day of rest and trying basically everything to reduce my knee pain I felt a little better. Warming up went alright. The intense knee pain wasn’t there. Eric showed, he heelflipped a parking block second try. I was still timid of pain, but I got a lot of my normal basics there. I had put the Nike SB insoles in again and had a bigger right shoe, new left shoe (yes I hope this confuses you). I was happy that I got on the cinder block ledges pretty easily, front 50 and front 50 shove. Eric had front and back 50s, front 5-0, front tail. We both got crooks. My flip tricks went alright. Kickflip, fakie flip, halfcab flip, b/s flip, f/s halfcab flip, fakie bigflip. Tried a few tres, but not really. Eric had a back heel. Another dude was there charging and slamming really hard. He f/s flipped off the kicker over the barrier so good and I tried to get his back with an ollie. I almost had it, but couldn’t really handle the impact and it hurt my knee some. I took too long to get a line of heelflip, slappy front crook, back 50 over the corner of the little guy. I hucked some at the end with some slow kick back 50s, switch front nose shove, but didn’t get either. I wasn’t in as much pain, but it was there and keeping me timid and unable to progress so I ended up leaving. It sucks hurting so much, makes it really hard to enjoy and try hard.

(setup 8.5 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 red cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing flat washer top, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape with all washers outside the wheels, new balance numeric 212 b/w size 11.5 L size 12 R, nike sb zoom air insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

Kevin and I met Jake at the 38th ledge spot. Jake had just finished shoveling and it was drying off. There was another dude Max I think, he was nice. Those guys were quickly ollieing and stuff, I was more on the slappy tip. Did some slappy crooks quickly which made me happy. Kevin rattled off all kinds of tricks. Jake too. Front 50s, front tails, back 50s, crooks, etc. Jake had thought of a line he wanted to do and I started to feel out one myself. Jake was going for front tail to fakie then f/s halfcab noseslide. I was doing alright at slappy crook then kick back 50. I got into my first kick back 50 so I thought it would work. Jake did his line before Kevin was kind enough to offer filming. Then he did it again. I tried my line a bunch of times, got real close, but never rode away from the kick 50. Argh. Some slappy crooks were really fun feeling at least. We left for a spot that Kevin had found nearby. Getting out of the car I was in so much pain I knew I was done for the day. I was toast. Ugh. Jake and Kevin ollied up a loading dock and off before we got a pretty funny boot by a security guard that I think was just on a smoke break. Jake left. Kevin and I went lurking. We hit a weird double bank spot, but all I could do was ride down them. Kevin did a crazy line riding on some weird mound, back 180, halfcab into banks, quick ollie and he did a rare b/s flip! Then we found another cool bank spot nearby where you could wallie nollie and maybe crook a bit. We both tried. I wasn’t able to move well enough to get my front truck up there. Kevin did it really really good though. I might have to sub him in on more tricks when I’m in pain. I need to figure something out because the pain was unreal. Even when I woke up the next day it was beyond terrible. Ugh.

(setup 8.5 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 red cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing flat washer top, 52mm bones stf 103a v1 with all washers outside the wheels, new balance numeric 212 mustard size 11.5, footprint mid elite insoles)
(pain level 5/10 initially then 9/10 after the ledge session)

On a nice day off work I met Jake at Broomfield park. It was way more wet and snowy than we thought. But we went to work scraping and sweeping it away. The sun made quick work of the thinned out puddles as we played SKATE in a dry spot near the brick qp. We started with ollies, 180s, shoves (I got letters on switch back 180 and switch shove) then Jake initiated the flippers with kickflip. I think he may have missed fakie flip, maybe even on a double or nothing. He beat me to halfcab flip, but I got miracle first try one that felt good. He had me at SKAT with frontside flip and something else. I got him with fakie bigflip and heelflip and we were tied up going into the treflip game. Jake was so close, me too. I managed to get one in like 4 tries that had a pretty great skier stance landing. Jake didn’t get it unfortunately. Then we skated the sad ledge as it was the only thing truly dry. There was another dude that joined us and some younger skaters manualling the black box through puddles. I struggled with front 50s and chickened out of back 50s, but other than that did alright. Jake had front 50, back 50, noseslide, noseslide shove, crooks, crooks fakie, crooks shove, halfcab nose, front tail. The other dude worked up to back tail and kick back 50 which were really good. I had noseslide, noseslide to fakie, switch noseslides, halfcab nose jib, front 50, crooks and eventually a crooks shove with another skier stance landing. Jake had left. Things had dried up and I went for my initial Broomfield goal which was 20 tricks on the blue ledge. I would get 20, but they got pretty bad as the soreness kicked in fierce. There weren’t really any highlights. Maybe front 50 to front board. I struggled with fakie 50s. Got back 50 and randomly back 50 pivot 180 out. Darin had showed. My last trick was nollie back tail jib. He was quickly ripping the blue ledge. Crooks fakie, back tail fakie, 5-0s.

(setup 8.5 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 red cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing flat washer top, 52mm bones stf 103a v1 with all washers outside the wheels, new balance numeric 212 mustard size 11.5, footprint mid elite insoles)
(pain level 5/10 but more like 7/10 by the end)

Out in the garage on a snowy night I reassembled my “putter” and tried some flippers. It was an 8″ setup with 5.0 venture lows and 50mm wheels. It flipped really easy. I did kickflip, fakie flip, halfcab flip, b/s flip quick. Couldn’t heelflip though. Got a garage make treflip in around 10 tries. Then tried front heels. Some were close. Most were not and I grabbed my regular 8.5 setup and initially was closer. Then less close. Then dinner was ready and I didn’t feel like trying anymore.

(setup 8″ putter and normal 8.5)
(pain level 4/10 initial foot pain)

Went to Wilville around 11 on a cooler day. I could tell rather quickly that my body wasn’t feeling as limber as yesterday. I started at the round curb area. Did a few stalls then moved to a little 3 stair I had never ollied before. Did a line of nollie shove then ollie. Then as I was trying kickflip then 180 some randoms told me I couldn’t skate there because of a liability issue and “we live here”. Ha. Whatever. It helped me though and I did the kickflip and front 180 that try. I went over to the rock area. Did a couple wallrides on the center rock then tried a line. I got front 180 up the two stair, halfcab flip on flat, ollie the first 3, bail the second 3. Since I didn’t get both ollies I went for f/s halfcab flip in the line instead. I would get a really bad one and both ollies. I was gonna try and turn around and ollie up the 3, but I was pretty beat. I went to the main middle manny pad and tried a bunch of kickflips to fakie. It was disappointing how bad I was feeling ollieing up the curb before the bank. I would get one kickflip, but fell off when rolling off the curb. Doh. I tried awhile longer and didn’t get too close and started to get super angry and sore so I left.

(setup 8.5 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 red cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing flat washer top, 54mm bones stf v5 with all washers outside the wheels, new balance numeric 212 mustard size 11.5, footprint mid elite insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

On a really nice morning I went to Broomfield park where Jake was already 15-20 tricks deep on the quartapotty. He had to do 36 tricks. Lots of people joined. Both Dave’s, Rob, Eric, Kevin, Ed, Saul and Brian! I was feeling alright for once. Actually maybe the best I’ve felt in months. It was weird being able to ollie without pain. Anyway, the skating. I hit the quartapotty with Jake to start, but I only did a couple tricks. I’ll try just listing some tricks people did. Eric, good heelflips as normal, crooks, back 50 back 180. Brian almost did a blunt bigspin. Rob and I played on the low side of the brown ledge. He was going for back 180 on halfcab off. I was trying ollie up then nollie shove on the bank. I didn’t get it and I don’t think Rob quite got it either. Ed had some nice ollies, boardslides. Dave L amazes me every time with his casual pop and manuals. Kevin ripped more than normal which says a lot. Front board and crooks the double set rail and was trying switch flip switch manual. Dave F was ripping above normal too. He rattled off some brick qp tricks, quartapotty, the hump, boardslide across and down the tiny bar, kickflips. Jake did his 36 tricks, I think the last one was front noseblunt. He did the pole jam, boardslide the tiny rail, 50s and crooks the black ledge then went on an unsuccessful run at a steep bank front noseblunt. I got a first try front 50 on the black ledge which sounds like nothing, but with how I’ve skated lately felt great. Also got crooks on it, but then went and tried a line. Noseslide to fakie, fakie pivot to fakie, fakie nosegrind. The fakie nosegrind was not working, but somehow I managed to do the shortest jib in history. My body was feeling decent enough that I hucked a fakie tre after and almost got it. Jake and I played a game of SKATE. I had stiffened up a bit chatting with friends and started by getting two letters on kickflip. Yikes. I recovered to make it interesting at least. Got him with halfcab flip, b/s flip and heelflip. He got me with front shove which I just can’t believe I wasn’t close. I was at SKAT and Jake at SKA when we went in on treflips. I had several that felt really close and would eventually get one. Jake had been close too, but didn’t get it. After I had a violation on varial flip Jake put one down and I couldn’t get it. Doh. Can’t believe I let him win on his birthday. Ha ha. I was pretty beat after that. Dave F was trying switch treflips and getting close. Kevin did all the treflips. Then did switch tre out of the bank. Dave did back tail shove and maybe a back tail 360 out on the hump. Then started timing a back tail to fakie with a dude trying big frontside airs. It was rad. Kevin and I ended with front tail reverts on the hump. I think that was basically it. Fun day. Happy Birthday Jake, you rip.

It was also uplifting to me knowing that pain has been a big reason why I haven’t skated well lately. Not uplifting that I am normally in pain, but knowing that pain has limited me motivated me to try harder to do the things that reduce pain.

(setup 8.5 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 red cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing flat washer top, 54mm bones stf v5 with all washers outside the wheels, new balance numeric 212 mustard size 11.5, footprint mid elite insoles)
(pain level 2/10!!!)

Up early on a Friday when I work later. Went to Louisville to keep the ‘skate something different’ vibe going. I wore cupsoles to try and lower the knee pain. It may have worked, but I sure didn’t skate better. I had the park all to myself with the exception of another dude that came and carved around for a few minutes. I started with some ride on grinds, carves, boardslides. My warm up run was front 50 the low part of the ledge, boardslide the flatbar, then b/s kickflip on the bank. Going the other way I tried manual the little box, heelflip on flat, crooks. I never got the manual without tilting, never got the heelflip, but did have a couple fun crooks. I mixed in kickflip to fakies thinking I would do it right away. Nope. Took forever. I skate banks/transition so little anymore that the bank honestly kind of weirded me out at first. I didn’t really go on to do anything else. Maybe a front 50 shove. I was like 0-5 on halfcab noseslides. Not a very good session or reason to go back to cupsoles.

(setup 8.5 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 red cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing flat washer top, 54mm bones stf v5 with all washers outside the wheels, new balance numeric 533v2 grey size 13, xero thin insoles)
(pain level 6/10)

Got to Lafayette park around 7. It was date night, tons of high schoolers mingling, vaping and some shredding. Kevin had been there for over an hour and was already totally ripping. The first thing I did was drop in on the tall part of the flow bowl and almost died and felt a ton of pain in my knee. Great. Kevin did the nosegrind right after that. Then the front tail like it was nothing. I was pretty out of it initially. Kevin was doing slappy crooks, back d’s on the new qp. Then we went into flyout mode. I got a first try kickflip that felt good. Almost got treflip 3rd try, but instead I battled it for around 30 tries. Kevin did the nollie flip every time I think, the nollie b/s flip took a few tries. Kevin left. I skated for awhile even though my knees were in a lot of pain. Did a line of wallie the corner of the rock, axle stall the new qp, kickflip to fakie the little bank. After struggling to get up the manny pad I decided it was time to go home.

(setup 8.5 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 red cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing flat washer top, 54mm bones stf v5 with all washers outside the wheels, new balance numeric 212 mustard size 11.5, footprint mid elite insoles)
(pain level 6.5/10)

Woke up early when I’m on the late shift at work so I did some exercises then went to the dog park. It was cold in the upper 20s and took a bit to get warmed up. But after a bit I got a great long warm up line that put me in a good mood. Back 50 little one, crooks the two step, kickflip on flat, wallie wallies world, noseslide to fakie cinder block shuffle, fakie flip on flat, halfcab noseslide, heelflip, little front nose jib the two step, front 50 the little guy, bailed a treflip. I did get real close to a few treflips. Been trying to adjust my foot placement after seeing that guy in Rhino the other day. Oh yeah, I was back on my 8.5 setup. This time with big 54mm Bones wheels. I think I really need the extra pop of the hard Bones wheels. I would have a decent session. Did a few lines. Front 50 the black box, crooks fakie cinder block, halfcab flip. Tried back 50 shove on the little guy for awhile, but didn’t get it. Ollied Wallie World for the first time in forever. Tried to front 50 the two-step, but never got it. I was close though. Then I ended by doing front 50 shove on the cinder block ledge. I was happy I didn’t completely fail at that again. All in all a decent session. For the first time in several days I wasn’t super bummed on myself after skating.

(setup 8.5 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 red cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing flat washer top, 54mm bones stf v5 with all washers outside the wheels, new balance numeric 212 mustard size 11.5, footprint mid elite insoles)
(pain level 3/10)