On a cold and snowy day while on call for work I tried to rally with some type of motivation and skate LGJ (Ledgy Junior). I attempted to start at the bigger open garage near 28th & Glenwood, but there was a security truck parked at the entrance. So I went to the old small Google garage and it was way warmer anyway. I started warming up, did a couple rolls down the steep driveway and brought LGJ out. And then down comes the security guard. Argh. Little did she know when I packed up and left I knew exactly which garage she was just at. So I went back to the bigger colder one and skated for about an hour and a half. I skated extra slow and didn’t have much juice. Trick wise it might sound decent for me, but everything was slow and questionable. The trick that took me too long that really made me mad was halfcab noseslide. It’s also when I noticed that my bushings gave out pretty much every time I leaned in on them. Anyway, trick I landed were boardslide, front board, noseslide, noseslide fakie, front nose, front nose fakie, switch front nose, switch back nose, crook, halfcab noseslide, halfcab noseslide to fakie, front 50, first try fakie nosegrind for the only trick I was truly hyped on. I got close to halfcab noseslide shove, front 5-0, halfcab noseslide 270. I ended with a newish/rare one. F/s halfcab noseslide. Flip tricks didn’t go well. I mostly blame the cold and not wanting to fall as it was in the low 20s. Happy I skated though.

(setup null 8.5 plant life, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8, venom 88a bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 blue/gum size 11.5, footprints elite mid kingfoam insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Feeling a bit tired after some early morning callouts for work I went to campus on a slightly warmer night.  I had thought of some lines I wanted to try, but ended exploring more.  I started on the tiniest hip on campus and did a couple little tricks like front slash to fakie,  nollie 270 and front 270 followed by a switch ollie up a tiny curb.  Then I ended up in the parking lot by the rec center in what would be some really impressive sucking trying to back 180 or ollie up a weird curb from a rough brick section.  Whatever though.  I would get the ollie up onto the angled flagstone walkway then try to “gap” back 50 the base of a little fountain and gap back out.  It was surprisingly fun.  I tried to start by rolling off a little rock.  But then settled on a line.  Front shove on flat, back 50, kickflip on flat, ollie a little 4’ish flat gap.  I got the line.  It was fun even though the back 50 game to a halt and the gap out wasn’t very pretty.  The first try ollie the flat gap felt good.  Then I wandered around somehow finding new paths I’ve never seen before then ended up back at the rec center.  I got a line there that made me happy.  Ollie up the 2, ollie a little snow pile, turn around then heelflip, ollie the 3.  I was hyped on how easily I was getting up the 2 and happy with the larger setup for that.  The snow pile ollie right after the two stair was hard and felt almost like exercise trying to pop again so quickly.  I got two heelflips.  The first one was followed by a legit slam down the 3 stair.  It’s one of those sets with the crack in front which shouldn’t matter for a 3 stair, but it made it hard for me.  When I did get the ollie down the 3 my legs wanted to give out, I was so tired and squated low and held on for dear life. It was fun. I added a little nose stall shove jib on the step after. Last thing I made myself do 5 flip tricks at the art building.  Since I had already done kickflip, bs flip and heelflip they were out.  I would get fakie flip, varial flip, halfcab flip, fs halfcab flip and fakie bigflip.  I got denied on halfcab heels, treflip, front heel, switch flip.  I was also randomly close to a couple nollie bs flip.  But when I got the sketchy fakie bigflip I called it and left for the night.  Not quite as hyped on how I skated as the other night, but still happy to be motivated and trying to skate street more again.

(setup null 8.5 plant life, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8, venom 88a bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 blue/gum size 11.5, footprints elite mid kingfoam insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

On a very nice day I went to meet Rob and Dave at dog park for a skate lunch.  It was colder than it seemed like it should be.  Although it did warm up quickly.  Some other older skaters were skating too and then some youngsters at the end of the session.  I skated well and with some motivation again.  We were all skating hard it seemed.  Dave was mostly trying lines to manual the picnic table.  5-0s, kickflips, etc to get the line going.  Rob had some halfcab boardslides to fakie some with a little shuffle after, front board the tall bench, halfcab nose, front 50 the new ledge first try, fakie bigspins.  I started with a poser line of ollie to fakie the steeper wedge, fakie flip, switch back nosegrind the little guy.  I never committed to the sbng.  I did back 5-0 and 50 the the little guy which I haven’t done in a bit.  I got on the cinder block ledges pretty easily for once.  Tried the Joe Hamilton, but didn’t get one although I had a ghost front board that was pretty funny.  I had one halfcab noseslide 270 out attempt that cool even though I know it didn’t count.  Couldn’t get noseslide 270 shove or nosegrind 180.  I ended trying to ollie the jersey barrier off the decked wedge.  I would eventually get it and came so close to a treflip after.  The treflip would have been such a great ender.  Still, had a blast skating with the dudes in the sun and being motivated again.  Dave’s manuals were gnar.

(setup null 8.5 plant life, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8, venom 88a bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 blue/gum size 11.5, nb# abzorb insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

Rather than feel sorry for myself for being in pain and not skating well I went to campus in search of new/old/different spots I haven’t skated before or in years.  I would start behind the student center.  Initially with some straight dorking to get warmed up.  Then slightly less dorking for a warm up line that would stoke me out.  A kickflip fakie on the mellowest slope ever solely as a way to warm up and setup switch for switch 180 over a little grate into a little slope, ollie off a two stair (that had a crack a couple feet after so it felt like a little gap) then pose a back 180 down a 3 stair. Ollieing the little gap felt incredibly fun and reminded me how street skating soothes my soul.  I never got close to the back 180, but I didn’t really care and moved to the front where I took some time to ollie up the two stair, ride off (it was dark) and then noseslide a tall rounded bench.  I looked around for a while and ended up at the Baker ledge.  I feel like I was somewhere else before this, but can’t remember.  I tried a line of manual, noseslide to fakie, fakie flip.  Never got the fakie flip, but started not caring and trying switch flips instead and got very close to one.  Also got a little crook jib and ended with a front 50 that I didn’t think I’d be able to get because it was dark and due to ice I had to get on a somewhat taller section.  It was an incredibly fun feeling front 50.  I went home happy after that.  

(setup null 8.5 plant life, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8, venom 88a bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 blue/gum size 11.5, footprints 5mm insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Was so incredibly sore.  Rob and Kevin were there when I arrived.  We chatted then went to it.  I have waited too long to write this so remember very little.   Eric and Sean would show too.  Cass eventually.  I did not skate well for a couple of hours because I was so sore.  I only remember the end of the session when Sean and I were trying lines.  He would get his.  Something like kickflip the wallie world, front nosegrind the metal bench, nollie back nosegrind 180 the cinder block bench.  Also close to front 180 the hydrant, fakie flip, fakie crooks.  I was trying various tricks and just trying to ollie onto the double wide cinder blocks.  I could not do it to save my life, I was so scared.  I had wallies, halfcab flips, the worst little switch crook jib and more, but still only managed the worst slow ollie up to manual stall. Sorry for not remembering everyone else.  I know Rob, Kevin and Eric were ripping.  Rob halfcab boardlides to fakie.  Kevin almost got fakie 5-0 halfcab out.  Eric casually heelfipped a parking block, 5-0s.  Then we met Jack, Dan and Joe downtown and I filmed.  Jack ripped it.  Others had fun.  

(setup null 8.5 plant life, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8, venom 88a bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 blue/gum size 11.5, nb# abzorb insoles)
(pain level 6/10 everything)

Was hyped to skate when I woke up. Especially because an early old guy Broomfield session was already organized so I didn’t spend any time texting. But then I went to leave and my car wouldn’t start. Literally all my motivation left me when the car made the failing whirring noise. Ugh. I spent all last weekend with plumbing. So I ended up spending a couple hours trying to figure it out and it would eventually start. After some basketball I went to campus hoping I’d be hyped. I wore my 288s in hopes of less knee pain. Initially it helped. I started at the flagstone ledge and it went decent actually. Boardslide, noseslide, noseslide fakie were all first try. I did a couple flippers under the covered area. Switch noseslides both ways. A front board pop out that felt really cool. Front nose to fakie. And a front axle stall as I went too slow to grind. I started to feel pretty disoriented and weird on my board as I checked out some crazy new tall wooden benches with banks on them. Looks like it could be a dream spot. I rolled in on one then went to ollie off the lower level and bailed for no reason and it hurt. After that I posed some ollies over a little ledge then walked around aimlessly before going home.

(setup null 8.5 plant life, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8, venom 88a bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 288s maroon size 11.5, xero insoles)
(pain level 5/10 knees don’t like me)

On a pretty nice day I had enough of work and went for a lunch break. After 3 days off I felt like going with the 8.5 setup. Maybe my goal will be to skate less and have the energy and pop to skate the bigger board. Or just not skate much at all because it’s so darn painful during the winter. Even when it’s warm up. Anyway, I felt rusty and less motivated than I had hoped after a few days off. I blame work mostly, it’s been way too stressful. I had an alright time though. Did some slappies, slappy crooks. A few slow flippers. Kickflip, fakie flip, b/s flip, heelflip, a f/s flip that was maybe legit and an incredibly slow 360 flip that made me happy. I also did a switch front 50 on the curb.

(setup null 8.5 plant life, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8, venom 88a bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 blue/gum size 11.5, nb# abzorb insoles)
(pain level 5/10 knees don’t like me)

For some reason I went skating again. I was excited to check out dog park again as it’s been awhile and I hadn’t seen the lights. There were a couple young skaters I’ve seen around showing off their youth and energy at all times. They wouldn’t stop, except to sit and smoke up. With the lights the park feels much smaller as the edges aren’t really skateable. I had put some thicker insoles in to hopefully ease some pain, but it just made me feel even more terrible on my skateboard. I would go on to have quite a depressing night. It stated when I couldn’t get back 50 over and over. There is a new ledge there that’s a little longer and wider with a big piece of angle iron that seems to grind and slide well. I took too long to get a halfcab noseslide on it, got crooks after the youth did a couple perfect ones, switch front nose. The shadows messed with me on some other stuff like the cinder block ledges. I couldn’t get much for flatground. Got a bad switch noseslide shove. Was starting to get up on front 50s on the new ledge when the lights shut out early. Doh. I need to take a break from skateboarding. Mentally and physically I need a recharge. We’ll see how long I can go.

(setup 8.25 303 clfx spirt deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 titanium, venom 88a bushings, 52mm bones stf v1 103a, 3 washers on outside of wheels, new balance numeric 212 blue/gum size 11.5 stock insoles)
(pain level 6/10 knees)

After making some progress in figuring out where the auger is stuck in my drain I met Dave on Campus. The video above basically documents what we skated. I felt terrible initially. Just so out of it, sore and afraid of knee pain. Dave was was riding down the stairs already and doing kickflips when I got there. It stinks having to park off of campus now. We looked at the rails off the ledge, did some stalls on the steps, some kickflips, etc, then moved on to look at some other things. We hit the brick curb area for awhile. It was fun trying to line things out. It’s crazy how hard it was for me to ollie that pile of snow. I don’t think I cleanly got the ollie, but I did get a fun line. I forget exactly how it started, I think it was a tail stall on the manhole that Dave kickflips, kickflip on flat, ollie the snow, front 50 180, fakie flip, halfcab flip. I was going slow for the last couple, but it still felt pretty great considering how sore I felt. Dave had a bunch of kickflips over the manhole, easily 180’d the snow and even switch ollied it! I treated the top as a mini bank and did a frontside kickflip which took too long and couldn’t quite get front 50 shove after. But I would get a fun one while Dave was perfecting a ride off grind. Next up Dave avoided a scooter doing the wallie ollie challenge. Then he did something on the black bar and we ended up at the bank to curb. That spot is way harder than it looks. I was happy to get up the curb somewhat consistently and get a crooks first try. Then I started trying 180 up tail stall shove and would get one in less than 20 tries (which is incredibly quick for me ha ha). Dave did some ride on nosegrinds to fakie then started trying nose picks to fakie. I added in a back axle stall that also made me a little happy before filming Dave try the nosepick. But I messed up and didn’t hit record on the one he landed. Luckily he kept trying and would get an even better trick that will someday grace the big screen. After that we was done. I could have skated more, but with my soreness and the sun going down I called it when Dave had to go.

(setup 8.25 303 clfx spirt deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 titanium, venom 88a bushings, 52mm bones stf v1 103a, 3 washers on outside of wheels, new balance numeric 212 blue/gum size 11.5 stock insoles)
(pain level 6/10)

After a bad night of sleep due to knee pain and then dealing with plumbing issues for several hours I gave up because I needed to get outside in the nice weather. I met Rob at Douglass around 2:30. The warm up battle didn’t seem overly long for either of us. Today I could land kickflips, but struggled with halfcab flips. We mostly tried lines starting out on the road, going up the curb and hitting the various ledges. I had a decent one early on. Pop shove on flat, ollie up the curb, first try heelflip, noseslide to fakie, switch 180 off the curb. Rob got fakie bigspin, back 180 up the curb, then halfcab boardslide the side of a bench. It was nuts. He also had front boardslides, no complys up the curb, some of his old patented quick foot action – back 180 – fakie bigspin – nollie shove all done super quickly. He got a couple kickflips, but they didn’t come easy. Flippers weren’t really working for me, neither were crooks. I would get a couple halfcab flips, fakie flip, but couldn’t get b/s flip or treflip. I also couldn’t even ollie onto the bench. Argh. There was a pink haired scantily clad woman dancing on her rollerskates while we were there. It was a little distracting. Then I left to meet Skelly and his buddy Mike at Saul’s. They were late, so Saul and I skated. He had his patented fun to watch fast grind lines, close to some proper stand up back 50s. I did some carve grinds and axle stalls, couldn’t get a front slash even in the shallow. Mike and Sean skated it pretty well when they got there shortly before dark. Mike had some smooth style and good slams. Skelly had lots of front smiths and back grinds. It was rad seeing the stoke that everyone gets when they see Saul’s.

(setup 8.25 303 clfx spirt deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 trucks (cast baseplate titanium hanger), venom 88a bushings, 52mm spitfire classic shape f4 99a, 3 washers on outside of wheels, new balance numeric 212 blue/gum size 11.5 stock insoles)
(pain level 5/10)