After work on a gorgeous day I went to dog park fearing I would have another bad session. But when I pulled in I saw Dave F was still there and it really hyped me up. There were a couple other young kids and I got to see Dan ollie the table before he had to leave. Dave was invested in a sick line. Shralp a parking block to manual to boardslide the beam, then front board shove the small square flat bar. He did it! So good. I had done the warm up boardslides and was feeling alright. I tried to get Dave’s back with a halfcab crook, but it didn’t happen. We both tried it for awhile. I got in to quite a few, but never got one. Dave did a cool front wallride on the barrier then a back 50 on the bench and maybe backed it with a pole jam. I almost got a line of boardslide the butter bench, crook the tall bench, front 50 concrete bench, treflip. The front 50s were slow and bad, but at least I didn’t have the fear of trying it that has ruined some sessions lately. Dave did a crazy line of hippy jump the low square bar then nollie shove the tall round bar. So good. He tried to regular shove hot dog it too, but didn’t get it. He had some nice kickflips in there too then had to leave. I continued to have fun. Got a no comply flip over the parking block and also a first try kickflip over it. Also an okay treflip and even closer to halfcab crook. Had some fun halfcab noseslides and switch front noseslides. Tried a line of no comply flip, crooks, heelflip, kick back 50 the box. The only trick of which I landed was the crooks. Ha, but there was a couple great feeling ones. Then I went to celebrate my daughters 20th birthday. I’m old. At least I still skate and have fun with it most of the time.

(setup 8.25 null nolan deck, Venture 5.6 trucks, venom 88a bushings , spitfire F4 52mm 99a green swirl wheels, 2 washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 306 Foy b/w size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

After getting some chores done I went to “Lower Valmont”. Ha, that’s what I’m calling the newly rediscovered area just west of Foothills. I had put my 8.25 setup back together. I’m determined to ignore the voices in my head and just stick with the size that I’ve enjoyed the most over recent years. 8.25. I pushed around for a bit, did a couple flatground shove warm ups then went to the mini bank. Did kickflip to fakie and fakie flip. Then went and looked at the marble rock. The traffic was weirding me out so I went over to the manual pad. I struggled on the manual pad and with flip tricks. But things felt good. I would eventually get a halfcab flip that felt like how I used to do them without too much effort. Also a first try backside flip that felt great. I got manual and nose manual then tried the switch 180 manual 180, but never got too close.

(setup 8.25 null abstract 6 deck, Venture 5.6 trucks, venom 88a bushings , spitfire F4 52mm 99a green swirl wheels, 2 washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 306 Foy b/w size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 3/10, but not much energy)

Went to dog park right after work on a very nice day. There was almost no one there. Just a couple kids and then a couple 20 something rippers. My legs felt fine, but I had nothing. Literally not happy about a single thing I did in an hour. Only committed to the front 50 on the little bench once going super slow. It was pathetic. I would later realize it was partly due to trying some different insoles which were much thinner reducing my already minimal amount of confidence. I really hate skating right after work, but it’s kind of the only way I can skate here with how early it gets dark. Phil showed up, that was cool talking to him at least. I did a few switch front noses, halfcab noseslides. Got into halfcab crook, but didn’t land any. Oddly enough, I wished I had a smaller board this time around.

(setup 8.5 null nolan deck, Venture 5.8 trucks (normal cast baseplate, titanium hanger), venom 88a bushings , SML 53mm og wide wheels, new balance numeric 306 foy b/w size 12, currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Our plumbing backed up so I used bringing India to campus to use the shower at the gym as an excuse to skate campus for awhile. She ended up working out for a solid two hours so I had some time to play around. I had setup the 8.5 again, but with 8.75 trucks, softer venom bushings, and smaller old Spitfires. 3 days in a row of setup changes. Ugh. I started on the super micro hip near the gym. Then went to the fitness center area to jib the tall quick ledge. It’s weird, the smaller wheels made things feel taller. The wider trucks made my board heavier. I honestly wished I had the 8.75 most of the time I was skating. I got boardslide, noseslide to fakie, noseslide and some bad crook jibs. I tried to line out crook, front smith stall on another ledge, then ollie onto a ledge. But I never got the smith stall and eventually moved on behind Macky where I found the 3 stair to pole to ollie. The approach isn’t ideal and I never committed to it, but it was fun to pose. Then I ended up at this crack riddled 1 up 2 up 4 down. I just wanted to ollie up the 1 and 2 after watching Jack and Hayden do it so easily. It was so hard, I have no idea how people can ollie that quickly. I kind of got ollie then front 180. I posed some flatground in between tries. Last place was the building with the knobbed ledges in a row between pillars. But all I tried was a line where I ollied down the narrow 3 stair, did a powerslide and tried to manual this weird manual pad. But I kept not doing the manual and I’m not really sure why. Pretty blah day, I blame eating cheese the night before.

(setup 8.5 null nolan deck, Venture 6.1 trucks, venom 88a bushings , spitfire 52mm green swirl F4 99a wheels, new balance numeric 306 foy b/w size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Super nice sunny day. Garrett, Dave L and I headed north to his Ratz and MRKT. We stopped at the high school in loveland with the weird bank/stairs/hip/loading dock. Dave and I started slow, Garrett manualled the bank to loading dock like first try, nose manual a few tries later. I had maybe only done back 180 into the bank before I started filming. Garrett got kickflip manual and kickflip manual 180. He had the kickflip manual before I started filming and then it took awhile to get it again. Dave L was skating it differently than anyone I’ve seen before. Ollieing into the bank, then curving around the sidewalk and pushing up the corners and ollieing over the curb and into the bank. It was pretty wild. He had some nice pop shoves over the hip too. He also dropped in onto the narrow ledge and thread the needle through some poles. As I filmed I started thinking how I wanted to kickflip the hip then curve around and ollie over the little ledge. I was hating my setup, the trucks were too tight, the wheels felt way to hard. The kickflip took awhile, but felt great when I got it. I know the ollie over the ledge would be easy for Dave and Garrett and maybe anyone else who skates, but for me it was a challenge. I want to ollie over things more. It took about 5 tries to get over it and it felt pretty awesome. I’m not sure it’s part worthy, but I was happy to do it. Then I filmed Garrett get a sick line.

We headed to Fort Collins and stopped at the bank to curb. My legs were toast and I got angry as I bailed basic tricks over and over. Garrett and Dave were working through the pivots and tail stalls right away. I also hit a stop rock and slammed hard. Ugh. But once I got a front pivot I rattled off a few basics including a no comply to tail that felt cool. Garrett had front 5-0 to fakie and fakie shove to fakie pivot, front blunt first try. Dave L did back tail then worked on kick back tail for awhile and got a couple. So sick.

(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 5/10)

On a nice, but cool day I met Dave around noon for my first lunch skate in awhile. Dave was already at the blue skies flat in the warm up process. For some dumb reason I had setup the 8.75 deck. Warming up was slow for both of us and I quickly disliked the 8.75 for flatground. I was unable to do heelflips or halfcab flips with it, although skunked out a first try big flip. I couldn’t get a treflip either which is what I spent the most time on. I hucked a few fakie lazers which seem very doable, but maybe on a smaller board ha ha. Dave was getting robbed on fakie varial flips, but got a really good one. Lots of kickflips, varial flips, a first try bolts sex change, front shoves, switch shoves. Ripper.

(setup 8.75 null event horizon 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 3/10)

Went out to the garage on a cold/snowy night still fighting a cold a little. I immediately hated how stiff the indy bushings felt. I took awhile to do the nose manual shove warm up then took way too many tries to land a kickflip. So then I hucked switch heels for awhile. I felt like a few were pretty close and I committed, but never got both feet on one.

(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 5/10)

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)

After a fun hike with the kids I met up with Carleigh at dog park. Her girl crew was there as well as Dan and a few others. I was super tired and lazy and it showed. I did a few basics like halfcab noseslide before settling in on flatground with Carleigh. She wanted to get a halfcab flip. I tried a halfcab heel, but gave up after almost losing my nuts a few times. Carleigh was super close over and over. I moved on to treflip, got a sketchy one then Carleigh got my back with a great halfcab flip. So rad, that’s her second one ever. Then we chilled, Jack showed, we watched a back smith bigspin almost go down and left for the 303 Zero premiere.

(setup 8.25 null abstract 6 deck, Venture 5.6 trucks, venom 91a bushings , sml 53mm og wide wheels, 3 washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 306 Foy b/w size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 3/10 just really sore)

Early in the morning Rob met me then we picked up Sean and Kevin and headed to REI for birthday boy to get buck. Unfortunately the rail he wanted to hit was knobbed so we played around on the river front manual pad area. There was this dude jumping rope forever. It made me not want to skate the spot, but Kevin and Sean had no problem grinding the edge of it. They did a few flippers too. I didn’t really do anything. Mike met us, he grinded the edge first try too. I hadn’t even ollied and then we got the boot.

So we went to Ceasar Chavez park which was really crowded with kids running around everywhere. We stuck in the back are with the ledge then 3 stair. Rob and I warmed up with a game of SKATE that went on forever before we even flipped the board. Kevin, Mike, Sean were hitting the ledge and stairs. Rob and I really started slow on the game of SKATE. I had a few letters when we started flipping and unfortunately Rob rolled his ankle pretty bad on a heelflip attempt. He took it pretty well and chilled the rest of the day without complaining. Get well soon Rob! Jack, Carleigh and Dave F arrived. Fuzz would arrive later. This spot is so hard to skate. I had no confidence at all and couldn’t even go in on a noseslide initially. Sean was trying 5-0 shove then f/s flip, but settled for kickflip. Kevin was trying for a line of fakie 50 then switch f/s flip or switch flip. He also did front 50, 5-0, and I think nosegrind off the 3, but couldn’t commit to switch crook. Jack was on bluntslides and back tails right away, but pretty sore so keeping it chill. Carleigh was busy starting with kickflips and swearing up a storm when not landing them. ha ha. Mike almost got nollie back tail then front shove. He had some real nice treflips and impossibles on the basketball court. Dave was lining things out. Switch ollie over a shirt, switch no comply 180 front 50 180, switch ride down the 3. I had given up on the ledge for the most part and just started trying a line to make me feel better. Front 180 a little flat gap, fakie flip on flat, switch front nose to forward, ollie the 3 stair. It took awhile and I struggled with fakie flips somehow, but when I landed the line it did cheer me up quite a bit. Carleigh had also ollied the flat gap and had a really funny slam where she hung up and knew immediately she hung up. After my line I messed around and did a little noseslide 270 then beanplant down the 3. I thought it was pretty dorky (it is), but the way Sean filmed it looked rad. Fuzz showed around the time Mike, Dave and I went to the front area and skated the 2 up 3 down area. Kevin joined too actually. I hate how the approach is slightly downhill. Anyway, Mike was almost doing switch manual. It was so sick. He got very close. He also had a hilarious slam where he switch ollied off the 3 and exploded. Kevin ollied this weird little ollie off a ledge then nose manualed the 3 stair manny pad. It took me awhile to ollie the same little gap. It was nothing, but you went right at a rail so it was kind of weird. I couldn’t quick feet the 5-0 I wanted to so I started filming Kevin try a line of 180 then switch nose manual 180. He got so close. He was really struggling, it was tough. Birthday boy really wanted to get a clip, but it wasn’t working. Dave did a cool line. Front 180 up, halfcab 50, back 180 down the 3. I had moved on to get water at that point. I chilled for awhile then forced myself to get a couple halfcab noseslides before I filmed some. Carleigh had done a sick front 50 then ollie the 3. Sean ollied the 3 to the curb cut. Jack did a bluntslide to fakie nosegrind 180. So crazy. I filmed Fuzz do a boardslide to fakie 50 180 out then ollie the 3 stair. It was so sick, he powered through it. Kevin got close to back 5-0 then kickflip down the 3. He got so close, but a couple bad slams at an inopportune moment and ended his board. Then we got dinner! Ha. It was a good, long, frustrating, but awesome day.

(setup 8.25 null abstract 6 deck, Venture 5.6 trucks, venom 91a bushings , sml 53mm og wide wheels, 3 washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 379 b/w size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 4/10 just really sore)