On a warm Friday I had the day off work and the Dave’s and I rolled to this spot. Not really on a specific mission, Fuller was just asking about hip spots and this came to mind. We got there around 10:30 and it was already getting warm. Warming up was not easy for any of us. At first just rolling off the curb was scary because of the crack. Dave L went and got some food. Fuller and I started in on the hip. The number of tricks are pretty low so it may appear we were only there for a bit, but no, we were there for over 3 hours. Ha ha. I got a wallie nollie pretty quick and a rocket flip somewhat quick. But that would literally be all the tricks I landed. I hucked front heels for quite awhile and got somewhat close, but never got me feet on it. Dave F though, man he put down a lot of stuff. Backside flip, back 360, lofty bean plant, cab bigspin (seriously!), halfcab flip and probably a couple more I’m forgetting. I failed at boneless 270 and no comply 270 shove. Dave L had some steezy casual frontside ollies on the mini bump and the hip. He went in on backside bigflip and got pretty close, but couldn’t really commit. He would go on to manual a large portion of the bank. Right at the end Fuller and I skated a different part of the spot, a weird hipish thing into the bank. Dave got a helipop and I battled f/s halfcab flip before giving up defeated again. I was remotely close, but the approach was really throwing me off. All in all a fun day street skating wtih the Dave’s. I need to work on my front heels and go back for that one. Maybe the f/s halfcab flip too.

(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 5/10 just really sore)

After watching Suciu’s new part a couple time and trying to keep my legs moving at work I went to the dog park on a super nice day. It was rad there was only a few people there. Rob came for a bit, but left not feeling the stoke. Warming up went better than normal for me. I guess keeping my legs fresh and the Suciu part had me hyped. I stuck with boardslides for awhile. Had some fun long lines with totally basic tricks. I had made a trick list for the day, but forgot to put halfcab crook on it. I tried one on a concrete bench and it locked in really good. I should have landed it first try. Instead I took about 50 tries, but man, I finally got one. It felt so good and I even got a fist bump from another dude skating the bench. That would be the highlight for me. I lost some juice after that for awhile, but eventually found it again and posed some more tricks. I wanted to do a nosegrind shove, but I never even committed to front nosegrind. At one point I told myself “if I do this wallie I’ll commit next try” and I slammed so hard because of wheelbite. So that was a real turn off. I have no idea how people skate big wheels. I putzed around some more. Did a couple little ollies. Tried to quick feet the 2 step with ollie up then boardslide or ollie up then 50, but never could. Then I left. Kinda bummed on how I skated overall, but quite hyped on finally landing a halfcab crook.

(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 3/10)

On a cool night Matt H picked me up. Yes, he still skates. When he arrived he was in a hoodie and I didn’t think it was that cold initially, but decided to wear one anyway. It ended up being the right call as it was pretty chilly. We arrived to a very crowded park with a lot going on. Flyouts, scooters, bikes, ledge lines. It was crazy and hard to get warmed up. The crew was Kevin, Rob, Matt, Sean, Carleigh, Eric and me. Kevin always has nollie flips right out of the gate and looked extra stylee on his Null Curby board. Carleigh had a good fall ollieing up onto the blue ledge right away. Rob got into demo mode pretty quick. I saw Matt back nosegrind the black ledge first try. At least there was a tiny bit of sketch to it. Eric had nice crooks early on. I took awhile to ollie. Had fun with a deck check to manual on the side of the brown angled ledge. There was so much going on it was really hard to notice what others were doing. Rob had managed to line things out through the masses although I don’t remember the tricks right now. I know they ended with fakie bigspin then almost 360 shove. I was struggling with halfcab flips on flat and posing kick back tails on the blue ledge. Sean was mirroring out his black ledge lines and making flatground look really good and easy. His backside flips and heels are so good. Kevin did a switch manual 180 and I got his back with a little back 50 on the blue curb. At one point I ollied to deck check on the back of the blue bank. That was probably the highlight for me. I had thought about how I used to ollie into that and it felt really scary. Gonna try and keep that in the rotation. Eric had a bad slam and hurt his back and had to take off. Doh. Carleigh got back and front d on the brick qp. She also pops her ollies extra high when she ollies into the bank to start her run. Matt was trying fakie 5-0’s and had to give up so he focused his 2 year old board. Kevin worked on back nosegrinds which I haven’t really seen him do before. Decent night, I didn’t feel comfortable though and didn’t get into my bag enough to feel happy.

(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)

On a rainy night I went into the garage feeling pretty good. I did some ollies to warm up then some shoves then took like 8 tries to get a kickflip. UGH! The struggle would go on for every other trick. Fakie flip, b/s flip, terrible excuse for a frontside flip, heelflip and then treflip took FOREVER. Ugh. Ended trying some switch heels that felt doable, but I never got both feet on one. I had a lot of issues balancing on my board. It drove me nuts.

(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 2/10)

After a completely exhausting week of work I handed the phone and worked most of the cool Monday. I wanted to go home and sleep, but I needed to get boards to MRKT so I went making no arrangements. I showed up to a mostly empty park and attempted to warm up. It was apparent quickly that I would not skate well, but I didn’t expect it to go as bad as it did. It didn’t help when a huge crew arrived, although they mostly stuck up top. I started with the ol’ warm up line to try and kick the body in to gear. Some switch noseslides, 50s on the curb, noseslides on the ledge. Tried to hop onto the curb to noseslide the ledge then kickflip off, but couldn’t get the kickflip off. I was happy to get a couple back 50s on the curb, but struggled to get a decent crook on the ledge. It didn’t help that the one other person there was trying to learn crooks so I felt bad trying them too. But crooks on the long ledge are why I go to fossil. I would get a few okay ones. Bigger wheels and narrower trucks are probably to blame. I couldn’t front 50 the taller part of the ledge. I got one line I had thought of on the drive there. Ollie up, noseslide fakie, switch 180 off. I couldn’t get the front 180 up then switch front nose though. Flip tricks did not work. My shoes were feeling very thin. The only thing I was somewhat happy with was an ollie onto the ledge then front shove off without having to push for speed. I left after getting a crooks to end it. I skated terribly, but I did force myself to jump when my body didn’t want to. Maybe it’s beneficial, maybe not. I guess that was my first time skating in coldish weather and I don’t think my body was ready for it.

(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 212 grey size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

After a brutal callout most of the night my Sunday was pretty much totally ruined. Sometime after 6pm I finally went outside and skated the curbs for a bit. I had put my 8.25 setup back together. Seeing as how I really didn’t do much of anything the size really didn’t matter. Just a few slappies both ways, some slappy crooks, an ollie or 2 up the curb, maybe one kickflip.

(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 212 grey size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

On a beautiful Saturday morning I went to meet Rob, Dave L and Kevin at Dog Park. I wasn’t hyped to go there since it had rained. I pulled and the Square State kids were there. Like 30 of them. And there were puddles so I just turned around and went to the new dork bank spot. Dave had challenged me to a varial flip over a hip. Since I don’t seem to go anywhere with a real hip this micro street hip would have to do. I did some dorking aorund to warm up, but was really struggling to flip the board. Rob showed up around the time I got the varial flip. He wasn’t feeling the spot and left for dog park. I stuck around for a backside flip that took longer than it should. Then went to a wet dog park and complained. It was just one of those days where no one seemed to be on the same page initially. But we skated and things got better. Dave L was trying slappy kickflips which would have been so crazy. He also casually manualled and back 5-0’d a bench. Kevin was putting together bunches of ledge tricks that I’ve never even tried. Nollie nosegrinds, switch nosegrind 180, back 180 nosegrinds, etc. Rob had some causal front noseslides, crooks, halfcab noseslides. I struggled to do a very slow front 50 and a fakie nosegrind that took way too long.

We bounced to a spot I had thought of for Stubborns. Just some slanted manual pad with a couple other random things around it. Dave F joined us. No one seemed very hyped at first, but it typical street skating fashion people started adapting and doing some stuff. Well, everyone but me that is, I was sucking beyond believe. Dave L was playing with a spindle and doing ollies while it moved and bonking it and stuff. It was fun to watch. Kevin started the filming with a manual to ollie the gap then a bluntslide on the curb. Rob pieced together two sick lines. No comply, wallie/nollie up, kickflip up a curb. Back 50 shove then shove wall plant. Seriously. So good. The back 50 shoves were textbook. Dave F was doing quick manuals, slappy crooks to fakie, cabs, halfcab flips, cabbing onto the curb. Dave L had some really good quick feet fornt slappies and manuals. I did manage a line (no filming because it wasn’t worth it) of front 50 the curb, manual, ollie up, wallie/nollie off the curb. I couldn’t kickflip up the curb, I couldn’t ollie the median, I took like 20 tries to 180 the tiny gap, it was a very bad session for me.

Then we went to a tiny steep bank on a busy bike path. I’ve skated it before, it’s really weird. Dave F killed it. Feeble 180 transfer. Back tail to fakie so smooth. I was trying to motivate by a line with a manual then boardslide then wallie/nollie. Never got the boardslide. Rob and Kevin were chilling. Dave L was filming Fuller rip it. Then Fuller had the worst slam trying a crooks transfer to fakie. It was so bad. But he got up and with Rob’s advice yanked it around for the hammer of the day. I tried the worlds smallest and dumbest kickflip on the min bank for awhile. Kevin got up and tried to wallie the end of the bank where it meets the wall. It was crazy. Dave L messed around near the end. Then we went to a nearby bump with a wall that was super fun for the ole wallie/nollie if your stance is correct. I did a bunch of them. Just having fun doing it into the mellow bank on a photogenic brick wall. Dave was doing them from the underside. Rob was boosting bean plants. Kevin slammed trying to make an ollie look extra good. Then went in on kickflip a bump to wallie/nollie but never got the wallie/nollie. You would think that was the end of the session, but it wasn’t. We hit the worlds smallest bank to curb and Kevin learned pivot shove fakie. Some other basic stalls were done, but that was basically it. Long day. I sucked like I haven’t in a long time. It was depressing. You know that means a setup change is coming.

(setup 8.5 null nolan machine deck, Venture 5.8 titanium trucks with cast baseplate, sml 53mm og wide wheels, 3 washers inside each axle, bones medium bushings, new balance numeric 212 grey size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

After only one callout (ha ha) I got to the dog park around 9am on a cool morning. Warming up was slow. I had setup a new Nolan board and was excited to skate it! I had also put some bigger wheels back on, the 53mm SML wheels. It took awhile before I did anything beyond a boardslide on something low. I started with the whole line approach to get myself going on the lower step. I think I did wallie the little barrier, front 50, kickflip. Kickflip, back 5-0 (was supposed to be a 50) then boardslide to fakie the end of the kinked flat bar. Then wallie, front 50 180, fakie bigspin. Kickflip back 50 then wallie back 180 the barrier. But I never got the wallie back 180. Seems doable though. Then the line got longer. Front 50 the metal ledge, front 50 the hump, kickflip a crack, back 50. Never quite got the back 50 again, but I was getting in at least. I kind of changed it around and hucked a little. Nothing went down, but it was kind of funny that I kind of got into a kick back tail on the ledge I could barely back 50. I had an intentional 5-0 on the metal ledge. At the end I tried a line of 360 flip on flat, ollie the little barrier then boardslide the orange barrier. Only got to the orange barrier twice and never committed. Actually, never got a totally clean ollie over the little barrier either, but it felt good to hop over it.

(setup 8.5 null nolan machine deck, Venture 5.8 titanium trucks with cast baseplate, sml 53mm og wide wheels, 3 washers inside each axle, bones medium bushings, new balance numeric 212 grey size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

After multiple callouts for work I stayed at home. I took off for a lunch break to meet the crew. It was Dave F, Dave L, Rob and Eric at the end. I hadn’t skated in a few days due to hamstring/glute pain. But since it seemed to be getting worse not skating I decided I might as well test the waters and skate. It seemed to make it feel better, but I definitely started slow and was cautious. They had removed all the 303 obstacles and a couple more including Rob’s favorite manny pad. I’m not sure if that was why Rob couldn’t get into the session, but he bounced pretty quickly. Dave L was on the parking block tip, doing nollie 180s over it and lining some stuff out. He can so casually back 50 and manual the cement benches. Dave F had some rad front 50 to front crook fakie combos. He said they should be good for learning front crooks. He also ollied into the manhole cover which was propped up on a curb. We were both surprised that worked out. I really didn’t do much of anything noteworthy. I was happy to ollie the tiny flat bar first try. I saw Dave F back 50 one of the concrete benches, I was impressed. Near the end this guy came and put his dog in the dog park and skated back and forth with his dog barking at him. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, but I seriously couldn’t handle it and used it as my cue to leave. I had some butt pain, but it wasn’t overwhelming.

(setup 8.38 null dream machine deck, Venture 5.8 titanium trucks with regular stock baseplate, spitfire f4 99a 52mm blue/yellow radial wheels, 3 washers inside each axle, bones medium bushings, new balance numeric 212 grey size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

After a million texts I met up with Rob, Dave L, Eric and Garrett at the new manny pad spot I found the other night. The pad itself was even better than I thought it would be, the gap however was way harder. Garrett was way later than us. We all did our warming up. I felt surprisingly good out of the gate, but I did feel a tweak to the glute/hamstring tendon I seemed to have injured. I was able to skate fine though. Manuals were had, nose manuals, kickflips, heelflips. I was the only one hitting the little gap, I found it so cool to line out. Front 180s over it were really fun. I may have gotten a switch 180 manual back 180 after, but probably touched or something. Rob went in on kickflip manuals. He was committing every try, but getting toe drag or touching normally. He would get a clean one and it was solid. Eric had some nice heeflips up onto the curb. Dave was manualling up and around all over everything. We did a little filming. I completely lost the ability to switch 180 manual once the camera came out. It was a bummer. Dave L got a cool line. Rob got that kickflip manual, one foot manual and a back 360. Eric got those heelflips, but I don’t think he got one to manual. Garrett had shown. He did some treflips on flat and some nollie nose manuals. We looked at a weird bank/ledge thing on the other side. Garrett almost tried a cool ollie up to something, but never really got the ollie up. I had nothing more than some rides down the slanted ledge.

Then we went across the street to this other spot i had looked at. The dream was a noseslide on the little two stair rail. Somehow it looked totally possible. Garrett tried some front 5-0s, I tried noseslides. We would slowly get closer. Rob suggested I go for crook which I thought I was doing, but I got it in a couple tries. It was one of the coolest feeling tricks I’ve done. Then Dave filmed me try it in a line and magically I got it with a fakie bigflip in just a few tries. I was on cloud 9. After that I filmed Garrett keep battling the 5-0 which he would get. Rob and Dave messed around on the bank. I saw Dave pop an ollie over the hip that looked fun. Rob had some cool 540 spins on his front wheels. That was the end of the day. Pretty much one of my fav days in awhile. Street skating is the best.

(setup 8.38 null dream machine deck, Venture 5.8 titanium trucks with regular stock baseplate, spitfire f4 101a 51mm classic wheels, 3 washers inside each axle, bones medium bushings, new balance numeric 379 b/w size 12, footprints gamechanger low profile insoles)
(pain level 4/10)