Went to Dog Park on a Saturday to meet Sean and Garrett before the big King Of The Hill contest. I was feeling pretty lazy. Almost no one was there when I arrived, but Denver/Fort Collins dudes started showing up. I was hyped on Mike and Austin of Reed Wheels fame. Although they both had smaller boards which I didn’t need to know. Ha ha. I putzed around for awhile mostly watching the new people rip and and enjoyed watching. Mike is so good. Then Sean came and we went to play a game of SKATE. After a couple bails I felt the twinge I haven’t felt in awhile. Plantar Fasciitis. No!!!! Ugh. It ruined me. I couldn’t really skate after that even though I posed some nollie tres. Sean took me out with nollie back heel. I put some 212s in the car on, but didn’t really skate. Bo’s friend Andrew was doing crazy techgnar lines. He did a kick front board on the 2nd tall rail so good. Mike and I were blown away. Oh yeah, Mike B had shown and was quickly ripping. Back smiths, back tails, all that. Forgot to mention Garrett too. He hasn’t been on the board much, but had a nice treflip nose crack. Ha.

Ollie, Gabe and I had a fun cruise down the hill to the contest. It was fun to watch. Easily the gnarliest skate event I’ve ever seen. Near the end Gabe, Ollie and I went to dog park. It was mellow, a nice group of older skaters almost all of which were wearing NB#. Crazy. I was wearing some 379s I had with the ol’ Nike Zoom Air insole. It didn’t really seen to help/hurt the PF pain. Gabe and Ollie had never been there before. Gabe was super hyped and got in the mix quick. We both ollied off the kicker then joined a few others in trying to kickflip off. Gabe got his sooner. Ollie had some nice front 180’s off. One dude stuck a nice treflip. I would eventually get the kickflip and it was one of the better feeling kickflips I’ve done. It was good enough that someone actually commented to me that it was ‘perfection’. Not sure I’ve ever had the complement before and it felt pretty cool. I followed it with a treflip with a lot of heel drag in the landing. That didnt help the PF pain, but it felt cool. After that I didn’t really skate much, just did some dorking. The park was filling up. Ollie had some nice manuals and was going for boardslide on the flatbar and slammed really hard. Gabe had some nice front 50s which impressed me. Bo showed up and asked me to film something. I settled with a boardslide then crooks as the kicker session was in effect and right next to the benches. Then Ollie and I got a cool combo where he ollied a parking block and I did no comply flip. Then I watched everyone rip and help give Gabe pointers on boardsliding the wallie block. Hayden had shown up too which was fun to watch. Fun day, we got some pizza after that.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, venture trucks 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger , bones medium bushings, spitfire 51mm classic f4 wheels, new balance numeric 533v2 gray stock insoles – then black 379s size 12 with Nike zoom air insoles)
(pain level 5/10 plantar fasciitis back in effect ugh)

Up super early on a Friday morning to meet Dave since he worked at 8. He got there by 7, I was there around 7:15. That’s early! There was another dude there briefly, but left before I had touched my tail to the ground. Dave slammed on a nollie back 180 when I got there. The warm up frustrations are hard sometimes. But he would get it together. I was really impressed with the over the corner back 50s he was doing. The shift around to back tail was sick. Right before filming he pretty much did the same line with a halfcab flip instead of just halfcab. I was unable to get on the step backside again. Argh. Dave left as I started my solo filming mission with no comply flip. Then it was slappy crook, wallie then backside tricks on the bench. I am so stoked to have learned halfcab noseslides. They don’t look as good as I had imagined in my head, but still way better than they did before I skated here on a regular basis. Also excited to finally learn halfcab noseslide to fakie. Oh yeah, I had put my old cracked 8.5″ deck on. It made kickflips hard. I was like 1-5 to start. Argh. I was super hyped on my frontside bench section though. I got up on the ledge pretty much every try. The front 50 shove only took two tries. I couldn’t do an intentional 5-0 though. Then I tried to ollie the ledge. Ugh. Maybe it was partly the smaller board lowering my confidence, maybe just the lack of sleep, maybe exhaustion from skating almost every morning, maybe the cracked tail, but I could not get it. I had some clean pops over it, but kept landing forward. Then whatever the heck happened above. I gave up at that point. Last thing I tried was halfcab noseslide 270s out. I knew they weren’t close. I was really trying to land on the front wheels first then pivot around, but I couldn’t do it. I went to work so hungry and tired, but yet pretty hyped on skating as hard as I did. Especially happy that I was able to get on the ledge frontside.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, venture trucks 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger , bones medium bushings, sml 53mm og wide wheels, new balance numeric 533v2 gray stock insoles)
(pain level 3/10 knees starting to hurt a little maybe from not wearing orthotics)

Feeling lazy I went over to the curbs and Saul would meet me in a bit. I had some fun slappy crooks front and back. The frontside ones felt better than ever. I also tried a Fuller maneuver. Ride on grind up the curb cut to back tail at the kink. It was fun. The sprinklers came on and kinda ruined the main curbs. Saul had shown so we hit the hook. He got some good front slappies around it. I finally stepped up to trying it, but didn’t really get it. Then the sprinklers came on there and ruined that section. So back up top Saul got a good first try slappy crook. It was sick. I had reached saturation point on the 8.75 and lost even more motivation. We sat and chilled for a bit. Saul’s a good dude.

(setup 8.75 null event horizon deck, venture trucks 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger , bones medium bushings, sml 53mm og wide wheels, 2 speed washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 533v2 gray stock insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Cloudy day for once, felt cooler, but humid.  Warming up was pretty fast. My first real skating after a bunch of boardslides was a little line of halfcab noseslide then manual the black manny pad I fear so much.  Then crooks the butter bench followed by boardslide to fakie the little flat bar.  Not sure I went through with that one.  Actually for quite a while I was all over the place.  I tried to take advantage of being there alone and did a lot of dumb little ollies.  I also tried halfcab noseslides to fakie again.  Last time I couldn’t conceive it.  This time I got the first 3 I tried.  Skateboarding makes no sense.  I went on to get a couple that actually slid pretty far.  I was hyped.   Then I kind of got into a mode of failing at back 50 over the top of the lower step, ollie the little barrier, flatground trick, front nosegrind the step.  I managed a first try ollie over the little barrier (with a little wheel touch), kind of a treflip, rocketed first try heelflip.  Never got the back 50, it was quite upsetting.  Never got the front nosegrind either, but at least committed to that.  I gave up on over the top back 50s and just tried with my normal 90 angle in.  Accidentally did a 5-0 so naturally I shoved out.  Ha.  Tried halfcab crook for awhile and failed.  Same with noseslide 270 shove.  Tried to ollie the concrete bench again.  Got so close and committed more frequently, but never rode away.  I was so tired.  I had gotten there earlier and skated for close to two hours.  I didn’t really land much, but I was trying hard so I left happy.

(setup 8.75 null event horizon deck, venture trucks 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger , bones medium bushings, sml 53mm og wide wheels, 2 speed washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 533v2 gray stock insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Another warm morning before work I had the dog park to myself. I felt good physically, but mentally I couldn’t really get into it. I wanted to try back 50s. I got a few on the tiny ledge. I started on a line and kinda changed it as I got further or did a trick. At one point I did back 50 the tiny pad, front 180 off the kicker, halfcab boardslide the small flat bar, then bailed crooks on a bench. I couldn’t get back 50 on the low step. I kept focusing on how the trucks are narrower than the board. Such a lame thing to focus on. Kickflips still felt good. I tried a few more flippers, but didn’t land them. Struggled with front 50 on the benches, but got a bad 180 out. I tried to ollie the cone off the kicker a couple times, it seemed possible, but way taller than the barrier. I left after some fails to get a fakie 5-0 on a concrete bench. I felt bummed on my lack of effort, but at the same time still in love with the dog park and hyped on how much I’m ollieing these days.

(setup 8.75 null event horizon deck, venture trucks 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger , bones medium bushings, sml 53mm og wide wheels, 2 speed washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 533v2 gray stock insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

On a hot morning I went to the dog park before work since I have the late shift.  I had the place to myself for an hour with the exception of a quick 5 minute session from another older skater.  I started better than normal even though I had put the 8.75″ deck back on.  Tried a line of switch noseslide a concrete bench, wallie the smaller barrier, noseslide to fakie the back of the step ledge, fakie flip, halfcab noseslide, crook.  I only got to the halfcab noseslide once and bailed it.  Tried a line of front 50 a concrete bench, front 5-0 the end of the little narrow ledge, back 50 the low step, didn’t get the back 50. At one point I did a little hippy jump over the tiny kinked rail. It was nothing. That’s what I liked about it so much. That trick was scary to me, but because of how awesome the dog park is for my skating I just did it without thinking. Then I went in on the ollie over a concrete bench.  It took 12 minutes.  Ha, I know this because I filmed it.  In between tries I was doing some of the best feeling kickflips I’ve done in awhile.  After ‘getting’ the ollie I putzed around some more.  Got a couple good feeling halfcab noseslides.  I ended the session with the best treflip I’ve done on flat in awhile.

(setup 8.75 null event horizon deck, venture trucks 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger , bones medium bushings, sml 53mm og wide wheels, 2 speed washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 533v2 gray stock insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Even hotter day.  Sean and I rolled to La Raza where Kevin met us.  We warmed up.  I was wearing shoes without orthotics for the first time in awhile.  It felt good.  I had a few kickflips, a heelflip, front 50, weird front 5-0/50/smith surfy accident and a great feeling front 50 shove.  Then I filmed Sean and Kevin get great lines.  Sean’s took awhile, but was well worth it.  Kevin’s line came easy.  It’s good, he deserved getting it so quickly.  Halfcab flip, bonk the crack, back 180 nosegrind.  It’s the Ventures.  He’s woke.  Oh wait, so is Sean.  Everyone knows what’s up.  After filming Sean, Kevin called out a trick for me.  Switch front noseslide shove.  I went right into it.  About an hour later I gave up.  I wasn’t bummed though, it felt good to try a hard trick.  I was motivated.  I need to try that one more.

(setup 8.5 Null Lazer deck, venture trucks 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger , bones medium bushings, sml 53mm og wide wheels, 2 speed washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 533v2 gray stock insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

On a hot Saturday I met up with Fuzz, Dave L, Dave F, Rob and Kevin to do some actual street skating at one of our favorite spots.  Rocky Mtn.  As soon as I got out of the car I felt terrible on my skateboard.  The orthotics are killing me and my boardfeel.  Sure the knee pain is going away, but man the foot pain is back.  It’s always one or the other.  Rob had started a warmup challenge of manual ollie over a grate back to manual.  I didn’t participate.  Kevin, Fuzz, Rob got it.  Kevin and Fuzz may have added another grate to the mix.  Dave L might have done it too.  Dave F hadn’t shown yet.  I just dorked around slowly.  Actually the only thing I did worth even noting was a nollie shove manual on the speed bump.  I did a few of these.  Dave F showed up and got in the mix quick.  Most people skated the bank/curb for awhile.  I didn’t feel like ollieing up the curb so I didn’t.  I saw Kevin do a kickflip up, ollie onto the bank, then switch manual the sidewalk.  Doh, I knew I should have filmed that.  I saw Rob do some hot curb manuevers.  Crooks pop up, back shove front 50.  I started filming Fuzz.  He got a sick line twice.  Ledge, manny on the bank.  Then I started filming Kevin for awhile.  He was bummed having to try a trick that came easy the first time.  Dave got a sick feeble stall on the bank to curb.  After awhile I asked Rob/Fuzz to film as they weren’t skating and Fuzz was kind enough to film.  I started dorking around with an idea.  Ollie up to rock stall to “nollie” shove onto the ledge then kickflip off.  Kevin got his trick.  Fuzz started filming me, gave up after awhile then Rob started filming me.  I finally got it.  I was very hyped.  Thanks for filming it so well Rob.  Dave L got a rad back tail / crail / manual combo.  Then we left for a 2 stair manny pad.  Pretty sick spot, but the wind was fierce from a nearby storm.  It didn’t stop Kevin and Fuzz from manualling it.  Maybe Kevin would have gotten a manual kickflip had the wind not been so bad.  Rob no complied up and almost to manual.  I couldn’t get the ollie up.  It’s amazing how poorly I skated all day, but getting a clip felt absolutely great.  

(setup 8.5 Null Lazer deck, venture trucks 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger , bones medium bushings, sml 53mm og wide wheels, 2 speed washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 212 gray size 12, spenco 3/4 orthotic under footprint 5mm insoles)
(pain level 4/10 pain in left ball of foot)

We used to call this Flatground Friday. We all showed up around the same time. We mentioned we should skate flatground, but we messed basically just started out on the obstacles. It was cool after the rearrangement it was like a new park. We had the whole park to ourselves for quite awhile too. Warming up is never easy, especially after a full week of work. I had finally remembered to swap out my bushings. I put some Bones mediums in. They felt really good. Dave did a quick up to boardslide the 1/2 step. Then he did it frontside. Rob got in on it and did the boardslide too. Rob had some lines with manual or nose manual, front board on the tall metal bench, kickflips. I started settling on a line with a trick on a concrete bench in the corner, trick on the tiny pad, attempt to ollie the barrier off the kicker. I never got a clean line, but had some fun crooks and halfcab noseslides, manuals and nose manuals. I committed to several ollies, but only rode sketchily away from one . Dave was trying with me. His line was a kickflip then a front board transfer the bench, but he ended up doing back 5-0 on the tiny pad then ollie. He got a couple clean ones. I really noticed how I wanted a bigger board for the ollie. I also tried a few boardslides on the weird bar on top of the tiny pad. I wanted a bigger board for that too. Argh. One other thing I had done which I hadn’t done before was halfcab boardslide the small flat bar. Dave and I messed around with halfcab noseslide 270. Then we played a game of SKATE. It started terribly for me as I got SK on pop shove then SKA on front shove. I almost focused my board and left. I did redeem myself with heelflip and halfcab flip, but then fizzled out again on treflip, b/s flip and lost on a cab. I watched Rob and Dave finish the battle. I think Rob won it on a back 360.

(setup 8.5 Null Lazer deck, venture trucks 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger , bones medium bushings, sml 53mm og wide wheels, 2 speed washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 212 gray size 12, spenco 3/4 orthotic under footprint 5mm insoles)
(pain level 4/10 pain in left ball of foot)

On a warm night I walked across the street after Rob, Saul and Dave were already skating (because I have the longest commute ha ha).  I still forgot to swap out the bushings and the stiff stock bushings were tough to slappy with.  I struggled with front and back slappies.  Saul wasn’t struggling with slappies though.  Well actually I guess I saw him hang up on the raw section once.  How unlike him.  Dave was already doing long slappy crooks, noseslides, noseslide 270.  Rob got robbed over and over on back 50 shove. Neither of us got first try front shoves from curb cut to parking lot, but we did get them..  Around the time the sprinkler came on I knew the sidewalk would get wet which motivated a first try kickflip from curb cut to parking lot.  So fun.  I think Rob got it first try too, he goes backside though, seems so hard.  I failed at kickflips up/into the curb cut, had a couple nollie back tails, the normal slappies, Saul did a front slappy around the corner below.  So sick.  This dude Mitch showed up determined to ollie the little gap after a 10 year hiatus from skating.  He had a nice ollie, but man he was scary to watch.  He would eventually get the ollie though.  Dave had cool grinds up the curb cuts to tail, pretty much most directions, lots of kickflips, sex changes.  Rob got a one foot back 50 or two, front 5-0s and ended trying kick back 50s.  I ended trying fakie flip/halfcab flip on the tiny bank.  I technically got one, but it wasn’t really on the ‘bank’.  It’s fun, I like messing around on that bank.  

(setup 8.5 Null Lazer deck, venture trucks 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger , stock purple bushings, sml 53mm og wide wheels, 2 speed washers inside each axle, new balance numeric pj 533v2 grey, currex run pro insoles)
(pain level 3/10)