Put on my bigger deck again and headed over to the school with some new shoes too. Es Accel Slim. Messed around with some back 50s and front 50s. Tried some slow front 50 kickflip out. Ollie was trying the hurricane really quick and I wanted to film it. He got close for awhile then the slam and that was basically it for him. I was trying flippers in between his attempts. Then Ollie left so I went to the street and skated flat for a bit. It didn’t go well. I struggled with halfcab flips which really made me mad. It didn’t help that huge gusts of wind would ruin things for awhile. Then it would be calm and I would try random stuff. I basically didn’t land anything noteworthy and it made me doubt my shoes and larger board.

(setup 8.38 null atomic cowboy deck, venture 5.8 black icon trucks, 51mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the outside of each axle, bones medium bushings, es accel slim all black size 11.5, footprints gamechanger lite insoles)

Fun times last night. @slaherty @siouxer666 @garrettswheelers @43shifty @themindfulskater @lastfallensoul

A post shared by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on May 16, 2018 at 9:26am PDT

After some terrible traffic I arrived at Broomfield park and quite a few people were already there. Rob was holding it down for the Stubborns. Donnie, Garrett, Riley, Sean, some dude named Stefan that was friends with Riley I thought. There was a bunch of people there. Scooter kids, bikers, other skaters. It was hard to get in it. Donnie had turned up Motorhead rather loud on his speaker which was funny because everyone at the batting cages had to listen to it. It’s hard to say who was doing what for awhile because there was so much going on it was hard to see beyond what you were doing. I kept it kind of mellow knowing it would be less crazy in an hour or so. Spent a little time filming (the sunny clips). Rob’s back lips were so sick. Garrett’s nosegrind shove was a thing of beauty. Donnie was all over the place and obnoxious about it. I haven’t seen Riley in awhile so that was a treat. And Sean wow. Back lip front shove so good. I was kind of all over not really focusing on anything. Got a fakie nose jib, couldn’t back 50, then went for the ol’ Texas Plant which I finally did when the camera was on. Oh yeah, at one point the session was mellow and Rob did like a 20 trick line. It started with back 50 back 180 on the blue ledge, fakie nosegrind the escalator ledge. Then something on the black ledge, b/s flip on flat, front tail on the blue ledge, front shove and more tricks I”m not remembering. I was pretty tired and played a game of SKATE with Garrett and Stefan which was pretty fun. Got a heelflip, landed on 360 shove, got a letter on nollie tre, and lost on b/s flip. Garrett’s b/s flip was so perfect. Then I just filmed Donnie work himself to get the f/s flip. Fun session.

Okay, so a little setup OCD that was going on. I wanted a bigger board with a bigger wheelbase all night. I had also been obsessed over the fact that Indy’s have a smaller wheelbase and thought it might help with a large board. At one point I rode Garrett’s board and quickly confirmed how little I wanted to ride Indys. Granted he’s got the young kid hipster loose trucks, but man they felt beyond terrible to me. Ventures for life I guess. Or at least until I try something else next week.

(setup 8.25 null monico deck, venture 5.8 black icon trucks, 51mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the outside of each axle, bones medium bushings, es swift 1.5 grey size 11.5, footprints gamechanger lite insoles)

Rain was threatening, but didn’t hit and the sun came out as Rob and I started at this fun looking curb. Dave joined shortly after. This curb looks fun right? Well, it was, but it wasn’t easy. The cracks in the brick are large, the foot traffic a bit much at times. But we skated and struggled on it for quite awhile. In the end everyone came away with something good, but there was quite a bit of struggling. Rob was on the back 50s right away. Dave struck next with a front 50 on the start then front board on the end. Rob had a nice hurricane after awhile, Dave front hurricane or maybe it’s not a hurricane since he came out forward. I basically didn’t do anything except some slow front 50s, a tiny switch crook jib and then in the end got a trick I was hyped on. Switch front noseslide shove out. By “slide” I mean about 1 inch. I was still happy though. Rob added some switch front nose, front tailslides, front tail to fakie. Dave’s banger was front 50 back 180 out. So good. About the photos, I really only tried a couple times to get photos and this is what happened. I feel they are a pretty accurate summary of the spot. Ha.

We moved on into the alley behind the place. Dave and I started playing on this weird bank contraption. Rob took off. Dave was trying nollie in and making it around this weird corner without holding onto the rail. I did a no comply front shove to fakie on the lower part of it then started trying kickflip to fakie. This is when a couple dudes that used to skate came over and started talking, wanting to borrow our boards, etc. Dave and I would get our tricks. We messed around some more and one dude showed us some footage of him in the late 90s that was pretty sick. We told him to buy a board and get back on it.

Then we skated this curb that Rob found. It’s really good. I struggled. Dave and I both started with nollie front lips. Dave did a nollie back lip too, then regular front lips. I was busy working on a more technical trick like back 50. Ha. It took awhile. Then I tried to line out a kickflip off a bump in the sidewalk then a back 5-0. Got close once, but I kept missing or bailing the grind and my trucks were bumming me out. Thunders suck. No matter how good they seem on paper. I did get a log of kickflips though which felt fun. Dave was trying slappy feebles to 270 out and getting oh so close, but they were falling into boardslides before the 270. I tried some front nosegrinds too, but didn’t get close. Dave closed it with a front 50 nollie shove out. Fun spot. As much as we struggled it still felt good to street skate. Not landing much in the streets is still more rewarding than an average park session.

(setup 8.25 null monico deck, thunder 148s with super old forged baseplate, 51mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the inside of each axle, 91a venom bushings, es swift 1.5 grey size 11.5, footprints gamechanger lite insoles)

I don’t know why driving down from Buena Vista wears me out so much, but it does. Rain was threatening and I was tired, but I went to research with no real intentions. I had assembled my smaller setup with Thunders again because I was sick of the extra effort the longer wheelbase takes to flip. I started out with a few hill rides not really doing tricks then started to noseslide the ledge. I ended up ATV’ing it more than normal there and was trying the manny pads around the area. It was awhile before I tried flip tricks, but they came quicker than they have lately when I did. I got a first try tic tac back 50 and decided I wouldn’t try again. Even though I did and couldn’t do it. The slightly narrower trucks felt weird on crooks, but I got a couple. Got into a bunch of front 50s, halfcab noseslides, tried fakie front 50. Had a nice feeling backside flip and a second try halfcab heel that convinced me on the smaller setup. I was hucking back 360 kickflips too. Not even close, but they seem doable. After awhile I set the phone up to film. I was already pretty tired at this point, but having a video to go along with the journal is kind of nice. Oh yeah, I had a bearing blow out so that was a little annoying to deal with as the back heel wheel (lock into front 50 with) would move around. I was happy when it fell off. I could have put the nut back on and tightened it, but I went home instead.

(setup 8.25 null monico deck, thunder 148s with super old forged baseplate, 50mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the inside of each axle, 91a venom bushings, es swift 1.5 grey size 11.5, footprints gamechanger lite insoles)

Went to Broomfield park right after work on a cloudy day with rain threatening. Rob and I arrived at basically the same time and begun the warm up process. I mostly didn’t do any tricks involving ollies, but Rob did a lot of ollies out of the gate. My knee was still hurting, more than I thought it would be. There was some weirdness going on with the people skating. Some younger high school kids that had their looks down, but could hardly skate. Some 20 year olds that didn’t look like they have skated much and would almost die often. One of which was beaming like no other. He was smiling though so it kind of made it less awkward. Nick was there ripping with a friend that was popping treflips and other flip trick so high he was catching them above the black box and kickflipped into the CO bank. Will Garson also showed which is always a treat. Such a nice dude and such a ripper. The nosebonk 180s over the tip of the CO bank were incredible as were the super fast fakie manuals and kickflips popped with so much style. Sean Flaherty also showed towards the end. Didn’t see him skate too much, but the way he skates with so much speed and precision is incredible to watch. I hadn’t done much all session. I got a fakie 50 where I came out switch on the blue ledge which felt neat. Several slappy crooks on the parking block that felt great. Near the end I was doing little scratch grinds on the steep bank then trying Texas Plants on the quartapotty. I got a few where I set the board in cheater style and maybe one at the end where I jumped on a little. It was fun. The big story was how hard Rob was ripping. Long lines. B/s flips, 360 shove, back 50s, back 50 back 180, halfcab back 50, fakie nosegrind, nose manuals and almost a front nosegrind to end it. All in all a fun day even though I was in too much pain to try flippers/ollies. It always rules seeing Rob rip so hard and it’s a treat that so many of the younger skaters are fun to skate with and nice dudes.

(setup 8.38 null atomic cowboy deck, venture black icon 5.8 trucks, bones medium bushings, 51mm bones stf v1 wheels, 3 washers outside each axle, es swift 1.5 grey shoes size 11.5 with spenco thinsole orthotic insoles)

On the warmest day of the year so far I met Dave at lunch at the dog park. I felt pretty terrible to begin with which is expected, but it was worse than normal. Eventually we both started trying tricks. The cones distract from the flippers, but at the same time I think going over the cone is good for the old legs. I did a few fakie flips in a row until it was time to line them out with a switch 180 over the smaller cone and then I couldn’t do one. Argh. Dave was doing nollie front 180 then switch ollie over the smaller cone. So nuts. He would go on to nollie front 180 over it too. I managed to get over the tall one a few times, but it was a struggle. Tried to line it out with flippers, but things just weren’t working very well. I got halfcab flip, heelflip, f/s haflcab flip, b/s flip, hucked a lot, missed 360 flips, nollie tres. Dave was struggling with kickflips. I blame his bald shoes. He blames himself. We’re both probably right. Ha ha. He came close to heelflips. I was trying lines of some flip trick, front 180 over the smaller cone, rick flip. Got really close. One of them really hurt my knee though. Looks like I will be going back to orthotic insoles. My body sucks. At the end I called out a first try 3 shove and landed it (sketchy). It at least made me happy.

(setup 8.38 null atomic cowboy deck, venture black icon 5.8 trucks, bones medium bushings, 51mm bones stf v1 wheels, 3 washers outside each axle, es swift 1.5 grey shoes size 11.5 with stock insoles)

After a nap, dinner, some chatting with Liz I went to Broomfield park running late to meet up for the first Tuesday night session in awhile. Rob, Ed, Donnie, Garrett, John, Darin were already there ripping. Rob especially. He was silently stacking tricks like bigspin front nose, back 50 shove, back 50 back 180, close to halfcab boardslide shove. It ruled seeing John skate as it’s been a long time. He was ripping too! He was sliding his patented switch noseslides, front shove revert, close to nollie flip. Garrett and Donnie were on one together racing to back nosegrind on the sad ledge. John and I were trying some lines like front 50 and back 50 on the little ledge, but when we tried to add 180’s to the mix we just kind of lost interest and did our own thing. We did flatground versions of some footplant trick Dave can do casually on transitions. It was kinda fun. There was a lot going on so it remembering all of it is impossible. Darin and his crew were mostly just skating the quartapotty. I was 5-5 on halfcab noseslides for the night. It was awesome. They weren’t great, but at least I wasn’t bailing. I really think the pop training Rob and I did the day before over the cone helped. Gotta ollie stuff more. John put down a long line with front 50 on the black ledge, ollie the little rail, noseslide the black ledge, and almost switch noseslide 270 shove the black ledge.
I had some decent lines too. Front 50, boneless over the rail, best crooks I’ve done in awhile. Donnie was charging the bank spot and it was inspiring. So I tried to push as fast as him (I couldn’t) and just boardslide the flat bar. That felt cool and I tried to ollie the 6 after. Well, kind of. I posed it, but didn’t really have enough speed or commitment. Most people had left. The park was just 3 other dudes, Donnie, Garrett and me. Garrett and Donnie never got kick back tails on the black ledge. They were amazed at how tech I was getting with front 50 shove though. Ha. I did get one and it felt cool and I almost lined it out with a halfcab flip on the mellow bank and fakie nosegrind on the black ledge. Last thing for me was to take 30 tries to scratch grind the bank. I was inspired by Donnie charging it so hard. It felt cool. Garrett’s bigspin onto it was sick. Donnie had done b/s flip onto it too and like 20 tricks grinding like 5-0 up it over the steep bank, switch front crook, switch back 50 (serious wtf), front 50 and the tricks in the video. What a fun night. Skating with friends is great.

So now for the shoe change reasoning. I just couldn’t put the NB# 288s on again. The heel is so high I was too scared of rolling my ankle. So I put some old Es Swifts on and they felt really good. I had put some gamechangers in for a bit of the session, but they didn’t feel good.

(setup 8.38 null atomic cowboy deck, venture black icon 5.8 trucks, bones medium bushings, 51mm bones stf v1 wheels, 3 washers outside each axle, es swift 1.5 grey shoes size 11.5 with stock insoles)

Feeling slightly less sore I went to the dog park after work on a gorgeous afternoon. There were cones around from the weekends bike lessons. I did some Dr Kyle dynamic movements to get my legs going. Seemed to help. I rolled around doing the no pop shoves, some ollies. Started ollieing the smaller cones. Tried a couple lines. Front 180 the smaller cone then fakie flip. Couldn’t do the fakie flip. I felt like I couldn’t even jump enough to let the board rotate. Ugh. Rob showed up around then. We did a lot of cone ollies over the smaller one and not many flip tricks. We mixed a few in then. I managed to get over the taller cone second try. I say “get over it” because I may have touched it some. I was hyped regardless. Then we tried some lines with the cones which was fun. Rob did ollie over the smaller ones, fakie bigspin, back 180 the tall one. So sick. He had also front 180’d the tall one and of course several ollies over it. I did a line of front 180 the small ones, halfcab flip on flat and maybe an ollie over the taller one (Weck would probably call me out). Jumping over that cone made it hard to do more tricks in a line, but it did feel good to work on ollies for once. Then we played a game of SKATE. It was a long one where we both tried “real” tricks and encouraged each other to try hard ones. It was fun. I couldn’t get fakie varial flip, halfcab heel or treflip. Rob had a good b/s flip that got me a letter. He got a good fakie flip that I normally get a letter on him with. I was happy to get a heelflip pretty quickly. He got me on a 360 shove that I was very close to. I got a double or nothing on something. Not front shove, but similar. Argh. Got a letter on no comply bigspin which I should have called double or nothing on because I did land it second try. Almost got out on no comply finger flip and did get out on no comply back 360. After the game I tried 360 shoves until I landed one. It felt awesome. I have done that trick, but it’s been a few years. Fun day. Glad my legs felt a little better, but would have liked to land a 360 flip.

(setup 8.38 null atomic cowboy deck, venture black icon 5.8 trucks, bones medium bushings, 51mm bones stf v1 wheels, 3 washers outside each axle, new balance numeric 288 tan size 11 with stock insoles)

Feeling very blah and knowing I would be filming later I went to the school to try the 10×10 list Nate had given me. I was wearing some shoes I’ve had for awhile, but been too scared to skate in because of how tall the heel is. NB# 288. They felt okay though, gave me more confidence to commit to the board. But my mind was very unfocused and I just didn’t have it. I got 4/10 and only two tricks on the list I should land. Argh. Later on we were at Valdez. As people warmed up I hucked kickflip noseslides because there wasn’t much point in trying to really warm up. It was kinda fun. Then I filmed Jack and Hayden and they got tricks. Lots of driving and filming later we were at DU and I skated the pond for a bit. It was cool. Hayden and jack did back nosepicks. Coburn did back d. Chad and I did axle stalls and rock ‘n roll. No one got back 50 on the steeper one. All in all a decent day of filming. It was exhausting though. Lots of driving. Jack’s 5-0 was nutso.

(setup 8.38 null atomic cowboy deck, venture black icon 5.8 trucks, bones medium bushings, 51mm bones stf v1 wheels, 3 washers outside each axle, new balance numeric 288 tan size 11 with stock insoles)

Not feeling as motivated as I should I went to the school and skated some flat in the alley behind it for awhile. It didn’t go very well. I started slow and gradually got into the basics, but never got out of the basics before a crew was starting to form and I needed to eat and meet up. We met at the mellow Valmont bank spot. I pulled up at the same time as Carleigh, Ashlyn and Ella. It was a pretty mellow warm up process. I went through shoves then started the kickflip cycle. Every trick I landed had a nice solid tic tac. Ashlyn and Carleigh had both done no complies. Carleigh kickflip and b/s flip and maybe a heeflip? Ashlyn got a heelflip I think. Jack showed up and had to setup a board. I said I’d get a treflip to fakie before he got his board setup. Nope. Committed a few times, but never landed it. Jack said he was struggling but did tricks like nollie heel fakie first try and pivot. We all messed around with stuff. I gave up on treflip and went for halfcab heel which I’ve never done on a bank. It took about 100 tries, but I got it. And it felt good. Jack had been trying the craziest trick. No comply flip fs wallride. Carleigh was filming him. But he never fully went for it. But wow, that’s an insane trick.

Then we went to Douglas. It was cool as Joe, Dan, Collin and Donnie were there. But what wasn’t cool was how done my legs were when we got there. I was in so much pain and here we are about to skate tall ledges. In the middle of a heated session with young ones that have pop. Rob got in the game quick though and was doing boardslides and boardslides to manual out to the parking lot. Jack too with crazy long crooks with or without 360 shoves out. Collin did a boardslide 270 on a long ledge and his patented noseslide 270 shove tricks. Donnie skates 215 trucks now and was proving how he could still do flip tricks by not landing flip tricks. Ha. Almost front feebled a ledge though. Dan had crooks and would later do a sick line of front 180 over a ledge (a wall to me) then switch front board another. Carleigh did noseslide and noseslide shove and got a heelflip on flat. Ashlyn came close to front noseslide, got heeflip on flat and a rare kickflip on flat. I did a couple noseslides, a noseslide to fakie that felt good and a tiny crooks jib. Jack was shredding. Fakie nosegrind 180, back tail shove, noseslide 270 shove. Rob was lining out crooks with no comply wallies. Rob and I played a game of SKATE. Actually, two games of skate. Mainly because he beat me so fast in the first game that we hadn’t had enough. My legs were toast though. I tried, but I didn’t land much when I had a chance. Rob got me with some good ones like back 360, heelflip, bs flip, maybe even halfcab flip. He didn’t go after me with cabs. Whew. Ha. I think I got pink slipped in the second game. Joe got front 50 on the inside of the long ledge and then shut down the demo with a fakie hardflip over a bench. Insane. But just when we thought the demo was over Jack stood up and put a licking on the main ledge. Back 50 heel flop out, kick back tail (I think?), nollie one foot back smith, crooks 3 shove. It was a fun way to end the day. Bummed on how sore I was at this spot, but overall it was a fun day with good peeps, spots and weather.

(setup 8.38 null atomic deck, venture black icon 5.8 trucks, bones medium bushings, 51mm bones stf v1 wheels, 3 washers outside each axle, new balance numeric 255 cream/gum size 12 with thin stock NB# insoles)