Up early on Mother’s Day cleaning the house for Liz. Got some cleaning done and rain was threatening so we didn’t want to go for a hike. So I just went out and skated flatground for a bit. It turned into quite awhile. Kickflips came fine, bad heelflips, halfcab flip, fakie bigflip wasn’t first try, I landed on a million treflips but never had a clean one, nollie tre, landed on so many other tricks but didn’t ride away. Hucked cab flips and switch tres for awhile. It felt fun to huck. Also really close to a few nollie heels. Liz decided she just wanted to write so I headed out to Safeway ledge feeling pretty tired and sore already. Somehow rewarming up was fine. Got through quite a few basics. Well, back 50s were still tic tac’d as I can’t ever seem to lock in. Got a slow front tail that slid which made me happy. Didn’t get too flippy as I had already spent a couple hours skating flatground. Although I had a few close nollie heels again. Some day! Then I basically just got into a rut of trying front crooks over and over and over. Got close to a few. I hope I learn that one.

(setup 8.25 null awkward vector, venture lows, bones medium bushings, 3 washers on inside of axles, 51mm stf v2, New Balance Numeric PJ Stratford 533 burgandy/gum)

It must be the weekend because the weather was crap. Cooler and raining. At least it wasn’t snowing I guess. I got to Yellow Curbs first. It’s been a long time since we’ve been there, it used to be a bust, apparently it’s not anymore. Man it’s a fun garage. I cruised around for awhile before settling into a line attempt. Back 50, front slappy the tiny curb, nose manual another section. I never got the nose manual. Sometimes I would do slappy crooks instead. Rob showed and got in the groove quickly with manuals and long back 50s out of the gate. We had a really fun session. Rob did a bunch of nose manuals, nose manual to front lip, lap over front lips, wallie nollies, no comply manual, no comply up and then kickflip off, front shove off, a lot of radness. I got a few back 50s (that trick is so hard for me), front 50s, front 5-0, slappy crooks, one slow slappy hurricane that felt awesome, remotely close to front nosegrind, struggled with kickflips up the curb, close to b/s flip off. I had started my day off 10-0 on kickflips, so that was good. Fun session.

After driving to Denver in the rain and back I had an hour or so before Carleigh’s party so I skated flatground in the garage. Got kickflip and heelflip then just started hucking. Nollie flips, varial heel and nollie heel. I landed none of them. I did land on some varial heels though. Close to nollie flip. Remotely close to nollie heel, but felt like I learned better foot placement and how to pop it.

(setup 8.25 null awkward vector, venture lows, bones medium bushings, 3 washers on inside of axles, 51mm stf v2, New Balance Numeric PJ Stratford 533 burgandy/gum)

Woke up really early for some dumb reason. Got ready for work then went to Lafayette because I thought the tiny little cement qp would be an easy place for my new challenge. Nope. For about the first hour I mostly tried a flip trick, did a wallie on the rock, a rock fakie and then bailed the trick I have to try. It was frustrating. I gave up after awhile and tried to have fun skating, but some lady brought her kids into the park to play on the slides (aka the hubbas). That really annoyed me. I did some 50s on the little ledge, manualed it, tried to do manual front shove out (no idea why I thought of hucking it). Had some mediocre runs in the toilet bowl. Avoided the big bowl because I was the only one there. The thing I was probably most hyped on was a line of ollie flyout over some cones and then close to kick back tail on the little ledge.

(setup 8.25 null awkward vector, venture lows, bones medium bushings, 3 washers on inside of axles, 51mm stf v2, New Balance Numeric PJ Stratford 533 burgandy/gum)

Went to Boulder park around 8am with an hour to skate. The warm up process went better. First thing was a line. No surprise. Dropin the deep bowl, 5-0 out of the little coping in the entrance, no comply 180 on flat, switch front 180 on flat, front d in the mini. There were a few other people there. And in typical Boulder park fashion none of them would even look you in the eye and say hello. That kind of bummed me out, but whatever, I just kept skating. Front 50’d the bump to ledge by the mini a few times. Noseslid down it, posed some kickflip noseslides. When I would commit the board would go over to boardslide. Did some ollies over the tiny hip, some 180 variations with no pop. Managed 50 front 50 the main ledge first try and then do the downhill part a few tries later. That hyped me up since I couldn’t commit to the downhill for some dumb reason last week. Then I mostly just posed for awhile. Treflip noseslide attempts on the bump to ledge by the entrance. It’s a dream trick. I’ve never gotten remotely close or even really tried it much. There were 2 or 3 that flipped, rotated and my front foot was above it. But of course my back foot was on the ground by then. I don’t care, it felt rad to pose it. Going the other way I got one slow front 50 up part of the ledge which was also fun.

(setup 8.25 null awkward vector, venture lows, bones medium bushings, 3 washers on inside of axles, 51mm stf v2, New Balance Numeric PJ Stratford 533 burgandy/gum)

On a beautiful day I met Rob, Dave, Aki and randomly Dan at Blue Skies for lunch. Rob and I were there first. I missed my first kickflip. And the second. The third and the 4th. Ugh! New shoe blues! I was bummed immediately. Dave showed up ripping out of the gates. He would go on to do a line with front 50 and back feeble on flat bars and a fakie 3 shove on the bank. Aki had lines for days. Front boards, kickflips, nollie front 50s, back 50s. Rob was going off. Boardslide one of the taller ledges, almost crooks on it, ollies over the flatbar like they was nothing, boardslide down the kinked ledge, crail blocks, etc. We were all surprised when another skater showed and even more surprised it was someone we knew. Dan! He rips! And he ripped! Ha. Back 50 transfer the round bar, lipslide the low ledge, back 50 up the escalator, treflip, almost switch treflip, but he can’t nollie tre! I did! The one redeeming thing I did was a couple sloppy nollie tres. I had been trying kickflips on flat (and getting really mad when I didn’t land one) and then kickflip to fakie on the little bank with the big crack at the bottom. It was a dumb thing to try, but for whatever reason I kept trying. I really don’t like this park very much.

(setup 8.25 null awkward vector, venture lows, bones medium bushings, 3 washers on inside of axles, 51mm stf v2, New Balance Numeric PJ Stratford 533 burgandy/gum)

Riley @siouxer666 Persing with the siiiickest backside flip today!!!!

A photo posted by Nolan Cormier (@nolancormier) on May 3, 2016 at 8:26pm PDT

Right after work I drove to northGLENn park. The traffic was surprisingly good. It was sunny and nice out. Still a bit crisp. I showed up the same time that Riley, Bernie and Garrett showed up. Derek was there. I had new shoes. PJs. Bright red/gum. I just couldn’t handle the Sals anymore. They hurt when they were knew, they were gonna end up hurting a lot more. Ugh. Bernie had some new shoes too so we were having the new shoe blues. We goofed around near the bowl, played a really bad game of SKATE. Nolan showed. Then I tried my new challenge of fakie front pivot to back pivot to tail on the tiny noping qp. I didn’t get very close. A regular qp is probably better to do it on, but the nice qp doesn’t have a wide enough deck. Riley took awhile to get it. Bernie was in on the program too, but moved on to kickflips and cab flips. Nolan did the trick to fakie instead. I wasn’t doing much other then trying that trick. There was a very loud dude trying nollie 5 shoves over the gap. Nolan was doing crazy lines. Derek rips that park. Then I filmed Nolan get a line first try and then him and Riley skate the barrier for awhile. Those dudes skated the bowl for awhile while I tried to get warmed up again. Then a cali grind session ensued on the little curb down the bank. It was fun. Riley and Nolan gap 50’d down it. Nolan really did everything actually. Crooks down it, nosegrind up it, front 5-0 to switch crooks up it. Gnar. I was happy to get a 5-0 down it and front 50 up. A hip session went down. Riley did the best b/s flip ever (above). Garrett got a big flip I think. Riley did switch 3, Nolan did regular 3. I got a tiny kickflip that took way too long. Then I sat down shortly before the lights shut off. I didn’t skate all that great, but I had fun.

(setup 8.25 null awkward vector, venture lows, bones medium bushings, 3 washers on inside of axles, 51mm stf v2, New Balance Numeric PJ Stratford 533 burgandy/gum)

Went into the garage for my 5 minute minimum. Did some basic manuals. Called it a night.

Today's Tour de parking garages summed up in 60 seconds. With @43shifty and @fullertrron. Can't wait for warmer weather.

A video posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on May 1, 2016 at 6:42pm PDT

On another cold and snowy day I met Rob and Dave at the bottom of St Julien. The garage is dark, boring and depressing. Rob and I were over it immediately. But good ol’ Dave brought the hype. Rob mastered wallie nollies. Dave did regular, switch wallies, regular switch no complies and made the parking block death trap look way less scary then it is. My line in the clip above pretty much sums up everything I did, with the exception of getting close to noseslide transfer and a slappy crooks or 5.

We went to another garage where we stayed for awhile (the one with the angled curb). Saw Rob do some proper slappy back 50s all posted on top, slappy crooks, front slappy slash. Dave was doing switch tricks like above. I was kind of in my own world. I was trying to get used to some new shoes and trying a long line I would probably never get. No comply a tiny curb, nollie 360 flip on flat, quick little manual, front 50 the parking block, ollie the little trash can, 360 flip. Yeah, I was dreaming. I never got the nollie 3 flip, but I did get almost every other part of the line (except the one other hard trick – 360 flip). I messed around with some other flippers.

@corpoglenny ripping

A photo posted by Rob Helmstetter (@43shifty) on May 1, 2016 at 4:07pm PDT

Last up was this garage. I did a few slappy crooks, Dave and Rob did some long back 50s. Rob and I were pretty beat. Dave was still going nuts and filmed a banger (saved for The Stubborns).

(setup 8.25 null awkward vector, venture lows, bones medium bushings, 3 washers on inside of axles, 51mm stf v2, Es Sal black/gum)

After a fun morning with the family I set out to enjoy some dry crete. The snow had stopped falling and cleared up immediately. Unfortunately it was replaced with a cold breeze. I started by riding down the long stairs a few times. It was sprinkling/snowing a little constantly, but not enough to stick. I didn’t wax the ledge at all. Probably not a good move. I got noseslide, struggled a bit with noseslide to fakie, crooks first try, never a good locked in back 50, halfcab noseslide, front board pop out, jib bonk front noseslide, a front 50 that took way too long. I tried a lot of flatground in between that I didn’t land. Although I was pretty good on my heelflip ration which has been rough lately. The wind was messing with everything for sure. After awhile I skated the spot in a way that I hadn’t before. Fakie bigflip on the sidewalk below the ledge, pop shove off, then tried a front crook on the ledge. The fakie bigflip took a long time and it was making me mad and the wind was getting to be too much so I left. It started snowing harder around then as well.

#sickofcoldweather #sickofskatingingarages #iwouldlikesomecheesewithmywhine #ohwaitidonteatcheeseanymore

A photo posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Apr 30, 2016 at 5:05pm PDT

So I went to this garage. I was determined to land 10 rare(ish) flip tricks. The warm up trick was b/s flip. I hit my hand on one of the beams. It spooked me and after that I couldn’t really do a trick without worrying about hitting my hand. Even if I timed it around a beam. Ugh. So I went to the lower part of the garage next to it. The concrete was rough, there was a huge puddle and my mood was bad. The only thing remotely fun was trying front pivot kickflips out on a curb. I got close. The best trick I did was probably not focusing my board. I am so sick of this cold weather. Yeah yeah, I know, you should expect this in Colorado. I don’t care. I’m sick of it.

(setup 8.25 null awkward vector, venture lows, bones medium bushings, 3 washers on inside of axles, 51mm stf v2, nbnumeric pj stratford 533 white/gum)

Went into the garage on a snowy night. So sick of this weather. I had some motivation to skate. I did some manuals to get warmed up, took a few tries to get a kickflip then just hucked nollie flip and switch heels over and over. Never got close to either unfortunately.

(setup 8.25 null awkward vector, venture lows, bones medium bushings, 3 washers on inside of axles, 51mm stf v2, nbnumeric pj stratford 533 white/gum)