After a day in the office, a nap and then dinner I mustered some courage to go skate campus. Had a fun ride down through campus and ended at the bank to curb. I should warm up before I come to this spot since it is way harder than it looks. At least for me. I had a setup change. 8.5/14.25, Slaces, tablets. It was alright. I did a couple noseslides to start with without the ollie up. Then started slowly popping and getting on the bank. A simple warm up ollie onto the bank then nollie to fakie is quite fun. Then noseslide to fakie. Took a while to do an axle stall. Then randomly thought about front shove 50 and went in on it. I had done a few flippers in between tries, but nothing beyond the first few normal ones. I got somewhat close to the shove 50. I decided to move on and skate some other stuff.

I ended up at this spot and spent way too long trying a really dumb line. From the top level in the back middle ollie onto the ledge then transfer off the other side, roll around then kickflip to fakie the little bank to the left of the 3 stair, then switch front 180 off the curb cut by the tree. See the bright red light in the background? That’s a new gift from the stadium. I hope it’s not on all the time because it was intense and would change colors every few seconds. Anyway it was embarrassing how long the first ollie on the bench would take. It would be cool to do it with a manual instead. The kickflip was hard in the dark and I struggled with the larger setup. When I finally got the kickflip the switch 180 was easy. I was walking back to my car and noticed the downhill hallway had working lights so I had to do a couple noseslides. I was really tired, didn’t skate great, but street skating is always so rewarding.

(setup 3/10 null 20 year 8.5/14.25, null grip, slace 8.5, spitfire f4 tablet 52mm 99a, new balance numeric 440v2 wide 11.5 half insoles and currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 3/10 )

After working for the first time in almost two weeks and still recovering from a late travel day I went across the street to the side of the school to do some slappies. I had put hollow ventures on my 8.5/14.25 and it was pretty blah. I did a couple front slappies, a few slappy crooks, a kickflip and some nollie shoves. On the way out I went to ollie into/out of the curb cut and ghost popped so goodbye Ventures.

(setup 2/10 8.5/14.25 null and hollow ventures)
(pain level 5/10)

Woke up super early and went to Boulder park before work because I knew I wouldn’t be able to skate after work. It was cloudy and nice out. I struggled for a bit as one would expect for being so early and having had a few glasses of wine the night before. But ended up having some positives and fun. I had a setup change of course, 8.25 with royals and it was fine. Took a bit to get a noseslide on the bench the kickflip to fakie on the hump. Struggled with kickflips, but b/s flip on flat felt good. Had some easy ollies up onto some of the ledges, but struggled from the bump for some reason. Got to a point where I mostly just skated the bench. Would get boardslide, noseslide, noseslide fakie, crooks, switch front nose, halfcab noseslide, front nose fakie, switch nose, front 50, accidental front 5-0, front 50 180 and front 50 shove. Felt good to get up on that bench without an insane amount of effort. I guess the recent ledge work might finally be paying off (probably jinxed myself). I had also tried some bigflips on the hump, most of which felt unlikely, some front 50s on the hump to ledge, some frontside nollies on the turn around bank up top. It was a pretty fun session, too bad I had to go to work.

(setup 5/10 8.25 null is all you need, jessup ultragrip, royal 144 hollow kingpin, 52mm spitfire f4 99a yellow classic shape, new balance numeric 440v2 white size 11.5 half 440v1 insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 4/10)

After a bleak day of work I went home for dinner and chilled a bit as thunderstorms rolled through. It cleared up and I had kind of obsessed with the Folsom Field bank to curb spot so I went there. It was a fun downhill roll there going kind of fast at times being scared of hitting a crack. Made more scarier by a setup change and new shoes. It was very humid out. Well, very humid for Colorado which is probably only like 50% or something. But it almost felt hard to breath at first and I was sweating like crazy. I warmed up with some noseslides to fakie without olleing onto the bank, just a quick little push. And it actually took a few tries to commit to the role off the curb. Geez. This spot has always been way harder for me than it looks. Then I started ollieing on and doing flippers on flat and stuff. Would get several of the 180 stalls that are really fun. My dream is to do a kickflip out. It felt realistic at time, unrealistic at times. I got through quite a few flippers, but was kind of running low on energy. After a while I left and ended up at the little manny pad parking lot where I only manualled and came close to switch 180 manual and nose manual 180. Then nearby I tried to front 50 a waxed part of the banked ledge, but a cop drove by so I left. I hucked a few nollie bs flips that felt close. Then I went to the little tiny downhill curb ledge where I completely struggled to front 50 it, but man I was close to some slow uphill switch flips! Fun session though, I skated hard, it was fun.

(setup 7/10 8.5/14.25 null 20 year, null grip, thunder 149 hollow lights with royal bushings, 52mm spitfire 52mm yellow classic shape f4 99a, new balance numeric 440v2 white size 11.5 wide, half 574 insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 3/10)

After work on “Go Skateboarding Day” met up with Dave, Rob, Eric and Cass at dog park. It was kind of crazy, we had the place to ourselves for the most part. Was hyped to see Eric because it’s been a minute. Saw him lipslide a parking block, flick some heelflips casually like he does, manuals, front tails. Rob had a first t kickflip, manuals, nose manual the c lurb, front 50 it, back 50s the curb, nollie front lips. Dave beat me to switch front board the tiny rail, he also feebled it. He went in on front 50 around the C to kickflip out. A couple were close, that would be sick Dave! Cass had some good back 50s, bs flip on flat, gap to front board off the grate. I had pop with some Slappy trucks on an 8.25, but flip tricks were hard. Although I did get one of the better fakie bigflips I’ve done in a while. I tried a line of switch front nose the metal bench, fakie flip on flat, switch front board the flat bar, but never got them all together. Maybe never got the switch front board at all. Couldn’t get a treflip to save my life and would have been bummed but my front 50s were the best they have been in a while. Got a few on the main bench and ended with a front shove out of one that felt great.

(setup 5/10 null all you need 8.25, jessup ultragrip, slappy lights 8.25 with indy 88a bushings, spitfire f4 99a yellow classic 52mm, new balance numeric 600 black/gum size 12 currex runpro insoles and 1/2 insole)
(pain level 4/10)

In between rain storms I managed to get out before dinner nearby to Wilville. Didn’t want to go far as it looked like it would rain any second. It would, but not enough to matter. Anyway, I had put some Indys on my 8.5 setup and thought in my head I would like it. I started out way down at the little round ledge. Would get a run a couple times of kickflip then back 50. I liked the setup for grinds, but it felt really hefty on flips even with the hollow trucks. I also did some nose and crook stalls on the taller rocks nearby and a few completely failed attempts at ollieing up the 3 stair. Then I went up to the main area, got my 8.25, hated it more, went back for the 8.5. I could have just left, but decided I’d huck the dream trick of switch noseslide kickflip out. I got really close a few tries in so setup the phone and much to my surprise I landed on a few tries later. You can tell by my reaction I was completely surprised when I was riding away. I know I need to learn it while sliding, but man it felt cool. I have done this trick once before, but it was much worse. I left after that feeling pretty happy.

(setup 3/10 8.5/14.25 null 20 year, null grip, indy forged hollow 149 bones medium bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a tablets, new balance numeric 600 black/gum size 12 currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Saturday morning we collected at Broomfield to skate before watching the Adidas demo at Arvada. Paul was the quickest to jumping on the ledge. I think he did back 5-0 front 180 out before I had even ollied. Paul went on to do some good nosegrinds both ways, lots of back 5-0 front 180s. It’s always a treat seeing Hayden skate. He does amazing things so casualy and nonchalantly. The nosegrind pop out looked so fun. Saw some boardslides and manual from Rob. I mostly lined things out as usual. First one was halfcab noseslide, kickflip flyout, front slash the bank to curb, crooks the black ledge. Slappy crooks the lower bank to curb then a flatground treflip. I tried to line out front 50 the black ledge then a back heel on the mellow bank. I did get quite a few front 50s, but they became too hard after a while. I resorted to halfcab noseslide, got a heelflip and ended with a slappy crook on the parking block. Fun session.

(setup 7/10 8.25 null spanbauer, jessup ultragrip, thunder hollow light 148 with royal bushings, spitfire f4 99a yellow classic shape 52mm, new balance numeric 440v2 black/gum size 11.5 half insoles and currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

Then we went to the Adidas demo which was awesome and I got to meet Mark Suciu, one of my all time favs. Good news, he’s super nice! And he shredded! As did most of the Adidas team.

After a mellow day of work I went out to Douglass on a humid day after some rain. I started on the side of the school. First warm up line was pivot on a curb, nollie front 180 the micro hip, fakie flip on flat, switch noseslide the ledge, switch 180 out of the bump. Was trying the next line when a father/son joined the session. Seen them at dog park a few times. It was kind of weird because I was trying my next line and couldn’t tell if they were going or not. I was trying kickflip the micro hip, front 50 the ledge, treflip out of the bump. Never got the treflip. Got a couple smith stalls that were fun. Other flip tricks were not working. I was on my 8.5/14.25/thunder setup and it felt entirely too big. I went out to the front of the school. Tried to line out ollie up the curb, flipper, ledge trick. But I couldn’t get a treflip or heelflip and my knee pain became too much. I had done some fun noseslides and a first try crook that made me happy. But man those ledges felt incredibly tall, front 50 didn’t even seem remotely possible.

(setup null 20 year 8.5/14.25, null grip, thunder 149 hollow lights royal bushings, spitfire f4 99a 52mm classic yellow, new balance numeric 440v2 black/gum size 11.5 half insole plus currex run pro insoles)
(setup 3/10)

Didn’t really feel like skating most of the day but was in the office and the clouds were out on the way home so I went to dog park. Only a couple of people there. One of which was the super slow guy that kind of makes me laugh. Didn’t think it was possible to skate slower than me, but sometimes I can’t even tell if he is moving. Anyway, somehow I felt better than expected. Maybe it was because I was trying my Thunder setup. I had a line of front 50 the lurb, crooks the bench, back 50 the curb. 3 basics, but it was fun. I also got up on the bench with front 50s a few times. All of which were slow, but I managed a shove out once that I haven’t done in forever. Also got a crooks on the upper deck. Came really close to kick back 50 on the lurb, even got into 5-0 a couple times. Couldn’t get a treflip. Decent session even if it ended on a frustrating note not getting a treflip or kick back 50.

(setup 6/10 8.25 pmg, jessup ultragrip, thunder 148 team hollow royal bushings, 51mm bones stf v1 pj, new balance numeric 440v2 black/gum size 11.5 with half insoles and currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

After working from home with Nate we went to campus and started out at the curb cut meetup spot. We were having fun trying tricks out, manuals, etc. Dave joined after a while and then Jack and Joe showed up when their bowling game was cancelled due to a private event. Nate and Dave had done the nollies into the first one then back 180s out of the next one when Jack and Joe showed. Jack rolled on his cruiser board and did a second try treflip out of the kicker and several no comply flips and then no comply double flips just messing around. Joe had a hardflip or two. All on Jack’s cruiser board. Nate kept losing his wheel on treflip attempts. Dave got the kickflip out pretty quick. Nate got the treflip. I took forever to get the b/s flip and followed it up with two equally ugly and tic tac riddled flippers. Dave had a bunch of back 360 manuals, I had some front 3 ones. Dave almost did switch tre! We went into campus for a bit, ended up at the business building. Dave had some good kickflips, front boards and nollie lips on the curb. Nate’s little window ride were so cool. We both got noseslides to fakie on the ledge which is way taller than it appears. Dave got the wallie and drop in thing which resulted in a good laugh all around and perfect ender for the session. Then some yummy Pete’s after that!

(setup 4/10 8.5/14.25 null 20 year, jessup null ultragrip, 8.5 slace, 52mm spitfire f4 99a tablet shape, new balance numeric 440v2 black/gum size 11.5 pinnacle prostep insoles)
(pain level 5/10)