Showed up at big Arvada to meet up with a good sized crew of great dudes. Bratcher, Eric, Salty, Gordon, Garrett and more. It was quite cold when we started and there were quite a few scooter kids surprisingly so warming up wasn’t easy. I ended up being there for like 4 hours, but it’s all kind of a blur. I know I hit the little qp at the top for a bit, skated the bank by the blue chip, did some boardslides over the parking block. Gordon and I were at the top for a bit he was doing manuals and fast 50s on the granite pad. I was doing incredibly slow front 50s. I had changed back to 8.25 with Ventures and would mostly like it though. Then we skated the blue chip area for awhile. Salty had some fakie front 50s, got me to do an alley oop fakie front 50 that gave me a good slam. I spent a while getting a bad front heel on the blue chip. Although there was one which was almost perfect. Eric got going on the hubba and after some noseslides by Gordon and I he 50’d it like a stud. Gordon and Garrett would go on to manual it. Garrett with the b/s flip up the 3 after. Jack had some nice front boards on the parking block. Gordon and I got no comply pole jams on the weird granite. I couldn’t ollie up the big pad like I could 10+ years ago. No surprise there I guess. Skelly showed at the end so I tried to skate more, but was pretty much toast at that point. Fun session.

(setup 6/10 null keyhole 8.25, null grip, venture 5.6 v-cast bones medium bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape orange/black swirl, new balance numeric 440v2 size 12 wide navy with half insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 5/10)

Somewhat early after my first day of snowboarding in a couple years I met Bratcher at Willville. It was pretty nice out, but the wind would gust hard at times. I had done a silly warm up line of switch nose jib, nose manual the grate, manual into the pad. Then we mostly skated the lower ledge. Jack put his phone right by the ledge, kinda funny. We managed not to hit it somehow. The switch noseslide 270 shove was first try, but other than that I struggled pretty bad. Had a couple flippers, but didn’t get past halfcab flip. Jack’s switch boardslide was so good. At the end I mostly got a nose manual and kickflip onto the pad.

(setup 3/10 8.3 thunders 52s, nb 440v2 wide)
(pain level 4/10)

Went out to the garage on a very windy day before dinner. Had a setup change. 8.3s with slappys. Felt weird, warming up was tough and took too long. Oh I had started in some old Es Swifts and then changed to some NB 212s and really liked them. I had done a few kickflips, fakie flip then went in on heelflip as I had seen a great Mariano one earlier in the day. But of course since I had though of them, they didn’t work. Seriously took like 50 tries to get one. Luckily after that I went like 3/10 on treflips so I wasn’t so depressed.

(setup 4/10 8.3 null flaherty, jessup ultragrip, slappy lights 8.5 with indy 92a bushings, spitfire f4 99a classic 52mm orange/black, new balance numeric 212 b/w size 12 with rewind cush insole)
(pain level 4/10)

Another day, more skating! We went to Broomfield where quite a few people would be skating. We added Hayden, Bo, Rob, Will. I had made a totally random setup change and it didn’t really work for anything other than crooks on the black box. 8.25 with Indy hollow mids. Some of us played a game of SKATE. Bo won it on a heelflip, I think I was the first out. Will had his ledge moves and added back smith. Bo was an amazing ball of energy popping up / on / over everything in sight. He even kickflipped over the double set rail! Was going seeing Rob out there getting his manuals on the banked pad, front boards, noseslides, shifty flyouts. Hayden looked pretty good, popping around and front 180 fakie manual the bump to pad, back nosegrinds, a lot of ripping. Joe struggled a bit with front smiths again which was surprising.

After a big lunch we ended up at Sheridan DIY. Most of us were zorched. Skelly was charging though. So good to see. Hayden even just messing around was ripping and the impromptu double curb wallie was so good. We had some fun quad boardslides on a railroad beam. I had the little slash then wallie which was fun.

Then we went to Parris’ backyard ditch. He had a crew already there, but it was chill. One dude Johnny was ripping it so good. Skelly would go on to shred too. I did one front 50 in the pool coping and a totally not decked front rock on the rocks. Joe with the axle stalls on pool coping which he wasn’t used to. Keegan front d on the rocks. Ben got in on the action, had some fun grinds. Then we chilled by a fire as it had gotten super cold. Fun day, so sore, taking tomorrow off!

(setup 2/10 8.25 null keyhole, indy forged mids 144, bones 52mm stf v1, new balance numeric 440v2 wide size 12 with 574vulc and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 6/10)

After a big breakfast on a cool, but luckily not windy, morning we ended up at Valmont park. It was Joe, Keegan, Ben and me. We cruised around a bit, then a game of SKATE on the flat bank ensued. I had gotten a couple letters on tricks I shouldn’t like fakie flip and b/s flip. Otherwise it was fun. I didn’t do so good at anything really. Keegan was ripping it.

Then we went over to dog park and started with a game of SKATE that took a long time and Joe eventually beat me. I had a fakie bigflip that made me happy, but that was about it. Didn’t really do much more than that. Keegan had a nice noseslide on the very tall bar then a good sack on a boardslide on the lower one. Joe made his moves. I spent a long time getting a nollie tail 270 shove on the lurb. At least the make felt good.

Wind kicked in a bit so we went to square state. We mostly skated the mini. I had one run with some basics then spent time outside playing around on the new ramp. The front 5-0 into the bank was fun. Dave and Keegan did kickflip rock fakies. Brian is fun to watch, did some patented front truck bashes, front feeble fakie, carve grinds, so fun to watch.

Lastly we ended up at a nearby ditch and Will showed. I had a boardslide then axle stall, but couldn’t quite get a front tail. Will had some great f/s ollies. Keegan rattled off a few tricks, nollie back tail was sick. Joe went ham on kf rock and would eventually get one. We got dinner after that, we were all exhausted.

(setup 8/10 null 8.3 sean, jessup ultragrip, venture v8 5.8 with titanium hanger and bones medium bushings, spitfire 51mm f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 440v2 wide navy size 12 half 574 vulc insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 5/10)

Nice night. Met up with Joe and his crew Keegan and Ben. Then Dave and Will showed. It’s been 5 days since we skated and we skated like 20 hours over 3 days so my memory of this session is lacking. It seemed like everyone skated pretty well. Dave had all kinds of long lines with his patented magic. I saw a nice back bigspin over the hump along with his line. Lots of greatness on the bank to curb section. Joe did his patented tricks. Fakie flip and halfcab on the bank, front 50 variations on the ledges, took a while to get a front smith, front shove over the hip. Will showed off his ledge skills. Front nosegrind, tail, smith. Back 50s, manuals, switch manual. So good. Almost got bump to manual the long pad and all the way into the next kicker. I had a pretty good night. Was trying for a line of front slappy the bank to curb, noseslide, then ollie up the euro and Dave wanted to film it. I almost got kickflip off first try, but was probably just as happy to get is second try. The kickflip really hyped me up! I don’t really remember much beyond that for myself, but I did skate alright and enjoyed the crew.

(setup 5/10 8.25/14.25 null 20 year, null grip, thunder 149 hollow lights with bones medium bushings, 51mm spitfire f4 99a classic, new balance numeric 440v2 wide navy size 12 with half 574vulc insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 4/10)

Went to Blue Skies on a lunch break from work. I had thought maybe I could skate through pain. I guess I kind of did, but it was an embarrassing struggle fest. Add in having to wear glasses, new shoes and a setup change it was ripe for struggles. I had some boardslides on the flatbar, one good feeling flatground bs flip, a few noseslides. As much of a struggle as it was, it was a nice break from work.

(setup 7/10 null 8.3 sean, jessup ultragrip, venture v8 5.8 with titanium hanger and bones medium bushings, spitfire 51mm f4 99a classic shape, converse fastbreak grey size 12 half 272 insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 8/10)

Wanting to be lazy on a cold breezy night I went out to the garage for about an hour. I skated my 8.25 slace board. I had gone out with the intention of trying front bigs, but instead after I did a few basic flippers I settled on varial heels. And kInd of got one. I was really surprised when I landed on it, felt cool. I hucked some other flippers too. Nollie b/s flip and switch b/s flip which were not close. Got one bad 270 flip. Happy I skated.

(setup 6/10 8.25 null keyhole 2, null grip, slace 8.25, spitfire f4 99a orange/black swirl classic shape, new balance numeric 440v2 wide size 12 navy, half 574 vulc insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 4/10)

On an incredibly nice Friday I took the afternoon off work and met Will and Darin at Broomfield. I had some solid struggles at this session, only things I can remember liking were doing several heelflips on flat, actually 5 in a row at one point. they were supposed to be setups for treflips though, which I never even got close to. Will, Darin and Spencer did them well though. Will went in on kick back tails on the black ledge. He got into some, but never landed it. I really stunk it up, couldn’t really crook which was so frustrating, got one sketch front 50 shove, a halfcab noseslide that took forever. Darin rattled off his qp moves. I managed one back 50 on the blue lurb. Will was having no problems, same with Darin. It was cool seeing Spencer there, he was ripping and did 180s to fakie nose manuals on the crazy euro. Yes, both frontside and backside. I had one fakie bigflip I liked. We skated quite a long time, I really sore at the end.

(setup 5/10 null flaherty 8.3, jessup ultra, indy 149 forged hollow ace bushing, 51mm spitfire f4 99a classic, new balance numeric 440v2 wide navy size 12, half 574 vulc insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 5/10)

On the way to work I stopped by dog park for about 20 minutes on a different setup and new shoes. Oh and it was incredibly windy, unskateable. I really just wanted to do a noseslide and crooks. I had 8.3 with forged redrilled v8 ventures and it seemed okay. Well, it noseslid really well and crooked even better. But when it came to front 50, not so good.

(setup 6/10 null flaherty 8.3, jessup ultra, venture 5.8 titanium redrilled to v8 with bones bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic orange/black, new balance numeric 440v2 wide navy size 12, half 574 vulc insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 3/10)