On a really nice morning I went to dog park somewhat early and met up with Rob. It was cool because there was an old guy crew there and they were most likely older than us. And they were charging. Jack B was there and it was cool seeing him again. I had changed my setup. No surprise there. Well, mostly just trucks from venture highs to thunder hollows. And it felt magical to be honest. My kickflips felt the best they have in a while. Probably since the last time I skated Thunders ha ha. I still struggled with some halfcab flips and couldn’t halfcab noseslide, but other then that things were decent. I had some decent front slappies, a terrible back 50 on the taller pad (but I was just happy to actually do a back 50), some crooks and noseslides on the metal bench, a noseslide tab on the table and ended with a front 50 down to front 50 on the stacked cinder block pads as they are being repaired. Rob was ripping. Saw front board pop out and nollie front lip the taller pad, manuals, nose manuals, noseslides, halfcab noseslides, boardslides, halfcab 50, back 50 no comply out. Kevin and Nick had shown. Kevin went right into shredding. Nose manual the table to quick wallie was a banger. As well as nollie front nosegrind to 50 the double stack. I had to leave for work.

After working I ended up on campus. There was some event I didn’t know about and after seeing a bunch of tie-dye shirts I realized it was the Dead & Company concert. It didn’t really effect me skating the little yellow curb, but I didn’t have nearly as much energy and drive as I hoped. It turns out it was because I was getting sick, but I didn’t know it at the time. I kind of just hucked. Kickflip crooks and nollie front tail bigspin. In my opinion they both felt doable, but I doubt they actually looked close. I attempted to skate some more, but ended up being too tired so I went home.

(setup null 8.25 stumpy burnout, jessup pj ultragrip, thunder hollow 148 venom 88a bushings, spitfire 53mm classic shape f4 99a, new balance numeric 272 green size 11.5 half insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

After a long day of work I went to the side of the school. I had gone back to 8.25 with venture highs and it felt not great. Did a few random tricks, then a couple kickflips before heading home.

(setup 8.25 null burnout stumpy, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate hollow hanger royal bushings, spitfire 52mm radial slim 101a, new balance numeric 272 green size 11.5 half insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

After another long day of work around 5 I met up with Rob at dog park. The park was a little more crowded than normal for an afternoon, but still pretty dead. The two other crews managed to post up in area that really disrupted flow though. I had changed my setup. 8.3 with Royals. Initial take was I liked it. That quickly died after my first halfcab flip worked then I couldn’t land another one to save my life. I hucked a lot, didn’t land much and couldn’t get a halfcab noseslide on the metal bench which was really annoying. I did get another little noseslide on the Cali table, some fun slappy crooks, accidental 5-0s. Skated pretty hard, just didn’t land much of anything. Rob had a pretty good slam early on with front 50, but powered through. Manuals, back 50 back 180, front board pop outs, steezy wallrides on the barrier and a mega banger – Manual the pad to manual to boardslide on full metal jacket. Trick of the day. So sick.

(setup null 8.3 vhs, jessup ultragrip, royal 149 ultralights, 52mm spitfire f4 101a radial slim, new balance numeric 272 green size 11.5 half insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

On a very bright Saturday Cass and I went to a newish park in Commerce City. Kevin and Nick would meet us shortly after we finished up a game of SKATE. I would get 3 letters on kickflip and knew immediately that my setup change was not good. I had put ace lows on and I hated them. After bailing some more kickflips I went to my car and swapped them out for Venture lows. Life was better. Kevin was shredding the park. Lots of tricks on the little rail, various 180 tricks over the hip. Cass beat me in SKATE then almost learned back tails on the micro ledge before getting too hot and sitting in the shade. I felt some stuff out before going in on the nosegrind 180 which took me forever. I mean I landed a few really bad ones. I did various lines to get there. Mostly kickflip on the bank, frontside ollie the qp hip, then the nosegrind. But it wasn’t until later when I resorted to front tail on the qp then the nosegrind 180 that I got it. Kevin had ben working on fakie b/s nosegrind 180 out and got my back. It was a rad ending. Nick had floated some beautiful flippers and nose manuals.

(setup 8.25 null burnout stumpy, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.2 lows royal bushings, bones 52mm slims 99a stf 2 washers inside, new balance numeric 272 green 11.5 half 272/425 insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Went out after dinner to the side of the school determined to land 10 flip tricks. A brief warm up then went in. Kickflip, fakie flip. Halfcab flip took a bit. Was 2/2 on b/s flips. Tried a bunch and I mean a BUNCH of f/s halfcab heels and could not get one. It was so frustrating and I totally blame the Vans. Got a good feeling f/s halfcab flip at least followed by first try varial flip and I thought I’d roll through these 10 tricks. But I was stalled out at 6 for a long time. I couldn’t get heelflip or fakie bigflip for quite a while, but would get them both. I landed on and almost rode away from nollie varial flip, regular varial flip and fakie varial flip but could not get them. Could not get treflip or nollie tre. Finally gave in and did a sex change. Tried to end on halfcab heel or treflip, but ultimately gave in and did a no comply flip as the last trick. I was so sore and it was getting dark.

(setup 8.25 null spanbauer, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 v-hollow with royal bushings flat top washer, bones 52mm slims 99a stf, vans half cab maroon size 11.5 nb# 272 insole)
(pain level 4/10 vulcs suck)

Biked to campus on a lethargic Sunday trying to find something fun to skate. Instead I started at the Kittridge flagstone ledge. I had biked there since our car broke down. As soon as I stepped on my board it felt so incredibly wrong. I never did anything worth note but one halfcab flip felt okay. Then I biked to a nearby curb and tried kick back tails for a while and got remotely close before ultimately sitting down in and giving up.

(setup 8.25 null spanbauer, jessup ultragrip, thunder 148 hollow lights with venom 88a bushings, spitfire 51mm classic shape f4 101a, vans half cab maroon size 11.5 nb# 272 insole)
(pain level 3/10 some right knee pain)

Got out for a bit to skate on a warm day before graduation stuff would begin. I had switched setup again and did not like it. 8.3 with 149 thunders. After some warming up I started trying a line of switch front nose, halfcab flip, ollie onto the c ledge then shove off. Never got the shove. In fact ollies felt super weird and I don’t understand why. About the only thing that felt good were crooks on the metal bench. Until I start imagining shove out (the hard way) and then I couldn’t crook anymore. I did manage to finally 5-0 the cinder block ledge. It was supposed to be a 50 and it was incredibly slow, but it’s the first time since I hurt my achilles. So I may have been overall quite bummed, but that part did cheer me up.

(setup 8.3 null vhs, jessup ultragrip, thunder team hollow 149 venom 88a bushings, spitfire f4 99a classic shape 51mm, vans half cab maroon 11.5 nb# 272 insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

On another cool cloudy day I went to the Valmont extreme sports complex. There was almost no one in the skatepark side so I started there. I had changed my setup. 8.25 with thunders. As much as I have grown to hate Thunders I think this setup is most aligned with the type of skating I’d like to do. It felt really squirly and small at first, but I ended up having fun. Went in on flip tricks on the flat bank pretty quickly. Got kickflip and b/s kickflip pretty quick. Then found a decent line into it fakie finally and took too long to get fakie flip and halfcab flip. I couldn’t quite get bigflip or front heel. Then I started trying noseslides on the hip ledge and would get a few. Then started trying to do a line of back 50 the weird downhill lump qp, noseslide, kickflip on the bank. I was really close and it was fun. But after a while I gave up and moved on down to the main course.

Was stoked to see Dennis skating, it’s been a while. I struggled with flip tricks and I mostly blame my shoes for being way too big. But there was a kickflip that was so incredibly easy it made me feel happy about my setup change. I did mostly the same old stuff as I was recalibrating once again. Ollies felt good, grinds a little weak compared to the wider Ventures, flippers felt very different. I had some fun trying to 180 a parking block then fakie/switch tricks on the new plastic ledge. I also finally managed a slow front 50 on it. So nothing groundbreaking, but I did skate hard for over a couple hours and felt good.

(setup 8.25 null spanbauer, jessup ultragrip, thunder 148 hollow lights with venom 88a bushings, spitfire 51mm classic shape f4 101a, new balance numeric 272 black size 12 half front insole)
(pain level 4/10 lots of skating recently)

On a limited time frame I went to dog park to meet Rob, Cass, Sean and Paul. We started in the park. I was adjusting to a couple changes. Vulc 212s and a smaller deck. The shoes were too big and with the smaller board felt super odd. I tried to do 5 flippers on the bank. But I only got kickflip fakie, b/s flip and kind of a big flip. I couldn’t make the board to a varial flip. Oh and Sean and I both got no comply pole jams 2nd try.

At the dog park it was a decent session. Rob was in demo mode when I got there. Back 50 no comply back shove out, halfcab back 50 back 180 out (trusting him on this one hee hee), manuals, nose manuals, halfcab board the tall bench, front board it. I filmed Cass do a front board on old piece of junk flat bar so I remember him doing that, but can’t think of other tricks right now. He was doing some filming with his super 8 which was cool. Sean was doing Sean things. Basically everything looking perfect at high speeds. The back 5-0 front 180 was my favorite. Paul had a bunch of cool slappies in all directions. Oh Cass and Paul were learning fakie back 50s then Paul learned fakie crooks like it was nothing. I skated pretty average. Did a new trick on the little ledge. Nollie front tail front shove out. Totally perfect ha. Near the end I the little Natas stall on the cone and got two shoves on it.

After lunch with my mom and some lounging I went up to Lyons to meet Dave and Billy on the Rampitheater. I had a new christmas complete. 8.3/5.8/51. It felt alright, but my shoes still felt too large. The ramp was crazy. There was a super small section then a taller section with different heights. I took forever to do a f/s halfcab rock. Then lined it out with front tail which I haven’t done in forever. Couldn’t get a kickflip on the transition. Dave beat Billy’s son Brook in a game of SKATE. It was pretty funny. Brook is young and super motivated and was trying hard and isn’t afraid to ask a lot of questions. It’s cool. It’s funny actually both his kids were into old school skating like Billy. And all decked out in full safety gear. Billy ripped it. He would throw in some tricks out of nowhere like a little invert, blunt fakie yank in, front d, 5-0s. Dave had lots of fakie/nollie/switch pops and almost got a nollie bigspin. Good times and a fun adventure seeing some elk and deer on the way home.

(setups UGH 8.25/8.3 5.8 cast/titanium 51mm, new balance numeric 212 size 12 272 insole)
(pain level 3/10)

On an absolutely gorgeous cloudy 70 degree afternoon I went to meet Rob at dog park.  I had put the 8.3 deck back on.  The valmont park was completely empty so I started there and it was quite fun.  Tried a couple lines.  Barrier ride, carve around then kickflip fakie.  Other way I tried ollie the hip euro, back 180 the next hip then posed halfcab flips on the little bank.  Was getting into it when a bunch of kids on bikes went through mud and right into the park.  

The valmont warmup was nice as I started out pretty good in the dog park.  Rob was already linking lines with halfcab boardslides or noseslides, back 50 back 180s, manuals, and close to nollie front lips.  I tried a line for a bit of switch front nose the metal bench, fakie flip, halfcab boardslide the little flat bar, but I couldn’t get the halfcab board.  I don’t think I really did anything else of note really, but I was skating alright and having fun.  Rob and I played another game of SKATE.  I couldn’t get a halfcab flip to save my life, but was hyped to get a halfcab one foot.  Rob won it on a no comply back 360.  I skated a little more after that, a fakie 50 or two then my wheel fell off again trying a slappy so I was over it.  And possibly over Aces.

(setup 8.38 smoke valley null, jessup ultragrip, ace af1 low 55, 52mm bones stf 99a v3 slims, new balance numeric 288S green/gum no insoles)
(pain level 5/10 super achy)