Woke up early when I’m on the late shift at work so I did some exercises then went to the dog park. It was cold in the upper 20s and took a bit to get warmed up. But after a bit I got a great long warm up line that put me in a good mood. Back 50 little one, crooks the two step, kickflip on flat, wallie wallies world, noseslide to fakie cinder block shuffle, fakie flip on flat, halfcab noseslide, heelflip, little front nose jib the two step, front 50 the little guy, bailed a treflip. I did get real close to a few treflips. Been trying to adjust my foot placement after seeing that guy in Rhino the other day. Oh yeah, I was back on my 8.5 setup. This time with big 54mm Bones wheels. I think I really need the extra pop of the hard Bones wheels. I would have a decent session. Did a few lines. Front 50 the black box, crooks fakie cinder block, halfcab flip. Tried back 50 shove on the little guy for awhile, but didn’t get it. Ollied Wallie World for the first time in forever. Tried to front 50 the two-step, but never got it. I was close though. Then I ended by doing front 50 shove on the cinder block ledge. I was happy I didn’t completely fail at that again. All in all a decent session. For the first time in several days I wasn’t super bummed on myself after skating.

(setup 8.5 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 red cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing flat washer top, 54mm bones stf v5 with all washers outside the wheels, new balance numeric 212 mustard size 11.5, footprint mid elite insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Picked up Kevin then we hit this new spot.  Basically the area is a skatepark.  We looked at all the park had to offer then went in on the cali/ride on grinds which were way harder than they looked.  Kevin got one first.  I kind of got one a million tries later and he had already gone over to the double orange ledges.  I had gotten a couple kickflips that felt really good and I thought to myself “never again skating 8.5” (yeah right). Then we tried our lines.  That was fun.  Kevin literally landed like 20/21 nollie flips even on my board.  There were a bunch of others skating, everyone was nice.  One dude had an amazing treflip.  The lines took awhile.  I had one kickflip where I squated extra low and almost couldn’t get up from it.  I thought my knees would be done after that, but they kept going.  After getting our lines Kevin did the snake run to ride on grind.  It took him a long time, but he got it.  Then we called it a day.  It was nice to not completely hate myself for the first time in a few days.

(setup 303 8.25 deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 (cast baseplate v-hollow hanger), bones medium bushings, spitfire 52mm 99a tablets, new balance numeric 212 mustard size 11.5, footprint mid elite insoles)
(pain level 4/10)  

After hitting 303 Kevin and I met up with Rob and hit Redder curbs. Kevin and I hit 303 because we had recent struggles and it’s never our fault, but instead our setup’s fault. Ha. I went back to 8.5 with 8.5 Ventures, but traded in some large 51mm wheels for some narrow 50mm wheels. I’ve never really done the big setup with tiny wheels before. Well, not that I know of. Kevin was also switching back from Thunder to Venture. We woke. We had intended to meet Rob on campus, but the snow was starting to pick up so Redder curbs it was. Warming up didn’t seem too bad for anyone. Rob was on the back 50s and no complies right away. Kevin was figuring out his setup with switch flips. My trucks were way too loose, but I was having fun. Slappies worked well and kickflips felt great. Almost had some fun b/s flips out of the little kicker. Kevin and Rob had nice back 180s. Rob and I had some wallie nollies, Rob had front tails too. Jack showed and quickly did impossibles, treflips, popped kickflips. He is so freaking good. Then he went on to learn f/s halfcab back 50 in a few tries, did like 10 of them in a row and casually added the no comply flip over the mega gap in a few tries. He also learned slappy crooks (of course doing shove out second try), did the most popped no comply 180s and fakie tre’d over the little median. Rob learned slappy front crooks! I ended up doing my first slappy crooks shove (i’ve only shoved out of regular crooks before). I also did a b/s flip over the little hip. I got kind of close to kick back tail on the curb. Near the end I started trying nollie back tail shoves. Most of them weren’t close and were embarrassingly slow and awkward. But out of nowhere I did one and it felt quite amazing. I may have even slid it a little. Kevin joined the learn slappy crooks party. He also took top honors in the slam department. He tried a no comply 180 and went down soooo hard. It was brutal. He also ollied the parking block gap, back lipped the parking block, halfcab bonk the median like it was nothing. Dave showed near the end still riding his putter. He went into noseslides, tails, quickly. I had kind of tuned out at that point and was ready to go. Dave apparently skated for like 2 more hours ha. So awesome.

(setup null 8.5 plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 trucks (red cast baseplate titanium hanger), venom bushings (88a big one no washer, 91a small one flat washer), spitfire f4 classic shape 99a 50mm wheels, new balance numeric 212 mustard size 11.5, footprint mid elite insoles)
(pain level 4/10 mostly the cold causing the problems)

On a really nice morning I met up with Rob, Kevin, Mike, Eric, Dave F and eventually Sean at dog park.  I was on my 3rd setup change of 2021 already.  Well, just a truck swap out, but that’s pretty huge.  I want flips to be easier so I’m going with some Thunder 148s.   And boy did they flip good at first for me.   After some rolling around to warm up I would have several first try flippers.  Kickflip, heelflip, halfcab flip, b/s flip and some others that came in a few tries.  Front 50s felt good on low stuff, but I struggled with the taller ledge for a reason I don’t know.  Crooks felt extra good.  I had a fun line of front 180 the parking block, halfcab flip on flat, front 50 back 180 the little guy.  Everyone seemed to be skating well.  I saw Rob get some halfcab noseslides on the taller ledges.  He also had two really bad slams in a row.  One on a back 50 body varial out that was looking so good until the last second when he hung and slammed so hard.  I haven’t seen him bounce off the ground like that in a long time.  Then on the next attempt he hit a stop rock and went down hard again.  Argh!  He kept skating though, front 50s, first try kickflip, much more.  Dave was in demo mode.  Everytime I’d see him he was landing something crazy.  Front crooks to fakie, switch crooks to forward, front 50 back 180 transfer the beam, halfcab back 50 back 180 out, halfcab boardslide several parking blocks to fakie and much more I’m forgetting right now.  Kevin and Mike were ripping the ledges.  Nosegrinds, nollie nosegrinds, back tails, back smiths.  Kevin did back smith the tall bench then back 180 nosegrind the cinder block I think.  Wowsers.  Kevin and Mike did back to back back smiths on the tall bench at one point and I got their back with a tiny crook jib.  I couldn’t get a fakie nosegrind to save my life.  I’m not sure why.  I tried some switch front crooks and failed, was close to rick flips and nollie varial flips.  My last trick was a front 50 kickflip out on the little guy.  It was fun as I haven’t done that trick in forever.  Dave got my back, but I forget what the trick was.  I think switch crook.  Eric had been ripping.  Got a few back 180 heels, 5-0s, tails, lipslides, ollies over stuff easily, back 50s on taller ledges now.  Sean ollied over one of the angled crossbeams all crazy and of course had nosegrinds, 5-0s like they were nothing.  

Some people stopped skating, Dave, Sean and I went to Basemar.  Sean wanted to ollie the bump to parking lot, but there was a truck parked half into the landing.  So we ended up dorking around.  We hit the little flat gap to manny.  Well, those guys did.  I was tired and sore.  I was stoked Dave ollied it.  Sean did manual, 180s to halfcab and fakie bigspin out, 180 nose manual.  Then we skated the bump as a bank doing lots of side rock variations.  Dave was going hammer though and going for sex change.  He ended up focusing his very old board, going to his car and getting out his 7.75 putter then doing it first try.  Ha.  He would also go on to get a really cool trick that I filmed for Stubborns 2.  I don’t know what to call it so I’ll just say it’s a nollie shove into a fingerflip.  Sounds awesome right?  Then Matt showed up to sell a calendar and we chatted for a while as the sun finally came out again.  

(setup 8.25 303 deck, jessup ultragrip, thunder 148 HL, venom 88a big bushing, 91a small bushing, spitfire 52mm 99a f4 classic shape, 3 washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 212 black/pink size 11.5, footprint mid elite insoles)
(pain level 4/10 probably from feeling a slight cold or something)

With my Venture 5.8s back on I met Rob, Dave L and Kevin at Broomfield park.  I was the last one there.  For some reason I wasn’t feeling a skatepark session on a Saturday, but after a few warm up runs they suggested we bounce.  I don’t remember much of anything because I literally was only there for 10 minutes.  

We went to this school to look at some mini benches, but they had snow.  We went around the school and played on some curved ledges that could be pretty fun.  Dave almost got boardslide pop out.  Kevin almost got hurt multiple times.  Then we ended up in the nearby smooth parking lot.  Manuals, flippers were had.  Kevin did a quick up ollie several times.  I ollied it to axle stall.  A good old fashioned curb stall session ensued ignited by Rob with a pivot back tail.  Kevin did a switch front disaster and I tried, but didn’t get it.  Rob had more pivots to tail to almost 180 out.  Dave had fakie pivots.  

Then we ended up at this fun old bank spot.  The north facing bank had snow so it was a different vibe than normal.  In some ways I thought it was more fun because you were forced to roll in a certain way, but it wasn’t as fun to cruise that’s for sure.  Kevin and I had some fun b/s flips even if his was way better and landed much quicker.  Dave and Rob had some poppy ollies.  Rob struggled with crail blocks which was rare for him so he put an end to his very old board.  Dave had left.  Kevin did a Janoski flip out of the bank then fakie ollie into it which was way nuts.  I had almost done a biflip first try.  So instead of doing it quick I took like 20 tries to get a very bad one.  Oh well.  As we rapped by the car I did a kickflip on Kevin’s board that felt so good so I drove right to 303 after that and got some Thunders.  ha ha.  Gonna be 3-3 on setup changes to start the year.  Anyway, fun day with the crew and I’m hyped we got out of the park.  

(setup 8.25 303 deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing, spitfire 52mm 99a f4 classic shape, new balance numeric 212 black/pink size 11.5, footprint elite mid insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

On a cold night I drove out and met Dave at Frederick.  The park had more snow and ice than we had thought.  The manny pads weren’t an option.  The bump to ledge/hump and curb areas were about it.  And the two weird benches by the dumb sculpture.  We basically had the park to ourselves except when shoveler Patrick showed up for awhile.  We skated the hump and curb area the most.  We skated for over a couple hours so it’s hard to remember all that went down.  Warming up wasn’t as bad as you would think.  Dave did a lot of curb stalls/transfers/grinds.  All of which were made harder by limited run up.  Front hurricane, boardslides, noseslides, nose stall reverts and the amazing back axle to rock to revert transfer.  Wow.  He also had some incredible lines that had switch shoves on the hump to quick wallrides.  I mostly posed flip tricks and got used to my new trucks.  Yes, new trucks again.  This time Indy Mids.  Had to try them, they felt great before the bushings totally froze up.  I had a line of caveman grind then b/s flip the hip.  I couldn’t get a regular kickflip over the hip.  I posed hardflips for awhile on the little bank and got kind of close. I took too long to get a varial flip over the hip.  I lost interest when Pat stole my trick.  Then after he left I tried again and got a couple weird feeling ones.   I tried a line of fakie flip on the little bank then f/s halfcab flip over the hip, but was really struggling.  Dave’s lines were pretty amazing.  It’s hard to describe the crazy curb transfers then switch shoves on the hump to quick wallrides and the smoothness.  We ended on the weird sculpture benches.  I was unable to switch noseslide either way.  I guess the Indys might not be so good for ledges.  But I had some alright crooks and a fun noseslide shove.  Dave had a good line of front noseslide to fakie, fakie flip on the tiny bank, noseslide to fakie.  Oh yeah then we hit the bank for a bit.  Dave did some great fakie ollies.  I did some weak ollies to fakie.  

(setup 303 8.25 deck, jessup ultragrip, 144 indy mids, bones medium bushings,  spitfire f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 black/pink size 11.5, footprint mid elite insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Feeling kind of out of it I went out to the garage remotely thinking about varial heels and nollie varial flips.  I did a few warm up kickflips, slammed on a fakie flip, did a few other tricks then went in on varial heels.  I tried for 25 minutes.  I landed the one other one, but put the hand down and didn’t want to count it.  I was so close so often, but to actually land it was hard.  And when it finally did it felt kind of lucky.  I was hyped though.  I listened to Dinosaur Jr Give A Glimpse yet again.  That album seriously rules. 

(setup 8″ null archway deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.2 high red cast baseplate v-hollow hanger, venom 91a bushings flat roadside washer, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, 3 washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 212 black/pink size 11.5, footprint elite mid insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

On a cold and snowy night I went into the garage.  The goal was to rotate between 6 different types of tricks.  Kickflips, heelflips, nollie, switch, 360 flip, random trick.  It made for a lot of failing, but at the same time made for some good motivation.  I had a new pair of 212s and they felt a little slippery and stiff.  Good shoes take a minute to break in.  Also my trucks were making so much noise they were driving me nuts.  Maybe it’s time to order better pivot cups.  Basically I was not close to anything other than kickflip tricks and a couple terrible heelflips.  I was not close to treflip at all which was oh so frustrating.  I had gotten halfcab flip kinda quick which was maybe the only joy I had on the 8.5.  At some point I grabbed my 8.25 sitting there and said “8.5 never again”.  I didn’t land a treflip on it, but I actually committed finally.  I got a f/s flip that felt alright.  Some nollie and switch flips were close.  Was not close to casper flips.  I went in after about an hour and a half of flailing around feeling quite depressed.  I guess the one positive is I think I finally found some insoles I really like.

(setup 8.5 then 8.25 both with ventures and 52mm wheels, new balance numeric 212 black/pink size 11.5, footprint mid elite insoles)
(pain level 2/10!)

On a pretty nice day I had enough of work and went for a lunch break. After 3 days off I felt like going with the 8.5 setup. Maybe my goal will be to skate less and have the energy and pop to skate the bigger board. Or just not skate much at all because it’s so darn painful during the winter. Even when it’s warm up. Anyway, I felt rusty and less motivated than I had hoped after a few days off. I blame work mostly, it’s been way too stressful. I had an alright time though. Did some slappies, slappy crooks. A few slow flippers. Kickflip, fakie flip, b/s flip, heelflip, a f/s flip that was maybe legit and an incredibly slow 360 flip that made me happy. I also did a switch front 50 on the curb.

(setup null 8.5 plant life, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8, venom 88a bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 blue/gum size 11.5, nb# abzorb insoles)
(pain level 5/10 knees don’t like me)

Another beautiful day so I skipped out for a very short lunch break to get some slappies in.  I hadn’t done a lot of exercises so I was kind of stiff.  Slamming into the curbs helped to get the legs moving.  I was on the 8.25 setup.  It wasn’t the best slappy session, but still fun.  Had some fun front and back slappies, took a bit to get front crook.  Tried switch front 50s and got into a few, but didn’t land it.  Got on switch slappy crook.  Ended with a front slappy.

Then after dinner I met up with Mike and Skelly then Garrett at Broomfield park.  It was pretty nice out and the park wasn’t very crowded.  Warming up was tougher than I thought it would be.  I had done lots of exercises.  Skating earlier I had worn the 288s and for this I went back to the 306s.  They hurt as the shoes and Nike insoles have gotten really thin.  Anyway, Mike and Skelly were mostly hitting the blue wedge area.  Skelly had a pretty good slam right away hanging up on the edge.  Ouch.  He would go on to get front shove to fakie also a quick ollie on then ollie off the side.  Mike was slappying the bottom curb somehow even though it’s oververt.  I was kind of all over.  I 180’d up the black ledge which made me kind of happy.  That was about the time Garrett showed up.  He had a line pretty quickly that was amazing.  Front 50 up the escalator ledge, back tail black ledge,front tail 270 shove the black ledge.  Also treflip into the bank.  I struggled with front 50s and it made me mad.  I switched to my 8″ setup because I couldn’t get the halfcab flip on the bank.  I still struggled with it, but would end up landing it.  I did several of the switch noseslide shoves.  I had some alright crooks on the 8″ setup, but not so much the 8.25.  Mike had some good front noseslides on the black ledge.  Skelly did some little front slashes on the brick qp, but they were really rad.  I slammed boardsliding the little rail, but would go on to get it a few times.  I got really close to a halfcab heel noseslide.  Flip tricks weren’t going very well.  I think mostly because my shoes were so thin I was afraid to commit.  Which of course just hurts more.  Justin was there ripping.  As Garrett tried the manual combo I hucked flip tricks.  Couldn’t get a treflip.  Decent night, I tried hard. Fun crew.  

(setup 8.25/8 nulls / ventures 288s/306s blah not worth all the details since I switch all the time)
(pain level 4/10)