Got a text from Saul to head across the street.  Turns out him and Luzius were on a mission to document Saul’s back smith around the hook.  Dave didn’t skate and we were interrupted at times by a freak rain storm.  Saul also did reg front and back slappies.  I had some fun front slappies, a few basic flippers then worked up to slappy front crook which ended up being extremely fun.  Then it was off to filming Nullers on campus.  Other than a manual and noseslide at Baker I just filmed the whole time.  

(setup 8.25 nullosaur, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast plate titanium hanger, bones medium bushings, spitfire 50mm f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 salmon size 12 with nike sb zoom air insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Will, Kevin and I met Rob on campus.  First spot was the little two stair with the light bank to it.  Great warm up spot.  I had put my venture 5.8s back on along with some little 50mm spits so I had some issues getting used to a new setup (like always).  I had a back 180 nosepick 180 that felt pretty neat.  I’m writing this too late to remember what others did, but we all had a few moves and seemed like a good warm up.  Next we went to Baker.  I think Rob was the first to get a nose manny and also the first to heckle some kids that couldn’t even say hello to us.  Kevin and Will front 50’d pretty easily.  I had a good slam on a front 50 when I popped way past where I needed to.  I guess that seemed to prove to me that Ventures have way more pop than Thunders.  I got a slow one after a halfcab flip.  Couldn’t get the noseslide to crook though even though I got up in one or two better than before.  Kevin and will had done a few basics then sat down while Rob and I kept skating.  Rob had halfcab boardslide quick, hc nose, front nose 270 and more.  Kevin did manual to 5-0 and nose manual to 50.  Next we went to the new business area.  Rob shredded as evidenced in the footage.  Will had a sick nose manual to firecracker and then some lengthy 50s and 5-0 on the long lower ledge.  Kevin’s line was pretty insane with the pivot to fakie and the halfcab down the 4.  I was unable to skate and got so frustrated I threw my board into the grass.  After a friendly kick out we ended up at the ol’ bank to curb.  Will battled no comply.  Kevin battled back tail then rattled off some Suciu-like combos.  Rob had pivots, pivots to tail, front tails.  I battled a few basics then tried no comply tail shove.  Never quite got one.  I’m definitely not old enough to count whatever it is I did.  I ended forcing myself to get at least one really bad treflip then we bounced for some glutenous food at Petes.

(setup 8.25 nullosaur, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast plate titanium hanger, bones medium bushings, spitfire 50mm f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 salmon size 12 with nike sb zoom air insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

After work I went over to the side of the school for some flatground friday.  Warming up went alright before the flip tricks started.  Then I literally could not kickflip or fakie flip or heelflip.  I almost lost my mind.  I had gotten a few slow flippers and was able to eek out a terrible 360 flip to at least to keep me sane.

(setup 8.25 nullosaur, jessup pj ultragrip, thunder hollow 148s, bones stf v1 52mm 103a, new balance numeric 212 salmon size 12 with nike sb zoom air insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

On a nice evening I biked to campus. I got a few licks in on the old meet up curb then left after getting a fun warm up line: manual the median, slappy crook, no comply 180, switch front nose the curbba. Then I biked by Baker, but there was a car right in the center of the ledge so I ended up nearby at the downhill curb brick area. I wasn’t as sore as I’ve been, but I still had no confidence. I played with some stationary nose stall to crooks and remembered the advice Hayden gave me. Just turn it. And they worked. So I tried to slide some, but that is not the place for it. I had done a few slow flippers and 50s. Thunders definitely don’t grind as well as Ventures. Dave showed. We skated the spot for a bit longer. He had some cool ride on grinds, front 50 nollie back 180 out. We shut down the spot with a couple mirror lines. I did fakie flip, switch 180, front or back 180 ( i can’t remember). Dave did kickflip, front 180 up, front or back 180 (can’t remember) off and then followed it with a halfcab flip. I had bailed my halfcab flip at the end so Dave totally showed me up. Then on the way to the new spot we went by Baker and the car was gone so we skated. That ledge seemed perfect for a noseslide to crook. I tried for awhile amongst other trick. I got a super slow front 50, crooks, noseslides. But it all came together when I finally got a nose manual then followed it with my first ever noseslide to crook. It wasn’t a proper locked in crook, but the witnesses heard a grind and it’s a new trick and I’m 48 and it felt awesome. Dave shredded. Manual to 5-0s, front noseslides, ride on tailslides and a first try pinched front crook! Next we went to the new spot. It was starting to get dark so the stair grind wasn’t as good as normal. The table was already set up off the wood bench so we did that. Dave would ollie onto the table pretty quickly. I tried to be quick, but ended up never quite doing it. Mark this down as the start of me questioning Thunders. Then I filmed Dave battle a crazy line for awhile. Dropin on a sketchy elevated table to tailside the bank to ledge. He did it really well. Then we messed around with the tricks in the clip above. I did a few of the dorky deck check manuals to deck check. Dave hadn’t landed the boardslide through the corner until the one time I pointed the camera at him. Ha. I ended on a fun line of switch 180 up the awkward curb then boardslide the tallish wooden bench. Pretty awesome night of street skating.

(setup 8.25 nullosaur, jessup pj ultragrip, thunder hollow 148s, bones stf v1 52mm 103a, new balance numeric 212 salmon size 12 with nb 440 insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

On a cloudy morning I met Rob on campus.  We pretty much went right to the new skatepark, I mean new business building that is better than most skateparks. It took us a bit to figure out how to skate it, but someone had waxed up the two stair and it grinded well and that was the main attraction.  We both struggled with the Colorado crack to start lines with manuals, but would get them.  Rob had back 50s easy. He would get a line of manual, back 50 back 180 out, front board.   I had manual, front 50 front 180 out, terrible halfcab flip, ollie onto a ledge, fall off, slam on a front board attempt.  I never got the courage to ollie the little curb to drop.  Had a couple front 50 shoves.  Going the other way had boardslide or noseslide a wood bench, front 180 up the 2.5 then a f/s halfcab flip.  We went over to Baker.  Rob had back 180s then halfcab nose and boardslides, and nose manuals.  Front nose, front nose 270.  I was unable to get a nose manual.  Had a fun noseslide to fakie then f/s halfcab heel.  Couldn’t get treflip or lock in to crooks.  Got one super slow front 50 then my right knee started hurting.

I met up with the Nullers.  Hayden got a sick clip.  People skated flat while I did nothing since I was in too much pain.  Then on to Longmont park for the LOCO skate society jam.  I never got my board out of the car.  It was good people watching.  

Then to Longmont ditch where I embarrassed myself trying to back 50 for awhile.  I seriously could not do it and it was so frustrating.  Everyone else was rattling off basic grinds/slides like it was nothing.  Well, Sean and Jack didn’t skate.  Hayden and Collin would sit.  Donnie was going 100mph on his dirt board to clear the drainage into grass.  Also did a bunch of solid tricks on his normal board.  I tried back smiths which I don’t think were really back smiths.  At least I entertained with some self depricating commentary like “worst” after I did one.  Fuller joined us.  He would shortly rattle off a bunch of tricks.  Tailslides both ways, 5-0s, such a good crooks.  Garrett was battling bluntslide kickflip forever.  He got soooo robbed.  It was brutal.  
Fun day, I wish I hadn’t been in so much pain.

(setup  8.25 nullosaur, jessup pj ultragrip, thunder hollow 148s, bones stf v1 52mm 103a, NB# 22 maroon size 12 run 619 insole then NB# 288S size 11.5 no insoles)(pain level 4/10 initially then 7/10 later on ugh)

On a cloudy day with rain threatening I met Will and Rob at Broomfield park. Jake and Sean would join later and then Darin much later. Rob and I quickly realized Will is much younger seeing as how he was jumping into grinds right away. Ha ha. It was a nice fun chill warm up though. I was starting to get the sharp cupsole knee pain that always turns me off on cupsoles. But a game of SKATE with Sean and Will helped with pain even though I was the first one out. I was happy to get heelflip, halfcab flip pretty easily. I saw Rob get back 50 quick, front tail, crooks, front nose, solid front boards, halfcab boardslide, a lot of ripping. Will is really good at front nosegrinds. He did like 20 of them on the black box, some where the entire length of the box. He had crooks too, lots of flippers, smith down the escalator ledge. Sean was on a terror pretty quickly. He had b/s flip and back heel and all his ledge tricks quick. Well, except the fakie back 5-0 which took awhile, but that’s understandable. Jake got going pretty quick. Front tail, front tail fakie, crooks, back 50, front 50 to front board. I was really struggling to get on the ledge and the sharp knee pain became too much so I switched to vulcs – NB# 22. They felt weird at first but pretty quickly I was actually able to ollie and get a few 50s. I had tried a run of 180 into the bank, halfcab noseslide, switch boardslide and got kinda close. Jake challenged me to a game of SKATE. We got through quite a few tricks with no letters until I got heelflip and something else. Oh I got a defensive frontside flip and it was funny because Judge Rob admitted to age bias. Rightfully so, Jake is only in his mid-30s. Ha ha. Then we went in on treflips. Will had joined the treflip battle and gotten a few before I landed a bad one worthy of a redo. Then another bad one worthy of a redo. Then a third one in a row that actually counted. I haven’t landed on 3 treflips in a row in a long long time so I was really freakin’ happy about that. Jake was super close but never quite got one and he went double-triple-quad or nothing and that was the game. We chilled for a bit. Darin showed. Everyone but me left so I skated some more with Darin. It started really slow with some rock ‘n rolls and axle stalls for me. He was doing front blunts, back tails. Then we started lining out the little ledge. His line was back blunt then bluntslide the ledge. I had nollie front tail, front disaster, nollie back tail which took way too long. Darin did front blunt. I tried a line for a long time of crooks the taller brown ledge, axle to fakie the qp, switch front nose shove the little ledge. I got one and was hyped and left it at that.

(setup 8.25 nullosaur, jessup pj ultragrip, thunder hollow 148s, bones stf v1 52mm 103a, adidas puig b/w size 12 with fp 3.5mm insoles then NB# 22 maroon size 12 adidas thin insole)
(pain level 4/10 sharp knee pain with the puigs, less pain with the 22s)

Woke up really early.  Whenever I have a terrible time skating I should take the next day or two off.  Instead I got to a mediocre skatepark at 6:30am.  I was pretty stiff, but not too sore.  I credit the Puig’s, they are decent for reducing pain, unfortunately board feel too.  After some total nothing carving around slow and some ‘nollie’ shoves I started with the warm up lines.  First one was switch nose jib, boardslide the rail, ollie to fakie the bank.  Next was ollie onto the little manny pad, front 180 off, fakie flip, switch front nose.  Never quite got that.  One that took a bit was front 50, ollie the bank hip, then front tail the little hip.  Took me a few tries to get a b/s flip on the main bank.  Then did more and followed with a kickflip to fakie near the main hip.  That was the highlight for me, it was downhill after that.  Couldn’t get front 50 shove, back 50 the little ledge or kickflip to fakie the main bank.  Argh.  

(setup 8.25 nullosaur, jessup pj ultragrip, thunder hollow 148s, bones stf v1 52mm 103a, adidas puig b/w size 12 stock insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Went to campus after a nice walk with Liz then dinner.  Missed the old guy session at the curbs, but I wasn’t really feeling like skating curbs again anyway.  It was a nice cool temp.  I had setup an 8.25 with Thunder 148s and put some old Bones wheels on.  Cruising into campus it felt great, lower to the ground and the hard wheels felt great.  I ended up at a spot I haven’t really skated before.  It’s a ledge that looks perfect, but got knobbed right away.  Anyway one of the knobs is missing making for a 4 foot section.  I did some lines to warm up.  Ollie a manhole cover (my first ollie was surprisingly painful), noseslide the ledge, no comply 180.  Then the other way switch noseslide, nollie tail a short downhill section, front 180 the manhole.  Switch 180 the manhole, kickflip on flat, noseslide to fakie, fakie flip.  The kickflip took awhile.  Argh, I could feel the board was lighter, but I still struggled.  I couldn’t crook the ledge, the truck difference was messing with me.  I did have some fun slappy crooks on the uphill section. Too bad it’s knobbed because it would be fun to go all the way up.  I managed a couple incredibly slow front 50s.  For how bad I was feeling that made me a little happy.  Until I tried to line them out with halfcab flip.  That’s when things got depressing.  It took forever to get an incredibly slow one.  Not much went on after that, I tried some treflips, but didn’t land one or even commit.

(setup 8.25 nullosaur, jessup pj ultragrip, thunder hollow 148s, bones stf v1 52mm 103a, adidas puig b/w size 12 stock insoles)
(pain level 4/10 not really that much pain, but I just had no energy or ability to jump)

Went over to the school after 7 on a cold night. The curbs were wet, but the flatground area was dry. I wasn’t feeling good and warming up proved difficult. In fact I think it took about 8 tries to get a kickflip. I choked it up to having new shoes and tried to stay patient. It was really tough though I had so little confidence and skated so slow. I was hating how bad I’ve gotten at flip tricks. I managed the warm up line of kicklflip, no comply 180, fakie flip. Then fakie flip, halfcab flip. Halfcab flip proved difficult and I was really struggling to make the board move. I didn’t land anything more actually. I posed a few tricks, switch flip felt possible, but bailed something taking it to the shin and had a reflex that focused that board. Ugh. I sat quite depressed for a few minutes getting super cold then went home.

(setup 8.3 null smoke valley, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 v-hollow hanger cast baseplate, spitfire 51mm 99a radial slag green, adidas puig b/w size 12 stock insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Had a few hours of free time on Mother’s Day and needed to bring boards to Emage. Was gonna meet Will, but it didn’t work. And it was probably for the best as it started to rain the second I pulled into a parking spot near my favorite granite ledge. DOH! I debated skating at all, but I would get a few crooks in before the ground was totally saturated. The weren’t great crooks.

After Emage I stopped by Safeway ledge as it was dry. I had purchased some Adidas Puig shoes. I didn’t want to deal with the uncomfortable 440s so I went right to skate the Puig’s. And they felt pretty amazing to be honest. I didn’t land much for flatground and didn’t want to do too many kickflips because I hadn’t had a chance to pre-goo the toe. Well I didn’t really land all that much on the ledge either, but it felt good to skate a ledge where I can actually do back 50s. I should have cleaned up the back 50 shove, but I chose to try other stuff instead. I kind of did a couple front tail jibs, kind of a front smith, close to back 5-0, didn’t even try flip in anything argh. Still it was fun.

(setup 8.3 null smoke valley, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 v-hollow, spitfire 51mm 99a radial slag green, adidas puig b/w size 12 no insoles)
(pain level 4/10)