On a hot morning I went to dog park around 10am. I was still worn out from the trip to Nebraska and driving yesterday. I had given in to an obsession to put the 6.1 axles on. I quickly determined it was a dumb move. But I still skated for a couple hours. The new barrier is cool, but still hard to skate. The cinder block ledges being bolted in rules. I was mostly all over the place. Tried to string two tricks together on the cinder block ledges, but didn’t really get anything worthy. I took a bit to get a line of wallie over wallys world, ollie a parking block, front 50 the cinder block ledge. My achilles has been acting up the last few days. I’m not sure why, but it makes pushing not so fun. Also took a bit to get a line of switch front nose then metal bench then halfcab boardslide the little flat bar. I made myself manual and back 50 the little ledge. Not the best session, but was happy to skate.

(setup 8.5 null smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 6.1, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 4/10 right achilles is killing me)

After some swimming in a lake I made a run to Central City to check out the weird skatepark I had seen clips of.  It was less impressive than I thought it would be.  Poor construction and wavy concrete.  But whatever, it’s unique and had some fun elements.  I started ultra basic with a roll in then rock fakie on the death spine.  After some carves down the snake run and fun mini spine hops I mostly hit the ledge.  Aka the only not unique feature.   It’s a good ledge though.  I did a few no pop noseslides, then front 50s and accidental 5-0s.  Then to my surprise a second try manual.  Had a fun line of crooks then ollie up a ledge then down to front 50 shove.   Got a couple halfcab noseslides and managed to front 180 up the drop.  Got front 50 and made myself do back 50 which took a bit.  Glad I made myself do it though.  Lastly I hucked some back disasters in the shallow of the mellow bowl but ended up giving up and headed back to the lake for another swim. 

(setup 8.5 null smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

I arrived at 20th St at 8am and Joe arrived shortly after.  Warming up didn’t really go well so we played a game of SKATE.  Other than Joe winning it was a fun warm up. Ha.  I was unhappy to get a letter on a halfcab flip, but other than that it went alright for me. Then we mostly skated the main ledge.  Joe was popping into grinds before me but when I got his back on a front 50 shove I knew it was a good day.  Joe went on to get a bunch of his tricks. I got some accidental 5-0s, something that resembled a back 50 and other basics.  I kind of ollied a cone. Joe 50d all the rails.  I had a fun line of switch front nose, fakie flip, fakie smith fakie the qp.   I tried treflips for awhile and got a bad one, then followed it up with crooks to fakie on the ledge.  That was a highlight for me.  Joe and I ended the session by doing (almost) back to back front 50 shoves.  Heck of a session!

(setup 8.5 null smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 2/10!!!)

Joe picked me up around 9 and a quick drive later we were eating at Pancheros. We met Nolan!  Then we hit the park.  It’s so huge it’s impossible to get warmed up until you settle in on something.  Joe had front 50d most the ledges right away though.  Nolan warmed up in the flow bowl.  I mostly rolled around looking at what I would skate if I was warmed up.  After filming Nolan for a bit Joe filmed me do the noseslide then kickflips  line.   Joe did the smith to 50 180 on the bank first try.  Filming Nolan in the snake run was scary almost running into people.  Man Nolan boosted a couple bs airs.  I did a ledge line down the wonderful path of ledges: noseslide to fakie, halfcab noseslide, boardslide, crooks.  Joe was skating the ledges well.  He tried to film me line out the bs flip over the weird awesome little hip but I gave up.  I was getting frustrated and wanted to just enjoy the new park.  Nolan was skating the ledges too doing basic tricks easily and working on switch front crooks.  Nolan and I sat for awhile.  Joe continued his ledge assault.  Then we all got going again.   Nolan did the treflip then noseblunt line.  All three of us did wallrides on the steep bank.  Nolan did it frontside too.  Eventually we ended things after 5 hours.  It was a fun time.  Seeing Nolan again was so great.  Dinner and drinks at Fongs Pizza was so good.  Chatting and listening to tunes with Joe was also great.  Thanks skateboarding.  Also, that park is great.  The crowds of people walking through it is ridiculous, but hopefully that slows down.

(setup 8.5 null smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Feeling kinda weird and sick I met joe around 10am. We did some warming up and got into it.  We were mostly doing lines and skating alright.  Joe was rifling off ledge tricks.  At times I felt delirious from my cold, but I kept skating.  After a while Joe set up his phone to film. He was trying fakie 50 to back 50. He did one with a board slide out!  Then one with a slight feeble.  I had been trying manuals and kick back 50s.  Kinda got the kick back 50 but also feebled a bit.   I was still hyped though. We did a couple more lines we filmed.  All in all a fun session even though I felt so weird at times. 

(setup 8.5 null smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

After work and a couple errands I arrived to doh park. It was cloudy with rain threatening and there was a grip of kids there. I had changed my setup again- 8.5.  It felt amazing.   I mean flip tricks didn’t, but I skated the ledges better than I have in months.   I started some lines along the lower ledges.   50s and 5-0s were coming so easy.  Almost got nose manual.  Then along the regular section wallie, front 50.  Crooks then front 50 180.  Noseslide fakie then halfcab noseslide.  Switch front nose to forward then nollie front tail.  The rain had started and the lake was super slippery so I didn’t really try many flippers.  I skated hard, had fun. Would have liked to skate more but the rain settled in. 

(setup 8.5 null smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 2/10 just slight hip flexor pain)

Feeling out of it and kinda sick after a bad night of sleep where I woke up at 4:30am for some reason I went to Boulder park.  I had changed my setup.  Basically just put my 5.6 trucks on a 8.3 deck and put some new bearings in some old orange 53mm spits.  It felt odd initially, but I recognized it and stayed patient.  Other than an axle nut that kept coming off it went alright.  I did a few backside ledge tricks and struggled a bit with crooks.  Then took way too long to get halfcab noseslide.  I couldn’t get a good front 50 on the bank to ledge after.  Had some okay front 50s from the top part of the ledge trying to go into the bank, but never quite made it.  Did a few ollies onto the various ledges.  There were a few people there.  One dude was wearing a facemask, but asked me if I wanted to share a joint with him.  A couple other dudes were there that made sure not to make eye contact of any sort or even just a quick nod hello.  I tried several switch flips on the tiny bank, none were close.  At one point I was totally over the larger wheels, but I did eventually notice they made ledge feel less tall.  I had some fun nollies and switch ollies over the little tiny hump.  Overall a pretty blah session, but for how sick I felt it went alright.

(setup 8.3 null jack night skate, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast baseplate hollow axle riptides, 53mm orange/yellow spitfire classic shape f4 99a, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 2/10 !!! just a little hip flexor pain)

After a better night of sleep and breaking down the campsite in BV we got to Leadville around 11.  We had discussed a 70 minute timer which seems impossible with this crew, but we managed to only go 20 minutes over.  It was a really fun session though and there weren’t many people there.  Except for the wannabe Blood Wizard dudes who ripped, but were jerks.  I’ll start with the person who landed the least amount of tricks.  Me.  I came close to a noseslide 270 shove, did some noseslides, putzed around even though I was having fun.  Ollie did some cool stuff.  The ollie up to almost side rock to grind and the ride over to manual were sick and tricks that he thought of on his own.  Richard destroyed.  Did kickflips and b/s flips up and down the euro, then battled nollie big heel up the euro before stomping it perfectly then battled kickflip back nosegrind on the bump to ledge until he also stomped it perfectly.  Matt put down a super good nollie varial heel up the euro and did some manuals on the little two level thing in the corner with Dan.  Eric did a sick blunt stall 360 transfer.  Joe lined out front shove up the euro with front 50 and front 50 180 down the hubba.  Gnar.  I know I’m missing a lot.  The park was fun.  

After a long drive, food, 303, we ended up at a crowded Boulder park.  So many people had joined (Jack, Kevin, Fuller, Skelly, Rob, Neil) or left (Ollie, Richard) that I have zero chance of remembering this.  I was pretty blown away by Rob not shying away from the crowds, kickflipping the hip and bump to tailslide.  Neil took a long time to get going, but man he got it going.  Kickflip the hip, nose manuals, pop shove up the euro, crooks shove, sometimes all of those in one line.  Fuller feebled the parking block qp, nose manuals, front 50 back 180.  Skelly got good pop over the hips, back 50 the qp to ollie down onto the bench.  Kevin front 5-0 over the bench to back lip the parking block qp.  Dan front 50 heelflip out BOLTS!  Joe and I did doubles down the hubba as once again all I really did was noseslides.  Oh and I hucked bigflips over the hip which did seem possible and I committed to a couple. They just didn’t work out. Joe would 5-0 down the hubba too, back 50 around the bench corner, front shove the hip.  Matt back nosegrind the bump to legde, crooks nollie heelflip out!!!  Jack back 360 flip the weird old hip, close to 360 flip noseblunt.  

After a dip in the creek we went to dog park.  I was so dead at that point.  I tried to get it going, but had nothing and when my bearing blew out I took that as an excuse to sit and get bit my mosquitos.  The Nebraskans were hyped and immediately going in on it.  Eric boardslid Full Metal jacket and slammed on a parking block.  His knee was huge.  Joe brought the energy as always.  Front 50 shove the tall bench!  Also fakie 50s, boardslides and a funny slam in the grass to end it.  Dan did backside willy back 180 out, fakie nosegrinds, cancel flips and no comply pole jam.  Matt nollie crooks, boardslide the tall flatbar.  Skelly one foot manual.  Neil had a casual line of 180 wallie world, cab the manhole, halfcab board the little flat bar, bluntslide the parking block, nollie lip the little flat bar.  Then the trip was done.  I was exhausted and happy to not have to skate the next day.  But also sad and bummed on friends going home and returning to our normal lives.  

(setup 8.25 null spanbauer pro deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast baseplate with riptides v-hollow hanger, 3 washers inside each axle, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing, spitfire f4 99a 50mm classic shape, es swift b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

After a tough night of camping and a long drive we arrived at a sunny and hot Gunnison skatepark.  The park had lost some of it’s edge over the years.  I guess with other parks having mellow hips now it wasn’t as unique.  I chilled for a while and ate.  Ollie mostly sat in his hammock, but would come out for some manuals and f/s half cabs.  Dan tried to heelflip into the BMX track, did a double staple gun on the mini loveseat.  Eric and I attempted to play on the spine, but really didn’t do much.  His rock ride to fakie was good though as was the rock fakie attempt on the little vert brick qp.  He would also grind over the love seat way quicker than me.  Matt had some grinds on the ledge, nollie b/s flip over the hip, qp to nose manual.  Ricahrd ripped as he always does.  Melon the pyramid, b/s flip way better than mine, ghetto bird the hip, nollie big heel the hip, basics on the ledge like they were nothing.  I had a fun line of noseslide the pyramid ledge then turn around and b/s flip the hip, grind over the love seat and got remotely close to nollie tre the hip.  Joe, aka the Energizer Bunny, skated well even though his ankle was kinda wrecked.  He front 50’d the weird bank to ledge, front 50 shove and front 50 to front board the ledge, b/s flip the hip, back 50 the china bank.  

(setup 8.25 null spanbauer pro deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast baseplate with riptides v-hollow hanger, 3 washers inside each axle, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing, spitfire f4 99a 50mm classic shape, es swift b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Ollie and I got to Frisco park around 11, chilled for a bit then Rob and Neil showed up too.  The park was pretty empty and it’s funny because of all the skaters that showed up everyone basically skated the street section only.  The scooters and strider kids were attracted to the moonscape pumptrack so I guess that’s a good distraction to keep them out of the good stuff.  So much skating has occurred after this that it’s really hard to remember.  Luckily there was some filming so there’s that.  I was definitely thrown off with the new shoes.  Ollie skated quite a bit which was cool.  He stuck with fakie front shoves and front 180s, maybe some manuals too.  Rob was shredding.  Bean plant and no comply shove over the A-frame, back 50s manuals and nose manuals on the little manny pad, was hyped to see him kickflip the bank, first try boardslide the down rail.  I skated okay, but not great.  Kickflip on the bank took awhile, couldn’t nosegrind the little ledge, struggled with crooks, didn’t get fakie nosegrind, had some fun kickflips out of the little bump, finally front 50 the little downhill ledge, couldn’t get the front shove off the wedge and my happiest moment was first try noseslide down the rail.  I haven’t boardslid a down rail in a long time, but I guess it’s more of a ledge.  I was still hyped though.  Neil’s ollies are just so good it’s great to watch.  Pop shove the A-frame, no complies on the bank, manuals and nose manuals the pad, front 50s, looking good.

Then we went to Buena Vista to meet the Nebraska crew which was Dan, Joe, Eric, Matt and Richard.  Man it was great seeing them.  We would get interrupted by rain at times, but skated for a couple/few hours.  This is impossible to remember everything.  Neil was ollieing up the euro, cruising, one foots, kickflips out of the bank.  Joe went in on a line of kickflip out of the bank, rock ‘n roll the qp, front 50 to tail the weird ledge.  He would get it, but he paid on a couple slams.  Luckily his ankle was okay.  Dan did some cool manuals variations from the miniramp to the park and back, then a front board to switch 50 then ride in the qp on the weird ledge to qp.  Eric rock fakied the weird euro qp.  I skated it with him and tried a bunch of axle stalls before getting it first try a camera was brought out.  Ha.  Also got rock ‘n rolls.  I couldn’t get a halfcab flip on the bank.  Then Eric and I tried tricks out of the mellower bank for awhile.  He went shove it which he’s only done once and would get it.  I couldn’t get a treflip and ended up losing my temper.  Ugh.  I put too much weight on that trick.  Matt was shredding, but I can’t remember a trick.  Rob had some stylee f/s grinds on the qp.  Richard b/s flipped over the rainbow rail second try and then crook, feeble and front board the rail.  I wish I would have just landed a treflip instead of losing my mind, but it was still a fun session and I was happy those dudes were visiting again.

(setup 8.25 null spanbauer pro deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast baseplate with riptides v-hollow hanger, 3 washers inside each axle, venom 88a big bushing 91a small bushing, spitfire f4 99a 50mm classic shape, es swift b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 4/10)