Went to Wilville around 11 on a cooler day. I could tell rather quickly that my body wasn’t feeling as limber as yesterday. I started at the round curb area. Did a few stalls then moved to a little 3 stair I had never ollied before. Did a line of nollie shove then ollie. Then as I was trying kickflip then 180 some randoms told me I couldn’t skate there because of a liability issue and “we live here”. Ha. Whatever. It helped me though and I did the kickflip and front 180 that try. I went over to the rock area. Did a couple wallrides on the center rock then tried a line. I got front 180 up the two stair, halfcab flip on flat, ollie the first 3, bail the second 3. Since I didn’t get both ollies I went for f/s halfcab flip in the line instead. I would get a really bad one and both ollies. I was gonna try and turn around and ollie up the 3, but I was pretty beat. I went to the main middle manny pad and tried a bunch of kickflips to fakie. It was disappointing how bad I was feeling ollieing up the curb before the bank. I would get one kickflip, but fell off when rolling off the curb. Doh. I tried awhile longer and didn’t get too close and started to get super angry and sore so I left.

(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 5/10)

On a really nice morning I went to Broomfield park where Jake was already 15-20 tricks deep on the quartapotty. He had to do 36 tricks. Lots of people joined. Both Dave’s, Rob, Eric, Kevin, Ed, Saul and Brian! I was feeling alright for once. Actually maybe the best I’ve felt in months. It was weird being able to ollie without pain. Anyway, the skating. I hit the quartapotty with Jake to start, but I only did a couple tricks. I’ll try just listing some tricks people did. Eric, good heelflips as normal, crooks, back 50 back 180. Brian almost did a blunt bigspin. Rob and I played on the low side of the brown ledge. He was going for back 180 on halfcab off. I was trying ollie up then nollie shove on the bank. I didn’t get it and I don’t think Rob quite got it either. Ed had some nice ollies, boardslides. Dave L amazes me every time with his casual pop and manuals. Kevin ripped more than normal which says a lot. Front board and crooks the double set rail and was trying switch flip switch manual. Dave F was ripping above normal too. He rattled off some brick qp tricks, quartapotty, the hump, boardslide across and down the tiny bar, kickflips. Jake did his 36 tricks, I think the last one was front noseblunt. He did the pole jam, boardslide the tiny rail, 50s and crooks the black ledge then went on an unsuccessful run at a steep bank front noseblunt. I got a first try front 50 on the black ledge which sounds like nothing, but with how I’ve skated lately felt great. Also got crooks on it, but then went and tried a line. Noseslide to fakie, fakie pivot to fakie, fakie nosegrind. The fakie nosegrind was not working, but somehow I managed to do the shortest jib in history. My body was feeling decent enough that I hucked a fakie tre after and almost got it. Jake and I played a game of SKATE. I had stiffened up a bit chatting with friends and started by getting two letters on kickflip. Yikes. I recovered to make it interesting at least. Got him with halfcab flip, b/s flip and heelflip. He got me with front shove which I just can’t believe I wasn’t close. I was at SKAT and Jake at SKA when we went in on treflips. I had several that felt really close and would eventually get one. Jake had been close too, but didn’t get it. After I had a violation on varial flip Jake put one down and I couldn’t get it. Doh. Can’t believe I let him win on his birthday. Ha ha. I was pretty beat after that. Dave F was trying switch treflips and getting close. Kevin did all the treflips. Then did switch tre out of the bank. Dave did back tail shove and maybe a back tail 360 out on the hump. Then started timing a back tail to fakie with a dude trying big frontside airs. It was rad. Kevin and I ended with front tail reverts on the hump. I think that was basically it. Fun day. Happy Birthday Jake, you rip.

It was also uplifting to me knowing that pain has been a big reason why I haven’t skated well lately. Not uplifting that I am normally in pain, but knowing that pain has limited me motivated me to try harder to do the things that reduce pain.

(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 2/10!!!)

Up early on a Friday when I work later. Went to Louisville to keep the ‘skate something different’ vibe going. I wore cupsoles to try and lower the knee pain. It may have worked, but I sure didn’t skate better. I had the park all to myself with the exception of another dude that came and carved around for a few minutes. I started with some ride on grinds, carves, boardslides. My warm up run was front 50 the low part of the ledge, boardslide the flatbar, then b/s kickflip on the bank. Going the other way I tried manual the little box, heelflip on flat, crooks. I never got the manual without tilting, never got the heelflip, but did have a couple fun crooks. I mixed in kickflip to fakies thinking I would do it right away. Nope. Took forever. I skate banks/transition so little anymore that the bank honestly kind of weirded me out at first. I didn’t really go on to do anything else. Maybe a front 50 shove. I was like 0-5 on halfcab noseslides. Not a very good session or reason to go back to cupsoles.

(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 533v2 grey size 13, xero thin insoles)
(pain level 6/10)

Got to Lafayette park around 7. It was date night, tons of high schoolers mingling, vaping and some shredding. Kevin had been there for over an hour and was already totally ripping. The first thing I did was drop in on the tall part of the flow bowl and almost died and felt a ton of pain in my knee. Great. Kevin did the nosegrind right after that. Then the front tail like it was nothing. I was pretty out of it initially. Kevin was doing slappy crooks, back d’s on the new qp. Then we went into flyout mode. I got a first try kickflip that felt good. Almost got treflip 3rd try, but instead I battled it for around 30 tries. Kevin did the nollie flip every time I think, the nollie b/s flip took a few tries. Kevin left. I skated for awhile even though my knees were in a lot of pain. Did a line of wallie the corner of the rock, axle stall the new qp, kickflip to fakie the little bank. After struggling to get up the manny pad I decided it was time to go home.

(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 6.5/10)

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)

Met up with Kevin and Rob somewhat early on a nice Sunday morning.  At no point did I do a single trick that felt good other than maybe one halfcab flip.  I couldn’t get a treflip or 50 the cinder block shuffle.  Everything I did was garbage.  Rob and Kevin did some back 180 fakie 50s to fakie.  Kevin took awhile to get nollie nosegrind again.  We tried some treflips, I couldn’t get one.  My board felt too small for my feet.  Rob had halfcab noseslide on the taller ledge, front noses, most of his moves.  Kevin ripped it.  Sean, Bo, Hayden and Jack arrived.  Hayden’s nose manual was very Maxish.  I liked it.  That’s why I filmed it.  Ha.  Jack did a lot of no comply flips. I didn’t do a very good job of paying attention to everyone since I was in such a bad place.  We eventually left for a rail spot for Jack, but it didn’t go so well.  Ended up at the nearby manny pad.  Hayden got some good ones.  Donnie rolled in off a van which was so crazy.  Then we ended up at the nearby tall double ledge.  I posed for a while then just filmed.  Joe, Sean, Bo ripped it.  Sean with manual and nose manual.  Joe noseslide.  Bo lipslide.  It had gotten really cold at the end.  So sick of winter and my skating.

(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)  

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)  

Had the day off work.  Since my knees have been hurting so much I tried some old cupsoles – 288S.  I did some shoves and 180s in the street before Jake showed.  We arrived to a mostly empty park and it would remain mostly empty until the end when a bunch of people showed.  Initially I felt alright and was happy about the shoe change, but it would start to also cause a more intense knee pain that was worse.  Jake and I tried to manual the pad.  Neither of us got it, but both were close.  That was one of the few positives of the session for me, getting up the box pretty easily for a brief period.   I had done a few basics, but got hung up on front 50s and kickflips to fakie on the end of the twinky thing.  I would never get them, or too close to noseslide 270 shove.  At one point I bailed a noseslide and screamed then pretty much went and sat down after that.  Chatted with the homie Cass who had randomly shown up.  Then filmed Jake rip the pool wall with front rock, feeble fakie and front pivot.  Wow.  He had done a lot of his moves on the ledge, quarterpipes, everything.

(setup null 8.5 plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 trucks (red cast baseplate titanium hanger), venom bushings (88a big, 91a small one flat washer), spitfire f4 52mm radial slim 101a wheels, new balance numeric 212 mustard size 11.5, footprint mid elite insoles)
(pain level 6/10 knees)  

After work I met Jake and Kevin at Broomfield park.  Jake had already been there and was already stacking tricks on the black ledge.  Kevin and I had done some warm ups when Jake missed a crook.  So I said to Kevin ‘lets do crooks and beam him’.  Kevin did such a good crooks and stared at Jake who responded with ‘you jerk’ then Kevin pointed to me right as I did one too.  Ha ha.  Jake is obviously a good sport or we wouldn’t be doing that and we all had a good laugh.  Other than an accidental 5-0 turned shove out I would go on to have an absolutely terrible session.  It’s been a few days as I’m writing this so I’ll just leave it at that for me.  Jake ripped.  Front tails, front tail fakies, fakie back tail, f/s halfcab noseslide, front tail the steep bank, 5-0 to fakie on it too.  Kevin struggled with the typical Kevin tricks, but seemed to land everything else.  He took a bit to get switch nosegrind 180, nollie nosegrind. But of course his switch and nollie flips were super on point.

(setup null 8.5 plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 trucks (red cast baseplate titanium hanger), venom bushings (88a big, 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 5/10 knees)

The day after taking my first day off of skating in 2021 I went to campus right after work. It was kind of warm and I knew I could find some dry patches and something to skate. I ended up at the new little downhill curb. I had a fun nollie front tail to get things started, but then I couldn’t kickflip. I would eventually get some, but they felt so bad. I went for a warm up line noticing there was still a little daylight left! The line I ended up getting was ollie up the curb, ollie down the 3, bad kickflip, better kickflip, front 50 front 180 out, bailed the halfcab flip. Then I ended up at the little bump to hill I recently hit with Rob and Jake. I wasn’t feeling too good. Pop shove was 2nd try, kickflip took like 5 tries. Fakie bigspin 2nd try. Halfcab flip took a long time, but I partially blame the darkness. I ended on front shove. I went to the double curb area. Tried to do manual, ollie the first one, ollie from the kicker off the next one. I had a tough time getting over that first curb. There’s an optical illusion making it look big. Anyway, when I finally landed it some pain shot through my right knee. Ugh. I called it a night and walked to my car. Arthritis sucks.

(setup null 8.5 plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 trucks (red cast baseplate titanium hanger), venom bushings (88a big, 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 6/10)