Feeling not so motivated I met up with Kevin, Rob and Dave L at Avalon. I hadn’t been there before. There was a dance class in one end of the parking lot so we were kind of in one corner that didn’t offer a whole lot. After peeping some nearby spots that were almost amazing we played a couple game of SKATE. Well, Rob, Kevin and I. Kevin won the first one with nollie flip taking Dave and I out at the same time. I was happy that I committed and it felt pretty close. I don’t remember the other tricks. We played another game with no repeats. I was the first one out on a freakin’ halfcab flip. That’s my trick! Ha I took like 3 more tries to get one. Any more tries and I might have lost it. I didn’t land much in the game other than a first try fakie bigflip that felt really good. Dave matched a switch flip and got treflip. I think Kevin won that one with a Janoski flip. We messed around for awhile. Kevin tried front blunts on a brick on top of a curb. Dave did a couple amazing manuals to no comply 180 out. I tried kick back tail stalls for awhile and got into a few, but never landed one and it depressed me. Then we went over to the weird area that Dave wanted to skate. I bailed manuals down the pad, couldn’t ollie into the narrow path, bailed kickflips and could barely frontside ollie onto the bank. I was super bummed. Dave was ripping. He did the ollie in and the kickflip. Maybe not up to his standards, but he did them and they were sick. Kevin did manual, nose manual, switch manual and had no problem ollieing into the narrow pad. Kevin slammed super hard on the steep bank. We were done after that. I drove around lurking for more spots, but had nothing and ended up going home.

(setup 8.25 null spanbauer deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.2 v-hollows, 88a doh dohs big bushing ace little bushing with bones little washer, 52mm bones stf 103a v1, 3 washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 440 white size 11.5, no insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Up a little later I got to dark park on a nice smokey morning a little after 8. There was a family of bikers there moving a wedge right in front of a ledge and I moved it and they got the hint and left. Ha. I had some urgency when I started. Had some fun fast pushing and boardslides. I would go on to skate pretty well for myself. I had thought of nollie back tail to fakie and shove out. I got it to fakie on the slow & low right away then was going for shove and my board shot up and nailed me in the neck. I’m glad it didn’t take out a tooth or two. Jake & Nick showed. I was kind of all over as usual. Struggled with flip tricks because I had removed the top washer to loosen up trucks a little. But overall it felt better. I had a good ollie over wallys world, another fakie 50 b/s halfcab out, tried fakie 50 back bigspin out but wasn’t close, came pretty close to a legit halfcab noseslide 270 out, several back 50s on low ledges, a bunch of kickflips over the little parking block, nowhere near front 5-0 back shove on a low one, front 50 shove the cinder block and some accidental 5-0s, almost close to committing to front nosegrind 180 on the standard fit black ledge. Cody had showed. I was struggling with treflips. I ended on a line of wallie, slappy front crook then a sketchy treflip. I left happy.

(setup 8.25 null spanbauer deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.2 v-hollows, 88a big bushing ace little bushing bones top washer, 52mm bones stf 103a v1, 3 washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 440 white size 11.5, no insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

Got a decent start and was at the dog park around 7:30 on a somewhat cool morning. The smoke made it seem cloudy, but it wasn’t. I had setup a new board. An 8.25 Jack board with 8″ high ventures. It actually felt great with the exception of the bushings I picked being too tight. Ollie had done some amazing artwork as you can see. Between the awesome artwork on the top and bottom of the board, my friend Jack’s name being on it, smaller trucks and wanting revenge for yesterday I skated much better. At least for the first hour or so. I had some decent lines. Nothing I hadn’t done before really, but lined out some things and didn’t struggled to 50 the cinder block ledges. One line was front 5-0 (accident) the cinder block boogie, kickflip to fakie on a little wedge, halfcab boardslide the curb lounge. Halfcab boardslide was one of the tricks I thought of for some reason which I hadn’t done before. Back 50 the low ledge, back 50 the lowest ledge over the corner, front 5-0 the end of Slow & Low, noseslide to fakie the two step then almost switch noseslide 270 shove the regular black ledge. I tried halfcab noseslide 270 and didn’t get close, got into halfcab crook but came out and rubbed my angle under the ledge, a switch crook jib, a front tail to fakie that was supposed to just be a tail stall but it slid so it counts ha ha. Hucked some flippers. Was happy to get a first try halfcab flip. Came close to switch b/s flip again. Couldn’t get treflip. Tried to get a kick back 50 on the low two step, but failed. Off to work.

(setup 8.25 null spanbauer deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.2 v-hollows, 88a big bushing ace little bushing top washer, 52mm bones stf 103a v1, 3 washers inside each axle, new balance numeric 440 white size 11.5, no insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

After a crumby night of sleep I went to dog park before work.  I had a new Team Sweat Stain shirt on and was determined to make a fun montage to show it off.  But I quickly gave up as when a warm up wallride on the jersey barrier took a few tries.  I struggled the rest of the session, but it wasn’t completely terrible.  I had a fun run of front 50 down the MJ ledge, slappy crook a parking block, back 50 the little pad, terrible rocket flip on flat, nollie back tail the weird black pad, almost front 50 shove out the new black ledge.  Got first try snaps over Wallys World.  But man I could not kickflip to save my life and it bummed me out.  I finished the session just hucking kick back tails on the weird pad and not getting very close.

(setup 8.38 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 custom hollow baseplate v-hollow axles, stock bushings, 52mm bones stf 103a v1, new balance numeric 440 white size 11.5, no insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

On a warm morning I went to dog park feeling mentally and physically good for once.  I was in the early warm up stages when Max Garson walked up to say hi.  I was hyped.  We chatted for a bit then he told me to boardslide the flat bar on the new manny pad.  He didn’t think I’d get up there, but I got it 2nd try.  Then he tried to teach me switch heels.  There were a couple that were incredibly close.  I was hyped.  He took off.  I played around for a bit then focused on kick front boards / treflips for awhile.  I don’t know why I randomly thought of kick front boards on the way there, but I’m glad I did.  I got one terrible treflip as a setup trick.  The kick front board took probably 50 tries.  I was hyped.  Then I got bummed on my front 50s on the cinder block ledge again, got a fakie nosegrind, maybe some other stuff.

After work I went to the school kind of sore wanting to skate flatground.  PJ had brought the heat and inspiration (fakie inward heel switch crook) and I wanted to get some flippers.  I would get some.  Quite a few actually.  Kickflip, fakie flip, heelflip, halfcab flip, f/s halfcab flip, halfcab heel, f/s halfcab heel, varial flip, b/s flip, fakie bigflip.  A questionable first try treflip that I didn’t want to clean up.  Came close to nollie tre, switch b/s flip and back heel.  It was a good time.  Then I went inside and watched the Nuggets make history against the Clippers.  What a great day.

(setup 8.38 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 custom hollow baseplate v-hollow axles, stock bushings, 52mm bones stf 103a v1, new balance numeric 440 white size 11.5, no insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

I work the late shift this week and since I woke up early I was at the dog park shortly after 7 with a couple hours to skate. I had the park to myself almost the entire time until the end when a young kid with a Null board worked on front 50s. I struggled to wake up and get it going. For the most part it was another strugglefest. But there were a few highlights. I snapped several ollies over the wallys world. One of which was easily one of my best flatground ollies. I managed a fakie 50 on the cinder block shuffle. Had a few over the corner back 50s on the low obstacles. Manualled the weird black low pad. But I really struggled at frontside 50s again, the narrower trucks really seem to mess with that. Flatground wasn’t good either. I barely got a halfcab flip and took like 10 tries to get a heelflip, couldn’t get a treflip. The 440s felt like big stiff boots this time.

(setup 8.38 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 custom hollow baseplate v-hollow axles, stock bushings, 52mm bones stf 103a v1, new balance numeric 440 white size 11.5, no insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Got to dog park around 9:30. Eric was there, Rob would arrive shortly. We did some warming up then mostly stuck to the newer curb high ledge. Aka the only thing I can back 50. Ha ha. I was hyped to get a back 50 shove out and a very pivoted back 50 front 180 out. Rob got a back 50 body varial out, first try back 180 fakie 50 to fakie. Eric back 50 back 180 out, manuals, close to heelflip back 50, fakie back tail. I did quite a few flippers and was stuck on getting a trick I’ve wanted to do forever – fakie front 50 halfcab out. I was close right away, but the weird angle iron messed me up. I also tried a bunch of front nosegrinds and never quite got one (had a few with the back wheels touching on the pop out). It took me about an hour to get the halfcab out. Dave F would show up shortly after that and do it within 10 minutes. He wouldn’t let me film it for our challenge though. He’ll do something harder. Dave L and Kevin showed shortly before I needed to leave. I had taken too long to get a front 50 on the cinder block ledges and gotten a fakie nosegrind somewhat quick. That’s about all I can remember. I had worn my 440s and liked them this time, they had good heeflips.

(setup 8.38 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 custom hollow baseplate v-hollow axles, stock bushings, 52mm bones stf 103a v1, new balance numeric 440 white size 11.5, no insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Kevin and I rolled to Loveland hitting LOCO and Sk8 Ratz on the way before first hitting the awkard vectors of Loveland High. Kevin hadn’t been there before. I was wearing cupsoles to help the pain, old PJ 533s. They felt good until later on. Loveland high was kind of whatever. We tried some stuff, but nothing really stuck. I got remotely close to a frontside cab over the hip, slappy crooks from the driveway onto the pad, beanplant into the bank and the lucky first try 5-0 on the round bar we found. Kevin had some fast ollies up the curb to noseslide the curb, switch back 180 the hip, a bunch of ollies and then tried that line for a while with the pop shove. He got robbed.

We went to the nearby skatepark next. Kevin destroyed the ledges. Him and my skating were night and day different. I kept doing 5-0s instead of 50s. I had some okay crooks, the terrible front 5-0 shove, kickflip over the hip and close to b/s flip over the hip. I was quite unhappy with my ledge skating. Another skater showed and asked to play SKATE. I said yes and another dude joined and we played a couple fun games of SKATE that Kevin won. I was out quick in the first game on Kevin’s round of switch/nollie flips. The second game I did pretty well and matched a few tricks like heelflip, varial flip, halfcab flip and was only at SK with everyone at SKAT. I should have ended with fakie bigflip, but instead I took two turns trying 360 flip (landed on both at least) and by then it was over. I was hyped to do a front 360 even though it turned out I was supposed to do it switch. Those games were fun. Then we headed to Sean’s.

(setup 8.38 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 custom hollow baseplate v-hollow axles, stock bushings, 52mm bones stf 103a v1, new balance numeric 533v2 PJ grey size 13, thin xero insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

On a nice day off work Jake and I rolled to Denver, chilled at Emage and 303 a bit then we were off to Dayton park. There was only one other dude when we started. He sucked. Ha. I mean he was decent at skating, but he was just not pleasant to share a park with. Oh well. I had put smaller axles on in hopes of tricks feeling better. I also had new shoes, NB 379s. Basically a slimmer Foy like I just enjoyed. Except the cold weather apparently brought out my arthritis and I was in quite a bit of pain and the vulcs did not help that. Okay that’s a lot of words with nothing about actual skating yet so here we go. We all skated it different which I think is always neat to see. Jake had crooks, noseslides, 50s, fakie back tail, front tails on the ledges. Back blunts, front tails over the hip and his banger trick was blunt fakie. Cass had new shoes like me, except they looked more comfy (eS Swifts) but that didn’t stop him from ripping flatground with treflips, hardflips, backside flips. Front 5-0s, front tails on the ledge almost with 270 shove out. I had a couple lines on the ledges, halfcab noseslide then crooks, noseslide to fakie then switch front nose. I couldn’t get noseslide 270 shove or hardly 50 a ledge. Something about the 8.3 setup is off. I blamed the big wheels. I was happy to get backside 50 on the qp over the ledge first try and finish with a front 50 that went way past the ledge as my ender.

Then we ended up at a new city park with tons of new ledges and lots of families with kids running around. We did a few boardslides, ollied off a little drop then cruised to look at what else the park offered. To our surprise we found a skatepark! Ha, so random. We had heard about the park, but to find it randomly was funny. Cass had some great front tails, almost ollie up kickflip to fakie on the mj ledge. Jake lined out the rock gap, pivot fakies, front tails, crooks. I thought I was totally sucking, but had a couple things I liked. Fakie 50, some okay crooks, halfcab noseslides. Had fun ollieing the 3 stair, kickflip on flat, heel bruising landing over the little rock gap. Then a bunch of dudes showed up and we lost the motivation so we played a game of SKATE in the basketball court. Except I missed a kickflip, did double or nothing, missed that one too, then triple or nothing missed it too, focused my board and threw it. I seriously think I had landed 20 kickflips in a row throughout the day before that. At least my board was very cracked so it wasn’t as terrible of feeling as normal. I tried not to cry while I watched Jake and Cass battle. I think Cass ended up winning on treflip or hardflip. Mostly a fun day, I was not happy with my level of skating.

(setup 8.38 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 custom hollow baseplate v-hollow axles, stock bushings, 54mm spitfire f4 99a radials red/yellow swirl, new balance numeric 379 grey size 11.5, thin 533 insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

After work the snow had dried up (yes I said “snow” and yes it was 90 the last time I skated and it was only 37 out). Jake and I met over on the side of the school with the good concrete and after a brief warm up went right into the first game. We started with a lot of 180s, shoves, no complies, etc. I was 0-3 on kickflips and Jake beat me to it. I barely held on to mine. He would get a fakie flip before me too and I double or nothing’d it and got two letters. I was bumming. The big wheels were feeling like big pop sponges. I would get a letter on halfcab flip too. But, I got a first try heelflip and you know what, Jake got a letter! Ha ha. This goes back to Sep 4 when he said I wouldn’t get another letter on him with heelflip. Ha ha. I forget what I went out on, maybe frontside flip. So we played another game with no repeats. We would take a while to land our tricks. I think I got him with switch shove revert, f/s halfcab flip, fakie bigflip and something else to SKAT. He had me on a few, I matched varial flip, but he got me with fakie 3 shove even though I was close and a couple other tricks. I had SKA, but since he was at SKAT the treflip battle was on. We went at it for a long time. I would get a few that were worthy of redo, but not of setting the trick. Even two in a row at one point. So on a personal level I was kind of happy. Jake would land on a bunch of them bolts, but just wasn’t positioned right to stay on. I ended up getting one and Jake didn’t get it. I had taken Cass’s advice of staying more centered rather than being behind it and it really helped. It made for some different bails for me though as I wasn’t used to it. I cracked my board real good on one attempt too. But man it was fun battling for treflips. I so much wish Jake would have landed one too, back to back would have ruled. Get those heelflips too Jake!

(setup 8.38 null plant life deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 92 custom hollow baseplate, stock bushings, 54mm spitfire f4 99a radials red/yellow swirl, new balance numeric 306 foy b/w size 12, thin 533 insoles)
(pain level 3/10)