I work the later shift this week.  I was determined to hit dog park this week before work and hopefully progress.  Well, this morning would not be so good.  Other than a fakie nosegrind first try on the cinder block ledge it was pretty terrible. I had put two top bushing in my trucks to test the Ishod setup.  It definitely made the trucks lower and moved in the wheelbase a little.  But it sucked!  I seriously couldn’t skate.  Then square skate state started showing up.  I couldn’t ollie the wallie barrier.  I had a couple flip tricks feel nice, but other than that it was nothing but a struggle. I got heelflip, halfcab flip, fakie flip, but couldn’t get treflip.

(setup 8.25 null archway deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.2 custom hollow cast baseplate v-hollow hanger, 2 top bushings, bones stf v1 51mm 103a, new balance numeric 212 b/w/yellow size 12, nb abzord insoles)
(pain level 4/10)  

After avoiding sunlight all day because of the stye in my eye I went to Southern Hills when the clouds set in.  I was armed with 3 pairs of shoes since I hated the 440s so much.  I started with them, but didn’t last long.  Then I tried some old PJs.  Nope, finally some old 212s which I stuck with.  Jake showed and we played a game of SKATE.  It was a long one.  And of course the sun came out, but we were able to mostly hide from it. I took a while to adjust to the 212s.  I got a few tricks I liked, heelflip, first try f/s halfcab heel, a couple treflips that had heel drag ( I was happy to land them but they didn’t count for offense).  Jake would end up winning with fakie 3 shove.  He had gotten me with frontside flip, switch front shove, and a couple more.  Then we skated for a bit.  I did nothing good.  Everything was a total struggle.  Jake left.  I tried to skate more.  Did a line of noseslide to fakie, halfcab flip, crooks.  But couldn’t even fathom front 50 on a bench or ollie up the 2 stair.  Ugh. I left pretty darn bummed.

(setup 8.25 null archway deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 custom hollow cast baseplate v-hollow hanger, spitfire 51mm 101a radial slims, new balance numeric 212 b/w/yellow size 12, nb abzord insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Met Rob and Luzius at Douglass on a bright hot morning. We left after I got there, it was just too bright. We started at the og “bank” to ledge/wall spot. Kevin had joined us. I don’t really care for this spot much and my new shoes were bugging me. Rob had some nice nose stalls then manual around. Dave and Kevin were doing manual/nose bonks on a weird cart. Kevin would go on to do switch nose manual 180 on it and some front smith stalls on the ledge. Dave was doing some manual on the pad too. I took a while to get a nose stall, nose stall to fakie, kind of a crook, a few flip tricks and kind of a slappy crook.

We went to the bank to gap spot. Not a whole lot went down. Kevin and Dave at least ollied into it and did that gap. Kevin also back 180’d the gap. Front 180 in then switch front 180 as well as halfcab the gap. I posed several things, but really didn’t do anything and couldn’t even ollie into the bank. I kind of blame the shoes. Dave came kind of close to manualling down and off the gap. He also did some of the most casual treflips on flat. Near the end we skated it like a bank. Dave had pop shove and kickflip to fakie. Rob had crail and a couple sick one foots. Kevin had back tails. I did a few bean plants then posed backside flip down the gap. Dave L left.

Kevin, Rob and I hit this old bank spot I had remembered which I thought was steeper. We all ollied into it, some 180s. Rob had a good primo slam on a no comply shove then did a couple solid ones. Kevin kickflipped into it then went on to nollie flip into it, get bummed on not being able to do it again, do it again, get bummed on not being able to do it again. I had tried fakie bigflips the whole time. I almost rolled my ankle once (getting pretty skeptical of these shoes), but would eventually get one I was happy with.

Then Kevin and I met Fuller and Ed at Darin’s ramp. I was so sore at this point. But those dudes were all ripping so I got out of the chair. The stye in my eye was killing me so I was wearing sunglasses which made everything weird. Add in some bulky shoes without much board feel and I really sucked it up bailing several back 50s to start with. I would eventually get it slightly together. Back 50s, non-decked rocks, the worst bean plant to tail ever, some fakie axle stalls. That was about it. Ugh. Kevin was ripping and with good style. Ollies, 5-0s, feebles, feebles to fakie, front feebles, back smiths, etc. It was rad seeing Ed again. His style is so good. He can just do rock ‘n rolls and I’d be stoked. But he also did some long 50s, 5-0s, front smiths and back ds. Darin was ripping. The cab 5-0 270 out is unreal. Back d revert, back lip, back tail, etc. Dave was shredding as well. Lots of sweepers, manuals, front smiths, ollies, so much variety. The doubles with Kevin was pretty sick. I eventually just got too depressed to skate and sat down and left feeling so defeated. Argh. Skateboarding is so hard.

(setup 8.25 null archway deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 custom hollow cast baseplate, v-hollow hanger, bones hard bushings, 51mm spitfire F4 101a radial slims, new balance numeric white 440s size 11.5 with xero thin insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

On a hot morning I went to Broomfield park and met up with Dave F, Rob and Sean. Rob and I got there first and started the warm up process. After awhile I started trying the Reynolds challenge. Kickflip, treflip, backside flip, halfcab flip. I got the treflip like 5th try, but didn’t get the rest of the line. And then the treflip disappeared. No more. I really only tried that for an hour it seems. I got close to a few nollie big flips. Also some back 50s on the happy edge until the kryptonite dude with the glasses showed up and tried exactly what I was doing. I couldn’t skate after that. Rob had left. He had some moves before leaving. Nose manual up and down the blue bank, crooks, back 50s, front 50s, a lot more I am not remembering. Dave was killing the brick qp with a bunch of tricks I’ve never attempted. Sweepers, fastplants, bonelesses. He also boardslide across and down the little rail. He tried the Reynolds challenge with varial flip instead of treflip for a bit. Sean was ripping. His laps on the black ledge are the best as are his back heels.

Later on I met Dave at Wilville as it rained. We skated flat under a covered area. I had some new shoes. White 440s. They felt very stiff and different. It took me close to 10 tries to get a kickflip. Granted I was very sore and the warm up process was not easy. Dave had kickflip, halfcab flip, varial flips, several sex changes. The rain let up for a bit and we migrated to a bigger dry patch up top. I would get a few flippers, but nothing too special. Dave continued his sex changes and got a rare f/s halfcab flip. He is close on switch heelflip. Then it dried up enough to hit the manny pad area. I was still adjusting to the new shoes and trying a lot of flippers. I had a few heelflips, a f/s halfcab heel, f/s halfcab flip, halfcab flips, but no treflip. I had a few nose manuals into the bank, and struggled to get a kickflip up the 3″ curb. Argh. Dave had some nose manuals too after some sketchy bails. Somewhat close to switch nose manual revert into the bank. Nollies into the bank. Ripping. He had to leave and I tried varial heels for a bit before leaving.

(setup 8.25 null archway deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 custom hollow cast baseplate, v-hollow hanger, bones hard bushings, 51mm spitfire F4 101a radial slims, new balance numeric 288s grey/blue size 11.5, xero thin insoles then white 440s size 11.5 with xero thin insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Went to dog park around 9:30. Rob and I were there first. Bernie, Dave L and Eric would show up shortly after. Along with a bunch of people, it got kind of crowded. Anyway, starting out was okay. We had to avoid the back area because they were doing some electric work (adding lights!!!!). But it messed with the flow of things for me. I don’t really remember a whole lot. Rob is getting his groove back. Eric had a lot of good heelflips and some questionable backside heels at the end. Dave L had some casual kickflips over a parking block and relearned inward heelflips at the end of the session. Bernie manualled the top of the two level ledge, almost got fakie 5-0 shove. I didn’t do a whole lot, but did get remotely close to a dream trick. Crooks shove (the hard way).

After a nap and chilling I went to Willville solo. It was nice and cool out with some little sprinkles that never amounted to anything. I tried to start on the new little waxed ledge, but it didn’t grind. Ended up trying kind of a ridiculous line. Nose manual into the bank, turn around, treflip, ollie onto the ledge then front shove to fakie on the bank. I never got the treflip. And I only got a few feet up the bank when I tried. How Sean and Jack can go that fast up it is beyond me. Then I did a few back 50s, tried switch crook for awhile and failed. Tried f/s cab heelflips for awhile and they felt close even though they didn’t look it. I had made a list of about 6 tricks. I had to do one before I could head home. I couldn’t get a nollie varial flip, but the first try rick flip was the golden ticket home.

(setup 8.25 null archway deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 custom hollow cast baseplate, v-hollow hanger, bones hard bushings, 51mm spitfire F4 101a radial slims, new balance numeric 288s grey/blue size 11.5, xero thin insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

PJ appears to be at the top of his game again and man this clip is pure fire. Stoked to see my favorite skater ripping so hard again.

Feeling pretty arthritic I went to Broomfield pretty early to meet Sean and Rob. Sean was there. We started with a game of SKATE. Sean was sore and I was even more sore than I thought. I got a letter on kickflip and didn’t even think of double or nothing. Sean had me to SKAT, but couldn’t get rid of me. I would get backside flip, halfcab flip and something else. Got him with frontside halfcab flip. But he ended me with fakie 3 shove which I couldn’t get. I had gotten close to 3 shoves before that, but didn’t stay on it. Rob had arrived and was warming up when we finished. He would go on to land a bunch of tricks in long lines. Halfcab noseslides, crooks, fakie bigspins, nose manual the blue bank, halfcab boardslides, front noses, front boards. Sean kept it pretty mellow, some 50s on the happy and sad ledges, manuals, etc. I was struggling to ollie with the arthritis kicking. I tried a line for a bit of beanplant the hump up top, front 180 into the bank, fakie nosegrind. Never committed to the fakie nosegrind though. Tried noseslide 270 shove and didn’t get close, got halfcab noseslide, front 50, front 5-0, switch front nose. But kinda fell apart and got upset. I hate being that guy. Rob and Sean would leave. I mostly just skated flat after that going slow. Got kickflip, fakie flip, halfcab flip, backside flip, varial flip, fakie varial flip, f/s halfcab flip, heelflip. Left bumming on my arthritis. Gotta eat better.

(setup 8.25 null archway deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 v-hollows, bones hard bushings, 51mm spitfire F4 101a radial slims, new balance numeric 288s grey/blue size 11.5, xero thin insoles)
(pain level 6/10)

Got to dog park a little before 10. Jake was already there and we did some squeegeeing for a bit and got it mostly dry. Then we played a game of SKATE. I had a new deck, 8.25, 5.6 v-hollows. It felt great. The game of SKATE went decent for me. I avoided heelflips since I’ve been known to break new boards with bad heelflips. It was looking like I was going to pink slip Jake, but he strung together a few tricks that I got letters on. One was 360 shove which I tried twice and got it the second try (not a double or nothing). We both had SKAT and were going for 360 flips. I got a couple super bad ones that didn’t count before getting a decent one to win it. Then we skated the goods. Oh, Sean had shown up and was quickly 50/5-0/nosegrinding everything with ease. I skated mostly pretty bad, but had one line that was okay for me. Fakie 50 the weird pad, halfcab noseslide the tall side of the 2 step ledge, front 50 the new black one. I would go on to not land any more flip tricks even though I hucked a lot. It was frustrating. Hayden, Bo, Peyton and Noe showed up. We basically had the park all to us. Jake did some bluntslides on the elevated parking block. I ollied them. Noe did a million flip tricks and some mannies. Sean and Hayden ollied the fire hydrant and did a million cool tricks. Bo ripped it too, such a good treflip and maybe even feeble on the tall bar.

Then we went to Willville. I didn’t skate much there because I was filming Jack and Sean get buck. I don’t know how they can go so fast and ollie up that curb, but man they rip. Hayden got a cool line with Bo. Noe did some cool manuals.

Then we went to the 6-6. I had gotten kind of lost and looked at some new stuff that looked fun. Upon arriving to the 6-6 I saw Jack looked ready so I went to film him. He bailed one nollie tre, then second try he gets the nollie tre then treflip. WTF! Wow Jack. What a surreal moment. Noe did a line too while the rest of us kind of messed around. I got close to a couple switch flips in cracks. Peyton did some cool wall plants. Jack grinded a sharp metal landscaping divider.

Then we went to the ol’ bank to gap spot in the tech center. I started posing rock kickflips to fakie. Hayden nose manualled down it which is so gnarly. Sean nose manualled up it! Joe was trying to ollie up then ollie out over the cone which would be so sick. Noe did a super good fakie bigflip down the gap. Peyton almost got a cool line of ollie up, rock fakie, switch treflip down. All of this while I was still trying rock kickflip fakie. Bo was kind enough to film. Those dudes were all done and chilling so it was just me skating and I felt pretty dumb. Luckily they all rule and I was able to keep trying. I would get about 5 of them, but struggled with the switch 180 down the gap. I kind of got one. The 180 really sucked, but it’s a funny line. Super fun day. I can’t thank Bo enough for helping with filming.

(setup 8.25 null archway deck, jessup, venture 5.6 v-hollows, bones hard bushings, 51mm spitfire F4 101a radial slims, new balance numeric 288s grey/blue size 11.5, no insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Rain was threatening in Boulder so it seemed like getting out was imperative. Rob was down and we arrived around the same time a little after 9. We had the park to ourselves for awhile. Rob is getting tricks back left and right. Back 50, noseslides both ways, crooks, fakie bigspins, halfcab boardslides, he was looking good. I was still on the little 8″ setup and I didn’t really like it. It flipped around pretty easy, but it wasn’t good for the ledges and I really didn’t land much. The only thing I remember I liked was a front 50 to front board. A crew of younger skaters showed up and had a lot of energy changing the vibe and making it not as fun. Then another couple dudes that were better, but even more annoying. Things like waxing a ledge before skating it, complaining about people being around them (you’re at a skatepark idiot). Rob split when Jake showed up. Jake did a line with front blunt on the quartapotty and then 5-0 fakie on the steep bank. I got his back with a sloppy kickflip or two over the parking block. Then we played a game of SKATE. For once I got Jake a letter on treflip. Mine was questionable, but he did so many primos that he almost had to quit the game. Yikes. I had some other tricks like f/s halfcab flip, heelflip, and a couple more I can’t remember to beat him.

Then we went to Safeway ledge. I started slow not liking the little board and being oh so sore. But we ended up getting some stuff we were hyped on. Jake had fakie back tail and then back tail. His first back tail in the streets. I did my first kick back 50 in awhile. Then we went and had lunch and hung out with Fuzz and it was awesome.

(setup null logo 8″ deck, jessup, venture 5.2 awake lows, bones hard bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, 1/16″ riser, 51mm spitfire F4 101a radial slims, new balance numeric 288s grey/blue size 11.5, no insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

I went out to the garage on a rainy evening before dinner. I was motivated and felt decent. The warm up process went alright. I took a few tries to get a pop shove I was happy with which was the start of the struggles. Then kickflip took a few tries, but I did manage my 5 in a row. Then heelflips. I had gotten one and was going for a total of 5 when a missed heelflip resulted in my foot going right through the middle of my board. No worries I grabbed a very old 8″ deck sitting on the garage and swapped them out. It felt a little small and I started with fakie flips to get going. Then I went back to heelflip and was able to get 4 more of those. Did a couple backside flips, a great feeling fakie varial flip. Then couldn’t treflip to save my life followed by many varial heelflip attempts that I couldn’t land either. I hucked a few nollie flips that felt pretty close, but overall I was just so bummed. I tried so hard and I couldn’t come up with a rare or new trick. It really felt like I’m just too old to learn new stuff anymore and it hit me hard.

(setup 8.25 null curby deck/null logo 8″ deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.2 awake lows, venture yellow bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, 1/16″ riser, 51mm spitfire F4 101a radial slims, new balance numeric 288s grey/blue size 11.5, no insoles)
(pain level 2/10)