After work I chilled for a minute, changed my setup and headed to campus as the clouds were moving in.  I did a few slappy crooks at the meet up curb then headed down to the flagstone ledge.  I wanted to be pretty close to my car considering it looked like it could start dumping rain any second.  There was a puddle on the frontside approach that limited the angle and speed.  I was okay with that since frontside scares me these days anyway.  It was a bit of a struggle initially, but I was skating it backside too which I’ve never done before.  Backside went pretty well.  Noseslide, noseslide fakie, boadslide, crooks, switch front noseslide, halfcab noseslide.  Didn’t get halfcab nose to fakie, back 50 or kickflip nose.  Frontside I tried just ollieing on for awhile.  I don’t think I ever got a clean one.  I had a couple mediocre switch nose jibs then took awhile to get front 50.  But I was getting into it.  I was just going really slow and not locking in right.  I got one though and it felt pretty awesome.  As the rain started I tried treflips for awhile and got one!  That’s my fist in a few weeks.

(setup 8.3 null curby deck, venture 5.8 trucks custom cast baseplate with hollow kingpin and titanium hanger, bones medium bushings, 52mm bones easy street v5 wheels, all 3 speed washers on the outside, new balance numeric 288s black jack curtain size 11.5, no insoles, incrediwear knee sleeve)
(pain level 3/10 but once again my legs were kind of numb and lacking pop)

Went over to the curb right after work.  Saul and Jake were there, Dave L would arrive shortly after that.  I don’t think a whole lot out of the ordinary happened.  I saw Jake get a really nice frontside flip, slappy bluntslide.  Dave had a cool manual to back 50, some back bigspins.  Saul had some really long backside slappies, slappy crooks, frontside slappies and some sick flashy new swirl wheels.  I struggled on flip tricks out of the curb cut, but did get first try front shove into the parking lot, a couple tiny switch slappy crooks and the normal slappies.  

(setup 8.5 null collage deck, venture 5.8 trucks cast baseplate with titanium hanger, 1/16 riser, bones medium bushings, 52mm bones easy street v5 wheels, new balance numeric 288s black jack curtain size 11.5, no insoles, incrediwear knee sleeve)
(pain level 3/10 but I didn’t have much pop)

This is one of the raddest crews in Colorado. All of these people rule and this video stokes me out and makes me want to go skate.

Went out to the garage with the goal of all four varial flips. I had my quiver ready to go. 8.25, 8.5 and 8.75. I started with the 8.75, but after failing at some fakie flips I moved down to 8.5 and stayed there most of the session. Varial flip and fakie varial flip happened somewhat quickly. The nollie version started flipping right away, but I would never actually land it. It was so frustrating. I tried for about 45 minutes and just could not do it. I tried the 8.25 but got no closer. I partially blame the bushings for being too tight. My bones had broken so I went with stock Ventures and they felt too tight. I never got too upset and left peacefully when the Swervedriver Raise cassette ended.

(setup 8.5 null collage deck, venture 5.8 trucks cast baseplate with titanium hanger, stock bushings, 52mm bones easy street v5 wheels, new balance numeric 288s black jack curtain size 11.5, no insoles, incrediwear knee sleeve)
(pain level 3/10 but I didn’t have much pop)

On a really nice day Ollie and I headed to campus. We parked up by the hill. We were in front of the student center to begin and there is a new rail that can be hit with one quick push. I kinda tried it, but never committed. I would like to go back for that, but not sure I’ll be able to be quick footed enough for it. Then we hit the area up by the tunnel to the hill. Ollie leaned cab rocks. It was cool. he was also doing manuals down the hill, ollieing onto the narrow crack paths and making it around the corners. He did the little slappy wedge bonk too, but off the side. I was really struggling, it became apparent that the 8.25 for street skating felt incredibly small for me. I couldn’t ollie onto the narrow path before the gap or do side rock flips out. I did get a few lines though. Slappy wedge, noseslide, wallie. Noseslide to fakie then fakie front side rock. Crook then something. Couldnt get halfcab noseslide. Got a line of switch front noseslide then cab rock. That line hyped me up. I had a funny slam trying the cab rock as Dave rolled up. I basically dove off the side of the loading dock. Dave was quick on the slappy wedge and did the back 180s all steeezy too. The front boards were good. He had a kickturn on the bank after. Ha ha. It was funny. He was going for 540 kickturn, but just did 180. I should have put that in slow motion in the edit. We moved down a little and hit this curb/ledge/step. Dave had a cool line we should film for stubborns sometime of wallie nollie, 180 onto a two stair and ride off, front board pop out. He also had some nice boardslides. Ollie had some cool drop down manuals and some clean ollies up the curb. I sucked. I got a first try crooks and then couldn’t do another. Then we cruised down the hill to the fun area on the corner with a 2 stair, benches where Dave did the transfer thing, Well, normally it’s fun, but I was really struggling. Slammed on a front 180 off the two stair, slammed doing front 180 on the tiny gap, and a real painful slam on a halfcab flip attempt that bashed my ankle so hard. Ollie had some cool manuals down the hill then front 180s off the two stair. Dave did a cool ollie to street plant thing off the ledge as well as the transfer. Then we moved to the upper stadium bank. I took awhile to land a trick. Pop shove to fakie, awhile to land kickflip to fakie. Dave was rattling off tricks. Front shove fakie, kickflip fakie, fakie flip, sex change, switch back 3, close to fakie sex change. Ollie had f/s halfcab, f/s ollie and tried kickflip to fakie for awhile. I hucked varial heels for awhile hoping to find some benefit to the smaller board. I committed, but it never flipped enough. I took awhile to get the sex change too. Then we headed home. I struggled, but still had fun. I credit the crew for that.

(setup 8.25 null curby deck, venture 5.6 cast baseplate with hollow hanger, 52mm bones easy street stf v5, 3 speed washers on the inside of the each axle, bones medium bushings, jessup ultra grip, new balance numeric 288S jack curtain size 11.5, no insoles at all, incrediwear knee sleeve)
(pain level 3/10)

There were an insane amount of amazing parts this week, but this one was my favorite. Lines for days, tech with style, amazing spots, good music/filming/editing. This is the style of skating I wish I could do the most and it’s pathetic how little of it I can actually do. Gotta work on that.

Had the day off work, did some things then Jake and I rolled to Wilville on a really nice day. We started at the round curb thing. Oh yeah, I had a new setup. 8.25 board and trucks, smaller wheels. It felt good. Oh yeah, and new shoes! 288S. My fav shoe as of late. We both had front and back 50s. Jake was quick to huck some front noseblunts. Out of nowhere I had a really fun line. Front tail stall, kickflip on flat, ollie the 3 stair, noseslide the flagstone bench. Hyped me up. Jake and I also both did a bunch of front smith stalls. I got one in a line with no comply shove, shove the micro bump, but bailed front 180 on the 3 stair. Lame. I got a first try nollie back tail and came kinda close to kick back tail. Jake was sliding back blunts. He was trying a couple lines too. Uphill way – front smith, kickflip, nollie the 3. Never got the nollie. Then ollie or front 180 up the 3, some 180s then back blunt which he never really got either. I didn’t get up to the 3, but to my surprise I did commit and get very close. Which is kind of surprising because I was on a smaller board with smaller wheels.

Next we went to the rock area. There were a couple rippers there ollieing up the two sets of 3 stairs. Pretty sick. I got a fun line of dropin the tall rock, rock ride to fakie, switch ollie the two stair. Sounds like nothing, but the switch ollie was really fun. Then we both did lines to get down the 3s. Jake did a beanplant rock ride, ollie, olllie. I did drop in, really bad boneless rock ride thing, ollie, front 180. It was really fun. I hadn’t ollied those sets yet. Cracks make the first one kinda weird.

Then we went and played a couple games of SKATE near the food court. Jake got to SKAT quickly on a couple double or nothings. I think one was fakie flip. I won it on halfcab flip. The next game was no repeats. My knees had started hurting so it kinda messed with me. I didn’t really land anymore flippers except varial flip which Jake missed double or nothing then went on to get it in about 5 more tries. I got a letter on fs flip, Creepy spin a couple more and lost on fakie 3 shove. Twas fun. I did one nose manual at the end into the bank and we headed out.

As I walked to the house I noticed a bunch of people skating the curbs. Turns out it was Raul, Saul, Dave L (although I just missed him), Eric, Sawyer and Ethan. So I had to go say hi to a rad crew like that. I went with the 8.25 originally, did one slappy crooks then realized I wanted my big board to be lazy and slappy with. Eric did a long manual, some heelflips, a really good back slappy. Sawyer had some insane slams mixed with really good slappies. Ethan had good slappies too. Saul left right when I got there. Raul did some filming and some back 180 50s. I actually ended up not liking the big setup for slappies too much. Oh well. I had done a few of the norms, slappy front crook was the most fun.

(setup 8.25 null curby deck, venture 5.6 cast baseplate with hollow hanger, 1/16″ riser, 52mm bones easy street stf v5, 3 speed washers on the inside of the each axle, bones medium bushings, jessup ultra grip, new balance numeric 288S jack curtain size 11.5, no insoles at all)
(pain level 5/10 knees were borderline in too much pain at times)

After working from home I went to campus on a somewhat cooler evening. I had been obsessing with the bank to curb spot wanting to try kick back tail. I pretty much went right there and quickly struggled with ollies up the curb. It was so depressing. I couldn’t do a back 50 to save my life, but for the record I’ve always found that difficult there. I couldn’t get slappy crooks either. I had put an 8.3 deck back on in hopes of less sucking, but it didn’t seem to matter. Flip tricks were slightly easier, but really I think the huge wheels were the major bummer. I went on to rotate between manual to noseslide attempts and kick back tails. Getting close to both. I had tried awhile before turning on the camera. I did some flip tricks on the way back, got kickflip, fakie flip, halfcab flip, fakie varial flip, b/s flip. Still couldn’t heelflip, got somewhat closer on treflip. I really hate how little grip the yellow soled westgates have. I gave up after awhile and went down by the Buffalo metal ledge, but my knees started hurting pretty bad. I got a noseslide maybe, not even close to crooks. I always think that area will be really fun, but I never have fun there. Then I went home and obsessed over a setup change consulting Jack and Nate for suggestions. Or rather annoyingly bugged them.

(setup 8.3 null curby, venture 5.8 cast baseplate with titanium hanger, 1/16″ riser, 54mm spitfire f4 99a green lance mountain classics with 3 speed washers on the outside of the each axle, bones medium bushings, jessup ultra grip, new balance numeric 913 westgates b/w/yellow size 12, no insoles at all)
(pain level 5/10 wasn’t bad for awhile, but by the end it was too much)

Feeling kinda lazy and without confidence I rolled to Wilville on a nice afternoon. Well, it was kinda breezy which wasn’t fun at times. I started at the round curb/ledge thing. Saul stopped by and said hello on his way to Creekside. After a few no-pop noseslide variations I tried some lines to get the warm up going. First one was switch 180 a manhole, front 50 the curb, kickflip on flat, ollie the 3 stair, noseslide the flagstone bench. I got that line, it was terrible, slow, pathetic. Next line was a little harder. Front tail the curb (didn’t slide), no comply shove on flat, pop shove the micro kicker, front 180 the 3 stair, fakie ollie on flat, switch front nose or halfcab noseslide the flagstone bench. Never got the last trick. I moved up to the main area and totally sucked it up. I had changed the 1/8″ riser to 1/16″. And somehow the ledge felt really tall. Maybe it was my sore legs, but man, even noseslide was hard. I did noseslide, noseslide to fakie, boardslide pop out the narrow side. Couldn’t get switch front nose or front 50. I tried front 50 for awhile. I got up onto a couple, but never well enough to land it. It made me really depressed and hate my setup to no end.

(setup 8.5 null collage, venture 5.8 cast baseplate with titanium hanger, 1/16″ riser, 54mm spitfire f4 99a green lance mountain classics with all speed washers on the inside of the each axle, bones medium bushings, jessup ultra grip, new balance numeric 913 westgates b/w/yellow size 12, no insoles at all)
(pain level 4/10 some of that sharp knee pain I’ve had lately)

On a super warm and nice day I met Saul across the street shortly after my post work nap. It was my first time skating in shorts. Felt fine. Saul had a few slappy crooks right away. He was getting into front slappies longer than normal, but not landing them. I had maybe the best front slappy I’ve done and blew the kickflip off the curb cut after. I was wearing some Westgates again since I blew a hole in the sole of the 288s. The Westgates don’t have as good of board feel. I had the slappy front crook then front shove off the curb cut line. Tried a few switch front tails, the first couple were close. I’m not remembering anything else that stood out. We both had some good slappies, skated for about an hour. Then I went and tried some flatground on the side of the school. It didn’t go so hot. I didn’t really expect it to, but when I got to 360 flip I was super bummed on how foreign and impossible they felt. I tried like 50 of them and never got that close. It was depressing.

(setup 8.5 null collage, venture 5.8 cast baseplate with titanium hanger, 1/8″ riser, 54mm spitfire f4 99a green lance mountain classics with all speed washers on the inside of the each axle, bones medium bushings, jessup ultra grip, new balance numeric 913 westgates b/w/yellow size 12, no insoles at all)
(pain level 4/10 some of that sharp knee pain I’ve had lately)