After being called for work and the snow mostly melting Dave L and Will showed up at my house. I had scoped some new spots on a walk to the new Wilville area in the morning. We skated down the bike path to get there which was a fun cruise. We ended up at the rock spot which made for some fun wallrides I thought. Will thought it was really cool and got his camera out right away. I wasn’t really ready to film, but we went to it quickly and I was soon trying a line. Drop in on a kinda sketchy rock, rock ride another rock, varial flip down a two stair. I was feeling pretty good and when I got the varial flip I was extra excited. We moved on to another area that had a round curb high manny pad, 3 stair, flagstone ledges. Dave L was going for a manual around the pad. He got remotely close, but it was hard to do without a heel drag. I was playing on the 3 stair/ledge area. I tried a line of pop shove, front 180 down the 3, switch 180 on flat, noseslide. I think i got that. Will and Dave joined in that area. Will had some steezy noseslides then did a really sick halfcab noseslide. Then he filmed Dave L for awhile get a super good line. Back 180, switch front 3, switch boardslide. I was playing with back 180s down the 3, but couldn’t do it. After Dave did his line he filmed me go for a pretty basic line. Front 180 the 3, halfcab flip on flat, noseslide the ledge (it was pretty tall and it wouldn’t crook), wallie nollie a pillar after. It felt really neat to link those tricks and I liked how it covered the spot. Then I filmed Dave get his line a couple more times and Will line out the halfcab noseslide with a switch flip and nollie heel. Dang tech! The we walked home. I was so sore, but man it was a fun afternoon of skating!

(setup 8.5″ null nolan deck, venture 5.8 titanium hanger with cast baseplate, 3 washers inside each axle, 53mm sml og wide wheels, bones medium bushings, new balance numeric foy 306 black/gum size 12, footprint gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 5/10 might be time for cupsoles again)

While finishing up my day of work from home I went out to the garage on a cold evening. I had switched to my 8.5″ setup since the latest 8.75s that arrived now have the same wheelbase. Argh. I also wore some old PJ shoes. I figure I should switch things up with shoes sometimes and the garage doesn’t really matter much. I did a few shoves, nollies, 180s etc to get warmed up. Then did kickflip and fakie flip. Tried switch flip and nollie flip. I didn’t get too close, but I did commit to most tries. They just don’t flip enough. I got heelflip, then tried for fakie heel and got stuck on it for awhile. After that treflip on the 10th try, then a couple more tricks before dinner.

(setup 8.5″ null nolan deck, venture 5.8 titanium hanger with cast baseplate, 3 washers inside each axle, 53mm sml og wide wheels, bones medium bushings, new balance numeric pj 533 grey/red size 13)

Out before work again on a cloudy day with snow supposedly coming later in the day. There was someone there when I arrived and for whatever reason it made the warm up go quicker. I got through the boardslides right away, but quickly noticed my legs were toast. The other dude left and I kind of posted up on the concrete bench to do a few tricks. I didn’t get too far before wanting to move on. I really wanted the front nosegrind. It took awhile to get into it and I got closer, but never got it. Argh. I had done a couple back 50s that were slow, but I finally was going fast enough to grind a little at least. My legs weren’t really feeling flip tricks. I did get a first try halfcab flip, but that was about it besides kickflip & fakie flip. Eric showed up looking like Miles Silvas on a cruiser board and quickly started ripping. My battery died so I stopped trying those tricks and cruised a bit, but quickly realized I was totally beat. I did get a halfcab noseslide to fakie. Eric had done front tails, 50’d the tall part of the black ledge, heelflips and ended on a wallie front 180 that was sick. Good seeing him.

(setup null 8.75 even horizon deck, venture 6.1 trucks, bones medium bushings, sml 53mm og wide wheels, new balance numeric 306 black/gum size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

On a cooler morning I went to the dog park and had about an hour before I needed to get to work. I started off good, getting through the boardslides right away and 50 and manual the tiny pad. Even a couple slow back 50s on the lower step. Had a bunch of front 50 on the low narrow metal ledge that were fun. It sounds dumb, but getting used to the feeling of coming off the end of a ledge is still scary to me. I had tried a couple noseslide 270 shoves on the big side of the step ledge and got really close. I went to ollie the tiny kinked rail and slammed super hard. I thought I would be done, but I walked it off. I would get revenge on it. I had halfcab noseslides, crooks were working, a couple slow front 50s on the benches. I went back to try more noseslide 270 shoves, but didn’t get as close. I also tried to front smith the tall side of the step ledge. Seems less scary than 50s, but I never committed. Tried to ollie the wallie ledge a bunch. I slammed a lot. I tried to work on my ollies. Pushing the front foot forward/down more to actually get the back wheels up. It seemed to work, but it’s hard to relearn how to ollie after 30 years. I think I absolutely need the bigger setup to ollie correctly. I ended trying a line of 360 flip, fakie nosegrind, switch crook the concrete benches. I never got the 3 flip. Got on fakie nosegrind, one tiny switch crook jib to forward. I ended trying no comply flip body varials on the parking block. I wanted to challenge Dave with it. I got close, but never got both feet on. Then it was off to work. Not the best morning, but still managed to try new stuff /push myself so that makes me happy.

(setup null 8.75 even horizon deck, venture 6.1 trucks, bones medium bushings, sml 53mm og wide wheels, new balance numeric 306 black/gum size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Went to the dog park before work on a breezy warm day. Warming up was good. I did a few boardslides, noseslides before settling in on Dave’s challenge. As you can see I was hyped to get it. I did a few flatground tricks in between attempts. Got halfcab flip and backside flip, heelflip a little later on. I did a super slow front lip on the tiny pad that felt pretty cool. Then I skated the low step ledge. I got really close to front nosegrind and fakie 50 switch front shove. The back 50 shove was just kind of funny, but I was hyped when it happened. Another dude showed after awhile. I stopped filming and did more lines or random stuff. Got some slow front 50s on the narrow benches again. Lots of slappy crooks. Couldn’t ollie a bench. When I posed it I was way over it, but when I commit I just ran into it. Ugh. I couldn’t get a treflip, but I finally did a kick back 50 (sketchy) on the low step. I struggled with regular crooks again. Not sure what’s up with that having the bigger setup. Then it was time for work.

(setup null 8.75 even horizon deck, venture 6.1 trucks, bones medium bushings, sml 53mm og wide wheels, new balance numeric 306 black/gum size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

Up early on a Sunday thinking I’d be Filmer Glen most of the day I went to Southern Hills to work on the pop game. But I was really tired and sore. I shouldn’t have skated, but there’s a reason I won Stubborn Of The Year last year. As usual I mostly tried lines. Started with nollie bonk manual down the handicap ramp, front 50 the bottom step, boardslide a bench. Then switch front 180 a crack gap, back 50 the step, front board pop out a bench, kickflip on flat. Then noseslide a bench, ollie up the two, no comply 180 into the bank. The ollie up was so hard. Ugh. I had gotten a couple flippers in between tries like heelflip and halfcab flip. I was also getting super close to nollie flips. Then I went for the feared front 50. It went even worse than expected. I got one slow one with no grind. Ugh. Then tried a line of halfcab noseslide, heelflip on flat, crook a bench. Only got to the heelflip twice and ended up giving up on the line. I did at least get a few crooks. Granted they didn’t come so easy, but I got a few, and I lined out the last one with a no comply 180 then a switch crook jib on the step. The whole time I hated how hard the Bones wheels felt. They don’t work with the bigger setup. Especially on rough ground.

(setup null 8.75 even horizon deck, venture 6.1 trucks with stock bushings, 54mm bones stf v5, new balance numeric 306 black/gum size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 6/10 skated too much lately)

Kevin and I rolled to the dog park to meet Dave L and Seattle Will. I took out the vert board again. I didn’t do much, but I got another halfcab crook. Well, Kevin said it counted anyway. It wasn’t locked in like the other one I had done. I also got a first try f/s halfcab flip. Kevin was ripping even though he’ll say he wasn’t. 5-0s, nosegrind, smiths, etc. He was trying nollie 180 switch crooks. He was locking in, but never got it. Dave was shredding. Slappies, 5-0s on the ledges, shoves over the parking block. Andrew and the No Love dudes showed. It was cool seeing them.

We ended up here. I was skating terribly for awhile and felt incredibly sore. Dave was going up the long stairs like it wasn’t even hard. Ha. Seriously popping up so easily. Kevin and Will went in on the manual. Well, Kevin probably did it first try. I think he got nose manual too. Then 50. Then 5-0. The nosegrind proved he is human after all. Fuzz showed up and sat in his car for awhile before joining us. He had never been to this spot before and was frustrated like the rest of us with how hard it is to skate. But he did get the manual pretty quickly. After doing nothing but the little pivot above (nowhere near as cool as this old line there) I filmed Dave get a pretty incredibly line. 3 tricks up and a boardslide. Will had filmed awhile too. He got a couple manuals and almost a kickflip then manual. Fuzz got a fun boneless 180 bonk. Kevin was in on the 3 tricks up thing too and tried to finish with nollie flip. He ended up switching to nollie b/s flip and gave up on that. I’ll make an excuse for him – the wind. I started dorking around with 360 spinner like Sean does here. Ended up doing a little line of kickflip then it down the curb. I like it. Decent day. I wish I could ollie better.

(setup null 8.75 even horizon deck, venture 6.1 trucks with stock bushings, 54mm bones stf v5, new balance numeric 306 black/gum size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

The forecast called for a perfect day in the mid 60s so I took the day off. And it delivered. It was a little cool when we first arrived at the park, but it was nice and in the 60s quickly. We all like this park. We all skated it very differently. Dave L was warming up by cracking ollies everywhere. Over the hips, humps, everything. Fuller was doing cool pivots, tail stalls on hard to reach areas. My first trick was the front tail over the mellow to steep hip. Fuller was gaping up the weird euro and manualling the less weird euro, 50s, tails over the top qp thing. We eventually settled into some things. Dave L was doing quick feet lines on the nipples and getting more tech with each try adding body varials, shoves and then varial flip. I was mostly trying lines starting at the ledge and coming back to it. I was trying kickflips on the corner qp. Got a few. Noseslide, crooks, halfcab crooks all felt decent, but the front 50 almost killed me again. Argh. I got a couple slow and timid ones. Fuller started trying the Hale trick on a boob and got a few. They were so sick. I started hucking noseslide 270 shove and got one in a few tries. It felt so awesome. I ended up getting a few more. I guess I finally went fast enough and put my weight in the right place. Hopefully it works out again in the future. Fun session.

(setup 8.3 null collage deck, jessup grip, venture 5.6 trucks, old 53mm bones stf PJ v1 wheels, venom 88a bushings (no boardside washer), new balance numeric 306 black/gum size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

After a nap and some chilling I met Ed, Saul and Dave F across the street at the curbs. Dave and I were super beat, but we were the ones that skated the most. Ha. Typical of us. I rode the “vert board” as I didn’t land any flip tricks earlier in the day so why not have a bigger board? It felt good right away for slappies. Ed still has mean slappies both way as well as good looking ollies and back 180s. Saul was chilling on backside slappies grinding forever. He’s got front slappies down too. Dave did a switch slappy up the curb cut to switch back 180 out. Gnarly! I was messing around on a slappy crook and tried to put it into 50 and it was close. I got less close, but kinda bonked a 5-0. Dave started playing with it and got a really good one. The neighbor kids showed up. It’s cool to see how excited beginners get about everything. I had better luck with flippers on the big board. Makes no sense, but it was fun to ride.

(setup null 8.75 even horizon deck, venture 6.1 trucks with stock bushings, 54mm bones stf v5, new balance numeric 306 black/gum size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 6/10 skated too much already)

Flo is one of my favs, this two song part delivers.

Went to Blue Skies right after work on another nice day. I got there first and had fun cruising some lines. My first warm up line was boardslide the flat bar, frontside ollie on the bank, then front tail on the bank with the death trap crack. I had wanted to work on pop again so I tried a line of side rock the other death crack bank, noseslide the tall middle ledge, ollie the flat bar, kickflip to fakie on the bank. Well, I never got past the flatbar ollie and it really upset me. Dave had shown and was doing lots of fakie shoves, nollie shoves on flat or the bank. I had changed the line to ollie to fakie, halfcab flip to start. But never got the halfcab flip. I had put the 5.8 hangers on to see if they were more stable. They were. But I couldn’t flip them. Dave started trying nollie heels. There were a couple super close ones. I tried nollie flips and was close too. There were a couple commits, but just not enough flip. Hopefully soon! Dave easily did some hippy jump 180s, casual first try front 50 the small scary ledge. He a run with boardslide to fakie the dragon rail, front board to fakie the flat bar, fakie shove, then fakie flip on the bank. Totally shredding. I tried some front 50s on the scary ledge that is always a mental battle to me. I committed to it first try going so slow and thought it was a good omen, nope. I pretty much gave up after that and it got dark. Dave had done fakie 3 shove on the bank too, fakie varial flip I think? When it got dark we put our phone lights on the bank as Dave was stubbornly trying varial flip to fakie. I did a couple nollie shoves and sweepers. Dave was getting frustrated then out of nowhere did a totally perfect varial flip to fakie. It was so sick!

(setup 8.3 null collage deck, jessup grip, venture 5.6 trucks, old 53mm bones stf PJ v1 wheels, venom 88a bushings (no boardside washer), new balance numeric 306 black/gum size 12, footprints gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 4/10)