skate journal: dog park flat before work (nov 6, 2018)

Posted in New Shoes, Skate Journal on November 6th, 2018 by corpo

In a crisp morning I went to the dog park before work. I had some new shoes on. Lakai Protos. Aka Tony Hawk’s shoe. I feel like I should try them because he is tall, old and kind of awkward too. I was skeptical of how bulky they felt, but on my warm up process they felt really good. Even got my first few kickflips. But then I started to fail at kickflips and I thought I’d be switching shoes back. But I stuck with it and they actually felt really good. Got the kickflip, no comply 180, fakie flip warm up line. First try b/s flip. Struggled with halfcab flip. Tried to line out pop shove then treflip, but kept not landing on the treflip. Tried to land on heelflip then nollie tre, but never got the nollie tre. The heelflips felt sketch, but they kinda worked. I hucked a few other flippers like switch f/s flip, nollie flip and nollie front heel. I committed to nollie flip, but none of them were close. At the end I was losing motivation and took a few tries to get a fakie bigflip then a treflip. The new shoes pass the first test .. flatground.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, 5.8 venture black icon trucks, venom 90a bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, bones 51mm stf pj v1 wheels, lakai proto white/black 11.5, thin rubbery adidas insoles)
(pain level 1/10 felt great didn’t get sore)

skate journal: before work boulder park on a beautiful morning (nov 5, 2018)

Posted in New Deck, Skate Journal on November 5th, 2018 by corpo

After my disappointing outing yesterday I went to sleep angry and wanting to skate. Since I work the late shift and it was super nice out I left early for work with the plan of going to dog park to skate flat. Instead I saw no one was at Boulder park so I pulled in. I pumped around a couple times. Then had a fun warm up line of back tail stall on the mellow bank then front tailslide the little hip. A couple other people showed up, but mostly stuck in the bowl. I had started a line that got longer with each bail until I finally settled on it. Front 50 across and down the little ledge, go around, come out of the qp, noseslide down the ledge, tail stall drop in thing on the weird hump, manual the pyramid, kickflip over the b/s hip. I would often deviate from the line or do other tricks (kickflip tricks on the little bank up top, ollies on the hips). The line took a long time, but was pretty rewarding when I got it. I tried to add b/s flip to the end, but didn’t quite get it. Then it was off to work. Can’t believe how nice and warm it was. I should mention that the Es Swifts were annoying me. Sure they are comfy and flexible, but somehow they have no board feel. I sense a change coming.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, 5.8 venture black icon trucks, venom 90a bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, bones 51mm stf pj v1 wheels, es swift 1.5 navy/clear size 11.5, stock insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

skate journal: halfcab 50 failfest (oct 4, 2018)

Posted in Skate Journal on November 5th, 2018 by corpo

Feeling very uninspired on a dreary Sunday I went across the street to try and finish Dave’s challenge. Halfcab back 50. I did a few warmups and kind of went right into it. I was having fun at first and getting close. I actually got into nosegrind a few times as aiming for my front truck seemed to work better. I also tried front 5-0 kickflip out going the other way along with a few basic flippers. After awhile of getting close and not landing it I started to get very angry. I moved to the lowest part of the curb and still couldn’t get it and I snapped and focused my board. Ugh. Worst feeling ever. Luckily it was pretty cracked at least so it wasn’t the worst move, but it’s still a terrible feeling to get to that level.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, 5.8 venture black icon trucks, venom 90a bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, bones 51mm stf pj v1 wheels, es swift 1.5 navy/clear size 11.5, stock insoles)
(pain level 2/10 but zero motivation)

skate journal: rainy stubborns saturday not much skating (nov 3, 2018)

Posted in Skate Journal on November 5th, 2018 by corpo

On a wet dreary morning things got delayed. After awhile Jack was at my house. We watched some Stubborns then started skating in front of the house around the time Fuzz showed. Jack and I played a game of SKATE. It was pretty fun. He’s a gentleman and doesn’t take me out immediately with the flippers he knows I can’t do. He did a few tricks before I was ready, but it seemed like a good warm up. It started funny when Jack bailed a kickflip and I beamed him and did a kickflip. Ha. That is such a weird feeling to do a flip trick and not see the board flip. Anyways, it was a fun game, he got me on heelflip, 360 flip, fakie 360 flip, something else and then switch frontside flip. I had gotten him to SKA with halfcab flip and fakie bigflip and something else.

Then Kevin showed and we drove off to campus, but it started sleeting/hailing and we ended up at 303. Some shopping/food/drinks later we ended up at the 3 up 3 down on the hill. It was mostly dry. I was not feeling up to it. Kevin jumped up it right away though. Maybe even quicker than Jack. Fuzz and I dorked on the curb for a bit to get some type of legs to jump up it. For whatever reason I had absolutely nothing and could not commit to the ollie. Kevin was charging high speed manuals. Jack was kickflipping up and wallriding down. Some seriously sick wallrides. Pop shoves up too. Mike joined us. It was good to see someone with as much pop as him slam a couple times getting up the 3. That 3 is no joke. Kevin did 180 up then fakie ollie off. Fuzz tried to get his back, but the 180 up did not come easy. He had a bunch of 180s that slid out. But he did get it, and it was sick. I stubbornly kept attempting the ollie up. I would almost quit and film, but made myself get an ollie up. It took forever. I backed it up with a terrible ollie off. It made me feel better to get up it though. Fuzz and I chatted about what a battle it was and how we are still happy we did the little we did. Then I filmed the young ones rip it. Mike did 360 flip, b/s flip and switch varial heel off. Jack did kickflip up then impossible back 180 off. Kevin did front 180 up then switch fs flip off. It was a struggle, but he got it. Oh, forgot to mention I cracked my board pretty bad on one of my attempts up where I just did a deck check.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, 5.8 venture black icon trucks, venom 90a bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, bones 51mm stf pj v1 wheels, es swift 1.5 navy/clear size 11.5, stock insoles)
(pain level 1/10 when we started, then way worse trying to get warmed up again)

skate journal: flatground friday blah (nov 2, 2018)

Posted in Skate Journal on November 3rd, 2018 by corpo

Tired after work I went to the Dog Park on a breezy afternoon. I had made two changes to my setup. First, some 90a Indy bushings and second, back to Es Swifts. The shoes felt alright, but them bushings were way too stiff. I was hating it. I had done a few kickflips. Got my warm up line of kickflip, no comply 180, fakie flip. Had tried a heelflip when a few minutes later this kid on a bike showed up watching me. He was this super nice kid and he asked me if I could heelflip. A few tries later I landed my first heelflip in awhile. I asked the kid (Armando) where his board was and he said he didn’t have any wheels. So I went to my car and took the wheels off my extra setup and gave them to him. He was super grateful and it hyped me up. I was also hyped that I had some Venom bushings in the car too so I swapped those out and my board felt so much better. I still didn’t have much energy and it was hard getting used to the slipperier shoes, but I landed on a few of my tricks. The wind kicked in and I went home.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, 5.8 venture black icon trucks, venom 90a bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, bones 51mm stf pj v1 wheels, es swift 1.5 navy/clear size 11.5, stock insoles)
(pain level 3/10 i’m always sore by the end of a work week. too much stationary)

skate journal: broomfield with kevin and garrett (nov 1, 2018)

Posted in Skate Journal on November 2nd, 2018 by corpo

On a cool night I battled some traffic and ended up at Broomfield park. Darin was there when I got there and did a sick back 5-0 on the little ledge. Then a long crooks a few tries later. Kevin was already there doing switch manuals and claiming it was a warm up. I started with some non-ollie lines like qp trick then slappy crooks. Kevin really wanted to learn it and ran into the curb. Ha. I showed him the little hip thrust it takes to do it and boom, he landed his first slappy crook. He would get a few more, slam some, but he definitely made progress and landed a few slappy crooks. I was unable to get a slappy front crook, but would grind them pretty good at least. Garrett showed. His first run showed how much younger he is. Youthful energy front blunt on the qp, nose manual, 50s, etc. We mostly skated the manny pad area for awhile. I bailed nose manuals, fakie nosegrinds, etc. Kevin and Garrett made nollie/switch manuals look easy. I ollied onto the downhill ledge for the first time in awhile, it was scary. Tried a line of noseslide to fakie the downhill ledge, fakie smith fakie, fakie nosegrind, but never got the nosegrind. Kevin was doing super fast manuals on the black ledge to back tailslide the brick qp. Garrett was casually treflipping into the bank then kickflipping a trashcan on it’s side. Kevin had 180s over it too. I ran into it trying to ollie it (not intentionally). I had my first few front 50s on the black ledge and followed one up with a kickflip out of the bank that made a BMXer cheer. Not sure if it was sympathy for the old man or not. I was starting to hate the 288s with the high heels. We played a game of SKATE. I was out first. Then we left.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, 5.8 venture black icon trucks, bones medium bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, bones 51mm stf pj v1 wheels, new balance numeric 288 tan size 11, stock insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

skate journal: short little session at red curbs (oct 30, 2018)

Posted in Skate Journal on October 31st, 2018 by corpo

I haven’t been to Red Curbs in forever as some friends got gnarly tickets awhile ago. I was dropping off my ballot nearby and decided it was time to test it out. The curbs didn’t look as freshly skated as they used to. They used to always be so waxed up with fresh slide marks, but no so much now. I started things off with a slappy crook. Then front 50. Felt good, but sticky. I was wearing some old cupsoles to try and prevent some leg pain, NB# 288s that I’ve had forever. They felt alright. I had a fun manual on the manny pad. Man, I forgot how great that manny pad is. I had a a couple flip tricks and shoves. Took awhile to get a nose manual. Did a few back 50s. Slammed on a fakie nosegrind. Got a couple slow halfcab flips. Last trick was a front lipslide which I haven’t done since last time at Red Curbs. It took awhile, but I managed to squeek a little slow one. The section isn’t as waxed as it used to be.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, 5.8 venture black icon trucks, venom 88a bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, bones 51mm stf pj v1 wheels, new balance numeric 288 tan size 11, stock insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

skate journal: kick back 50/5-0 shove failing then filmer glen (oct 28 ,2018)

Posted in Skate Journal on October 31st, 2018 by corpo

Spent some time editing my Stubborns part then went to Safeway feeling that sinking feeling of trying one trick over and over. I really wanted that kick back 5-0 shove. It became apparent pretty quickly I didn’t have the same juice as a couple days ago. I wasn’t getting close. I did manage one kick back 50 shove as shown above. But it was weird the grind totally stopped on me. It felt pretty neat regardless. I did a bunch of pop shoves between tries to try and make the shove out easier. Then I went to Douglass Elem and filmed a bunch. Rob got a line, Sean got a line, Sean got a banger. I didn’t get to see others skate very much which was a bummer. Jack, Carleigh, Joe, Collin, Riley, Scotty and Bernie were there. It ruled seeing Bernie.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, 5.8 venture black icon trucks, venom 88a bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, bones 51mm stf pj v1 wheels, lakai griffin vlk b/w size 11.5, footprint 5mm insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

skate journal: stubborns saturday in denver (oct 27, 2018)

Posted in Skate Journal on October 30th, 2018 by corpo

Rob, Kevin, Jack and I met at Fuzz’s on a gorgeous Saturday. We went to meet up with Chad L in Denver and started at a weird bank to curb. We lasted about 3 axle stalls and a front tail before getting the boot. Doh, it looked fun and had a grass ride option.

Then we went lurking for a bit and found a fun looking ledge, although it ended up not being the main attraction. There was a little median on an angled driveway into a parking ramp and then a little flat gap that became the main point of interest. Jack had done back 50 all the way around to shove revert out on the ledge. Kevin had done a back 50 or two and some front 50s. He even slammed on some back 50s. I was sore and kinda just posed noseslides. Rob was on the manual tip. Fuzz was doing quick up back 180 and maybe manual back 180. Jack also added some bigspin fakie manuals. Chad showed up around the time we were getting gnar on the gap. Rob back 180, no comply shove, almost kickflip. Fuzz fakie ollie, bs flip, switch 180, halfcab. Kevin heelflip, nollie front 180, nollie flip. Jack hardflip, bigspin, half pressure flip?, impossible, varial flip, 360 flip, etc. Chad gapped to manual and went around the building.

We eventually left and ended up at a weird little park. I didn’t really skate. Everyone seemed to be confused by it initially as it was a pretty weird spot. Jack messed around nearby. Eventually lines started happening and the camera came out. Chad did a long manual. Kevin did a line 3 times with manual to pop up a 2 stair, heelflip, wallie. Fuzz 180, switch 180, ollie. Jack was messing around doing crazy kickflip manual variations. Garrett joined and did some backside flips up the 2, manuals, nose manuals. Joe had joined us and attempted to skate up the gap Fuzz ollied down. Ha, he does have massive pop.

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Last spot was this bank spot which is normally fun, but made for a weird session. Jack went in on the 5-0 jib right away and chilled after that. Joe had hardflips, showed me up on a kickflip to fakie, tried to do something on the pole. Kevin was trying to do a Rob influenced back 360, but gave up and did nollie flip and switch flip and even switch fs flip. Rob was doing front big then got a nice shinner on a nollie back 180 so focused his board. Fuzz chilled and shot photos. I was a crybaby and took like 10 tries to get a front shove to fakie. I almost focused my board. But I stuck with it, got a few basics and then got a halfcab flip which was a struggle, but had a good reward.

Fun day with the dudes.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, 5.8 venture black icon trucks, venom 88a bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, bones 51mm stf pj v1 wheels, lakai griffin vlk b/w size 11.5, footprint 5mm insoles)
(pain level 6/10)

skate journal: friday fun with the crew (oct 26, 2018)

Posted in Skate Journal on October 29th, 2018 by corpo

Had the day off work! Slept in a little then met Dave at Safeway. Rob and Fuzz were a little after us. Okay Fuzz was a lot after us. Anyway, both Dave an I had some loose goals of tricks. It was a bummer though as the asphalt had a layer of gunk/oil/moisture that would get on the griptape and make it slippery. So we had to push from weird angles to not push in it. Ugh. Kind of a bummer. That made warming up pretty tough, but we got it going. I started hucking kick 50s and a few tries in got one of the better ones I’ve done. So I set up hosercam to try with a shove out. Dave was struggling with nollie back tail, but doing sick front 50 no comply variations like 180 and shove. I got into a few kick 50s, got kinda close to shove out, then kinda started doing kick 5-0s instead and got close to shove out on a couple tries. It felt cool to try so hard. Rob had shown, but didn’t like the gunk and chilled and hyped the session. Near the end I gave up on the kickflip in and did a front 50 no comply fingerflip out which felt cool.

Fuzz was running late so we bailed to ambulance ditch. We were all sore and tired. It’s fun to roll into those banks though so it got us going soon. Rob was on the wallie nollie tip in lines with bean plants and one foots. Dave was back tailing the steeper side, front axle the mellower side, back 180 the hip. I was posing kickflips for awhile then started trying it to back tail. I didn’t slide it at all, but it was still fun. Fuzz showed and did pop shove to fakie twice on the same bank. So sick. He pushed fast and laid into back smith. Rob did a front big on the mellow bank and it got me wanting to skate the mellow bank too. I had some fun nollie bigspins then did a few weak fakie front bigs which felt weird and cool. Fuzz got a cool slide around to halfcab for Stubborns. Rob got a cool quick line. Dave ended it with a cab over the hip which was gnar.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, 5.8 venture black icon trucks, venom 88a bushings, 3 washers inside each axle, bones 51mm stf pj v1 wheels, lakai griffin vlk b/w size 11.5, footprint 5mm insoles)
(pain level 3/10)