I”m always exhausted and unmotivated after driving down from my moms. I’m not sure what it is, but for some reason the change in altitude gets to me and I’m always beat. On top of that I think I’ve hit a burnout since reaching 300 days. I was going to skip skating, but since it’s supposed to snow a bunch I figured I should get out. I thought of trying Josh’s trick for the game (nollie front noseslide to fakie) at the research curb and it somehow got me out of the house. It did feel good to be outside, and it was warm out. At first I thought it was impossible. So I used more angle and ended up getting into it and landing some non-slide versions. I also messed around with switch front noseslide bigspin out and would eventually land on one. So I got a few of the nollie nose stalls to fakie. I will have to try again sometime and slide them. It seems somewhat possible. I went over to the ledge and made myself do one crook. It took a long time. Ugh. It made me want a wider truck again. Just when I thought I was totally happy with my setup. Great.

(setup 8.25 null venture 5.2 lows bones medium bushings 4 washers 50mm spitfire f4 101s nb# pj stratford 533 black/white)

Escaped work for lunch at Blue Skies. @fullertrron and @43shifty were ripping! Great to see Aki again too

A photo posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Nov 13, 2015 at 12:52pm PST

Skipped out of work at lunch time and met Rob, Dave and Aki at Blue Skies under very blue skies. I got there first. I was sore and it showed quickly. I should probably take a day off of skating. Dave showed and made himself nollie into the bank to get into the park. Rob showed about the same time and cruised around for a bit before shredding harder then I’ve seen him shred in awhile. It ruled to see. His list included tricks like back 50 on the main ledge (back 50 on that is scary!), boardslides through the kink, front board and front nose down an escalator ledge, boardslides on the snake rail, b/s flips on the bank, his patented no comply behind the back grab spin the board trick. Dave got his nollie in and a whole lot more. Feebles on the flat bar, front 50 on the flat bar, front 50s on the main ledge floating out of the escalator part, ollied up the tall middle ledge like it was nothing, almost front 50 from the qp to the ledge. Aki had a bunch of flat bar tricks like back 50 above, crooks, back 50 the ledge, ollie onto the middle ledge, kickflips, front 50 the tall part of the main ledge every try. I didn’t skate well. I kind of made it onto the middle ledge once. Had a couple ok crooks. Tried a line of front 180 off the middle ledge, fakie flip on the bank, crooks the tall part of the main ledge. Got close. Stoked on the crew, wish I could have skated better.

(setup 8.25 null venture lows 1/16 riser 4 washers bones medium bushings 50mm spitfire f4 101a nb# pj stratford 533 black/white)

Had a blast dorking around with Ollie tonight on the 'manual pad'. Gotta bring these tricks to Wilville now. Hey @fullertrron Ollie did your trick.

A video posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Nov 12, 2015 at 8:30pm PST

Went out into the garage with Ollie on a somehwat nice night, but I was too burnt and lazy to go skating. I was pretty sore and didn’t want to ollie at all. This little manual pad is the perfect solution! Stoked that Ollie joined me. There were a few other tricks we did, some slams too, but the clip above basically sums it up.

(setup 8.25 null venture lows 1/16 riser 4 washers bones medium bushings 50mm spitfire f4 101a nb# pj stratford 533 black/white)

Today’s “song of the day” is a whole album. This band ruled snowboard video soundtracks in the early 90s and I was a huge fan. Saw them in Denver once at the Mercury Cafe. Such a great show. Such a great album and band.

Went out to the garage on a very windy early evening with some snow still laying around. I started on the “manny pad” which was easily my favorite part of the night. I know that doing manual tricks on a sheet of wood don’t really count, but it’s fun regardless. I did almost all of the normal ones first or second try. It felt so cool. I added a new one to the rotate. Switch nose manual back 180 out (f/s halfcab?). Then I attempted some flip tricks. It didn’t go well at all. Kickflips were ok, but anything past that was a battle. I mostly wanted to try tricks I’ve never landed. I got very close to switch flip, close to nollie flip. Not very close to nollie inward heel. And not close to anything else on my list. At the end of the session I decided to try and ollie a tennis ball container. I suck at ollies so need to work on them. Unfortunately my garage probably isn’t the right place as even a tennis ball container seems tall when you have half of a push and have to pop basically the second you put your back foot on the tail. The garage door 3 feet from the landing adds to the hardness as well. Oh well, enough excuses, it was hard, but fun.

(setup 8.25 null venture lows 1/16 riser 4 washers bones medium bushings 50mm spitfire f4 101a nb# pj stratford 533 black/white)

Had a busy day going at work, but was able to get out during gym time to Blue Skies. It was super nice out. I was more sore then I thought I would be, but felt excited to skate there. After the typical ollie to fakie – cab kickturn warm up I got the inkling to try crooks up the escalator ledge. I got a couple early on, but they were really slow and not grinded far. Rob showed up and began cruising around and mostly hitting the bank doing tricks like crail taps and no complies. I get a better crooks up the ledge, still not fast or anything, but it felt rad and grinded a bit. I got a slow front 50 on it too. If I go there more this winter again I’d like to get those good. Rob did a sick no comply through the legs grab where the board does 540. I have no idea what it’s called, but it was neat. I had a couple of kickflips to fakie on the bank that felt good, some other stuff I’ve done there before and a weak sauce back 50 on the escalator ledge. Rob got a boardlide on the tall part of the long ledge down through the escalator part of it and flat. Trick of the day. I ended trying a line of ollie a flat bar then front 50 the tall part of the long ledge and never got into it. Doh. Fun session though.

(setup 8.25 null venture lows 1/16 riser 4 washers bones medium bushings 50mm spitfire f4 101a nb# pj stratford 533 black/white)

Had an hour to kill after work before I needed to pick up Ollie from basketball practice. I was super sore from the marathon skate yesterday so I didn’t want to ollie at all. I debated Boulder ditch or Boulder skatepark and ended up at Boulder ditch. Probably the right choice. I tried ten tricks on the smaller cement qp on the left, but gave up after axle stall to fakie wasn’t working. I didn’t really do much for awhile. Just kind of doing some little boardslides on the pvc and stuff, tailslide attempt on the waxed edge of the ditch. Then tried back 50 on the pvc which was fun and then I forced myself to feeble grind the pvc which I don’t think I’ve done before. It was quite fun and made the whole session worthwhile. It was pretty dark and I was just sitting around on my phone when an older dude came by and cruised the ditch and ducked under a tree like he was getting tubed by a wave. It ruled. Today I also realized that I’m pretty happy with my setup. Cool!

(setup 8.25 null venture lows 1/16 riser 4 washers bones medium bushings 50mm spitfire f4 101a nb# pj stratford 533 black/white)

Today started early at Denver park with @iamnotacreepyjake and @fullertrron. Dave beat me to front 50. #grindsbeforenine #day300alldayskatefest

A photo posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Nov 8, 2015 at 2:21pm PST

Picked Jake up at 7am and we were to Denver park by 7:30am. It quite cold and the park was almost empty. We rolled around slowly gaining the ability to try tricks. The first real skating we did was in the humps to the qp. We would do a trick in it and then a boardslide on the curb and then a trick on the bump to ledge. Jake did a lot of tricks on the qp. I did a few. The line was fun though. I think I got crook jib on the qp, boardslide, front 50. We also did the little kid gap off the bump to ledge and that’s how Jake started his run and his ended with front 5-0. Dave showed up. We all started doing wallies up onto the ledge in the snake run. Dave and Jake did it quick, I took a few tries. Then we lined it out with tricks on the bump to ledge or something. There were a couple wallies that I was pretty scared about just because I was going fast rolling into it. It was fun though. Jake (and I think Dave too) also did wallie front 180s and Jake almost did wallie manual. Then Jake and I skated a ledge above that and the little one. I was trying to crooks the first one and then noseslide the second level of the next one. I got remotely close. I also got a couple cali back 50s up and over the pyramid. Jake did a bunch of noseslide and managed to back 50 it once. Gnar! Simon showed up while we were in a physical challenge to front 50 across the ledge on top of the boardercross. After several tries I landed an accidental front 5-0 that only grinded a foot or so and I landed on the deck. Dave went and did a perfect front 50. So sick!

DAY 300! I made it. Beautiful day.

A photo posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Nov 8, 2015 at 11:35am PST

After a stop for some hippy food and drinks we went to this ledge spot that I have wanted to skate for like 5 years. The ground was way rougher then I expected, but the ledge was quite good. It was hard to line out both waxed sections, but that’s what we mostly tried. Except for Simon because he hauls ass and needed all the speed just for the main one. It took awhile before people started landing tricks. I was feeling every bit of having skated 300 days. I was sore and mentally tired. I was happy to do a few back 50s, couldn’t kick back 50. Got a line of front 50 shove and then switch boardslide to forward. Dave did a lot of really good front 50s with either front 180 out or back 180 out off the front truck. He couldn’t lock in to front crooks like normal though. Jake had a bunch of really good tailslides and tailslides to fakie, back 50s,fakie front 50s f/s halfcab out lined out with crooks to fakie. Simon hauled ass and did frontside lipslides and tailslides. Then he started trying front lip to front tail. We got the camera out and Jake filmed. Things got elevated for a bit and everyone seemed hyped. Simon did the lipslide to tailslide and lipslide to tailslide to fakie, front 5-0 shove out and some other rad tricks. Dave did a really sick boardslide to fakie 50 to f/s halfcab out. I landed a switch boardslide 270 out. Jake, Dave and I played a game of SKATE that was pretty fun with quite a variety of tricks. I would eventually win it with fakie big flip. Dave didn’t land it, but tried it for awhile and got really close. Get it Dave! Jake and I did 360 flips.

Then we went downtown for a bit so I could try a line that I’ve wanted to do for several months now. It’s basically a weird street plant off this tallish drop that has a pole to hold onto and then a boardslide on the yellow ledge above. After some warming up we started filming. That drop was taller then I remember. I had a few where my legs gave out and I can’t believe I didn’t break my board, but I would get some. Got the original plan of the plant and then the boardslide quick. Then messed around trying to add boneless 360 to the end of the line, but that didn’t work. Dave suggested 360 flip since I had landed a few at the last spot and boom, best feeling I’ve had skating in awhile. Did the plant, got the boardslide and did the 360 flip. I was hyped beyond belief. Then Dave did some really fast and stylee front boards and front board transfer to fakie.

Brief and fun ender for the day. Thanks @dnutz37!

A photo posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Nov 8, 2015 at 3:38pm PST

Yes, we skated more. We stopped at Darin’s ramp. I think I took about 10 runs total, dove onto my shoulder once, but landed a lot of my tricks somewhat quickly. Maybe it was because I was too tired to bail. Jake and Dave got lots of tricks. Darin was ripping as he always does. Actually, maybe even more then normal. Back smith second try. Fun ender for a fun day. Now I shoot for 350 days?

(setup 8.25 null venture lows 1/16 riser 4 washers bones med bushings 50mm spitfire f4 101a nb# pj stratford 533 black/white)

Had a late start and a busy morning and it was off to bring India to ballet. I went to Safeway ledge while she was there. Things started off good. I had moved past “slappy” noseslides quickly. I was even nosesliding the tall fence ledge quickly and got front 5-0 on the lower fence ledge as well as crooks. On the main ledge I had quite a few tricks. Noseslide, noseslide fakie, switch front nose, switch back nose to regs, “nollie” front tail, “nollie” front tail to fakie, front 50, front 50 front 180 out, back 50, back 5-0, back 50 back 180 out (horribly done), front tail (weak sauce), front 50 shove, front 5-0, halfcab noseslide, fakie nosegrind, kick back 50. Came really close to front crooks, kick back 50 shove and kick back tail! The kick back tails were the last thing I tried and I think if I would have had more time I would have gotten one. Flatground was ok. I spent a lot of time hucking tricks I’ve never landed. I really want to start landing switch and nollie tricks. I got somewhat close to switch f/s flip, nollie flip, nollie heel. It was fun hucking. It would have been a great session, but I struggled too much with 360 flip and nollie 360 flip. I only got one 360 flip and never got a nollie tre.

Day 299 #strugglefest #ihavenopop

A photo posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Nov 7, 2015 at 3:50pm PST

Then I headed to later in the day to hit 303 and I decided I’d skate these ledges I’ve driven by 100 times. They looked somewhat tall from the road and yeap, they were really tall. Ugh. I was sore and started off so poorly. I eventually did a couple mediocre things like a line with crooks and noseslide to fakie. A few incredibly slow front noseslides. Then I tried front 50 for like an hour and only got into one. Ugh. That is the tallest ledge I’ve skated in awhile. It bummed me out. I need to skate taller ledges more.

(setup 8.25 null venture lows 1/16 riser 4washers bones medium bushings 50mm spitfire f4 101a nb# pj stratford 533 black/white)

First time trying a #tentricktentryflatgroundfridayfabulousfearsomefunfight in awhile. @boredzinejp gave me a nice list and it was going great until I tried to clean up the heelflip. Should have stuck with the 2nd try make. #doh #itwascold #andnewshoes

A video posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Nov 6, 2015 at 4:33pm PST

I left work a little early with the intention of warming up then doing my first 10×10 in awhile. Josh had written my list of: fs halfcab flip, f/s halfcab heel, varial heel, nollie heel, nollie f/s flip, sw flip, 360 flip, heel flip, backside flip, f/s flip. It was cold, but I managed to get warmed up somewhat quickly and started the game. I was going to go in order of easiest to hardest for me. It was going great until heelflip. I got one 2nd try, but used the rest of my 8 tries to try and get a better one and on the 10th try SNAP went the tail. DOOOHHH. I had new shoes. NB# PJs again. Rad.

(setup 8.25 null venture lows 1/16 riser 4washers bones medium bushings 50mm spitfire f4 101a nb# pj stratford 533 black/white)