Was hyped to head out to Square House on a cold night and skate with some older dudes. But I had new shoe blues for most of the session and felt quite off and sore. Dave and I started on the flatground of the miniramp doing multiple trick challenges. Starting with 2 then 3 and then 4. Christian joined us for a bit. I think I got a pathetic 4 tricker of shove, both nollie shoves, stationary kickflip. The dunks felt weird, but they did kickflip well. I skated the mini very briefly with Brian and Christian, but it was making me sore. Off to the main park to struggle. I would get a couple kickflips up the euro, one okay crooks on the bump to ledge, kind of a front tail back 180 out on the pyramid, but that was about it. Tried a bunch of treflips on flat and while being very close never got one. Kyle battled switch heel up the euro. Dave was struggling too, I want to see the nollie front 180 up the euro. He had some smooth front 50s on the bump to ledge, halfcab bluntslide the pyramid. Brian had solid front 5-0s over the corner of the little qp, crazy slappy feeble attempts dropping in right into the curb basically. Ashton was the token young kid for the session learning back 180 nosegrind shoves. Christian flew all over the place. At the end I got smoked by Kyle in a game of SKATE that included him doing a first try switch heel body varial. Thanks again Brian for hosting us! Hope I skate better the next time.

(setup null 8.5 vhs, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 v-cast plate titanium hanger royal bushings no big washer flat small washer, 51mm bones pj stf v1 103a washers outside, nike sb sad dunks size 12 half nb 425 insoles)
(pain level 5/10 knees)

On a super nice day after some exercises and a nice walk with Liz I was picked up by Jack B and we met some other older dudes at Zuni including Cass. Cass and I joined Salty, Michael and another guy on the little bank and tiny qp until we each did new tricks. Cass had done one front 50 to fakie already, but got my back when I finally got the sugarcane. We were hyped. Sugarcane has been a dream trick of mine for years. Hoping to get them better and maybe on an actual qp ha ha. We hit the long little qp for a while. We had a bump to ledge session almost everyone got boardslides. Jack and I got noseslides, Cass with the front noses and front nose shove. Hype man Michael had floaty nollie bonks out of the qp. I did a lot of flippers on flat in between tries. Had halfcab flip followed by backside flip. My treflips were not good, but I did get one. I ended the session with a fun line of halfcab flip on flat, bump to boardslide, ollie the 4 stair. It’s been a long time since I ollied a 4 stair.

Then we went to the Rino spot near Cass’ house. We met Chad there, but his back was mostly hurting. We started slow. I was pretty stiff at this point. The curbs teased us again and didn’t grind well. Barrier rides were the highlight for a while. I had a fun line of frontside barrier ride, tiny manual to quick front 180 out of a curb cut. It sounds way better than it was. At the end I was tossing around a line of something on the ledge then 180 up the curb and Jack suggested I go to the barrier. I had started with nollie back tails, but they were sucking and moved on to halfcab noseslide. Thanks for filming Cass. I got a line I’m hoarding for Stubborns 2 or a 50th bday part or something. Super fun day.

(setup 8/10 null 8.5 vhs, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 v-cast plate titanium hanger royal bushings no big washer flat small washer, 51mm bones pj stf v1 103a washers outside, new balance numeric 440 brown size 12 half insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Nice winter day I picked up Jack B and Jesse and we met up with Dave and Rob at Rocky Mountain. Things started slow it seemed, but everyone got going and it was a really fun one. I’ll start with Rob since he bounced first. Nice manuals, no complys on the bank, back 50 to back lip, nollie front lip shove. Jesse casually did some surprising moves like first try halfcab noseslide, fastplants, varial flips. Jack mostly attacked the curb and was kind enough to film quite a bit. Nollie front lip to 50, switch boardslides up to 50, slappy crooks, slappies. Oh yeah he also kickflipped off the curb which spawned a little kickflip session. I think most people got them first try, Rob on flat, Dave, Jack did them first try off the curb. Jesse got a couple. I got it up and down. My flip tricks were working really well which is kind of ironic since I had upped my board size to 8.5. I got 4 treflips. The most in one day in forever. Granted, they were not very good, but I was still hyped. Also 4/4 on fs halfcab flips. Got a few halfcab flips, fakie bigflip, sketch fakie front heels, backside flips, varial flips, several kickflips up the curb, no regular heelflips though and I couldn’t get a kickflip on the bank. I didn’t really do anything other than flatground and a few slappies. I couldn’t get a front 50 on the ledge although I did almost get a Glen 50 (5-0). As usual Dave was the last man skating. He had done a lot of nollies and shoves to fakie on the bank, manuals on the medians and some crazy curb tricks like switch back 180 5-0 180 out, varial flips, and tried to end on a crazy nollie 270 up onto the kinked brick median. Fun day fellas!

(setup 8/10 null 8.5 vhs, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 v-cast plate titanium hanger royal bushings no big washer flat small washer, 51mm bones pj stf v1 103a washers outside, new balance numeric 440 brown size 12 half insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Was able to get out of work for a bit to enjoy a session with the boys. I had only though it would be Jake, Rob, Dave and me, but it turned into a rad collection of homies. Dan, Colin, long haired Jake, Will, even Saul was there walking a cute new dog. I had put wide ventures on the 8.25. It was way better than the aces. It was a fun session. Some highlights. Dan first try treflip on his new 8.75, back nosegrind over the step, front blunt the metal bench, manual no comply, this dude is a shredder. Colin first try nollie tre, almost manual kickflip out. Rob nollie front lip all quick, manual drop down to manual through the crowd to boardslide was epic. Jake front tails, manuals, back 50s. Dave was charging back 50s on the curb, then around the C ledge, manuals and got several nosegrinds then ended with a front nosegrind 180. It hyped me up to try nosegrinds too which I would eventually get a couple with some tail taps. I got a really sloppy front nosegrind 180 in way less tries. Before that I had skated alright for me with a lot of accidental front 5-0s on the curb, crooks, a few flippers and came close to a super sloppy line that would have made me so hyped. Fakie flip, font halfcab heel, nollie tre. After Dave and I had shut down the curb with our nosegrind dominance we went over to the barrier where Rob and Jake were talking. I hyped up Jake with a first try front rock, but he never got the follow up front blunt and owes me a huge horchata now. Dan and Collin joined. I think everyone did front rocks except Dan who did it switch. I would get a front slash which was a great ender. The wind was getting super annoying. Fun session, rad crew.

(setup 6/10 8.25 null esher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 titanium bones medium bushings, 51mm bones pj stf v1 103a, new balance numeric 440 brown size 12 half insole)
(pain level 4/10)

On a cold night I drove downtown in my new minivan after selling my beloved wagon. I had a setup change. 8.25 with aces and boy did it suck. I started near St Julian and did a little line of nollie front tail the long low curb, crooks the ledge by the fence, kickflip on flat. Also tried some fakie bigspins then front 50 the fence ledge but was not close at all. Then I moved around. Hit the alley behind the main parking garage and did a couple pivots and came close to front heels. More cruising around and didn’t really find anything in particular that interested me until I was back near my car. But I was really cold at that point and hating my board. Aces eliminated from potential 2023 goal of not changing setups.

(setup 1/10 8.25 null esher, jessup ultragrip, ace 44, bones 51mm pj stf 103a v1, new balance numeric 440 brown size 12 half insole)
(pain 3/10)

Brought my daughter to work at 9:30 and had some time to kill before Rob was ready to head north so I went to dog park. It was quite nice out and I had the park to myself for the most part until a couple of the CU crowd joined, but they are cool. I skated alright. Got a front smith on the low ledge, front 50 180 out (I can’t believe I’ve gotten to the point where I actually am happy I did this it used to be such a warm up). Got a few tricks on the quick up manny pad to ledge like boardslide, crooks, front board. Never got a good manual though and couldn’t commit to 50 on the cinder benches. Jack B showed up, but I had to go. Got a front 50 shove on the c lurb that took way too many tries.

After hitting LOCO and MRKT Rob and I would meet up with Hayden, Noè at a heated Spring Canyon park. I say heated because there were dudes charging so hard. I would never get anything going and would leave so depressed about my skating. Rob charged it though, nose manuals right away, had a line of halfcab manual then nollie lip. Hayden is so fun to watch. You never really know what you’re gonna see. He learned a new trick, fakie front shove switch manual (I think). Noè was having an “off day” which means only a few 20 trick lines ha ha. The kickflips to fakie on the steeper part of the qp were stezy. I was super bummed that it marked the first session that I didn’t get the little rail boardslide first try. I was like 20-0 on that thing. Now I’m 20-1 and feel incredibly depressed about my skating.

(setup null 8.3 vhs, jessup ultragrip, royal 149 ultralights, bones stf pj 51mm v1, new balance numeric 440 brown size 12 half insole)
(pain level 3/10)

Let it warm up some then rolled to dog park. Well, I started at Valmont, did some pumping around and then forced myself to do 5 kickflips to fakie in a row on the bank. I would get 6 and it only took two tries. Then I went over to dog park and Jack B and Eric showed up around then too. We basically had the park to ourselves for a couple of hours and it was awesome. They were both charging. I was having a weird session where I would not land basic tricks, but get harder tricks first try. Like nollie back tail the bench (because Jack did it) and nollie back tail to fakie the c lurb. I also got first try halfcab noseslide which is rare these days and followed it with a goofy slow back 5-0 shove on the curb. Eric had heelflip over the parking block first try, crooks shove first try, front 180 the bench, front board shove, dude was shredding. Jack’s no comply over the metal bench then hippy jump was so good. I couldn’t commit to an ollie over it. We skated the barrier for a bit. Jack was doing really good fs ollies and ollies to fakie. Eric was close to back lip. Christian came by and shredded it. I got a totally not decked front rock. Then I went over to the skatepark again since some of the 303 dudes were there. Got a first try bigflip on the bank which hyped me up. Went back to the plaza and ran out of juice even though Eric and Jack were still charging and the park was quite crowded. The wind kicked in though and we bounced. Fun day, first couple hours with Jack and Eric were rad.

(setup null 8.3 vhs, jessup ultragrip, royal 149 ultralights, bones stf pj 51mm v1, new balance numeric 440 brown size 12 half insole)
(pain level 2/10)

Got out on a nice night. Rolled down the sidewalk to the underpass on a new setup that was fun. Did a couple brief ollies. Was wearing the 1010s really trying to make them work, but I hated them. Ended up at the covered downhill ledge and got in a few noseslides and a fun noseslide to fakie before the wind went nuts and I went home.

(setup null 8.3 vhs, jessup ultragrip, royal 149 ultralights, bones stf pj 51mm v1, new balance numeric 1010 white size 11.5 half 272 insole)
(pain level 4/10 knee pain from the 1010s kicked in pretty quick)

Feeling tired and sore Dave was pushing for the bank to ledge and timing wise it worked for me so we did it. We met Cass at Dayton, it was cool out, but would warm up quickly. There was one other dude there nollieing into everything. There was a brief warm up before we played a game of SKATE that ended up taking forever. And not because we landed a lot of tricks. Cass was first out, Dave would win it, I couldn’t get a fakie bigflip or heelflip. Skating the park Dave had some cool front 5-0s on the qp to down on the ledge. Cass had some good back 180 grinds. I stuck on some noseslides (strike 1 against Thunder), enjoyed halfcab noseslides, kind of ollied onto the ledge and took a while to get a front 50 on it at the end.

Off to the bank to ledge I was feeling sore. Stefan would meet us then eventually Garrett and Joe. I struggled. Really struggled. Like even noseslides to fakie I couldn’t get into. The only thing I was happy with was the nose jib to fakie then halfcab flip. Oh I did a fakie bigspin on the bank too which was really fun and some boardslide flop outs that looked nothing as good as Dave’s. Cass added front nose to fakie, front 50s. I forgot how much Dave rips bank to ledges. Front 50s in a few minutes, back pivot, nose pick, axle stall lunchbreak tail stall, seems like much more. Stefan battled switch front tail and then nollie 180 crooks. He would get both. Garrett came and quickly did crooks, crooks fakie, crooks bigspin, shove noseslides, shove noseslide 180, kick back tail, kick back tail fakie, but couldn’t get the flip out. Joe couldn’t get tail or front 50 so instead did a first try front crooks to fakie. So amazing. He tried some Joe tricks, but came up short.

(setup 5/10 null 8.25 esher, jessup ultragrip, thunder 148 hollows venom 88a bushings, bones stf v1 pj 51mm 103a, new balance numeric 440 brown size 12 half insole)
(pain level 5/10)

Nice day out. I rolled down to Dayton to meet Cass and Jake. There were some other older guys there, solid session, great vibe. Jake was quick to shred the “spine” and quarterpipe. Cass was dealing with some back issues. We all seemed to skate alright. My flippers weren’t working as easy as hoped. Oh, it’s actually funny I had 3 setups in the car and chose an older deck with Thunders on it. At first I didn’t like it, but ended up liking it. Got a few of the ledge basics. Jake did front 50 on the tallish ledge and I made myself get one too before we left for the bank to ledge. Except that I did a Glen 50 which is a 5-0.

Then to the nearby bank to ledge Cass had Stefan to join us so we had a good crew of 4 of us. It took most of us a bit to get used to it. Maybe not Stefan or Cass so much. Cass was doing video part tricks quickly. Aka front nose shove. Stefan front 50s and tails quick. I would get some questionable slappy crooks, noseslides, first try noseslide to fakie and a front pivot/smith stall, super close to kickflip back 50. Jake would get close to crooks, front 50, front 3. Cass got some front 50s and front nose variations before he had to leave. Stefan did the most buttery nollie front crooks. At the end I became obsessed with a 3 trick line. Crooks, kickflip, kickflip fakie. As you can see the crooks where terrible, but it was a fun way to end a really fun day.

(setup 8/10 null 8.25 spanbauer night spots, jessup ultragrip, thunder 148 hollows venom 88a bushings, spitfire f4 101a 51mm classic shape, new balance numeric 440 brown size 12 half insole)
(pain level 3/10)