On another cool cloudy day I went to the Valmont extreme sports complex. There was almost no one in the skatepark side so I started there. I had changed my setup. 8.25 with thunders. As much as I have grown to hate Thunders I think this setup is most aligned with the type of skating I’d like to do. It felt really squirly and small at first, but I ended up having fun. Went in on flip tricks on the flat bank pretty quickly. Got kickflip and b/s kickflip pretty quick. Then found a decent line into it fakie finally and took too long to get fakie flip and halfcab flip. I couldn’t quite get bigflip or front heel. Then I started trying noseslides on the hip ledge and would get a few. Then started trying to do a line of back 50 the weird downhill lump qp, noseslide, kickflip on the bank. I was really close and it was fun. But after a while I gave up and moved on down to the main course.

Was stoked to see Dennis skating, it’s been a while. I struggled with flip tricks and I mostly blame my shoes for being way too big. But there was a kickflip that was so incredibly easy it made me feel happy about my setup change. I did mostly the same old stuff as I was recalibrating once again. Ollies felt good, grinds a little weak compared to the wider Ventures, flippers felt very different. I had some fun trying to 180 a parking block then fakie/switch tricks on the new plastic ledge. I also finally managed a slow front 50 on it. So nothing groundbreaking, but I did skate hard for over a couple hours and felt good.

(setup 8.25 null spanbauer, jessup ultragrip, thunder 148 hollow lights with venom 88a bushings, spitfire 51mm classic shape f4 101a, new balance numeric 272 black size 12 half front insole)
(pain level 4/10 lots of skating recently)

After work on a cool day I went to the tennis court knowing the dog park would be wet. I didn’t change my setup, but I did wear cupsoles to see if they reduced pain. And they did, but at the expense of not really landing anything all session and borderline quitting. I had made a list of 10 flip tricks to try, but rather than go right into them only I tried to mix them in with lines. Like fakie flip was the first one on the list and I did it after a noseslide to fakie. But that would be the only flip trick I landed. Those shoes seriously felt terrible this time around. No board feel at all. I struggled beyond belief, but kept skating to try and force myself into something okay. I tried a few fakie nosegrind 180s on the manny pad and got remotely close, but no cigar. Tried a line of halfcab noseslide the ledge, rock fakie the new wood qp then f/s halfcab noseslide. Never got the last trick and struggled way too much with halfcab noseslide. There were a couple other guys there. One was pretty good, the other just learning to ollie and man he took some hard slams and kept going. I had a couple crooks, couldn’t get a front 50, felt like garbage. The kind of session that makes me question everything.

(setup 8.3 null vhs, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast plate titanium hanger, royal bushings no big washer flat top washer, 51mm spitfire 99a f4 classic shape washers on the outside, new balance 425 black/gum size 11.5 front insole)
(pain level 4/10)

After watching a good BATB finally I wanted to skate some flatground. But I was quite sore from the marathon of skating the day before. I went out to the school in the 212s again and proceeded to not land anything. In about an hour of skating I really only took away that I landed a first try f/s halfcab flip and was 3/3 on backside flips. Other then that it was terrible.

After some lounging I ended up at dog park with Rob. Dustin and Xander were there. As were a crew of youth doing dumb things like tagging and Rob and I got to be the grouchy old guys complaining. It seemed to get Rob going though and he was ripping. It’s hard to remember the difference in the previous day. But more long lines with nose manuals, manuals, back 50 back 180, halfcab back 50, halfcab board the tall bench, front board it and a lot more. It was fun chatting with Dustin and Xander and watch them do tres and nollie tres. I was wearing 272s this time around that felt way too large for me and cushiony in a way that seemed to suck up my pop. I managed a line of switch nose shove then ollie on and kickflip off the c ledge. Also a couple crooks on the new plastic ledge that felt good.

(setup 8.3 null vhs, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast plate titanium hanger, royal bushings no big washer flat top washer, 51mm spitfire 99a f4 classic shape washers on the outside, new balance 212/272)
(pain level 5/10 haven’t felt vulc pain in a while ouch)

On a limited time frame I went to dog park to meet Rob, Cass, Sean and Paul. We started in the park. I was adjusting to a couple changes. Vulc 212s and a smaller deck. The shoes were too big and with the smaller board felt super odd. I tried to do 5 flippers on the bank. But I only got kickflip fakie, b/s flip and kind of a big flip. I couldn’t make the board to a varial flip. Oh and Sean and I both got no comply pole jams 2nd try.

At the dog park it was a decent session. Rob was in demo mode when I got there. Back 50 no comply back shove out, halfcab back 50 back 180 out (trusting him on this one hee hee), manuals, nose manuals, halfcab board the tall bench, front board it. I filmed Cass do a front board on old piece of junk flat bar so I remember him doing that, but can’t think of other tricks right now. He was doing some filming with his super 8 which was cool. Sean was doing Sean things. Basically everything looking perfect at high speeds. The back 5-0 front 180 was my favorite. Paul had a bunch of cool slappies in all directions. Oh Cass and Paul were learning fakie back 50s then Paul learned fakie crooks like it was nothing. I skated pretty average. Did a new trick on the little ledge. Nollie front tail front shove out. Totally perfect ha. Near the end I the little Natas stall on the cone and got two shoves on it.

After lunch with my mom and some lounging I went up to Lyons to meet Dave and Billy on the Rampitheater. I had a new christmas complete. 8.3/5.8/51. It felt alright, but my shoes still felt too large. The ramp was crazy. There was a super small section then a taller section with different heights. I took forever to do a f/s halfcab rock. Then lined it out with front tail which I haven’t done in forever. Couldn’t get a kickflip on the transition. Dave beat Billy’s son Brook in a game of SKATE. It was pretty funny. Brook is young and super motivated and was trying hard and isn’t afraid to ask a lot of questions. It’s cool. It’s funny actually both his kids were into old school skating like Billy. And all decked out in full safety gear. Billy ripped it. He would throw in some tricks out of nowhere like a little invert, blunt fakie yank in, front d, 5-0s. Dave had lots of fakie/nollie/switch pops and almost got a nollie bigspin. Good times and a fun adventure seeing some elk and deer on the way home.

(setups UGH 8.25/8.3 5.8 cast/titanium 51mm, new balance numeric 212 size 12 272 insole)
(pain level 3/10)

Got to Boulder park on a nice morning somehow feeling less sore armed with 8.3/5.8 again.  It felt alright, poppy, familiar.  I went on to have an alright session, pretty good considering I was there well before 7am.  My 5.8s are so worn down and Ti doesn’t grind too well.  Guess I need to figure out which size I want to skate to do the christmas complete.  I had a warm up line of crooks the bench, b/s flip the hump.  Also a bunch of noseslides the bank to ledge then ollies onto the bench or front 50 and 180 out.   Almost manualled the triangle from the top side.  Was getting frustrated at the end and tried a bunch of noseslide 270 shoves, but was not close.  

(setup null 8.3 smoke valley, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast base titanium hanger no big washer flat top washer, 51mm spitfire 101a classic shape f4 washers outside, new balance numeric 288s green/gum size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

On an absolutely gorgeous cloudy 70 degree afternoon I went to meet Rob at dog park.  I had put the 8.3 deck back on.  The valmont park was completely empty so I started there and it was quite fun.  Tried a couple lines.  Barrier ride, carve around then kickflip fakie.  Other way I tried ollie the hip euro, back 180 the next hip then posed halfcab flips on the little bank.  Was getting into it when a bunch of kids on bikes went through mud and right into the park.  

The valmont warmup was nice as I started out pretty good in the dog park.  Rob was already linking lines with halfcab boardslides or noseslides, back 50 back 180s, manuals, and close to nollie front lips.  I tried a line for a bit of switch front nose the metal bench, fakie flip, halfcab boardslide the little flat bar, but I couldn’t get the halfcab board.  I don’t think I really did anything else of note really, but I was skating alright and having fun.  Rob and I played another game of SKATE.  I couldn’t get a halfcab flip to save my life, but was hyped to get a halfcab one foot.  Rob won it on a no comply back 360.  I skated a little more after that, a fakie 50 or two then my wheel fell off again trying a slappy so I was over it.  And possibly over Aces.

(setup 8.38 smoke valley null, jessup ultragrip, ace af1 low 55, 52mm bones stf 99a v3 slims, new balance numeric 288S green/gum no insoles)
(pain level 5/10 super achy)

Had thought that maybe with how much shorter Aces are that I’d want a wider board.  Nope.  As soon as I set the 8.5 down I disliked it.  My wheel fell off twice in the early stages which bummed me out.  Turns out Ace axle nots pop off on front slappies.  I was a little late and Rob had already fizzled out.  We played a game of SKATE.  I think Rob one it on a cab.  We did some fun one foot and no comply variations.  I came close to 360 shoves, but couldn’t get one.  

(setup 8.5 smoke valley null, jessup pj ultragrip, ace af1 low 55, 52mm bones stf 99a v3 slims, new balance numeric 288S green/gum no insoles)
(pain level 4/10 achy)

After another day of lounging around and trying to recover I went to Douglass on a really nice afternoon. As soon as I set my board down I knew it wouldn’t go well, but I did try. Was still amazed at how easily I could kickflip on this setup. I’m not sure if it’s the low/light aces or the narrow bones, but it’s great. I did have some problems popping into noseslides and couldn’t get crooks though. I’m not sure I can blame trucks for that through, I was dead tired, sore and lacking energy. I also felt like I should try 8.5 with the aces since the wheelbase is so small on them. So we’ll see. I went home after about 30 minutes of putzing around.

(setup 8.38 smoke valley null, jessup ultragrip, ace af1 low 55, 52mm bones stf 99a v3 slims, new balance numeric 288S green/gum no insoles)
(pain level 4/10 achy)

Feeling run down I rested most of the day then mustered the strength to skate some flatground. I was armed with a new pair of 288s, my current fav shoe. I mean I say that because they work the best, but I wouldn’t say they are a favorite. Anyway, I did a few little front slappies on the hook then went to the side of the school. To my surprise I got my first 5 kickflips in a row. I was skating extra slow, resting between each try. I had obsessed about halfcab flips and they did not come easy. I got a few, most of which didn’t feel great. Tried a bunch of f/s halfcab heels that were close, a couple Rick flips were close, switch/nollie flips were not close. Eventually got a very slow 270 flip then went home.

(setup 8.38 smoke valley null, jessup ultragrip, ace af1 low 55, 52mm bones stf 99a v3 slims, new balance numeric 288S green/gum no insoles)
(pain level 4/10 achy)

On a warm morning I went to boulder park.  I wore some old 288s which I initially liked, then would feel the pain of vulcs I dislike.  I skated pretty poorly.  Gonna blame some learning curve on the new trucks, some on the vulcs.  I’m trying to remember if I did anything out of the ordinary and I don’t think so.  I was still surprised at how quickly the board flipped, but with vulcs I lost the confidence and didn’t want to try them.  So yeah, nothing stands out, but I did feel pretty natural on the new setup cruising around.

(setup 8.38 smoke valley null, jessup ultragrip, ace af1 low 55, 52mm bones stf 99a v3 slims, new balance numeric 272 black size 12 half insoles)
(pain level 4/10)