On a really nice morning I went to Broomfield to meet Gordon. To my delight the 98% dudes were assembling as well. Good thing too because Gordon hurt his back and wasn’t really able to skate. I was skating a 8.25 with slappy lows and liked it more than the bigger board. I still couldn’t treflip though. Got to see Dan rip it, lipslide down the little rail then back nosegrind the black ledge. Donnie slayed as usual. He was kind of on one. When is he not? Scotty got close to kickflips. Sean came and did Sean things. The ease at which he does nollie back nosegrinds is nuts. Garrett had the line of the day with back tail and kickflip back tail, also some halfcab crooks. I had some okay moments, switched to a venture setup. Liked it more, but didn’t ollie better. Had some normal tricks, okay lines, one back 50. Sean and I played a game of SKATE where I got pink slipped. But I did get quite a few tricks at least. Couldn’t get treflip or fakie bigflip during the game, but did land them after. Then went home and watched the Nuggets lose game 7 🙁

(setups 8.25s with venture hollow or slappy lows wasn’t totally into either of them, but man I loved the Splay Rev LT shoes with some 574 insoles and currex runpro)
(pain level 3/10)

On a super nice morning Paul, Jack, Eric and I rolled to Golden where we met Venture Dave, Miller, Gordon, and more. The little plaza section in the back was mostly closed due to construction unfortunately which made warming up tougher. But I ended up having a pretty fun session and I think most others did too. Bratcher was hiding up on the little qp. Paul and Gordon were ollieing the 3. Gordon lipslide the long mellow ledge like it was nothing, lots of manuals and nose manuals. Paul noseblunts on the bank ditch part. Dave did his patented impossible to fakie, almost got fakie impossible. Lots of manuals and no comply shifty. Eric went to down on the 3 stair rail. He took a lot of slams, but he got a good one. I was happy to get a couple boardslides on the long mellow ledge, kickflips on the little bank, some slow noseslides on the hubba. Had one line I really liked of noseslide to fakie the start of the long mellow ledge, halfcab flip on the bank, switch noseslide the kinked ledge. I couldn’t quite get a fakie tre on the bank, but I did get a heelflip to fakie which is super rare for me and felt awesome. Fun crew and session.

(setup 4/10 8.5 null vhs, slappy lights 8.5, spitfire f4 99a classic orange/black, splay rev b/w size 12 with remind cush insoles)
(pain level 5/10)

After work then a couple naps I made my unenergetic self go to Valmont to meet Will and Dave. I arrived after Will had b/s flipped the euro hip and Dave f/s flipped it. Wow! They kept at it a bit to get cleaner ones, but I didn’t get to see them go down. I cruised around, had some fun, got warmed up. Was happy to do kickflip to fakie on the mellow bank, kickflip on a hump to b/s flip toe drag the hip. Some switch front noses on the back of the bank. Will learned pole jam. Dave almost did them to manual. Dave did crazy nollie shove tail reverts over the hip. A lot more happened, it was a fun session. Then we went to Picas and had a nice dinner.

(setup null 8.5 vhs, jessup ultragrip, venture v8 5.8, 52mm spifire f4 classic 99a orange/black, splay rev lt 272 insoles and currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

About time I got the Splay Rev skate shoes. I was tired after work and it was really windy, but I wanted to try these shoes out. Since they are so wide I had skated a wider board, 8.3. I put Royals on it which wasn’t the best choice. I started at the little circle thing, did a couple back 50 stalls, nollie tails. Then a weird run of pop shove a micro bump, ollie down a 3, noseslide a flagstone bench. Then a line of kickflip the bump, front 180 the 3, switch 180 a manhole, noseslide flop the bench. I went to the main area but the wind got insane and I felt like heading home. Really liked the shoes, but man they made my board feel sooooo small.

(setup 4/10 8.3 pmg, jessup ultragrip, royal ultralights 149, spitfire 52mm 99a f4 classic, splay rev b/w size 12 with remind cush insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Had about 30 minutes to skate dog park on the way into the office. I was unhappy with my pop and inability to land treflips the day before so I went aces. Didn’t really like them at all. I didn’t skate well at all. Had some front and back 50s on the lurb. Some crooks on things. Maybe some kickflips.

(setup 2/10 8.25 null flaherty, jessup ultra pj grip, ace spanky af1 44 hollow, spitfire 52mm 99a f4 classic orange/black swirl, last resort cm002 grey size 12 and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 4/10)

After work I met up with Rob and Paul at dog park on a warm afternoon. I tried to start in my Xero shoes, but after a failed nose manual in which my foot slipped off the board I went back to the 574s. Rob had some casual fast back 50s and brought some front 50s into the mix, manuals, nose manuals, front noseslides. Paul killed the green box doing like every trick except front nosegrind. I started pretty good, but stalled out when my pop stopped working. Managed a line I was hyped on though. Crappy accidental front 5-0 the green box, long boardslide the tiny bar, kickflip a parking block. Tried a bunch of treflips, could not get one. Still had fun though.

(setup 4/10 8.25 null flaherty, jessup ultra pj grip, thunder hollow lite 148, spitfire 52mm 99a f4 classic orange/black swirl, new balance numeric 574 vulc orange/grey size 11.5 half insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 5/10)

Had some time in the morning on Mother’s Day so I went to Broomfield. It was quite sunny and warm. Amanda was there with a crew, but they left quickly. I had the park mostly to myself except one dude that showed up and only hit the blue pad. Warming up was less than average. Did a few front 50s on the blue lurb to get going and got a back 50 after one. Got a line I was hyped on. Crooks the black ledge, noseslide to fakie the bank to ledge, fakie bigflip on flat, fakie 50 the blue lurb. Had some halfcab noseslides, struggled with front 50s, came remotely close to noseslide 270 shove, got a terrible treflip flyout, one really slow front 50 on the ledge into the bank. Pretty mid session.

(setup 4/10 8.25 null flaherty, jessup ultra pj grip, thunder hollow lite 148, spitfire 52mm 99a f4 classic orange/black swirl, new balance numeric 574 vulc orange/grey size 11.5 half insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 6/10)

After a day full of driving (and seeing a moose at RMNP!) I needed to get out skating. I was exhausted and had no desire to drive. Luckily students are gone so I cruised the bike ride down to Willville. And it was fun. I posted up at the main area mostly. Tried to flip the board a bunch, but didn’t land much. Tried switch 180 manual into the bank, but never held it. Got a line of manual into the bank, then come back and ollie onto the bank then front shove accidental revert. Managed a terrible treflip. Tried to manual the bottom of the pad which was scary, never quite got it. Ollied onto the skate stopped lower level several times, never very well though. Had some noseslides on the upper ledge. When I left I dropped in on the bank down the six stair and it was terrifying for some reason. I survived though.

(setup 6/10 8.25 null flaherty, jessup ultra pj grip, thunder hollow lite 148, spitfire 52mm 99a f4 classic orange/black swirl, new balance numeric 574 vulc orange/grey size 11.5 half insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 5/10)

Had some free time during the festivities so I escaped to dog park. I was tired and hadn’t gotten to do my normal exercises. Much to my surprise and enjoyment both Aki and Dan were there. I hadn’t seen Aki actually skate in a long time so that was cool. He still rips, got some front/back 50s, front tailslide, super dipped nose manuals, manuals. I was kind of rusty and lacked pop. Dan can’t slappy crook and it’s funny. But he can crook the tallest rails/ledges in the park. I had a quick nose manual that felt good, but couldn’t get shove out. Dan was close to a few nose manual variations. Oh he did get no comply out of one that was super sick. I almost got a first try b/s flip over a parking block, but instead it turned into a mini battle. Dan joined but going switch. I would eventually land something vaguely resembling a b/s flip. Dan got my back with a good switch one. Then I had to bounce. Fun session.

(setup 7/10 8.25 null flaherty, jessup ultra pj grip, thunder hollow lite 148, spitfire 52mm 99a f4 classic orange/black swirl, new balance numeric 574 vulc orange/grey size 11.5 half insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 5/10)

Woke up early, went to Boulder park around 6:30am. The first half hour or so was comically bad, my body was not working. I tried a warm up line that moved around as I tried. Front d the good long low qp, nollie front 180 out of the bank, fakie flip on the little bank up top, nollie tail the triangle ledge, ollie onto the bench. I was really struggling to ollie. Had a couple 50s that ended up feeling good on the bench, one with a front 180 out. Took a while to get the quickest little crook on the hubba. Was scary, haven’t done a downhill one in forever. I think that was about it.

(setup 7/10 8.25 null flaherty, jessup ultra pj grip, thunder hollow lite 148, spitfire 52mm 99a f4 classic orange/black swirl, new balance numeric 574 vulc orange/grey size 11.5 half insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 5/10)