Still not feeling good, but wanting to get out a little I went to the ol’ meet up bank spot with Dave. I still felt pretty disoriented and run down from whatever plague I’m fighting. Warm ups were manuals on the deck, nollie shoves. Dave showed. We got into tricks out of the bank. He did shove and kickflip. I randomly started with nollie front 180 then took a long time to do front shove and not so long to do kickflip. Dave did a rad line of sw front nose the railed ledge then varial flip out of the bank. Then close to halfcab flip into the bank. I posed front heels before they hurt my hip flexor too much. Then randomly started hucking sw back 180s out and it was not even remotely possible at first. But eventually I would get a couple sketchy ones and they were fun. Now to add a flilp! Ha. I chilled for a while as I was exhausted. Dave died on a Hale into the bank. Then as I was leaving I setup the cone to ollie. Dave got a couple clean ollies. I almost had front 180. But some dude came in hot and was not happy we were skating there. Doh. Still a fun session.

(setup 7/10 null abstract 43 8.5/14.25, pepper g5, venture 5.8 v-cast flat top washer, bones x99 v1 52mm and splays size 11.5 green with remind cush insoles)
(pain level 6/10 sore from being sick and hip flexor pain)

After sleeping in I eventually went to meet Cass at this mellow bank in Broomfield. It was insanely hot when we started. Just sun beating down on us. Neither of us had skated in the last week so we were rusty to begin. Cass got things going first with a front shove to fakie that was really popped. I took a while to get a couple kickflips. Had a fun line of no comply 270 to tail the sidewalk then carve back down and do kickflip to fakie. Then I basically tried fakie hardflips the rest of the session without getting too close. Oh and some front heels too that hurt my hip flexor. Cass on the other hand rattled off tricks. Fakie casper, bigspin underflip, hardflip to fakie. Saving them for Stubborns 2. Kyle showed up and did the most casual kickflip to fakie and treflip to fakie before going on to do a kickflip primo to fakie. So sick. Alecs and Nick showed up briefly. Then we got rained out which was okay by me as I was still fighting the funk.

(setup 7/10 null abstract 43 8.5/14.25, pepper g5, venture 5.8 v-cast flat top washer, bones x99 v1 52mm and splays size 11.5 green with remind cush insoles)
(pain level 6/10 sore from being sick and hip flexor problems)

After being sick for a week I ventured out of the house to meet Dave the library spot because it was raining. There were no lights on. I was wearing glasses from being sick. I had a new deck. All of this lead to some of the most disoriented I have felt on a skateboard. Dave showed a little after me and we worked into our stuff. I avoided popping mostly, but had some fun lines. Crooks then nollie tail. noseslide to fakie then halfcab noseslide. Switch front nose to switch back nose 270 shove. A group of youth showed up with a lot of energy and not a lot of social skills. Oh well, they were trying hard. Once Dave moved past the death curb he was ripping. Front 50 nollie back 180 out, front nose shove, boardslide fakie, slappy feebles, pivots on the wet bank to curb, the coolest wallie nollie bonks and so much more. We posed some hardflips since the youth were making them look easy. One dude did a front smith kickflip out. I had a slappy front crook that felt cool. Felt good to get outside again even if it felt like a dungeon.

(setup 7/10 null abstract 43 8.5/14.25, pepper g5, venture 5.8 v-cast flat top washer, bones x99 v1 52mm and splays size 11.5 green with remind cush insoles)
(pain level 6/10 sore from being sick)

Got the whole family out visiting my mom and brother. My brother was busy and the kids were sleeping in so I went to the skatepark. I was pleasantly surprised to see that dded on to it. All of the tanish/orange features were the new ones. Basically a few quarterpipes and a little euro and 4 stair. They are metal and I felt kind of bad making noise at 8am, but it says the park is open 24 hours a day (no lights though). I warmed up just kinda cruising and getting used to humidity and different environment. Early on had a pretty fun line of ollie up the euro, turn around front slash the new 4′ qp, front 50 taller ledge on top of the lower one. That in itself was a major feat last time I was there so I was proud of that. I tried front disasters on the 4′ for a while, but never committed. Tried some manuals on the lower pad, did some front 50s, crooks the taller pad, ollie on the bank, front 180s up the euro. Couldn’t get a front 50 on the 3′ qp as the coping was deathly slick. Did a line of boardslide the flat bar, axle stall the 4′, front disaster the 3′, ollie onto the lower pad to quick noseslide the taller pad. Was really tired by then and decided I should end it on a flip trick. I haven’t done fakie bigflip in a while so I chose that one. Took about 10 tries but I got one and it felt pretty good. All in all I really like the additions to the park. I am more excited to go back there and have thought about other lines and tricks I would like to do there.

(setup 8/10 null purple archway 8.5/14.25, pepper g5 venture 5.8 flat top washer, old 52mm sptifires and splays size 12 b/2 with stock and remind cush insoles. I left my board in WI so I wouldn’t have to bring one each time)
(pain level 6/10)

After work went to meet Dave and Will at Safeway in Longmont. It was insanely cool out. Especially after the recent heat. It was only 70 something! Warming up for me was pretty brutal, but I would start to feel better on my board, partly because I wore Splays again. Dave was flying all over the place lining out the bank and manny pad. Will was doing long manuals and all kinds of tricks up the curb. I had a fun sw 180 up the curb then a bad wallride on a door. Would finally get some kickflips up the curb and tried to line out to sw 180 manual. Would like to go back and get that. Dave had a mega line starting with gap to manual to body varial out, nollie 180 on flat, switch crooks the bank to curb. Talk about amazing. Will left. Dave and I hucked over the median for a while. Dave got kickflip. I got nowhere near treflip. We finished at the bank to curb. Dave rattled off crazy tricks and got a couple of bangers for his video part. Dude is a clip stacking machine. I may have gotten some feebles, they felt cool. It was a fun session and nice that it wasn’t hot out.

(setup 7/10 null purple archway 8.5/14.25, pepper g5, venture v-cast 5.8 flat top washer, 52mm bones x99 v1, splay rev lts green size 11.5 remind cush insole)
(pain level 5/10)

Met up with the 98% dudes at dog park on another day with a high above 100. It was quickly very hot. My hip flexor was not happy at all. I tried to get warmed up and would do a few ultra basics, but mostly I just sat and chilled and talked with good dudes and watched good dudes.

(setup same 8.5 ventures nb ct300s)
(pain level 8/10 hip flexor)

Another hot morning. I was up early and wanted to skate before going to Denver for the Red Bull contest. I had setup 8.5/14.25/venture and it felt decent. My warm up went pretty well. Those dudes showed before it was time to start ollieing. It went okay for me. Had some slow front 50s and a shove out on the lurb. Went in on noseslide bigspin which I ended up getting. I had put the phone at such a bad angle that it missed it though. Oh well, it wasn’t perfect, but it make me happy for sure. Jesse had some good 50s both ways. Jack too. Jack was feeling kind of dizzy so kind of kept it mellow. The b/s flip out of the bank was fun. I was close to treflip out too. Jack couldn’t get kickflip out, but got them to fakie. Near the end I wanted to front 50 the black ledge. It took a bit, but I got one and followed it with a kickflip to fakie on the bank then a switch front nose. I decided to end on a good note for once. Another dude had shown and did front 180 up the happy ledge then fakie treflip out. So sick. Then I went to Denver and had a great time watching the Nullers lay an egg at the Red Bull ledge contest. Ha. It was so fun though, those dudes rule, so did the winners and so does TJ Rogers.

(setup 7/10 null purple archway 8.5/14.25, pepper g5, venture v-cast 5.8 flat top washer, 52mm bones x99 v1, new balance ct300 white/blue size 12 half insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 4/10)

Went to Southern Hills on a Friday evening as I had saw they redid the 2 stair which is now a 3 stair with a good expansion crack before and after it. Doh. I skated 8.25/14 as a test and boy did it fail. I had zero confidence or drive. Which isn’t all the boards fault, but it made it worse. I went in on treflips to at least see if maybe I could take advantage of the small setup. Nope, couldn’t commit to save my life. Somehow I went home happy. I think knowing with certainty that a small setup doesn’t make flip tricks happen anymore.

(setup 1/10 8.25/14 thunder hollow 52mm nb 300)
(pain level 5/10)

After a long day of sitting at work I went out with some new shoes and two setups to skate. I didn’t really have any intention when I left and ended up at this bank to curb spot to warm up. It’s a good warm up. Axle stalls are fun. Couldn’t get a hurricane though.

Then I went to Willville. Started at the main area. I was on an 8.25 with 14″ wheelbase and Indys. It felt good initially. Some of the problems were probably due to new shoes but I couldn’t land a kickflip to save my life even though they flipped much easier than my 8.25/14.25/thunder setup. Couldn’t get manual into the bank. Went down to the rock area. Tried a line of front 180 up the 2, halfcab flip, ollie the 3. Never got the halfcab flip. Went to the main pad area again, attempted to get some ledge action going, but ended up just leaving. I had no drive and it was despressing.

(setup 7/10 8.25/14 sample, pepper g5, indy 144 titanium, 52mm bones x99 v1, new balance ct300 white size 12 half insoles and currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

After dinner I went to campus. I hadn’t worked out much so my legs didn’t feel great. Ended up starting at the ride on grind / ledge area. I skated with very little confidence, speed, grace, skill, etc. I managed a few ultra basics. Managed a front axle then floppy kickflip. Went to the flagstone ledge for the first time this summer. Did okay on backside tricks. Then was starting to slowly commit to front 50s when some cops rolled by and gave me the boot. Doh. Moved on. Struggled to ollie a manhole. Found a nearby manny pad that I had never noticed before. Had some fun manuals. Tried manny front 180 for a while which would be cool as there is a slight bank in the landing. Never got it though. Walked to my car thinking about how bad I’ve become at skateboarding. I don’t know what happened after that recent foot injury, but it all seems gone now. Argh. I will keep stubbornly trying I’m sure. For now.

(setup 4/10 8.25 null abstract 43, pepper g5, thunder 148 hollow light, 52mm bones x99 v1, new balance numeric 306c foy cup 12 b/grey half insoles currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 5/10)