Skate wise I celebrated 366 days in a row of skating last year. This year I celebrate NOT having skated every day. Ha. But really I celebrate how I’ve learned to take better care of myself so I can get shown up by @fullertrron trying to learn switch crooks in 15 degree weather. #over40skateboarding #thestubborns #iusecoldweatherasanexcusetoskateevenslower

A post shared by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Dec 31, 2017 at 4:36pm PST

It was literally only 15 degrees when I met Dave at Red Hawk. I got there first and it needed some sweeping as the tiny bit of flurries had settled in next to the ledge. Since it was so cold a simple swipe of the broom would make the snow disappear without a wet spot. Warming up was obviously a challenge, but we were both smart enough to wear lots of layers and we weren’t cold. We ended up getting some tricks. My list was better than expected. Front 50, front 5-0, front 50 front 180 out, front 50 front shove out, almost front 50 kickflip out, back 50, crooks, crooks to fakie, crooks shove, halfcab noseslide, switch noseslides. I couldn’t get front 50 back 180 out or front 5-0 back shove out. Dave had 50s, back 5-0, back 50 nollie shove, front 50 back 180 out, halfcab noseslide, such a good switch crook, almost front 50 back big out, probably more I’m forgetting. We didn’t do a lot of flip tricks as it was kind of cold for that. My bushings had froze up and it made some things pretty weird. Super fun session though. It was nice not struggling as much on front 50s as I have lately. And that’s a wrap on 2017!

(setup 8″ null Monico deck, venture 5.25 awake lows, 50mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the inside of each axle, venom 91a bushings, new balance numeric arto 358 black/white size 11, custom orthotic insole)

On a cold day I met Jack and Carleigh at Safeway. It was so sunny out and seemed like it would be warm. It wasn’t. Especially in the shade. But we skated and it was fun. Jack was ripping. Back 180 nosegrinds, bluntslides, back tails, back 270 tailslides, pop shove back 50s, wallrides above the ledge and he learned 360 flip noseslide in like 3 tries. Man. Carleigh did a bunch of noseslides and got front 50, kickflips and bought a house. Ha. I skated decent other than the front 5-0s that were supposed to be 50s. Made myself do a tiny front tailslide, got the slowest and worst fakie nosegrind, fakie 50, did some crooks on the lower fence ledge, flip tricks were whatever and I couldn’t learn 360 flips like Jack. Way to steal my dream trick bro.

(setup 8″ null Monico deck, venture 5.25 awake lows, 50mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the inside of each axle, venom 91a bushings, new balance numeric arto 358 black/white size 11, custom orthotic insole)

On a really warm day I met Dave at Westy park. I arrived first and there was puddles and ice making most of the park unskateable. So I took out the broom and started spreading out the puddles and sliding the ice out of the park. Dave showed up and shoveled some of the deeper stuff and a couple other dudes showed up with towels and within a few minutes the park was good. Starting out I felt super awkward again. It sucked, I couldn’t do anything. But it ended up working out and I would start to feel better. Dave seemed pretty on it right away. The two other dudes there were good, but they both had headphones on and would take one earbud out after each trick. It was kind of weird and annoying. Dave had some moves on the steep bank. Fakie shove, back tail. He got the boardslide transfer on the A frame. Couldn’t get nosegrind the bump to ledge, but got front 50s with both 180s out. Also tried back nosegrind. And of course a bunch of transition tricks first try like sweeper, grinds over the hip, etc. One of the other dudes looked like Chris Jones. He did a ton of tricks on the bank like nollie bs flip, switch flip, he made it look so easy. I got a front 50 shove out, kickflip up the curb, couldn’t do front 5-0. I had a fun line of tiny ollie on the b/s qp hip, back 50 the qp, then a 360 flip out of the kicker like Dave’s photo above. Also a line of kickflip up the curb, front disaster on the qp then tried crooks the ledge, but never got the crooks. Then Dave went in on trefilps. He tried for over an hour, landed on 4-5 of them, but never rode away. So close.

(setup 8″ null Monico deck, venture 5.25 awake lows, 50mm bones stf v1, 3 washers on the inside of each axle, venom 91a bushings, new balance numeric arto 358 black/white size 11, custom orthotic insole)