Went out to the garage on a somewhat warmer night, but it was kinda windy and there is still snow everywhere. I had the desire to try a casper flip. I don’t know why, but I did. After a few warm ups, kickflip, b/s flip, fakie flip, heelflip I went into a routine. Varial heel attempts one way, casper flip the other. I got incredibly close to both, but didn’t ride away from either. Doh. Then I tried switch heel and nollie flip for a bit. I got pretty tired, but still made myself do a treflip before I could go in. Took about 10 tries to get one. I had put an old 8.25″ deck on again. It felt good. I am not man enough for 8.5″.

setup 8.25 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s v-lights, venom 91a bushings, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, old rubber STI insole)
(pain level 4/10 sore heel)

On a sunny, but cold day I went out searching for something in the sun to skate. I drove for quite awhile, but didn’t really find anything to skate so I ended up at a spot I knew would be dry. It’s out on Valmont and it gets direct sun against a building. I took like 5 tries to land a kickflip. It didn’t get better. I had a bunch of layers on and was still cold. It made me mad at winter so I flipped it off by taking my shirts off and got some sun. It was cold, but actually felt good. I still didn’t land hardly anything. Halfcab flips, 180 flips. A big cloud came and it got really cold. I told myself I had to land a heelflip before I could put my shirts back on. It took a long time. I was pretty over the 8.5″ at that point. Of course. Anyway, I should sum up this part of the session with the following description. A big uncoordinated dork without a shirt on skating slow in 28 degree weather not landing anything. I had seen the wallride earlier and did a few of them on the way home before giving up on finding anything else. I’m sick of winter.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s v-lights, venom 91a bushings, 53mm bones sft v1 PJ wheels, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, old rubber STI insole)
(pain level 4/10)

On a cold afternoon I went searching for dry with a new board and wheels. 53mm! But they are PJ wheels so you know they are still good. Ha. I also had a new deck as I didn’t want to use the soggy cracked tail as an excuse anymore. I went by the research ledge, but it was warm enough for snow to be melting and making it unskateable. So I ended up at the super mellow bank spot that is always dry immediately after a snowstorm. As I was sweeping the salt off of it someone walked into the nearby door and didn’t say anything to me. Cool. I started with the silly soft rock 270 which was pretty fun. I did a few flippers for a bit, like kickflip to fakie, fakie flip, b/s flip. Then the soft rock kickflip out. It took about 20 minutes and I kept switching between trying to go to fakie or regs. So I guess the result was neither. I debating cleaning it up, but decided I didn’t care. Then I skated it in ways I haven’t before. Did a line of back shove then back 180 onto it. Also a line of halfcab flip on flat, manual across it and then a b/s flip on flat. The flatground there is not good, it’s rough. Brand new STFs are always super hard so that didn’t help even though they were larger than I’m used to. Actually, finding the manual point was hard with the wheels that tall. I also tried a line of 360 flip on flat then nose manual, but I never committed to the nose manual. The 3 flips were terrible too, came to a total halt due to wheel bite. Then I did the halfcab flip. Then I tried the ollie over the little gutter. It felt much closer to the wall than it looks on film. I went to get a better one that was more over it, but my phone died. So did I clean it up even though my phone had died? Heck no. I moved on. Ha. Plus the slam hurt way more than I was expecting. I hucked casper stalls for awhile along with trying to grind the edge then manual around. I kind of got a casper stall. I’m glad my phone had died and didn’t record it, because I know it wasn’t proper, but man it felt fun. I think both feet had landed on the top and then I kinda scooped the front one under, but it flipped out really fast and felt great. Last challenges of the day were some backside ledge stall transfers into the bank. Like back nosepick in, back 5-0 into the bank, etc. Couldn’t get crooks transfer. Then I spent awhile trying kickflip back tail stalls. It took awhile, but the one I got felt incredible and I went home in a good mood. It was nice having a solo session. I need them.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s v-lights, venom 91a bushings, 53mm bones sft v1 PJ wheels, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, old rubber STI insole)
(pain level 3/10)

After a chill day at work I split out in hopes of finding a little dry. I did at the research center as they plow the sidewalks well there. I had about 20 minutes of sun. Long enough to bail a bunch of tricks and land one totally slow and ugly treflip. My tail was super cracked at this point and I feel like it was making it harder than it needed to be. The sun went behind the flatirons so I went down to the ledge. It’s funny how that ledge will be dry right after it snows as long as it’s cold enough for snow to not melt. I set the phone down and landed my first two crooks. I was pretty hyped. Then I tried back 50s for awhile. I never got a clean one, but I do feel like I made some progress in relearning that one. There were also a couple that I got into fine, but stuck. I also got a couple switch front noses, noseslides and maybe a halfcab nose jib. It was fun, glad I got to get a little grinding in.

(setup cracked 8.5 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s v-lights, venom 91a bushings, no washers inside the axles, 52mm bones sft v5 wheels, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, old rubber STI insole)
(pain level 2/10)

I absolutely love this part. The board control is insane, the fun is out of this world and it’s all filmed well with good editing and decent music.

On a frigid night I went to Squarehouse for “adult night”. I put “adult night” in quotes because a couple of the kids were still there. Good kids sure, but can’t claim ‘adult night’. Ha ha. Kevin was there when I got there. He had forgotten to put his contact in and was stuck in his glasses. He couldn’t skate in them. I felt bad as he was really slamming hard and not skating at normal Kevin level. He was really out of it. Took several tries to get a crook, but he did get nollie flip first try. I couldn’t do anything for the longest time. There was a few people there. It was not crowded, but it only takes a few people. We arranged a bank to curb for a tiny bit. Saul got a feeble on it. Brian and I missed no comply to tails. Then in silent protest Saul knocked it down while skating the ramp. Ha. We had also made a hip out of the kickers and put the smaller ledge under the regular ledge. One dude was trying to wallride the hips, he got close. Kevin did switch front 50 over the little ledge and came back with a Wenningesque front 5-0. I took several tries to do a very slow back 50 across the little one. Kevin 50’d the extra tall one too. Crooks over the little one. Ripping. Another dude skated the ledge with us, Kevin, he went coast to coast on everything. I was struggling so bad, but at least not slamming as hard as Kevin. He had a switch 180 over the hip and slid out fierce. I took awhile to get a kickflip to fakie on the mellow bank. Finally got on front 50s on the regular ledge once they removed the low ledge, got front 50 shove, cracked my tail on a switch nose 270 shove. Got a few crooks, one bad halfcab noseslide. Ended with the line above basically. Brian was skating the ramp with the kids. He was ripping. Back d, lots of various front truck bashes.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s v-lights, venom 91a bushings, no washers inside the axles, 52mm bones sft v5 wheels, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, old rubber STI insole)
(pain level 2/10)

On a cold snowy night I went into the garage. I was inspired by the new Haslam part to do something different. I started with the contraption above. A mellow little bank. I did a couple ollies to fakie, then got kickflip to fakie in a few tries. After that the shoves which took longer than they should. Then I got the dumb idea to try the soft rock kickflip. I really wanted to get it and move on, but unfortunately I went at it for like 45 minutes and never got it. I was more motivated than I have been in awhile. I was frustrated at times, but I was really trying. I had a hard stop at 8 to watch Vikings with Liz so with a couple minutes to spare I moved the wood and did a bad treflip in a few tries to remotely cheer myself up.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s v-lights, venom 91a bushings, no washers inside the axles, 52mm bones sft v5 wheels, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, old rubber STI insole)
(pain level 3/10 some arthritis in the knees I hope it goes away soon)

On a cool night I made myself go outside my bubble and head downtown. I was having a bit of an arthritis flare up so I wasn’t expecting much. I started at the yellow curb spot, did a couple 50s, but all of the gravel got to me and I moved on. I ended up at St Julien and skated the weird ledge against the electric box. It was better than I remember. It should be waxed even more, maybe rub bricked. I tried some lines there. I didn’t skate the ledge well at all, but was happy to try it. Got a crooks on it pretty quick, tried to do a no comply 180 after and my board shot out at some ladies. Ha. They apologized for not stopping my board which made me laugh. Had a line of fakie bigspin, front 50, terrible b/s flip. Also crooks, no comply 180, fakie flip. It took me forever to get a tic tac’y back 50 and to complete the terrible stee I followed it with a treflip with my hands down. I posed a couple front smiths after that then my legs got tired from so many ollies and I went over to Wells Fargo. Took me a bit to get a front 5-0 to fakie. Then I tried front feeble to fakie, but the rounded edge wouldn’t touch the truck and I wussed out. Went over to the red metal alley ledge, but there was too much gravel to enjoy it. Ended up at the tea house. Kinda did a line of a nose stall then front 50 a curb. After that I walked back to the car. My knees were pretty sore. Freaking arthritis. But I was happy I was able to skate as well as I did.

(setup 8.5 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s v-lights, venom 91a bushings, no washers inside the axles, 52mm bones sft v5 wheels, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, old rubber STI insole)
(pain level 5/10)

Had to send some Stubborns DVDs off so I went to the self service kiosk at the Valmont USPS and skated around there. I started on the mellow bank. Did a few basic tricks, basic flippers then moved behind the building for the good flatground. I did the backside/frontside thing for a bit. B/s flip, terrible f/s flip. Halfcab flip / fs hc flip. Got a heelflip. Wanted to to both halfcab heels. I’m not sure why anymore, but I remembered I had an old 8.5″ deck in the car and felt like comparing. After a quick swap out I was able to get a f/s halfcab heel first try. Ha. I think at this point in time I have realized I don’t land flip tricks on a regular basis with any setup so might as well make other stuff more fun.

Then I went to Longmont to meet Dave, Dave L and Jack. Right before I pulled in the wind picked up fierce. I almost went home. I was there first. I just did slappies for awhile. Then since the wind helped going east, but you couldn’t go west I just did a line of dropin, manual the brick median, noseslide and eventually got a bad back 50. The Dave’s and Jack showed at the same time. The wind made for a pretty subdued session. We skated though. Jack did his nosepick pivot pretty quick. Dave did a couple nose manual 360 things. Dave L was on the manual tip. I was posing front crooks on the ledge as well as kickflips over the brick median. The first couple felt so close. I should have done it then, because it went away. I didn’t really do anything else. Dave had some pivots on the bank to curb part, the cool back 180 nosepick. Jack started trying something that was film worthy and I gladly put myself out of misery and just filmed. He got a banger. Oh yeah, I had new shoes. NB# 379s. They seem to potentially be one of those perfect shoes. The first day was good, I hope they rest are.

(setup 8.25/8.5 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s v-lights, venom 91a bushings, no washers inside the axles, 52mm bones sft v5 wheels, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, footprints 5mm insoles/thin rubbery adidas insole)
(pain level 5/10)