After a tough day at work I met up with Rob, Dave, Dave L and eventually Saul at Glenn Close. It was a super nice day. My first slappy attempt was a pretty violent fail. Wearing cupsoles and orthotics again is so tough, especially at the start of a session. Dave L was already doing long manuals and digging the new spot for him. Dave was trying to slappy crook the entire school. Rob was stacking back 50 variations quickly. Back 180 out, shove out, no comply out. My knee pain was still pretty severe, but finally showing some signs of letting up enough to let me skate. I still mostly avoided flip tricks though. I really didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. Oh, yeah, I had put an old 8.38 deck on. It felt alright. Dave L has super good slappies both ways and makes ollies up a curb look so easy. Rob did an amazing line. Back 180 into the curb cut, front shove out of the next kicker to street, front tailside then b/s flip. Definitely line of the day. He also had fakie nosegrinds and I tried to get one at the end of the session and kinda got one. Dave got a couple f/s halfcab flips, lots of kickflips, varial flip too I think? He is becoming a tech wizard. Saul can slappy so far. I think he did a full two sections. He also did layback slappy, hands on the hips, front slappies, front 50, alley oop slappy. OH yeah, I kind of got a slappy hurricane. Fun times. I hope my knee allows me to skate harder again soon.

(setup 8.38″ null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside), spitfire f4 classics 52mm green/yellow swirl wheels with 3 washers on the inside, adidas 3st.003 navy size 12, footprint gamechanger low profile insoles)
(pain level 7/10 mostly the right knee)

Feeling slightly better I reluctantly went over to the curbs wearing some cupsoles with orthotic insoles. I haven’t worn orthotic insoles in a long time. It felt incredibly weird at first, but ended up okay. I did some slappys, slappy crooks, slappy front crooks, front 50s, back 50. Tries a new nollie front tail front shove which seemed super hard. Then I went to skate flat for a bit in front of my house. I did the 3x thing that Sean started. I started with fakie flip. Then halfcab flip which took a bit. Tried a few f/s halfcab flips, but my right knee started hurting too much and I was totally over the huge board too.

(setup 8.75″ null event horizon deck, venture ftc 5.8s, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside), spitfire f4 classics 52mm green/yellow swirl wheels with 3 washers on the inside, adidas 3st.003 navy size 12, footprint gamechanger low profile insoles)
(pain level 7/10 mostly the right knee)

This is one of those perfect parts. The skating, the music, filming, editing, even the Venture trucks and shirts. Ha ha. Seriously though, love this part a lot. Pavement Ist Rad.

Kevin, Damon, Dan, Joe, Eric, Matt, Ollie and I got to a very crowded Frisco park around 11:30. The park was very overwhelming at first. The moonscape bowl section was even more ridiculous than I had imagined. Saul and Ed were there too. They were mostly in the moonscape section, the rest of us mostly kept it to the street section. At least the street section is nice and open. It was even harder than normal to notice what other people were doing since it’s such a large park. Jack and Carleigh showed shortly after us. It felt like ollies might work for me, but after going 1/20 on front 50s on the main ledge I was ready to quit skateboarding. At least Joe and I had a fun doubles line with kickflip (me)/front shove (Joe) off the kicker and boardslide down the tiny rail. This was right after Jack had bailed a boardslide down it. It was kind of funny. Jack went on to back nosegrind it and maybe even back nosegrind shove it. Dan did a front 50 to manual to casper flip out. Wow! Joe did a lip to 50 to shove out. Eric was in the moonscape getting his pump on. Ollie was just kinda cruising the street section not trying much. He was hyped to hang with Ella. I think Carleigh was in the moonscape for awhile too. She may have done a noseslide shove on the ledge or try to manual the pier 7 ledge. Kevin was doing tricks up it. Then a few of us skated the A frame kicker for awhile. Jack kickflipped over the rail, then kickflip manual bonked the rail. So nuts. Ed had done some poppy ollies over it. Matt did a nollie lazer! I couldn’t even backside flip it. I was in so much pain at this point. Every ollie, every flipper, everything. I even tried the Westgates for a bit. Jack had nollie heel and impossible over it too. Kevin might have nollie flipped off it. I followed Saul through the moonscape a couple times. It’s weird, it’s just pumping and hoping you don’t collide with anyone. At the end I had a line of beanplant to tail over the hip, boardslide the flat bar and at least left on a somewhat good note.

After lunch we hit Breck. It was almost empty so that was cool. We played a game of SKATE to try and get warmed up. I was happy to get a first try heelflip. Kevin went on to win although he was given a good run by casperholic Dan. Then we messed around between flyouts and ledge tricks. I didn’t get the treflip out and I was 1/20 on front 50s on the granite ledge. It felt good to get one, but so depressing to not be able to do it every time. Joe had some nice front 50s to front board. Kevin did a bunch of tricks as did Matt. Matt had never done a nollie backside flip flyout, but he got one. Before Kevin even. Then I think I pretty much sat out the rest of it in pain. Ollie had done a few basic fakie shoves and manuals. Kevin showed off with a back smith on the crazy steep qp. Damon was actually tired, didn’t see him skate a whole lot. Then we went to the continental divide and hung out for a bit. It was cold up there, but pretty awesome to see. Still so much snow.

(setup 8.75″ null event horizon deck, venture ftc 5.8s, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside), spitfire f4 classics 52mm green/yellow swirl wheels with 3 washers on the inside, new balance numeric 379 b/w size 12, nike zoom air insoles)
(pain level 9/10 in the knees)

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On a nice, but breezy morning we went to the 136 & Holly park in Thornton.  We all did our warm ups before a skateboard was set down.  The crew was Eric, Joe, Matt, Dan, Kevin and me.  Warming up was different for everyone except Kevin who was going in on hard tricks right away.  There were a few different sessions going on.  I joined Matt and Dan on the manual pad/wallride thing for a bit.  I got a lucky wallride to manual first try.  Matt did manuals to 180 both ways.  Dan did a 50 to wallride fakie to switch 50.  Then there was a few people doing lines to bump to bar.  I tried to follow Joe and Matt with ollie up the euro, trick on the qp, bump to boardslide.  Matt had done front board, front board fakie, maybe front board shove too.  Eric and I skated the qp for awhile and took forever to get a front d.  In fact Eric had done like 5 tricks he hasn’t done and he was on a busted knee.  Kevin did back d and pivot fakie on the extension.  I did a line of back scratch grind, kickflip on the bank. front d.  Matt and Joe had joined.  Kevin and I started trying lines with b/s flips over hips.  His line was nollie flip, pivot fakie, halfcab, b/s flip.  Mine was kickflip, back 50, b/s flip.  It took both of us awhile, but we got them.  Joe was in with us for a bit with front shove and nollie big.  Those dudes all did 50s to ride down the stairs.  Matt added a manual to it. The dudes were on the ledges for a bit.  I had started to get pretty sore.  

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After some lunch we ended up at the other Thornton park where it was even breezier. Jack and Carleigh were there and we were all treated with Jack back nosegrinding the ledge perfectly then following it up a shove out. My soreness had taken over and I can’t think of anything I did worth noting. Ugh. Eric was pretty beat up too. Kevin was of course ripping with front nosegrind across the top box. Joe and Matt were lining the flat bar and ledges. It’s hard to remember tricks. After awhile most congregated at the bowl as Dan was going for a backside heelflip. Oh yeah, Garrett had joined us and was on the knee recovery tip. He still looks great on a board, but definitely had some rust he was trying to shake off. Damon had joined us too and was lining ledges and flat bars. Anyway, Dan was hyping everyone getting so close the heelflip over and over. Eric was filming. Jack stepped in and handled some business. Killing it. Carleigh was back disastering easily. Dan got his trick and we bounced to NorthGLENn.

NorthGLENn was busy, but not too busy. I really tried to turn on something, but my knees weren’t having it. I did have a couple front 50s on the tiny noping qp that were fun at least. Lots of ripping was had here. Jack’s hardflip over the hip. Damon fakie back 50 halfcab out. Kevin back lip and back tail. Damon almost died trying a fast front 50 on the ledge. There was a dude there with 40mm wheels that was ripping so hard. Matt had a nice nollie shove front 50. Man I am not remembering much about this session. I did a lot of dorky runs. Garrett had a nice Peter Blunt on the noping, then pulled it in 270.

Lastly we went to Saul’s. I had a couple little runs then enjoyed the show and had a few drinks. Saul almost had some back 5-0s, but his quick carve grind lines are still the best. Joe landed a couple of his signature tricks. Matt turned it up and was rattling off tricks, slamming, ripping. Jack had some crazy grinds in. Carleigh had runs with back d and front d. Damon of course charged as hard as ever and did a sick fakie hurricane. Dan got one heck of a line too with a front pivot and staple gun. Eric couldn’t really skate much because of his knee. Heck of a day. I was exhausted. Then we went and watched Jack’s video which is amazing.

(setup 8.75″ null event horizon deck, venture ftc 5.8s, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside), spitfire f4 classics 52mm green/yellow swirl wheels with 3 washers on the inside, new balance numeric 379 b/w size 12, nike zoom air insoles)
(pain level 8/10 in the knees)

The sun finally came out! And of course so did the wind. Argh. I met up with Rob, Aki and Dave at Blue Skies for an hour lunch break flatground session. I haven’t seen Aki in awhile so it was great to see him. Aki was doing kickflips quickly and got a treflip pretty quick. He had gotten there first and he’s only 30 something. Ha. Rob has his quick feet routine down. Fakie big, nollie shove, shove, front shove, kickflip and b/s flip this time I think? Rob and I had both gotten first try kickflips. I got a first try treflip too a little later on. Halfcab flips were okay. My board feeling huge. Dave arrived and did a lot of nollie 180s, halfcabs, fakie shoves to get going. The wind and the sun made it all feel like it went so quick. Aki had a bunch of heelflips and learned f/s halfcab flips and sex changes in a few tries. I got one at the end too. Dave had done a couple, varial flips, fakie sex change I think. Rob had gotten a couple halfcab flips and close to fakie bigflip. I couldn’t put down a heelflip. I had hucked a bit and it was fun. Then I had to head back for a meeting only to find out it had been moved. Then I was sent home early anyway.

After a long walk, dinner and a few drinks Liz and I were walking home only to see Saul and Dave skating the curb. Dave grabbed his phone and pointed it at me and said “30 second kickflip challenge!” Oh man. I quickly grabbed Sauls board, missed the first one, but got the second. Whew! Then I went home and grabbed my board to skate with them. I kept it pretty mellow with mostly slappies and almost no flippers. I saw Saul do the longest slappy yet. I think it was two full sections. Dave was getting tech doing lots of flippers and trying switch crook kickflip out. That would be so nuts. He had some really long slappy crooks too, back 5-0, back 180s out of the median the hard way, nollie front tail. Saul has frontside slappys now too. Also hands behind the back and layback slappys (or street plant or whatever you want to call it). He also did a couple front 50s where he ollied in. Even saw him get kinda close to kickflips. He had some nice slappies around the corner. That was really fun to see them and skate some more. Oh yeah, I had started some new b/w 379s.

(setup 8.75″ null event horizon deck, venture ftc 5.8s, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside), spitfire f4 classics 52mm green/yellow swirl wheels with 3 washers on the inside, new balance numeric 379 brown and then b/w size 12, nike zoom air insoles)
(pain level 5/10 in the knees)

Had contemplated meeting Dave at Erie park, but I didn’t really have enough warning and it was cold and snowy. I had setup a new board. I decided to just cruise across the street and it had started raining so Erie was out anyway. My knees were still jacked. I did a couple slappies on some dry parts and a few switch front 180s off a curb. The rain picked up so I went in my garage and did a few kickflips, fakie flip, terrible b/s flip, even worse frontside flip, some shoves, hucked some front heels, tried one treflip and called it a night.

(setup 8.75″ null event horizon deck, venture ftc 5.8s, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside), spitfire f4 radials 52mm blue/yellow swirl wheels with 3 washers on the inside, new balance numeric 379 brown size 12, nike zoom air insoles)
(pain level 6/10 in the knees, knees, knees)

After doing various leg exercises for an hour or so and an early afternoon nap I went to campus on a cold day. I started at the meetup curb with slappy crooks over and over. Then eventually worked into a line that I was happy go get. Manual a median, slappy crooks, no comply 180, switch front noseslide the curbba. Then I moved in to campus further.

Then I ended up at the ol’ bank to curb. I had seen an instagram post earlier with someone doing a front 180 onto a bank then a fakie nosegrind on a curb so wanted to try it. It took awhile, but I did get it. I tried to do it again for the camera, but ended up just using a screenshot from a close one. In between tries I did some flippers and was happy my legs worked enough to allow a few. Kickflip, fakie flip, varial flip, b/s flip, a great feeling halfcab flip, but couldn’t get treflip.

Then I ended up at the physics ledge. My legs were starting to get sore. I got a couple noseslides. Tried to ollie onto it and came very close. Seeing the clip was encouraging. I was trying to ollie a little metal flat gap before ollieing onto the ledge which was fun, although I never quite got the ollie. Then some people people sat on the ledge. I went up to the student center and almost died the first couple of times I tried to ollie up the 2. Then Sean came and we split over to the weird curved ledge with the rail along it. I didn’t do much of anything after that. Sean felt out some stuff that we might go back and film. Then it started to rain. It was a fun day. I’m glad my knees mostly worked, but man they still hurt.

(setup 8.75″ null valley deck, venture ftc 5.8s, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside), spitfire f4 radials 52mm blue/yellow swirl wheels with 3 washers on the inside, new balance numeric 379 brown size 12, nike zoom air insoles)
(pain level 5/10 in the knees, knees, knees)

On a nice day Mike, Kevin and I hit La Raza. Sean would show up shortly after us. After laughing at our warmup routines we started warming up on our boards. Kevin was doing tricks like nothing. Mike and I struggled with some basics. My legs were pretty messed up again so I didn’t except much. I didn’t do any flippers, just put my effort into the ledge. I got some slow back 50s, halfcab noseslides, an accidental front 5-0, front 50, close to a front 50 shove. Then my legs pretty much gave out so I stuck to switch noseslides where I don’t pop. Got a couple switch noseslide 270 shoves which had nice tic tacs in the landing. Mike was having new shoe blues and it was weird seeing him struggle. He slammed super hard on a back 50 right out of the gate. He got back 50s, front 50s, nollie front nose, nollie back tails, took a long time to get front 50 shove, b/s flips, treflips, sw varial heel. Kevin had done 5-0s on the upper deck no problem before I started filming. He had a sick line of crooks on the red ledge then ollie the 6. Also a line of drop in, nollie flip, kick back tail. Sean of course did the basics on the ledges and the upper ledge easily. He was trying a trick for awhile. Back tail gap down to 5-0, but he couldn’t get it. So he settled for a line instead which he also didn’t get. I went through 2 batteries filming him and Kevin. Kevin at least got most of his line. Then after some dinner, Kevin and I went to the Dickies demoish thing and watched Franky subtly kill it. That was fun.

(setup 8.75″ null valley deck, venture ftc 5.8s, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside), spitfire f4 radials 52mm blue/yellow swirl wheels with 3 washers on the inside, new balance numeric 379 brown size 12, nike zoom air insoles)
(pain level 6/10 in the knees, knees, knees)

Had the day off work. On a sunny morning I met Dave at something different – Erie park. My body was feeling no better, but I still tried. There were a couple other skaters originally. They were cool. We were all having fun. Dave and I had worked into trying some lines. He was doing nollies into the bank, smiths on the qp, fakie flip on the far bank. I’m forgetting all of it, but he had a lot of moves. The front 50 up top to transfer into the bank was extra hot. I had done a couple runs with kickflips and bailed 50s. Did a few kickflips to fakie then halfcab noseslides on the ledge. Got one front 50 on the main ledge finally. Dave did a sick boardslide 270 on the upper deck of the little ledge. He did a few actually. Two other dudes had shown up. They made the session not so fun. They were mega trendsters and not friendly. But whatever, we skated some more. Well, Dave did anyway, my legs had kind of hit the wall. Dave did the noseslide 270 a few times.

(setup 8.75″ null valley deck, venture ftc 5.8s, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside), spitfire f4 radials 52mm blue/yellow swirl wheels with 3 washers on the inside, new balance numeric 379 brown size 12, nike zoom air insoles)
(pain level 7/10 in the knees, knees, knees)