On a bright sunny day I met Dave L around 11 at Douglass. Dave was already back and front 50’ing the ledges. My warmup went alright. I got a crooks, ollied onto the ledge first try, had some noseslides. I started playing with my dream line there. Slappy up the curb, flatground, noseslide 270 shove. I did a few no comply 180s then halfcab flips as the flatground. Then I switched to heelflip which worked until Dave started filming. Ha. Dave filmed me flail for quite awhile, then I gave up and filmed him. He struggled with his line too, but then after a break started trying another line and I filmed that. He did it like 10 times, the last one being perfect. Drop down manual to ollie up the curb, boardslide, back 180, switch boardslide. So sick. After another break we gave my line another try. I had switch to no comply backside shove and for the most part that trick worked. I tried for like 2 hours. I got my feet on a couple of the 270 shoves, but never rode away. I’m 0-2 trying lines there. Argh. It was fun trying to hard though and my body felt good. Oh, I cracked the board really bad on a heelflip earlier which is partly why I switched tricks. Anyway, thanks for filming for so long Dave, what a battle.

(setup 8.5 nolan null deck, ultra grip, venture 5.8 custom hollow cast baseplate titanium hangers, stock purple bushing bones top washer, 52mm spitfire green/yellow swirl classic 99a F4, new balance numeric 913 westgates b/w size 12, no insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

Got out of work early and don’t have to work for 10 more days! Too bad I’m not getting paid for it. Anyway after working like 50 hours already this week it felt amazing to logoff early. Dave was in Boulder and I suggested the Table Mesa & Foothills bank to curb spot and Dave was into it. It was cool and cloudy when we started, but sunny and hot before long. Warming up was of course a battle. I had pulled out my Westgates from the closet as the next shoe I’d finish before being able to move on to new shoes. They felt great. We started with some slow boardslides and nose stalls to fakie and stuff. Normally we never touch the two stair, but this time around it was kind of the main attraction. I kind of got a manual on it. Also a boardslide onto it, but didn’t really ride out. Dave did some cool switch nose to front nose stalls. He also did front 50 transfer into the bank. So gnarly. I took forever to get a lipslide across the two stair, but when I did it was incredibly fun. I am not a lipslider so it felt extra cool. I messed around with some other lines and tricks, but nothing really happened. Dave was lining out a bunch of kickflips and shove and did a quick up onto the two stair to back 180 off. So sick. He would also get a quick up to back 50 which was the trick of the day. Fun session.

(setup 8.5 nolan null deck, ultra grip, venture 5.8 custom hollow cast baseplate titanium hangers, stock purple bushing bones top washer, 52mm spitfire green/yellow swirl classic 99a F4, new balance numeric 913 westgates b/w size 12, no insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

After yet another 12 hour work day Ollie and I went to campus. We started at the c4c area and it was kinda fun. I took a few tries to get a ollie up the first step, ollie up the second, front tail stall the flagstone planter. Ollie was doing drop down manuals. I ollied the 2 first try, Ollie took like 3 tries. He was pushing regular a lot. Then he beat me to ollie down the 3 stair. We hit a random downhill area for a bit. We tried tiny gaps to manual down it. I slammed on my first attempt, then did almost all of it the next try. Ollie got kinda close minus some tilts. I did a slow back 180 into it. We ended up at the manual pad area where Ollie had several clean manuals and came somewhat close to manual front 180. I slammed super hard on a manual attempt and got close to front 180 nose manual 180. And that was that. Stoked to skate but work is killing me.

(setup 8.5 nolan null deck, ultra grip, venture 5.8 custom hollow cast baseplate titanium hangers, stock purple bushing bones top washer, 52mm spitfire green/yellow swirl classic 99a F4, new balance numeric 255 b/w size 12, thin rubbery adidas insole)
(pain level 4/10)

On a nice Memorial Day I went to the Basemar area. I was just thinking of something different that was near the house in case I got called for work again. I arrived first and started messing around in the alley area. Just doing little ollies, manuals, side rocks and stuff. Carleigh showed, we chatted, did some warming up and Kevin showed. We tried to figure out how to skate this area. Carleigh had some nice bean plants off the door ramp, rode between the poles. Kevin had a nice wallride to fakie, some quick feet ollies, kickflip to fakie. I took awhie to come up with a line that we ended up filming. Cab side rock then back 50 between some poled. It was hard, but fun.

Then we skated the kicker area. My first couple ollie attempts were so bad. I beat Kevin to back 180, but his was night and day better than mine. No tricks came easy for any of us. Carleigh went to work on kikclifps pretty quick and was the first to land a trick. Kevin was trying nollie tre, but moved on. He tried several tricks, the line he got 180 then switch shove was really good. He almost got switch f/s flip too. I kind of got backside flip. Then tried treflip for a very long time. This random lurker in a new pair of Dunks was watching and encouraging me. It was cool and actually helped me commit. Kevin was bringing the hype too with the nollie flips to fakie then fakie flip line. It was the perfect storm to finally land the 270 flip. Ha. I was happy and bummed at the same time, then turned right around and tried again and got the slightly cleaner one. It made me happy.

(setup 8.5 nolan null deck, ultra grip, venture 5.8 custom hollow cast baseplate titanium hangers, stock purple bushing bones top washer, 52mm spitfire green/yellow swirl classic 99a F4, new balance numeric 255 b/w size 12, thin rubbery adidas insole)
(pain level 3/10)

Up early on a Sunday after working 12+ hours on Saturday. It was cloudy and rain was threatening, some of my favorite weather for skating. As I pulled into dog park I got called for work. I yelled a few obscenities then sat there for a bit debating driving right home or getting a quick cruise in. Luckily for my mental well being I decided to skate for a few minutes. Which turned into about 30 minutes, but it was all fine when I got to work. Those 30 minutes were good though. I skated with an urgency and anger I don’t normally have. I quickly ollied over the wallie barrier and would be 3/3 on clean ollies over it. Also tricks that normally take me a few tries came quick. Jake had shown up. I had a couple lines that really hyped me up. Fakie nosegrind cinder block ledge (2nd try), switch front nose new black box, halfcab flip. I would also finally back 50 up/down the a-frame ledge. Got it in a line, back 50 up/down, crooks the tall part of the two level ledge, kickflip over the mini parking block (first kickflip of the day), back 5-0 the low pad. Dave showed right when I left. I would find out my work wasn’t immediately pressing so I went back. As I was cruising around to do warm up boardslides I got called again. This time it was urgent so I just tried noseslide 270 shove on the tall part of the black two level ledge until I got one. It was sloppy, but that’s all I had time for. Dave, Eric and Jake were there, man I wish I could have kept skating with them. I didn’t really notice what others were doing since I was in such a rage and rush to get out of there. Argh.

(setup 8.5 nolan null deck, ultra grip, venture 5.8 custom hollow cast baseplate titanium hangers, 52mm spitfire green/yellow swirl classic 99a F4, new balance numeric 255 b/w size 12, thin rubbery adidas insole)
(pain level 1/10 no pain at all once i got going, just a little at the start of the 2nd session)

Franky rules, Wade rules, this is awesome.

Woke up early while working the late shift giving me some time to catch the morning sun. There was already a dude there doing slappies. He looked like a young Saul without the tattoos. Warming up went alright. the A-frame ledge and two-step ledge were back. Things were arranged differently, part of the fun of this park. Had a fun warm up run of crooks the metal butter ledge, frontside slappy then ollie the mini cinder block ledge. I wanted to do some tricks on the newish little black ledge that has eluded me for awhile. I got front 50, front 50 180, front 50 shove and the Joe Hamilton which felt even cooler than I remembered that trick feeling. Also got switch noseslide 270 shove. Was trying all those at the start of a line with halfcab noseslide or crook on a cinder block next, ollie the wallie barrier, back 50 the low pad, nosegrind 180 the mini cinder block. The key there is the ollie over the wallie barrier. I did it a bunch of time, clean too! I was happy about that. I tried a couple ollies off the wedge onto the picnic table, but wasn’t really feeling it. I didn’t put a lot of effort into flatground. In the end I posed some of my harder tricks. Halfcab crook (not close), kickflip 50 (never committed) and noseslide 270 shove (I mean I guess it was remotely close). After that I was beat and called it a day.

(setup 8.5 nolan null deck, ultra grip, venture 5.8 custom hollow cast baseplate titanium hangers, 52mm spitfire green/yellow swirl classic 99a F4, new balance numeric 255 b/w size 12, thin rubbery adidas insole)
(pain level 3/10)

After another way-to-busy day of work I went across the street. I did slappies for about 10 minutes then went and skated flat on the side of the house. Josh had challenged me to varial heel and I wanted to try it. I tried it going uphill and other tricks going downhill. I got a downhill line of no comply 180, halfcab flip, backside flip which made me happy. I got kinda close to varial heel. Committed so several, but didn’t get both feet on. Also tried some faster kickflips (which wasn’t fast because I have been slacking) followed by treflip which I didn’t get. Then I was too tired and went home.

(setup 8.5 nolan null deck, ultra grip, venture 5.8 custom hollow cast baseplate titanium hangers, 52mm spitfire green/yellow swirl classic 99a F4, new balance numeric 255 b/w size 12, thin rubbery adidas insole)
(pain level 3/10)

On a windy night I met Jake and Saul at the meetup curb.  We cruised it for a bit.  Saul was able to slappy the square part.  Jake and I got the little manual bonks.  I managed to do a rare front 180 nose manual 180 out aka the twirlybird.  I was hyped on that.  Then we were off to Baker ledge.  The wind was pretty bad at times.  I want to blame it for how badly I skated, but clearly there was more.  I had some okay manuals and nose manuals, got a 2nd try front 50 then couldn’t ever do it again.  That bummed me out so much.  Street Saul was trying manuals and slappies on the low part of the ledge.  Jake was rifling off tricks.  Front 50, front tail, front tail fakie, crooks, noseslide shove, crooks shove, front 5-0 and eventually frontside halfcab noseslide.  He had some manuals too, some good no comply 180s off the manny pad and a fakie back tail.  I kinda gave up and just tried a line over and over of nose manual then noseslide 270 shove (the hard way) and got kinda close.  We left.  I was very bummed on how I skated.  

(setup 8.5 nolan null deck, ultra grip, venture 5.8 custom hollow cast baseplate titanium hangers, 52mm spitfire green/yellow swirl classic 99a F4, new balance numeric 255 b/w size 12, thin rubbery adidas insole)
(pain level 3/10)

After a busy day of work I went to campus not too long before sunset on a warm night.  I only did two slappy crooks at the warm up curb then quickly headed off to baker ledge which was totally car and skater free.  Perfect.  I skated pretty good for me.  Was landing tricks somewhat frequently.  Almost had a line of manual, back 50, nollie tre.  Also tried nose manual, noseslide to fakie, rick flip which was close too.  I had a couple front 50s that worked and made me happy.  Crooks, halfcab noseslide, switch noseslides.  Got a few halfcab flips followed by front 50 then maybe a nose manual.  I was very close to several nollie tres and rick flips.  Then I went to the little yellow ledge and took too long to do a back 50.  Hucked some varial heels that felt close. Also got into some nosegrinds, but the wind picked up fierce and I left.

(setup 8.5 nolan null deck, ultra grip, venture 5.8 custom hollow cast baseplate titanium hangers, 52mm spitfire green/yellow swirl classic 99a F4, new balance numeric 255 b/w size 12, thin rubbery adidas insole)
(pain level 2/10)