skate journal: launch event at fossil and some fort collins streets (aug 16, 2020)
On a really hot and smokey day Sean, Jack, Cass, Garrett and I rolled up to the Fort. First stop was Fossil Creek for a Launch event. Some of us warmed up on the top with a game of SKATE after some messing around. I had new shoes. Lakai Atlantics. They felt pretty good, definitely different. Sean smoked us, but it was an okay warm up. I didn’t skate too well, mostly just kind of cruised around, bailing crooks and hating my low trucks. It was great seeing Riley skating. He was ripping. Front 5-0 back shove, fakie shove nose manual, a bunch of tricks up the euro. Jack warmed up by hucking kick back tails across the Carrol gap, did late shove for the Greg Harbour challenge and gap 50. Sean’s ollie over the elevated flat bar was so amazing. As was his front 3 up the euro. Garrett said he wasn’t skating because of knee pain, but still ripped it. Nose manny drop nose manny. Hayden did the gap board to fakie so casually even though he hadn’t done that before. He also almost killed a kid trying nose manual into the euro.
After that we went to a bank to narrow brick ledge. Most people didn’t skate it. Jack and Joe did though. Joe had a nice front 50. Jack did a funny casper stall, pivot and crooks shove.
Next up was this ledge spot. Really hard to skate, but oh so cool looking. Bo was quick with the camera so I tried to skate. I was really not feeling well, my feet felt weird in the new shoes. But since Bo was filming I made myself skate. My setup was driving me nuts too, I had no pop at all. I managed a couple noseslides and almost a crook. Jack went right to work with some back 50s then back nosegrind combos. Joe ripped it with the back 5-0 then back nosegrind 180. Sean came through with a sick 5-0 nosegerind 180 combo. Next was a wood rail that Hayden made quick work of. Then the ol king sooper bank, but we got the boot right away. So we chilled in the shade for awhile until Jack setup a board. But then him and Joe were having so much fun messing around on the little hips that I joined them. Joe was thinking ollie over the rail into the bank and somehow avoid a semi trailer. Jack was doing backside flips and double flips off the kicker. I started trying kickflips onto a little metal slant. Joe joined me, but was going hardflip. We got the boot before putting it down, but it was fun to try for a bit. Then a new bank to curb on campus that was amazing. I tried to skate, but felt nauseous and ended up just sitting. Chris Jones was there! We were so all so stoked to see him. And he was ripping! Manual to kickflip on the bank to switch manual out. Ridiculous! Jack ripped it too with the nose pick shove pivot, back axle to front axle. Cass almost had a hardflip to fakie. Joe had some good ollies in. Hayden had a couple moves. Then we went to eat at Torchys and have a couple margs. These dudes rule.
(setup 8.25 null archway deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.2 custom hollow AWAKE lows, bones hard bushings, 51mm spitfire 101a F4 classic shape, 3 washers inside each axle, lakai atlantic b/w size 11.5, no insoles)
(pain level 4/10)