skate journal: new Des Moines park with Joe and Nolan (July 17, 2021)
Joe picked me up around 9 and a quick drive later we were eating at Pancheros. We met Nolan! Then we hit the park. It’s so huge it’s impossible to get warmed up until you settle in on something. Joe had front 50d most the ledges right away though. Nolan warmed up in the flow bowl. I mostly rolled around looking at what I would skate if I was warmed up. After filming Nolan for a bit Joe filmed me do the noseslide then kickflips line. Joe did the smith to 50 180 on the bank first try. Filming Nolan in the snake run was scary almost running into people. Man Nolan boosted a couple bs airs. I did a ledge line down the wonderful path of ledges: noseslide to fakie, halfcab noseslide, boardslide, crooks. Joe was skating the ledges well. He tried to film me line out the bs flip over the weird awesome little hip but I gave up. I was getting frustrated and wanted to just enjoy the new park. Nolan was skating the ledges too doing basic tricks easily and working on switch front crooks. Nolan and I sat for awhile. Joe continued his ledge assault. Then we all got going again. Nolan did the treflip then noseblunt line. All three of us did wallrides on the steep bank. Nolan did it frontside too. Eventually we ended things after 5 hours. It was a fun time. Seeing Nolan again was so great. Dinner and drinks at Fongs Pizza was so good. Chatting and listening to tunes with Joe was also great. Thanks skateboarding. Also, that park is great. The crowds of people walking through it is ridiculous, but hopefully that slows down.
(setup 8.5 null smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 88a big 91a small bushings, 53 mm orange/yellow swirl spitfire 99a f4 classic shape, es swift 1.5 b/w size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 4/10)