After a super shitty day of work I ended up in the new area behind steelyards shortly after dark. I pushed around for awhile. My regular pushing felt the best it has felt in months, but I still mostly pushed around switch. I ended up at one well lit area between some building with some random stuff nearby and tried some flatground to get used to the 8″ board. At no point did it feel very good with the exception of landing a few heelflips. I did some gap to axle stalls. Then put together a couple lines that sound okay on paper. Heelflip, noseslide a tall bench, ollie a 3 stair. Halfcab flip, boardslide, front 180 3 stair. I rolled around some more then left once again feeling quite bummed out. Work is killing me.

(setup 8″ null archway, jessup grip, venture 5.2 cast baseplate v-hollow axle, venom 91a bushings, 50mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, new balance numeric 212 cream size 12 numeric 272 insole)
(pain level 0/10!)

On a nice night I went to the newer research area with the perfect knobbed wood benches.  To my delight it was lit very well and the lab was closed so no one watching me through the windows.  I felt odd on my skateboard, very odd.  It took awhile before I could even land a kickflip.  I felt like a total beginner.  I would manage a few slow tricks like fakie flip, halfcab flip and a fun f/s halfcab flip.  But never got to treflip, heelflips were not close.  I managed a couple ollies up onto the bench.  I got tired after an hourish and went home quite depressed on how little confidence and skill I have anymore.  

(setup 8.25 nullosaur, jessup ultragrip, thunder 148 team hollows, bones 52mm 103a v1, new balance numeric 212 white size 12 with nb# 272 insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

Another day, another setup change. This one seemed to work. NB 212s, 8.25, Thunder 148 Team Hollows and Bones 52mm. I started at the Valmont park to pump the legs and get them working. I tried to skate the little pond area with the fun noping all. I just did a couple basics and managed to avoid not getting hit by bmxers. I heard a young scooter kid ask his rollerblading dad “Is this another pump track?” Yeah, that’s how much it resembles a pump track. I tried to skate the bank for a bit, but the flyouts were too much. So I went over to the ledges. It wasn’t crowded, but the two sets of people were filming everything. I would skate my best since hurting my achilles. Which isn’t saying much, but I did a few thing that made me happy. Finally nose mannied the little pad, my first front 50 shove on the little ledge, halfcab noseslides and crooks the benches. Kinda close to a no push line of boardslide a bench, crooks the next one, kick back 50 the little pad. Had several frontside slappies and slappy crooks, a slow back 50 the little ledge, a few fakie flips and halfcab flips. I had pushed kind of normally for awhile, but then my achilles started to hurt and I got tired so I called it a day even though I hadn’t done a treflip.

(setup 8.25 nullosaur, jessup ultragrip, thunder 148 team hollows, bones 52mm 103a v1, new balance numeric 212 white size 12 with nb# 272 insoles)

On a warm day Kevin and I got a late start and got to Fossil around 2. We skated for a couple hours starting at the top area. I really struggled to pop, do flippers, everything. My board felt like a tank. I had a fun run done very slowly: noseslide to fakie then switch front nose shove. Kevin did back tail then close to kick back 50. I managed a new trick on the curb inspired by Joe. Front smith to front 50. Kinda fun. Then we went down to the main ledge. There were a few others skating and they were fun to skate with. There was a Puig guy, really slow tech trick guy and sit down guy who could get up and do a trick then sit more. Kevin shredded. Lines of back 50 then back smith, front smith then nollie nosegrind attempt. He would get kick back tail too! I stunk it up. Barely got a couple crooks, switch front noses, noseslides to fakie, took forever to get a front 50 and a Glen 50. Then at the end I could barely ollie up the ledge and when I finally did I couldn’t get kickflip off. Argh.

We went to Northside and met up with Hayden, Noe along with several others there shredding. I tried several bigflips on the bank and never came close, did a few little hump ollies up top and an axle stall. Kevin did some switch flips on the bank, crooks the flat bar. Seeing Noe and Hayden skate there was awesome. Noe landed a million flippers. Hayden put together some fun creative lines. The fakie hard! Dang. Then we had a fun time at the Launch event. Whew.

(setup 8.3 null spanbauer night skate deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger bones medium bushings, 51mm green radial slag f4 99a wheels, new balance numeric 272 black size 12, custom high/low insole)
(pain level 4/10)

After another stressful day I went to dog park to meet Dave and Eric. We started at a crowded Greenblock. Warming up was kind of whatever for me, I definitely did not have pop and the achilles hurt a little more than the day before. I don’t remember doing much of anything before realizing Dave had gone over to the skatepark so I joined him. It wasn’t too mobbed with people. Dave was doing some little grinds in the pump track area managing to time it so he didn’t get hit. I finally grinded over the rainbow. Dave did too. Eric would come and do it first try. Dave had some good nollies over the hip, nollie 180s and even nollie cabs! So sick. Also no comply pole jams regular and switch. Eric got the pole jam, ollied the hip to the upper deck, back disasters on the volcano. I continued my streak of being almost undefeated with bigflips on the bank, kickflip to fakie, posed some kickflips elsewhere and basically spent two hours trying backside flip onto the upper deck. It was cool seeing Brendan there. There was also another dude trying tricks on the hip too. He started with b/s 180, nollie back 180, kickflip, back heel. So sick. He was cool and had one of the best quotes in a while. When I told him “you should just do the backside flip first try and put me out of my misery” he responded with “I’m 37 and I’ve got manners”. Ha. Dave and I had a good laugh. Dave and Eric left and Mr Manners decided to film me as I was close to the b/s flip. I would eventually get it, albeit very badly, but I was still hyped. I left on a good note.

(setup 8.3 null spanbauer night skate deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger bones medium bushings, 53mm spitfire classic shape f4 99a wheels, new balance numeric 272 black size 12, custom high/low insole)
(pain level 3/10 achilles and knees from being in skate shoes again)

Got to dog park shortly after sunrise. Jake was already there skating the barrier so I joined him. We worked up to tricks. I did a bad rock ‘n roll on the tall section, he did a frontside grind. Then we played in the dreamy new ledge section. I was wearing skate shoes this time, 272s. They felt decent. We mostly skated the small curbs/lurbs. Jake got a manual, 50s, back 50s, crooks, fakie 50, almost back tail. I did some front 50s, some with front 90 or 180 out, crooks, switch front noseslides, a first try front smith that didn’t really grind, the tiniest jib of a halfcab noseslide, slammed on back 50s, posed kick back 50s. We played a game of SKATE. I forget most of it, but I had Jake to SKAT and we were trying treflips. But neither of us could get one and I had to go to work. We were both close, both landed on a few, it was a frustrating ending to a fun session.

(setup 8.3 null spanbauer night skate deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger bones medium bushings, 50mm spitfire classic shape f4 99a wheels, new balance numeric 272 black size 12, custom high/low insole)
(pain level 0/10 for real!!!!!!!!)

Met up with Bryan at dog park on a breezy morning. I wore the Xero’s this time. They felt incredibly thin, but still better than the Lems. We mostly skated the new stuff at dog park because it’s awesome. I didn’t skate well, was still nervous to push, but skated and had some fun and mixed in some mongo pushing to reduce achilles use. I landed a few front 50s on the low curbs, lots of crooks, noseslides, some kickflips, a halfcab flip followed by a heelflip. Bryan had fakie bigfpin tails and manuals, back 50 to back tail, a bunch more. We ended he was trying fakie bigspin tail 270 shove out and I was trying crooks shove (the hard way). He was closer. I hit the pump track, I mean skate park for a bit. It was a zoo of kids doing laps.

After hanging at Emage for awhile we went to the river manny pad. I was sore. Cass and I played SKATE on the top section while everyone else hit the manny pad. It was a small area and it took a bit to get used to. Our games were not good. I won the first, Cass won the second, the tie breaker was called off after Cass hurt his back. He had landed treflips in every game, I had not landed any. I was really struggling. I think f/s halfcab flip was the only trick I liked. Cass had a funny slam at one point launching his board down the steps. Jack was “not skating” which meant heelflip manual kickflip out, double flips and almost switch heel manual on a cruiser board. Hayden threw some stuff around. Donnie did some crazy powerslide 270. Joe came close to hardflip nose manual. Noe did a million flippers then focused on switch nose manual fakie tre. He battled forever and would succeed. It was so sick. Oh yeah, I couldn’t get a nose manual to save my life. Probably a result of not being used to low trucks and tiny wheels.

We hit a ledge spot after near the art museum. I didn’t skate. Noe had some flippers and funny manuals, Jack ruled it and filmed since I didn’t know about pushing, Donnie played with a cement pipe, Joe messes around for awhile then did an amazing line, Hayden felt some stuff out then chilled, Garrett put together a sick line, Bo also put down a sick line. Productive session. Good times.

(setup null 8.25 glenosaur, jessup ultragrip, venture awake lows 5.2 venom 90a bushings, 50mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape with 3 washers inside each wheel, xero hana shoes size 12 with lems insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

On a hot morning Jake, Cass, Kevin and I battled a full parking lot at a very old skatepark – Clement. I had switched my setup and was skating Xero shoes. It felt alright. We hit the mini bowl for a bit. Jake ripped it, Kevin recovered from a first wall first run slam. Then it was basically mostly a session on the long mellow bank and flatground. Jake did skate the bowl. First challenge was kickflip to fakie which we did. Kevin would go on to land pretty much every flip trick imaginable. Cass had the sickest bigflip/treflips to powerslides. Kevin and I got back to back halfcab flips. I would get a non poppy front heel. We all tried flatground treflips for awhile. Cass would get the most. Jake got robbed. I landed one! It was a great feeling as it’s been a long time since I’ve landed that trick. We also had some fun manual combos up the bank after the qp.

After hitting Blue Car then some lunch and drinks we ended up at a little skatepark in Lakewood. None of us have been there before. It’s got a pretty steep incline so super hard to skate. Especially when you don’t want to push much with a bad achilles. We were beat from skating, the sun and lunch. This old dude Dustin was there with a fresh authentic 90s setup. 8.8 football with wide indys and 48mm wheels. He was fun to skate with and popped a few tricks around. Kevin killed the ledge. Back tail, back smith, crooks, fakie 50. Cass showed me up on back 50s, but couldn’t get crooks. I had crooks, noseslides and sw front noseslides. Also had some fun kickflip and nollie bigspins on the bank. I had the worst back 50 ever. In fact, Cass called it an axle stall. Fun day though. Felt great to have landed a treflip and some other tricks again. It’s also crazy how little pain I get in the Xero shoes.

(setup null 8.25 glenosaur, jessup ultragrip, venture awake lows 5.2 venom 90a bushings, 50mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape with 3 washers inside each wheel, xero hana shoes size 12 with lems insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

As you can see in the background of this I was once again playing with my setup. I switched between 8″ with Ventures and 8.25 with Thunders, but mostly skated the 8.25. The 8″ felt too small, but the Thunders felt like garbage. In about an hour of skating I landed kickflip, fakie flip, halfcab flip, fakie bigflip, b/s flip. Ugh!

(setup 8.25 null glenosaur, jessup ultragrip, 148 thunder hollows, 52mm bones stf v1 103a, lems navy chillum size 12)
(pain level 2/10)

Woke up early and felt like skating the new park in hopes of it not being crowded. I got my wish and had the parks to myself. I had put a big washer on to stiffen up my trucks, but it was too much and made for some weird turns throughout the session. I warmed up in the skateable pumptrack section. Sure wish one of the quarterpipes had a flat top, but maybe I’ll get used to the weirdness. I never got a good noseslide, but didn’t really care to keep trying. I messed around with some of the quarterpipes along the edge that would be more fun if they had a deck. Then I took quite a while to do a kickflip to fakie on the bank. I did have a few pushes that felt alright.

Then I went over to dog park and had a very humbling session. I had a few things, but was amazed at how little pop i had. I could barely ollie a parking block. I got a couple little crooks, little front 50 on the little ledge, switch front nose, some boardslides. Got halfcab flip followed by b/s flip at one point, one terrible heelflip. I left for work feeling pretty down.

(setup 8.25 null glenosaur, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast baseplate hollow hanger, 50mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, lems navy chillum size 12 no insoles)
(pain level 3/10 some hot pocket pain when I missed front 50s)