After running boards to Square House I met up with Riley, Rob, Kevin, Cass, Jake on a really nice day. The skatepark was mostly empty so we started there. Riley loved it for the first few minutes, then came to similar conclusions as the rest of us. I really don’t remember a whole lot about this part of the session other than being reminded how much Riley rips. Nollie inward up the euro was hot.

Dog park was where it’s at. It was hard to pay attention to everyone. Kevin got hung up on switch front crooks. Riley did halfcab crooks revert and switch flip nose manny halfcab. Wow. Kevin also got nollie 180 crooks. Cass hadn’t skated in a month because of back problems and was rusty. Jake, Cass and I played a game of SKATE. I was keeping with my theme of rotation shoes and wearing some Es Swifts. They were comfy, but less board feel and made flip tricks hard on the big board. Jake won it on treflip. I was quite mad that I didn’t get one in a couple tries, but would get a bad 270 flip in under 10 tries. At least the game got me trying stuff. Finally got a nose manual again, good feeling switch front noseslides, but really that’s about it until the end when I tried halfcab noseslide 270 shoves for awhile. That’s the latest challenge from Dave. I would go on to get a very bad one. Then a bunch of 98% folks showed up and it was awesome. Riley front 5-0 back shove the table, Joe 50 from flat, Squeeks back lip. We finished with some fun cruising at the park again. Riley had a mega flyout stink bug ha ha. I honestly was somehow getting a second wind and wanted to skate more, but everyone else wanted to eat. I had some fun ollies to fakie, backside nollies and a cab on the banks. Good times with friends.

(setup null 8.5 smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast base titanium axle, bones medium bushings, 54mm bones stf v3 99a washers outside, es swift 1.5 white size 12 naboso activation insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Yeah yeah once again I went to dog park area after a somewhat chill day of work for once. It was super nice out and to my surprise neither park was busy. I started out in the skate park. I found a kind of fun little section I hadn’t noticed before trying to do some slashes on some little volcanos. I kind of didn’t care about other people doing their pumping and would just skate the little qp there and cut them off. Eventually tried the noseslide then kickflip for awhile, but couldn’t roll away from the kickflip. I kept getting wheelbite. Stupid 54mm wheels.

Then I went over to dog park and skated okay. Nothing really stands out. Oh I was wearing some old Numeric 22s and had some good feeling kickflips. Also halfcab flip and fakie bigflip. Still not enough drive to commit to treflip on the big 8.5. I had gotten to a point where I wanted to try some nosegrinds, but my knee went twang while setting up so called it a session.

(setup null 8.5 smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast base titanium axle, bones medium bushings, 54mm bones stf v3 99a washers outside, new balance numeric 22 marroon size 12 naboso activation insoles)
(pain level 3/10 achilles then general pain after skating vulcs)

After another frustrating day of work I went to dog park to meet Rob. To my delight Donnie was there too and we all started out at the skatepark. There weren’t many people there so it made for a good warm up. Rob and I had some fun rides on the barrier. I bailed a few axle stalls. Donnie shredded the bowl. Last thing I remember was ollieing the little euro and Donnie getting my back with a front 270 over it.

Then we went to the ledges. It really is nice getting the legs warmed up before hitting the ledges. Pretty quickly I did one of the lines I’ve been working on for awhile. Nollie front tail, crooks, kick back 50 the small manny pad. The kick back 50 was first try and it put me in a good mood. The bigger setup felt weird, but I was finally able to pop up onto things easier. Managed to manual the little pad a few times and get remotely close to to nose manual around the c pad. I had some new insoles that have a rough surface and it made things feel a little weird. I didn’t have foot pain, but my knees did get sore. I couldn’t get heelflip or treflip, but I did get first try halfcab flip, f/s halfcab flip and fakie bigflip. Rob was shredding as always. More of the back 50 nollies out. Also had a run that got a few people hyped which I think was back 50 back 180 out, halfcab boardslide then ended with a steezy no comply up the c ledge. Boardslide transfers and manuals on the c ledge too. Donnie was doing sick ollies over the crack gap to quick manual (and eventually nose manual) then close to front nose the upper deck. He had all kinds of cool tricks really, casual 50s on stuff, wallies, bonks. Pretty fun session.

(setup null 8.5 smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast base titanium axle, bones medium bushings, 54mm bones stf v3 99a washers outside, new balance numeric 288s grey size 11.5 naboso activation insoles)
(pain level 2/10 some achilles pain)

On a cool rainy night I went out to the little space in my garage and skated flatground. Rather than use the putter I went the opposite direction – 8.5. It felt alright. I started with several basics which these days means 180s and shoves. Then got a few kickflips, fakie flips, heelflips, b/s flips then went in on treflip. It’s so hard to do treflips in that little of space. I think it’s partly why I do 270 flips a lot because I can’t lean forward enough for fear of hitting my head on the garage door if I hang up. Anyway, I got one in about 15 tries, then the funny fall shortly after that, then eventually two in a row that made me happy. I tried some nollie varial flips after that, but never got one.

(setup null 8.5 smoke valley, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast base titanium axle, bones medium bushings, 54mm bones stf v3 99a washers outside, new balance numeric 288s grey size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 2/10 some achilles pain)

On a nice morning that was breezy at times I went to meet Bryan, Jake, Will, Rob at dog park. I’m alway late of course, although this time only a few minutes and everyone was at Valmont. I was hyped on the idea of warming up there and there wasn’t many people. I was riding my 8.25 setup this time. It was okay. Had fun pumping around a bit then getting the rainbow grind, kickflip to fakie on the bank, no comply bigspin on the bank, some fun axle stall on tight quarterpipes in the pump zone and would eventually get the noseslide then kickflip to fakie line again. But man I did it so bad. Bryan had some cool powerslides, almost pressure flips, quick turn arounds to cab bigspin on the bank. Jake did grinds in the deep end of the bowl, maybe a front blunt on the volcano. Rob had steezy carves on the barrier and almost got the rainbow grind.

Then we went to the ledges. Saul joined, did some slappies and more that I didn’t see. Rob continued his killing spree with nose manuals, back 50 nollies, nollie front 50 back 180. I didn’t really do anything I was proud of in any way except a 2nd try 3 shove and a halfcab flip in SKATE against Jake. Jake was ripping. Saw Will get some nose manuals. Bryan did his patented fakie bigspin tailslides.

• 

Saul and Jake were calling for HH so we did it. Sean joined. There were a few people initially, but they would leave. One of them had a cool old Null message in the bottle deck. It’s a weird park. I can’t say I like it, can’t say I hate it. The transition makes more sense than Valmont, but at the same time it’s really hard to get speed for a lot of it. Saul had some good lines though lots of his quick grinds and almost back 50 over the hump. Jake killed it front 5-0s, disasters, roll in, fly out nose grabs. I had fun, a dorky little kickflip over a mound, a few back 50s. Rob cruised it well as did Sean. Then I went back to dog park and just filmed then filmed at street spots. Garrett came up big. Good day.

(setup 8.25/8.3 null 5.8s with forged baseplates, 52-53 wheels, new balance 212s size 12 272 insole)
(pain level 5/10 ugh)

Not feeling so good on a cloudy Saturday morning I ended up at dog park and met up with Rob, Brian (and more from Square State), Eric and Jack. It was tough to find lines with the crowds, but it worked. Saw Brian rip the barrier with boardslides, front rock, also some feeble attempts on the beam and called me out for not smiling. Ha. I really didn’t feel well though so it was tough. I was on a different setup, imagine that. 8.25 with wide trucks. It felt good even though I didn’t land a whole lot. My flip tricks felt good even though I didn’t land much. The theme for me was to get close to a lot of stuff, but not actually roll away. I guess that’s okay. I did get the nollie front tail shove in a few tries, finally noseslid some of the upper deck, lots of fun front slappies, close to kick back 50. Rob had some good nose mannies, back 50 nollies out, back 50 180 out, back 180 fakie 50. Eric heelflipped a parking block all casual, mannies, 50s, looked good. Jack did a messed up line. Manual, bluntslide, pop shove crooks fakie. Also some solid flippers.

Then after a run to Sk8 Ratz I met Nullers at a barrier spot. It was fun. I just did some rock ‘n rolls on it. Jack did a messed up kickflip, blunt to disaster. I missed Hayden’s 5-0 shove fakie, but he also did back disaster revert. Joe was trying 50s from flat. Donnie had massive ollies and front 5-0. Garrett did front hurricane then one with a funny 180 out. Next we went to TVHS where I watched and filmed. Bo 50’d the rail! So sick. Joe got up on front crooks it was so gnarly. Jack warmed up with back 50, front nosegrind then got a couple bangers that will grace his Null part. Fun day with fun dudes.

(setup 8.25 glenosaur, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 v-lights, bones medium bushings, old 52mm v1 bones stf 103a washers outside, new balance numeric 212 cream size 12 with 272 insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

After dinner on a nice night I went to meet Rob at dog park.  There were a few bikers there making things a little weird.  I was warming up with some basics on the small part of the barrier when Rob left.  I kept at it not really skating well at all.  I had put cast baseplates on again thinking it would help ollies feel better, but really it didn’t.  I still couldn’t manual or nose manual the little pad or barely ollie onto the slightly larger pad.  Had an okay halfcab flip, but everything still required more effort than they should.  I switched from 288s to 212s at one point and skating felt less bad.  Also the bikers left which was nice.  Sawyer showed along with a couple other skaters that kept to themselves.  I did a lot of slappies since nothing else was working.  I eventually left since I had no desire to continue on sucking so bad.

(setup 8.3 null spanbauer night skate, jessup ultra grip, venture 5.8 cast baseplate titanium hanger, venom 91a bushings no big washer, 51mm satori achtley wheeels washers on the outside, new balance numeric 288S grey size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

On a nice night I went to the dog park for the first time at night in a long time.  The lights were way better than I remembered.  There was only a few people there, the dudes Denis and Paul who are fun to skate with and a beginner.  My new Satoris were already pretty flatspotted.  Argh.  Everything felt off initially and I had a pretty bad slam on a flatground pop shove.  I couldn’t land a kickflip either.  Not sure what’s up with that. At no point did I do anything great, but I did skate okay and do some basics I liked.  My board felt extremely slow and I pretty much hated the non F4/STF wheels.  I did one line that took way too long of switch front nose the metal bench then halfcab board the small flatbar.  Couldn’t get the heelflip after.  Had some okay crooks, front slappies, weak front tail attempts, slow front 50s, same old stuff.  Stoked on it being a good night spot.  Although the two loud dudes that showed up later were pretty annoying.

(setup 8.3 null spanbauer night skate, jessup ultra grip, venture 5.8 titaniums, venom 91a bushings no big washer, 51mm satori achtley wheeels washers on the outside, new balance numeric 288S grey size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

Had changed my setup to the 8.25 with new wheels on it and some new 288s. Went to the wood bench research area well after dark. Everything felt off. Smaller board, smooth wheels, thicker shoes. I wanted to land a bunch of flippers, but I only got kickflip and fakie flip. I couldn’t back 180 the little brick gap which was borderline setting me over the edge. I was able to ollie onto the ledge much easier than last time at least. I left after about 30 minutes realizing I just didn’t have the energy to keep skating.

(setup null 8.25 glenosaur, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 v-hollow bones medium bushings, 51mm satori atchley 101a washers outside, new balance numeric 288s grey size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

Running later than anticipated I met up with Rob, Sean and Kevin at dog park on a bright and sunny Sunday. I was sore from so much skating the day before and would not skate as well, but still had a couple highlights for me. Kickflip to fakie a wedge followed by fakie bigflip. Also a line of front smith stall the little ledge, crooks a bench, nollie back tail the manny pad ledge. Not much else for me, I ended trying the nollie front tail 270 shove for awhile and would get a few before getting a clean one. It hyped me up. Rob was shredding. Back 50s, nollie lip transfer the green block, boardslide transfers, manuals, much more. Kevin was trying a board with a smaller wheelbase and ended up hating it. He tried to skate through it and still did some amazing stuff, but ended up sitting after awhile. He still did nollie front nosegrind, back 180 nosegrind, back tails, nollie flips, all kinds of tricks I’m jealous of. Sean is just getting back on his feet after a rolled ankle, but man he was looking good. Lines of nollie back nosgrind, front nosegrind the upper deck, front tail the tall bench, front tail the C ledge. Nollie back nosgrind back 180, halfcab nose manual 180. Some good flippers too. I did a kickflip on his board and it felt so good. Maybe I’ll try that same setup next time ..

(setup 8.3 null spanbauer night skate, jessup ultra grip, venture 5.8 titaniums, venom 91a bushings no big washer, 50mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 288S maroon size 11.5 no insoles)
(pain level 3/10)