On a nice night I went to dog park and met Rob and Nick. There was only a few other people there. After my lack of pop and flip in Berlin I put Thunders on. Hated them. Rob was either there early or warmed up incredibly fast. He lined out a boardslide on the picnic table. Took him a few tries, but he did it. Nick had a lot of boardslides on the curb and flat bars. I had gotten really tired right before skating, I guess jet lag had caught up with me. I skated with less pop than normal. I had a couple halfcab flips. The best I had was a fakie bigflip followed by a quick little nose slide the end of the picnic table. Then I cleaned it up by doing the same line again next try. Fakie bigflip felt cool, noseslide felt weird. That pretty much the end of my energy and I went home.

(setup 8.3 null mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, thunder 148 hollows, spitfire f4 101a 51mm classic shape, splay freestyle shoes grey size 12 custom nb# abzorb insole)
(pain level 2/10 achilles didn’t hurt at all!)

Up early on my last day in Berlin I had made plans to skate this spot across from the hotel if the rain held out. It did. Initially it was way harder than I imagined. We rolled down the stairs a few times to get warmed up. Ben was getting on 50s right away. I would take forever to get some super slow ones and accidental 5-0s. We would get some lines too. I had boardslide then turn around and crooks. Switch front nose then switch 180 a 2 stair. Ben commits to everything. Makes me jealous. Almost learned crooks first try. I took a while to do front 50 then front shove down the 2 stair. After some more skating and selfie filming I asked Ben if he could film the front shove. I did it with nollie tail instead but it was first try filming which is ultra rare to me. Then I messed around with various lines to try and motivate to ollie over the curb drop at then. I had done a few opening tricks like nollie back tail or front 50. Then I settled on the nose jib 270, kickflip, ollie. To my delight I landed the kickflip first try (didn’t care about the toe drag) then got a sketchy ollie where I dragged my tail across the curb. I didn’t care. It was cold, my arthritis was raging and I needed to get back to hang with the family. It was an incredibly fun session. Ben took some good slams getting that line of boardslide then back 180. Skateboarding rules. It’s fun skating new spots and meeting new people.

(setup 8.38 null mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate v-hollow hangers, bones medium bushings, 53mm spitfire f4 classic shape 99a, splay freestyle grey size 12 with custom nb# abzorb and naboso activation insoles)
(Pain level 4/10 arthritis)

On a cold but dry day I had some time to kill and went to a nearby park called Böcklerpark. I arrived to it mostly covered in leaves so had to brush them aside.  Then had some fun axle stalls.  The ledges didn’t slide or grind very well.  Had noseslides and some mediocre crooks in some mediocre lines. Couldn’t get front tail on the bank to curb.   Spent some time on flippers since I really wanted to get a treflip in Germany . Got bs flip and halfcab flip. Really struggled with treflip.  I would get one that rotated around really well but I put my hands down.  Oh well.  After that I was beat and sore.  

(setup 8.38 null mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate v-hollow hangers, bones medium bushings, 53mm spitfire f4 classic shape 99a, splay freestyle grey size 12 with custom nb# abzorb insole)
(Pain level 5/10 road trip soreness)

On a cold and rainy day we did some sight seeing along the east wall gallery.  I snuck in a slippery wallie nollie.  Then an hour later met India’s classmate and Boulderite Ben at Skatahalle.  Initially the park was pretty chill both crowded and temperature wise.  Then it was mostly chaos for a few hours.  I didn’t really skate with Ben a whole lot because the place was madness all around and it was hard to pay attention.  Did see him get some initial slappies too. It’s a good park with lots of variety so I would often get sidetracked on the way to a trick. Had some fun noseslides and crooks in the main ledge.  Ben and I did wallies up a ledge. I almost dropped down to 50 but it was weird.  Got a few kickflips on a bank, a bigflip or two as well.  There was a dude doing lines with 360 flips, Merlin flips and nollie lazers.   It was awesome.  Another dude doing 3’ tall kickflips and lots of solid style.  Another dude going 100mph for everything.  Also a lady learning how to skate and constantly standing in front of the brick bank making it annoyingly impossible to skate at times. I had a couple fun qp tricks on the little qp up top.  Front d and fakie smith fakie and back 50 to fakie.  Near the end we were able to skate the bank to curb. Ben learned nosestall to fakie after taking beginner lady out.  I did some fun back 50s on the china bank followed by kickflip to fakie. I snuck in a no comply to tail at the buzzer and we finished with slappies on our way out. Super fun time. It was surprising how nice everyone was.   

(setup 8.38 null mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate v-hollow hangers, bones medium bushings, 53mm spitfire f4 classic shape 99a, splay freestyle grey size 12 with custom nb# abzorb insole)
(Pain level 3/10 achilles)

In Germany!  After a night of attempting to sleep I got out of bed early to skate before the rain.  I had a lot of factors going against me. Jet lag, it was cold, I’m old, the asphalt is super rough, I was solo in a foreign country, etc.  
My first trick in Berlin was a switch front nose.  Kickflip took a few tries.   I got to skate for about an hour before the mist and rain took over.  I had finally started to get somewhat in a groove.  Got a couple flippers, crooks, front 50. That’s really it. I was bummed, but considering the odds I was still excited to see the spot and attempt to skate it.  

(setup 8.38 null mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate v-hollow hangers, bones medium bushings, 53mm spitfire f4 classic shape 99a, splay freestyle grey size 12 with custom nb# abzorb insole)
(Pain level 4/10 knee and achilles)

Had a few minutes between work and leaving for Germany.   Wanted to skate in front of my house but there was a tree shredder.  So I rolled down the bike path and ended up near wilville.  Did a few shoves, kickflip, 180s.  A fakie flip, hc flip and bs flip. Then I went home after embarrassing myself trying to Ollie up a curb.   

(setup 8.38 null mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate v-hollow hangers, bones medium bushings, 53mm spitfire f4 classic shape 99a, splay freestyle grey size 12 with custom nb# abzorb insole)
(Pain level 4/10 knee and achilles)

First below freezing session of the season. Went to dog park not knowing how long I’d skate and thought the park would be mostly empty. Nope. There were like 5 scooter dudes, a few rippers and a few other skaters. I started by getting in everyones way on accident. Nothing really new to report, but for a brief period I felt decent on my board. Like I’m finally getting things back. I didn’t really get anything, but would try some harder things and get close like back 50 over the corner of the taller pad, halfcab and front heels, halfcab crooks. Well, I think technically I got a first try halfcab crooks, but it was such a brief jib even I couldn’t count it. I had fun then left when my bushings froze solid.

(setup 8.38 null mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate v-hollow hanger stock bushings no big washer, 52mm 99a tablets, splay freestyle grey size 12 custom flat nb# abzorb insole)
(pain level 3/10)

After running some errands on a nice night I went to dog park and mingled with the youth for awhile. Nick would show in half an hour or so relieving me from being the sole “older” skater. I had put smaller wheels on, bones bushings. Didn’t like either. Warmed up with some lame stalls on the small part of the barrier and a few kickflips. I went 0-10 on slappies to start. UGH. I would go on to skate decently for myself even though I didn’t really land any flip tricks. Maybe I just felt better on my board than I have since my achilles injury. I had some fun crooks on the benches also a really funny willy/crook bonk on the quick up to ledge. Lots of front 50s the taller pad, a front smith stall, nollie front tails, halfcab noseslides the bench, switch front noseslides, switch nose 270 shove and finally wallied wallie world for the first time in months. Near the end I was trying a line of front nose to fakie the bench then halfcab crooks. I got super close on a couple. May have technically gotten one but just a quick jib and no lock in. Nick was fun to skate with, lots of boardslides, shoves, 50 shoves. There were a couple other dudes doing manual tricks, but we mostly had the park to ourselves once the kids left. And man it was so nice out. It was hard to leave but I did get super sore.

(setup 8.38 null mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate v-hollow hanger two small bones medium bushings, 51mm spitfire f4 101a classic shape, splay freestyle grey size 12 nike sb zoom air insoles made into wide toe insoles)
(pain level 4/10 knees weren’t too hyped)

On a breezy, but warm day I met Rob, Eric, Sean and Nick at dog park. It was crowded with some skate lessons or something, but would clear out some quickly. I liked the kicker onto the pad though because I could finally manual it ha ha. I started out on a board with Indy 149s, but immediately traded them out for Ventures. And boy it felt good to be back home. I really liked how the Indy mids skated, but man, they are too heavy. Way too heavy. Maybe if they make a titanium version I’d try them again. At one point I had two halfcab flips in a row which has been awhile. I had too big of wheels on, but it was fun. I got a few nose manuals, didn’t commit to kickflip up the ledge or off, had a lot of fakie flips. Played with the quick up onto the pad then noseslide also crooks. Got a few of those with halfcab nosesldies before. Until the camera came out and then I couldn’t do it. I ended by getting a new trick on taller pad. Fakie front 50 to back board. A Joe H special. It was bad, but still pretty fun. Nick was fun to skate with. Lots of boardslides, front 50 nolie shove. I don’t know which kids Eric was competing with, but he told me a couple times they beat him to tricks. Doh. Rob had the back 50 nollies out again, manuals, halfcab noseslides, back 50 back 180 out, nollie front 50 back 180 out. Was hyped to see him get halfcab back 50. He came really close to fakie nosegrinds on a bench. Sean did what he does best, kill it with style and speed. The ease at which he can 50 the upper deck is amazing to me. He got fakie nosegrind, halfcab nose manual shove, front tail 270, ollied the hydrant like it was nothing, nollie back 5-0s, lots of kickflip and heelflip variations.

(setup 8.38 null mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.6 cast plate v-hollow hanger no big washer, 53mm spitfire f4 99a classic shape, splay freestyle grey size 12 nike sb zoom air insoles made into wide toe insoles)
(pain level 4/10 winter/wind sucks)

Running late I met up with Carleigh, Rob, Kevin, Jack, Dave, Donnie, Joe, Cass, Eric, more. We started at the park. Most of us were just getting warmed up, carving around, some ride on grinds and stuff. Jack’s first trick having not even skated the park before was pole jam late shove bolts. Also right into bigspin pivot, wallie the barrier, shredding. It was so rad seeing Carleigh again. She did the rainbow frontside right away, ollies over the hip, maybe a kickflip and pop shove over it. Eric had the pole jams too, back d the volcano, almost front slash the barrier. Rob got a b/s slash on the barrier, crails on the bank, pops over the hips. Dave was in the pump section flowing some grinds on the little qps. He got a rad line ride on grind the little qp stealing Donnies line, nosegrab transfer the point, back 3 the hip. Kevin did an incredible line which I don’t fully remember but I think it involved a front 5-0 the rainbow, back smith the barrier, halfcab onto the volcano, nollie f/s flip the hip. Donnie was popping over everything. I struggled with the noseslide and never got the kickflip after. I did finally get a few kickflips to fakie on the point even if it was only 1/3 of the way up. Baby steps. Cass had front shove and back big over the hip.

Then we went over to the dog park. Kevin has rolled his ankle so wasn’t skating much. Still shredding though. It’s pretty much impossible for me to remember who was doing what. Carleigh had some boardslides, noseslides, front 50. I had fakie 50 halfcab out on the curb. Had a fun line of crooks a bench then front 180 up the curb and switch front nose off. Dave had done it before and Kevin had suggested it. I don’t remember a whole lot else for me, maybe some basic flippers. Jack was totally shredding. Fakie tres over the wallie world every try, back 180 fakie manual trying whatever random trick out. Rob was putting on a demo too. I don’t remember any new ones, but he gave the fans what they wanted. Cass almost got hardflip off the kicker. After a funny start Joe lined out fakie hardflip over wallie world then fakie hard over the orange barrier. So crazy. I’m sure a lot more happened, but I’m not remembering much.

Then we went to Broomfield park. I sat around for awhile until I saw jack trying pop shove nosegrind then went over and filmed it. So incredible. It took awhile so that was how I spent my session which was cool. I did try to skate a little after he got it, but hit my axle on my achilles immediately and it hurt super bad. Darin was there rifling off his quartapotty tricks. Sean joined and delighted everyone with nollie back nosegrind. Donnie was trying switch front pivots on the low to high. Joe tried to ollie up the 6 and got into fakie back tail down the hubba. Carleigh may have gotten back d on the brick qp. I left early because my achilles was hurting so bad.

(setup null 8.38 mc hesher, jessup ultragrip, indy mids 148 with hollow cast baseplate, bones medium bushings, bones 52mm v1 stf 83b 3 washers inside each, splay freestyle grey size 12 nike sb zoom air insoles)
(pain level 3/10)