After work on a cool day I went to the tennis court knowing the dog park would be wet. I didn’t change my setup, but I did wear cupsoles to see if they reduced pain. And they did, but at the expense of not really landing anything all session and borderline quitting. I had made a list of 10 flip tricks to try, but rather than go right into them only I tried to mix them in with lines. Like fakie flip was the first one on the list and I did it after a noseslide to fakie. But that would be the only flip trick I landed. Those shoes seriously felt terrible this time around. No board feel at all. I struggled beyond belief, but kept skating to try and force myself into something okay. I tried a few fakie nosegrind 180s on the manny pad and got remotely close, but no cigar. Tried a line of halfcab noseslide the ledge, rock fakie the new wood qp then f/s halfcab noseslide. Never got the last trick and struggled way too much with halfcab noseslide. There were a couple other guys there. One was pretty good, the other just learning to ollie and man he took some hard slams and kept going. I had a couple crooks, couldn’t get a front 50, felt like garbage. The kind of session that makes me question everything.

(setup 8.3 null vhs, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast plate titanium hanger, royal bushings no big washer flat top washer, 51mm spitfire 99a f4 classic shape washers on the outside, new balance 425 black/gum size 11.5 front insole)
(pain level 4/10)

After watching a good BATB finally I wanted to skate some flatground. But I was quite sore from the marathon of skating the day before. I went out to the school in the 212s again and proceeded to not land anything. In about an hour of skating I really only took away that I landed a first try f/s halfcab flip and was 3/3 on backside flips. Other then that it was terrible.

After some lounging I ended up at dog park with Rob. Dustin and Xander were there. As were a crew of youth doing dumb things like tagging and Rob and I got to be the grouchy old guys complaining. It seemed to get Rob going though and he was ripping. It’s hard to remember the difference in the previous day. But more long lines with nose manuals, manuals, back 50 back 180, halfcab back 50, halfcab board the tall bench, front board it and a lot more. It was fun chatting with Dustin and Xander and watch them do tres and nollie tres. I was wearing 272s this time around that felt way too large for me and cushiony in a way that seemed to suck up my pop. I managed a line of switch nose shove then ollie on and kickflip off the c ledge. Also a couple crooks on the new plastic ledge that felt good.

(setup 8.3 null vhs, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 cast plate titanium hanger, royal bushings no big washer flat top washer, 51mm spitfire 99a f4 classic shape washers on the outside, new balance 212/272)
(pain level 5/10 haven’t felt vulc pain in a while ouch)

On a limited time frame I went to dog park to meet Rob, Cass, Sean and Paul. We started in the park. I was adjusting to a couple changes. Vulc 212s and a smaller deck. The shoes were too big and with the smaller board felt super odd. I tried to do 5 flippers on the bank. But I only got kickflip fakie, b/s flip and kind of a big flip. I couldn’t make the board to a varial flip. Oh and Sean and I both got no comply pole jams 2nd try.

At the dog park it was a decent session. Rob was in demo mode when I got there. Back 50 no comply back shove out, halfcab back 50 back 180 out (trusting him on this one hee hee), manuals, nose manuals, halfcab board the tall bench, front board it. I filmed Cass do a front board on old piece of junk flat bar so I remember him doing that, but can’t think of other tricks right now. He was doing some filming with his super 8 which was cool. Sean was doing Sean things. Basically everything looking perfect at high speeds. The back 5-0 front 180 was my favorite. Paul had a bunch of cool slappies in all directions. Oh Cass and Paul were learning fakie back 50s then Paul learned fakie crooks like it was nothing. I skated pretty average. Did a new trick on the little ledge. Nollie front tail front shove out. Totally perfect ha. Near the end I the little Natas stall on the cone and got two shoves on it.

After lunch with my mom and some lounging I went up to Lyons to meet Dave and Billy on the Rampitheater. I had a new christmas complete. 8.3/5.8/51. It felt alright, but my shoes still felt too large. The ramp was crazy. There was a super small section then a taller section with different heights. I took forever to do a f/s halfcab rock. Then lined it out with front tail which I haven’t done in forever. Couldn’t get a kickflip on the transition. Dave beat Billy’s son Brook in a game of SKATE. It was pretty funny. Brook is young and super motivated and was trying hard and isn’t afraid to ask a lot of questions. It’s cool. It’s funny actually both his kids were into old school skating like Billy. And all decked out in full safety gear. Billy ripped it. He would throw in some tricks out of nowhere like a little invert, blunt fakie yank in, front d, 5-0s. Dave had lots of fakie/nollie/switch pops and almost got a nollie bigspin. Good times and a fun adventure seeing some elk and deer on the way home.

(setups UGH 8.25/8.3 5.8 cast/titanium 51mm, new balance numeric 212 size 12 272 insole)
(pain level 3/10)