Sunday afternoon I rolled down to Willville to meet Rob and Dave. I had kind of hurt my left calf running again, but skating seemed okay. Rob and I got there at basically the same time, as did several youngsters who posted up on the manny pad to bank. Rob has some achilles pain so he was hyped to be able to push again. And it reminded me how happy I was that I could push again too. We would go on to have a pretty fun session. We rolled around on the bricks a bit then went to the narrow bank area. Dave had a near death experience just doing roll up then back down. We would get some front 180s out of it which was pretty scary and unrewarding. Then we were up at the brick area. I would get a few lines that sound alright, but were really slow and sketchy. Fakie flip, halfcab flip, noseslide to fakie, ride down the narrow bank against the wall and my heel dragged against the wall which was so scary. Going the other way I did a little front nose stall 270 out then ollied onto a ledge (which helped prove to me that I can ollie better on lows since I couldn’t get up that flagstone ledge a few days ago). Then I did backside flip, pop shove the little flat gap, noseslide to fakie. Then boardslide flop out the narrow ledge followed by the worst kickflip over the little flat gap. My left calf had really started hurting at this point. Dave would get some good lines too. Kickflip, back 180 the little gap, switch front nose. Switch back 180, nollie shove to quick pop shove, boardslide pop out. He had some more too. We ended at the manny pad since the kids had moved on, but my calf was hurting way too much to keep skating. Dave manualled into the bank then did a ran line of varial flip then switch back 180 up onto the pad and ride down. Fun session, wish my calf didn’t hurt so bad.

(setup 8.25 null burnout stumpy, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.2 lows royal bushings, bones 52mm slims 99a stf 2 washers inside, new balance numeric 272 green 11.5 half 272/425 insoles)
(pain level 6/10 left calf pain from running got way worse by the end of the session)

On a very bright Saturday Cass and I went to a newish park in Commerce City. Kevin and Nick would meet us shortly after we finished up a game of SKATE. I would get 3 letters on kickflip and knew immediately that my setup change was not good. I had put ace lows on and I hated them. After bailing some more kickflips I went to my car and swapped them out for Venture lows. Life was better. Kevin was shredding the park. Lots of tricks on the little rail, various 180 tricks over the hip. Cass beat me in SKATE then almost learned back tails on the micro ledge before getting too hot and sitting in the shade. I felt some stuff out before going in on the nosegrind 180 which took me forever. I mean I landed a few really bad ones. I did various lines to get there. Mostly kickflip on the bank, frontside ollie the qp hip, then the nosegrind. But it wasn’t until later when I resorted to front tail on the qp then the nosegrind 180 that I got it. Kevin had ben working on fakie b/s nosegrind 180 out and got my back. It was a rad ending. Nick had floated some beautiful flippers and nose manuals.

(setup 8.25 null burnout stumpy, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.2 lows royal bushings, bones 52mm slims 99a stf 2 washers inside, new balance numeric 272 green 11.5 half 272/425 insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Went to campus on a gorgeous evening after work. I started on the slappy curb and did a few crooks. Then I lined out nollie front lip a parking block, manual the little median, slappy crooks before going down to that evil flagstone ledge. Flip tricks were going somewhat alright. I had 3 halfcab flips in a row and landed on a nollie varial flip. But mostly I didn’t land anything. I had the goal of ollieing onto the ledge then dropping into cali grind on the edge of the sidewalk. I thought it would happen pretty quick, but instead I would never successfully ollie up the ledge. It was maddening and threw me directly into setup madness. I left before getting too upset. Took way too long to do one little accidental 5-0 on the ledge off the step. Then struggled to kickflip into the long mellow downhill across from the stadium. Then I went home bummed.

(setup 8.25 null burnout stumpy, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.6 v-hollow cast plate royal bushings, bones 52mm slims 99a stf, new balance numeric 272 green 11.5 half 272/425 insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

After work Dave said to meet at dog park, but he was at Valmont with Roth. They were shredding with some good uphill lines and speed. Roth had back 50 on the low to high steep qp. Dave did front 5-0. Then later on had a long line to front lip low to high. I think it was nollie into the bank, switch back 180 the hip, go around into the front lip. I was kind of struggling around, but then went in on treflips fakie on the bank and would get a 270 version somewhat quick, then another one not so quick. Dave backside flipped the hip a bunch of times with varying degrees of cleanliness. Ha. Love that he was committing and did several. They left and I went over to dog park where I don’t remember doing much of anything. I was hyped to try 360 flips and kind of get a couple.

(setup 8.25 null burnout stumpy, jessup pj ultragrip, venture 5.6 v-hollow cast plate royal bushings, bones 52mm slims 99a stf, new balance numeric 272 green 11.5 half 272/425 insoles)
(pain level 3/10)