After driving down from the mountains and chilling a bit I met up with Jack B at Wilville. It was nice out, but there was a lot of snow and puddles. My calf still hurt, pushing was not fun. I wore some old 212s in hopes of reducing calf pain and I think it worked. Well, at least the lack of any heel lift seemed to not make the calf strain worse. We met in the manual pad area which was pretty wet then went to the rock area. Had some rock rides to fakie to get warmed up. I struggled to do kickflip, rock ride to fakie, fakie flip. Hit a little curb and did a few stalls but Jack wasn’t feeling that. Ended back at the main area. Tried a line of manual 180 the grate, fakie flip, switch 180 manual into the bank. Didn’t get close. That was it for the skating, I didn’t want to skate long as the calf felt pretty weird. We went and looked at the big wilville bank, that thing is crazy.

(setup 2/10 null 8.1 all you need, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.2 v-cast royal bushings flat washer, 51mm bones stf v1 103a 3 washers inside, new balance numeric 212 b/w size 12 nike sb dunk insoles)
(pain level 7/10 right calf pain)

On a cold night I went to campus and had lost my gloves in CO Springs. Doh! Also, new shoes, 440s aka my fav. I had just watched the new Kai Kishi part and was excited to try and get tech. But on my first couple of pushes some intense pain shot through through my upper calf right below my pushing knee. Ugh. It had started hurting at the end of the CO spring session but I didn’t think much of it at the time. I thought it might loosen up and did a few slappy crooks then walked a bit and cruised down a hill. Ended up at the new wood bench spot. Started out with some curb stalls and couple stall poses on the ledge under the 3 stair. Then went up to the bench area that had the table off the bench. I really wanted to turn it on, but my calf prevented it. Pushing hurt and I was fearful of really hurting myself. So I posed some slow flippers mostly pushing mongo or switch. Really wanted to do a line of kickflip, nollie tre, treflip but never got the nollie tre. Posed some switch/nollie flips too. Argh. Darn injuries.

(setup 4/10 null 8.3 vhs, jessup ultragrip, thunder hollow lite 148 venom 88a bushings, 51mm bones v1 pj stf 103a washers inside, new balance 440 white/maroon size 12 half insole)
(pain level 8/10 right upper calf argh)

Needed to bring boards to Mountainside in CO Springs. Nullers weren’t in so it was just Jake and I which was totally great. I had a setup change, 8.3 with venture/thunder trucks. Don’t ask, it wont happen again. We started at the OG park but there was some snow. We tried to warm up on the ledge there. I was hating my setup, but more so the shoes. I spotted a ledge across the street and we went over there. I couldn’t get a good crooks and struggled a lot but did have a great feeling halfcab flip. Jake was ripping and had some good ones.

After the skateshop run we ended up at a DIY neither of us had heard of or been to before. It looks like a dream spot and we were super hyped to skate it. As with any spot it took a while to figure out what to do. I had changed into some NB 306s and was much more comfortable. We rattled off some tricks on the parking block qp. Jake did front tail, front d and pivot fakie on the big qp. I had fun lining out some basics. Then battled the stupid little front 50. I made myself do 5 of them, it was not easy and they were all slow and bad. We ended on some more parking block qp tricks. Jake beat me to front feeble, I beat him to hurricane.

(setup 8.3 null vhs, jessup ultragrip, venture v-cast baseplate thunder hollow 149 hanger royal bushings, 51mm pj bones v1 103a, nike sb sad dunks/nb# 306 with dunk insoles)
(pain level 6/10 those dunks seriously hurt more than most vulcs why do people like them)

Met up with Cass, Paul, Jake at Valmont park and cruised it for a while. We hit the pond area for a bit. Jake rattled off tricks that aren’t easy to do on that little transition like front tail, back blunt maybe even front disaster. Cass had one really long back 50. I did some axle stalls, kickflips to fakie and a front 50. The rest of the park I didn’t do much, especially after I got some serious ghost pop and couldn’t get up the euro comfortably. Cass struggled to get a kickflip over the hip. Jake had pole jam and I think pivot fakie on the volcano. Paul was shredding. Really nice back 180 over the euro hip.

Over to the plaza we met up with Jack and Eric. Those two are always charging. Cass and I played a game of SKATE that I ended up just quitting because we couldn’t land anything. I hit the wall on the 8.5/5.8. I mostly blame the Dunks though, they totally suck for skateboarding. No idea how so many people love them. The amount of pain I got from them was crazy, way more than a NB vulc. After the game I didn’t even have the desire to skate anymore, neither did Cass. I didn’t see a whole lot of other action. Eric did a rad wallie back 180 on the Natas spinner.

(setup 2/10 null 8.5 vhs, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 v-cast plate titanium hanger royal bushings no big washer flat small washer, 51mm bones pj stf v1 103a washers outside, nike sb sad dunks size 12 half nb 425 insoles)
(pain level 4/10 dunks suck)

On a cold night I attempted to go skating. I did not feel that great and the windchill was not helping. I started cruising around the Pearl & 30th area and started on the two ledges in a row. Tried to get a line of a really slow kickflip, noseslide, boardslide. Never quite got the boardslide. Also got a noseslide to fakie, but couldn’t get switch front nose or crooks. I went under the road and checked out Google area for a bit. Not finding anything. Went into a parking garage that was pretty smooth, but totally vacant and creepy. Went to go back to the ledges, but the wind had gotten worse and was way too cold. Ended up in a different parking garage that was a little less creepy, but rougher. Found a little patch of smooth and made myself do 5 super slow flip tricks. I got kickflip, fakie flip, halfcab flip, b/s flip and a terrible f/s halfcab flip. Was close to varial flip and nollie varial flip, switch flips spun around well too but I never got my feet on them. All in all a bummer session. Not feeling these dunks.

(setup null 8.5 vhs, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 v-cast plate titanium hanger royal bushings no big washer flat small washer, 51mm bones pj stf v1 103a washers outside, nike sb sad dunks size 12 half nb 425 insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Was hyped to head out to Square House on a cold night and skate with some older dudes. But I had new shoe blues for most of the session and felt quite off and sore. Dave and I started on the flatground of the miniramp doing multiple trick challenges. Starting with 2 then 3 and then 4. Christian joined us for a bit. I think I got a pathetic 4 tricker of shove, both nollie shoves, stationary kickflip. The dunks felt weird, but they did kickflip well. I skated the mini very briefly with Brian and Christian, but it was making me sore. Off to the main park to struggle. I would get a couple kickflips up the euro, one okay crooks on the bump to ledge, kind of a front tail back 180 out on the pyramid, but that was about it. Tried a bunch of treflips on flat and while being very close never got one. Kyle battled switch heel up the euro. Dave was struggling too, I want to see the nollie front 180 up the euro. He had some smooth front 50s on the bump to ledge, halfcab bluntslide the pyramid. Brian had solid front 5-0s over the corner of the little qp, crazy slappy feeble attempts dropping in right into the curb basically. Ashton was the token young kid for the session learning back 180 nosegrind shoves. Christian flew all over the place. At the end I got smoked by Kyle in a game of SKATE that included him doing a first try switch heel body varial. Thanks again Brian for hosting us! Hope I skate better the next time.

(setup null 8.5 vhs, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 v-cast plate titanium hanger royal bushings no big washer flat small washer, 51mm bones pj stf v1 103a washers outside, nike sb sad dunks size 12 half nb 425 insoles)
(pain level 5/10 knees)

On a super nice day after some exercises and a nice walk with Liz I was picked up by Jack B and we met some other older dudes at Zuni including Cass. Cass and I joined Salty, Michael and another guy on the little bank and tiny qp until we each did new tricks. Cass had done one front 50 to fakie already, but got my back when I finally got the sugarcane. We were hyped. Sugarcane has been a dream trick of mine for years. Hoping to get them better and maybe on an actual qp ha ha. We hit the long little qp for a while. We had a bump to ledge session almost everyone got boardslides. Jack and I got noseslides, Cass with the front noses and front nose shove. Hype man Michael had floaty nollie bonks out of the qp. I did a lot of flippers on flat in between tries. Had halfcab flip followed by backside flip. My treflips were not good, but I did get one. I ended the session with a fun line of halfcab flip on flat, bump to boardslide, ollie the 4 stair. It’s been a long time since I ollied a 4 stair.

Then we went to the Rino spot near Cass’ house. We met Chad there, but his back was mostly hurting. We started slow. I was pretty stiff at this point. The curbs teased us again and didn’t grind well. Barrier rides were the highlight for a while. I had a fun line of frontside barrier ride, tiny manual to quick front 180 out of a curb cut. It sounds way better than it was. At the end I was tossing around a line of something on the ledge then 180 up the curb and Jack suggested I go to the barrier. I had started with nollie back tails, but they were sucking and moved on to halfcab noseslide. Thanks for filming Cass. I got a line I’m hoarding for Stubborns 2 or a 50th bday part or something. Super fun day.

(setup 8/10 null 8.5 vhs, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 v-cast plate titanium hanger royal bushings no big washer flat small washer, 51mm bones pj stf v1 103a washers outside, new balance numeric 440 brown size 12 half insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Nice winter day I picked up Jack B and Jesse and we met up with Dave and Rob at Rocky Mountain. Things started slow it seemed, but everyone got going and it was a really fun one. I’ll start with Rob since he bounced first. Nice manuals, no complys on the bank, back 50 to back lip, nollie front lip shove. Jesse casually did some surprising moves like first try halfcab noseslide, fastplants, varial flips. Jack mostly attacked the curb and was kind enough to film quite a bit. Nollie front lip to 50, switch boardslides up to 50, slappy crooks, slappies. Oh yeah he also kickflipped off the curb which spawned a little kickflip session. I think most people got them first try, Rob on flat, Dave, Jack did them first try off the curb. Jesse got a couple. I got it up and down. My flip tricks were working really well which is kind of ironic since I had upped my board size to 8.5. I got 4 treflips. The most in one day in forever. Granted, they were not very good, but I was still hyped. Also 4/4 on fs halfcab flips. Got a few halfcab flips, fakie bigflip, sketch fakie front heels, backside flips, varial flips, several kickflips up the curb, no regular heelflips though and I couldn’t get a kickflip on the bank. I didn’t really do anything other than flatground and a few slappies. I couldn’t get a front 50 on the ledge although I did almost get a Glen 50 (5-0). As usual Dave was the last man skating. He had done a lot of nollies and shoves to fakie on the bank, manuals on the medians and some crazy curb tricks like switch back 180 5-0 180 out, varial flips, and tried to end on a crazy nollie 270 up onto the kinked brick median. Fun day fellas!

(setup 8/10 null 8.5 vhs, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 v-cast plate titanium hanger royal bushings no big washer flat small washer, 51mm bones pj stf v1 103a washers outside, new balance numeric 440 brown size 12 half insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Was able to get out of work for a bit to enjoy a session with the boys. I had only though it would be Jake, Rob, Dave and me, but it turned into a rad collection of homies. Dan, Colin, long haired Jake, Will, even Saul was there walking a cute new dog. I had put wide ventures on the 8.25. It was way better than the aces. It was a fun session. Some highlights. Dan first try treflip on his new 8.75, back nosegrind over the step, front blunt the metal bench, manual no comply, this dude is a shredder. Colin first try nollie tre, almost manual kickflip out. Rob nollie front lip all quick, manual drop down to manual through the crowd to boardslide was epic. Jake front tails, manuals, back 50s. Dave was charging back 50s on the curb, then around the C ledge, manuals and got several nosegrinds then ended with a front nosegrind 180. It hyped me up to try nosegrinds too which I would eventually get a couple with some tail taps. I got a really sloppy front nosegrind 180 in way less tries. Before that I had skated alright for me with a lot of accidental front 5-0s on the curb, crooks, a few flippers and came close to a super sloppy line that would have made me so hyped. Fakie flip, font halfcab heel, nollie tre. After Dave and I had shut down the curb with our nosegrind dominance we went over to the barrier where Rob and Jake were talking. I hyped up Jake with a first try front rock, but he never got the follow up front blunt and owes me a huge horchata now. Dan and Collin joined. I think everyone did front rocks except Dan who did it switch. I would get a front slash which was a great ender. The wind was getting super annoying. Fun session, rad crew.

(setup 6/10 8.25 null esher, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 titanium bones medium bushings, 51mm bones pj stf v1 103a, new balance numeric 440 brown size 12 half insole)
(pain level 4/10)

On a cold night I drove downtown in my new minivan after selling my beloved wagon. I had a setup change. 8.25 with aces and boy did it suck. I started near St Julian and did a little line of nollie front tail the long low curb, crooks the ledge by the fence, kickflip on flat. Also tried some fakie bigspins then front 50 the fence ledge but was not close at all. Then I moved around. Hit the alley behind the main parking garage and did a couple pivots and came close to front heels. More cruising around and didn’t really find anything in particular that interested me until I was back near my car. But I was really cold at that point and hating my board. Aces eliminated from potential 2023 goal of not changing setups.

(setup 1/10 8.25 null esher, jessup ultragrip, ace 44, bones 51mm pj stf 103a v1, new balance numeric 440 brown size 12 half insole)
(pain 3/10)