After chilling most of a Sunday I went out attempting to skate flatground. I went to the Avalon parking lot and started things out. Kind of slow of course. Had gotten a few flippers: kickflip, fakie flip, halfcab flip, f/s halfcab flip, b/s flip, heelflip when I needed to head back to sell some boards to Ryan. After a delay I ended up at the flagstone ledge on campus where I went on to totally suck beyond any comprehension I had imagined. It literally took 10 tries to kickflip. I had somehow done a heelflip before kickflip. I was wearing true orthotitc insoles to reduce knee pain and it just resulted in less board feel I think. A lot less, a whole lot less. Everyone that walked by was so nice and I was so miserable. Couldn’t ollie onto the ledge or 50 it. Made me doubt everything. I would get a couple flippers, but eventually I just stopped and sat in the nice shade for a while before getting a nice text from Liz telling me to pick up some wine. Setup change incoming ..

(setup 3/10 8.5/14.25 null 20 year, null grip, thunder 149 hollow lights with royal bushings, 52mm spitfire 52mm yellow classic shape f4 99a, new balance numeric 440v2 white size 11.5 wide, pinnacle powerstep orthotic insole)
(pain level 4/10)

On a cool day for summer I met up with Rob, Paul and Cass at Broomfield park. I was amazed at how quickly those dudes were ripping. For real though, they were all doing good tricks before I had even popped the tail on my board. Rob manual the blue pad like it was nothing, back 50s. Paul back 50 front 180 out, front 5-0s. Cass back 50s, front noseslides. Those dudes all seemed to go on to have good sessions. I would go on to have a decent session too even though it started slow. I would get several slow front 50s on the black ledge and got one 270 flip flyout after. Most importantly I finally did the front 50 into the bank that I’ve wanted to do since the addtion. It was a serious battle and very depressing at times, but it happened and I was very happy. I went on to do it a handful of times and came close to noseslide 270 shove after. Paul struggled for some front nosegrinds which was rare. Cass did front noseslide shove into the bank. Rob got kickflip out of the bank. It was a fun session.

After a trip to Emage Paul and I ended up at this ditch and would meet Cass and Sean. Sean was much later. Acrtually, so much later that we were already all over it. It was incredibly hard to skate, super rough, super hot and bright. Paul had done some frontside grinds. Cass beat me to kickflip. I had also done a couple front slashes and rock’s. The line was fun, felt like skating a rough waterslide. Sean showed up and quickly noseslide the ledge part which was unreachable to the rest of us.

(setup 5/10 8.5/14.25 null 20 year, null grip, thunder 149 hollow lights with royal bushings, 52mm spitfire 52mm yellow classic shape f4 99a, new balance numeric 440v2 white size 11.5 wide, half 574 insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 3/10)

After a bleak day of work I went home for dinner and chilled a bit as thunderstorms rolled through. It cleared up and I had kind of obsessed with the Folsom Field bank to curb spot so I went there. It was a fun downhill roll there going kind of fast at times being scared of hitting a crack. Made more scarier by a setup change and new shoes. It was very humid out. Well, very humid for Colorado which is probably only like 50% or something. But it almost felt hard to breath at first and I was sweating like crazy. I warmed up with some noseslides to fakie without olleing onto the bank, just a quick little push. And it actually took a few tries to commit to the role off the curb. Geez. This spot has always been way harder for me than it looks. Then I started ollieing on and doing flippers on flat and stuff. Would get several of the 180 stalls that are really fun. My dream is to do a kickflip out. It felt realistic at time, unrealistic at times. I got through quite a few flippers, but was kind of running low on energy. After a while I left and ended up at the little manny pad parking lot where I only manualled and came close to switch 180 manual and nose manual 180. Then nearby I tried to front 50 a waxed part of the banked ledge, but a cop drove by so I left. I hucked a few nollie bs flips that felt close. Then I went to the little tiny downhill curb ledge where I completely struggled to front 50 it, but man I was close to some slow uphill switch flips! Fun session though, I skated hard, it was fun.

(setup 7/10 8.5/14.25 null 20 year, null grip, thunder 149 hollow lights with royal bushings, 52mm spitfire 52mm yellow classic shape f4 99a, new balance numeric 440v2 white size 11.5 wide, half 574 insole and currex runpro insole)
(pain level 3/10)

After a day of being in the nice AC of the office I walked out after work and it was way nicer out than I had thought. There were clouds and it had cooled down. I pinged Rob and we met at dog park. I had started on my 8.25, went to my 8.5 and actually landed something, then went back to the 8.25. While on the 8.5 I landed a line I had tried the previous time. Switch front nose the metal bench, fakie flip on flat, switch front board the little flat bar (almost a fakie tre after too!). I actually did the line twice, but the second time was way better. After that I don’t remember much of myself other than I hucked some treflips off the grate that felt very doable. I got to the point of committing the back foot, but not the front. Rob had done some manual, nose manual the C pad, back 50s, almost front 50 to front lip, first try kickflip, steezy front noseslides. Paul did a back 50 on the bench on his first line in the park. He definitely isn’t in his 50s. Is he actually even in his 40s? Ha. But he went on to learn slappy back 180 out and then slappy back 360 out which was pretty amazing.

(setups 8.25/8.5 with slappy and didn’t really like either but that might also be because I was stuck wearing the 600s which I do not like compared to the 440s)
(pain level 4/10)

Went to campus after a long day in the heat hiking and chilling with the fam. I didn’t have much drive to skate and I made myself roll for a while and look for new stuff. Turns out near the engineering building there is a spot that had been redone and I had somehow never seen. It had a two stair, six stair, a bunch of knobbed ledges and some tiny bumps in the parking lot. I really struggled initially. Warm up line which took an embarrassingly long time was front 180 a tiny crack gap, switch front 180 the next one, ollie down a 2 stair. Next one was front 180 up the 2 stair, turn around, b/s flip a little bump. I think I got fakie flip and maybe halfcab flip after too. Next line I never got. Front 180 up the two, fakie bigflip the bump. I tried a long time, my knee was hurting. Gave up for treflip but I was beat, it was getting dark and my toe was coming through the shoe. Went to look at the old Folsom bank to curb but it was too dark. So I walked back to the car and called it a night.

(setup 4/10 null all you need 8.25, jessup ultragrip, slappy lights 8.25 with indy 88a bushings, spitfire f4 99a yellow classic 52mm, new balance numeric 440v2 white size 11.5 currex runpro insoles and 1/2 574 insole)
(pain level 5/10)

Cass and I went to Berthoud park to meet Dave. As we pulled up a dude named Alexander hit a stop rock and slammed and let the world know about it. The same thing would happen to me shortly after that although I just kind of laughed. Turns out someone had drove a car through the park, messed up the flat bar, dragged little rocks throughout and destroyed the porta potty. Dave got a broom from the thrift store across the street and Alexander went home and picked one up. After sweeping and some theragun the skating commenced. I once again battled kickflips. Cass did too. We had a margarita bet going when Dave asked to join and did it in a few tries. I’m not sure what it is about that hip, but a regular kickflip over it is hard for me. I would get backside flip in a few tries. Cass kind of hurt his hip and didn’t really get to skate much, hence the one funny f/s halfcab in the clip. Alexander was nice, fun to skate with, could do heelflips, front heels, back heels and actual back flips. Dave was quickly on a terror and did the nollie shove hippie jump early on. Hayden joined us after a while and obviously quickly ripped it. The front nosegrind and back tail happed early on. I had gotten the treflip around then. Actually, I had done another one before that which was even worse. I made Sean laugh later on when I said “I got two treflips and one of them even counts”. Dave’s line to kick back tail was amazing. Sean showed up and did all his moves in like 15 minutes.

After MRKT we ended up at Northside where Cass and I jokingly walked up saying “hold your breath until Noè does a treflip” and it was a whopping 15 seconds. Noè would go on to do like 100 tricks in the midst of incredibly long lines. It’s kind of amazing to witness. I would struggle to get a couple of things. A silly wallie followed by a bs kickflip on the bank. A front slash on the barrier followed by a bigflip on the bank. Couldn’t get no comply flip on a parking block and neither could Hayden. Hayden mostly chilled, Cass chilled, Sean was inspired to do some flippers. I filmed a few clips of Noè then we went to have a celebratory marg since he is 21 now.

(setup 4/10 null all you need 8.25, jessup ultragrip, slappy lights 8.25 with indy 88a bushings, spitfire f4 99a yellow classic 52mm, new balance numeric 440v2 white size 11.5 runpro insoles and 1/2 574 insole)
(pain level 5/10)

After work on “Go Skateboarding Day” met up with Dave, Rob, Eric and Cass at dog park. It was kind of crazy, we had the place to ourselves for the most part. Was hyped to see Eric because it’s been a minute. Saw him lipslide a parking block, flick some heelflips casually like he does, manuals, front tails. Rob had a first t kickflip, manuals, nose manual the c lurb, front 50 it, back 50s the curb, nollie front lips. Dave beat me to switch front board the tiny rail, he also feebled it. He went in on front 50 around the C to kickflip out. A couple were close, that would be sick Dave! Cass had some good back 50s, bs flip on flat, gap to front board off the grate. I had pop with some Slappy trucks on an 8.25, but flip tricks were hard. Although I did get one of the better fakie bigflips I’ve done in a while. I tried a line of switch front nose the metal bench, fakie flip on flat, switch front board the flat bar, but never got them all together. Maybe never got the switch front board at all. Couldn’t get a treflip to save my life and would have been bummed but my front 50s were the best they have been in a while. Got a few on the main bench and ended with a front shove out of one that felt great.

(setup 5/10 null all you need 8.25, jessup ultragrip, slappy lights 8.25 with indy 88a bushings, spitfire f4 99a yellow classic 52mm, new balance numeric 600 black/gum size 12 currex runpro insoles and 1/2 insole)
(pain level 4/10)

In between rain storms I managed to get out before dinner nearby to Wilville. Didn’t want to go far as it looked like it would rain any second. It would, but not enough to matter. Anyway, I had put some Indys on my 8.5 setup and thought in my head I would like it. I started out way down at the little round ledge. Would get a run a couple times of kickflip then back 50. I liked the setup for grinds, but it felt really hefty on flips even with the hollow trucks. I also did some nose and crook stalls on the taller rocks nearby and a few completely failed attempts at ollieing up the 3 stair. Then I went up to the main area, got my 8.25, hated it more, went back for the 8.5. I could have just left, but decided I’d huck the dream trick of switch noseslide kickflip out. I got really close a few tries in so setup the phone and much to my surprise I landed on a few tries later. You can tell by my reaction I was completely surprised when I was riding away. I know I need to learn it while sliding, but man it felt cool. I have done this trick once before, but it was much worse. I left after that feeling pretty happy.

(setup 3/10 8.5/14.25 null 20 year, null grip, indy forged hollow 149 bones medium bushings, 52mm spitfire f4 99a tablets, new balance numeric 600 black/gum size 12 currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

After work I went to Blue Skies and met up with Dave and Rob. I had gotten there first and was really struggling to motivate and feeling very tired after work. Ended up kind of just hucking some flip tricks to get warmed up like nollie back heel with no chance of actually landing. Eventually we settled into some things. I did a line of switch front nose a flat bar, fakie flip on flat, switch front shove on the bank. Don’t worry, it was all way worse than it sounds. Also tried a line of noseslide to fakie, front halfcab heel on flat, kickflip to fakie on the bank. I think I ended up settling on the kickflip to fakie without the line. Rob had done a style crail block, nollie bigs, backside ollies, no comply bigspins. Dave had a lot of lines too that I don’t fully remember but included hippy jumps over the rail, boardslides, front boards, fakie flip on the bank, sex change on the bank, fakie sex change on the bank! Inspired me to get a fakie varial flip (with lots of toe drag) on the bank. Then we went up to the hockey rink for a game of SKATE that was cut short by some heavy rain. Rob had gotten his first kickflip in a while, I got really lucky with a first try heelflip, Dave tried to halfcab flip as the rain set in. Fun session with the bros.

(setup 2/10 8.25 null all you need, jessup ultragrip, thunder hollow light 148 with royal bushings, spitfire f4 99a yellow classic shape 52mm, new balance numeric 600 black/gum size 12 currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Went to campus after dinner feeling like I weighed 500 pounds. Did a couple nollie tail combos on the metal lurb for a bit then ended up at the downhill ledge hallway spot. Took a while to get a slow noseslide. Then basically struggled so bad with fakie flips trying to line it out. Like to the point I almost left. Luckily I am very stubborn. I would eventually get a line of fakie flip, halfcab flip into the bank, noeslide the ledge. It was really bad though. I tried a few treflips and came up empty. I was also messing around with nollie front tails on the rail above the round ledge. I made myself ollie up to axle stall which took forever, then got the slowest tiniest nollie tail ever on the bar then managed to ride off the ledge too. It was really bad, but challenging, so it felt cool and I went home after that feeling remotely satisfied.

(setup 3/10 8.25 null all you need, jessup ultragrip, thunder hollow light 148 with royal bushings, spitfire f4 99a yellow classic shape 52mm, new balance numeric 440v2 white size 11.5 half insoles and currex runpro insoles)
(pain level 4/10)