After a cold morning doing PT I met up with Cass and Jake at a crowded Cushing skatepark. Jake’s back was hurting so we mostly just skated the micro halfpipe. Jake did his front and back blunts, switch blunt, almost sugarcane and more I’m forgetting. Cass and I had similar front 50s. He had some front 5-0s, tail. I had some disasters and the little revert tricks. It’s a really fun area. Did a couple of noseslides on the ledge. It’s funny to me how the switch front nose still gets love from others. Got a crooks that didn’t come easy. Cass may have gotten kickflip up the hip or b/s flip the hip.

Then we went to Merrill school which I hadn’t been to in a few years. The asphalt has taken a beating, but it was still run. Initially I was really sore and lacking confidence and didn’t think I would do anything. Cass got a good kickflip over the hip and I eventually got a really slow kickflip that didn’t go over the mound. Cass then did a really good hardflip which we are saving. I setup the cam for my b/s flip and tried to add fakie bigflip but didn’t really get it. Cass came really close to treflip. Then I started lining it out and it was really fun. The line is just a few basic tricks, but after not being able to really try tricks the last couple of months it felt so great to try hard and link a few tricks. Really fun session.

(setup 9/10 generator 8.5/14.25, jessup ultragrip, thunder team hollow 149 royal bushings, 52mm bones stf v1 103a, vans wayvee white size 12 spenco 3/4 thinsole orthotic and 272 insoles)
(pain level 4/10 started slow from all the ollies the day before but really it feels amazing to try real tricks again)

On a nice afternoon I couldn’t resist the urge to skate a little. I was sore from PT exercises, but in a good way and the knee felt better than it has in months. But I’m trying to still be patient. Just because it’s feeling better doesn’t mean it’s healed up. My knee is still quite swollen. I went behind Safeway hoping the super mini bank to curb was dry and it was! Took a couple tries to do some axle stalls then went in on the pivots. The f/s one took a big I kept putting the front wheels down in the crack. It was fun though and some of the attempts grinded which felt cool on my new Slappy trucks. Then I went to the ride on grind off Pearl parkway. I also did a couple ollies that felt good and popped pretty well. But I kept it to literally only two ollies. Then lastly over to the arapahoe bank with the holes thinking maybe I could carve over a hole or two but there was a lot of snow. So I just did some no pop noseslides on the ledge and called it a day. It was incredibly fun to get out and street skate even if I didn’t pop.

(setup generator 8.5/14.25 sample, jessup upltragrip, slappy 8.5 hollow, 52mm snot pink wheels, new balance 212 b/w sized 12 spenco 3/4 orthotic insoles and 272 insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

Was in the office, but took a lunch break and met Dave on a cold and windy day. I got there first and struggled through some warming up. I had a goal of a line of boardslide, kickflip, ollie to fakie on the bank, switch front nose, fakie flip. But I only got to the fakie flip once and didn’t land it. I was really struggling with flippers because of the wind and my confidence. Dave showed and it got more fun. He started in on hippy jump then boardslide to fakie the flatbars. I skated really slow with some other tricks, got a couple noseslides, one really bad crooks, a couple kickflips, remotely close to some random hucks, one nollie shove to fakie on the bank that was scary. Oh yeah, Dave was trying nollie back tail on the flat bar and I was trying switch front nose. A couple of tech rail skaters here. We got them. Dave would go on to get a line of front board to fakie, fakie flip, halfcab noseslide, front 50. Pretty sick! I didn’t land much, but it felt like progress and it was fun reliving the Blue Skies era with Dave again.

(setup 6/10 8.25 pmg, jessup ultragrip, royal 144 hollow kingpin, bones stf v1 pj 103a, es swift b/w size 12 with spenco 3/4 orthotic insoles)
(pain level 6/10)

Took the morning off work so I could skate with one of my favorite skate homies Josh. My knee was hurting bad and I was pretty grouchy before arriving to pick up Josh and get some coffee. We chose Commerce City park and had it all to ourselves for a couple of hours. We did our little warm ups then some casual warming up. Well, not so casual for Josh. He was doing grinds on the big qps pretty easily, tricks on the steeper banks like no comply, back big, kickflip fakie. I hadn’t really popped much before we started a game of SKATE. Josh went right in on creepy spin and something else to get me a letter before we went a while without landing anything. So we decided against playing the game anymore. Josh has a heelflip a session requirement so we went in on that for a bit each getting one. I almost got treflip too but decided to slam instead. Then we mostly hit the two ledges for a while. Both of us had some alright lines, Josh some pretty good slams. He was doing the basics really well. I took a while to even do a slow front 50, but had a few that worked okay. Somehow I was 3-3 on halfcab noseslides after really struggling with that trick as of late. I managed a front 50 180 too that felt good. Josh had one that hours ago ha ha. I setup the phone and we did a lot of our tricks again. Unfortunately the phone overheated before capture Josh’s solid front nosegrind. We ended the session trying tricks on the bank. Josh almost got front noseblunt, but compromised and did a super steezy beanplant. I had a few front tails and did a wallie nollie after that felt really good. Also managed a back tail that took way too long. I tried to end it on a treflip, but again chose to slam instead. Doh. Anyway, super fun session, great to see Josh. He’s still shredding so hard and it was inspiring. Now if my knee would just stop hurting so bad.

(setup 7/10 null sample 8.5/14.25, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 v-cast/ti royal bushings flat top washer, spitfire f4 52mm classic shape, new balance numeric 440 white size 12 some thin es insoles)
(pain level 7/10 would never have skated had it not been for Josh visiting at least it loosened up a little)

Last day in Berlin. Had kind of a mellow morning and my knees were so swollen I thought there would be no way I could skate. But eventually we headed to Park am Gleisdreieck to hit the Tetris ledge spot. We met up with Gabe at the skatepark. I took a couple runs in the mellow bowl which was actually kind of fun until I hung up on a back 50 and dove to the flat. It actually served as a good warm up. Gabe and I went over to the ledge spot and it ended up being way more fun than the last time I skated there. Gabe was popping into some fast front 50s right away, noseslides, 180 50s, front 50 drop down to 50. Oh but he had a loose axle nut and kept losing a wheel. I was a little slower to get going, but skating alright. Had some fun crooks, noseslide down to noseslide, front 50, almost quick up to nose manual. Ben showed up with a crew. Fria who they had just met in Berlin and Miles who was a dog park local for a while so that was cool. Fria was jumping on front 50s quickly. Miles was really spry popping up all the spots so easily. Ben had a nice up up to manual and some fast back 50 attempts. At some point Ben started filming Fria and Miles. I had done some things I was happy with like finally a halfcab noseslide and noseslide down to noseslide and crooks one of the taller ledge. Then I kicked off a really fun chain of events. I got a slow front 50 shove out, Miles got 180 up to halfcab manual and then Fria got front 50 drop down 50. It was awesome. Before I could leave I made myself do a treflip, but I was really struggling. I would eventually get a 270ish one. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a nice cherry on top to a really fun session. I did film Ben for a while trying to get a back 50 and Gabe used my board to do the front 180 fakie 50 180. He also had a couple really nice treflips. At the end a dude from France joined and had a really cool quick up to a taller pad to nollie 3 shove off. Goodbye Berlin, I hope to see you again some day and still be able to skate.

(setup 8.25 flower, mob grip, venture 5.6 shake junt v-hollows, spitfire 51mm f4 99a classic, new balance numeric 288 b/w no insoles size 11.5)
(pain level 4/10)

After work rolled up into a heated dog park session. I kind of just played on the barrier for a bit and did a few lame basics to get the legs flowing. Luckily things died down pretty quickly and we had a pretty normal session. Paul was getting Verso on us with lines including nollie nosegrind 180s and ending in fakie 5-0 180s. He’s been working on skating faster and it showed. He even did a back nosegrind which I haven’t seen him do before. Rob was shredding nose manuals, manuals, back 50 no comply shove, crooks, front boards, did his lightwork demo, a lot more I’m probably confusing with the previous session. I went on to have an above average session for me and did a few things I was hyped on like first try kickflip up the c pad, front 50 and accidental 5-0 the bench, a really fun ollie the metal grate a-frame, crooks, front halfcab heel. Struggled to do intentional 5-0s and treflips though. I left feeling really good even though it doesn’t seem like it on paper.

(setup 6/10 8.1 null all you need, jessup ultragrip, thunder hollow 147, 51mm spitfire f4 classic 101a, vans wayve white size 12 nb# 272 insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

On a really hot afternoon I met Dave after work at the good ol’ shady Wilville. I had started on my 8.3 with Ace lows, but quickly swapped out for my 8.25 with 5.8 ventures. Anyway, pretty quickly we got into some difficult physical/mental challenges. Riding off the levels of the ledges was way harder than I imagined. I cannot believe Dave did all 3, that was bonkers. Backside no less. We also did some ollies onto the ledge. Dave more frontside coming from the manny pad side and then went into nose manual. I think in a long line with a nollie back 180 off the curb and then a halfcab flip. He did like 5 halfcab flips! I sketchily ollied straight on a few times. I had a few flippers. Then we really settled in to tricks off the curb to start lines. It’s hard with little setup and the fallen debris from the tree. I had done a few pop shoves before settling in on starting with kickflips. Dave had to leave but managed to manual and nose manual into the bank first. I setup my phone and went in on kickflip then treflip then hopefully 180 onto the ledge but I never got a treflip. They were close, but never got one. Doh. Really fun session though, we skated hard.

(setup 8.25 null spanbauer dead spots, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 titanium/v-cast plate royal bushings flat top washer, bones 51mm stf v1 pj, new balance numeric 288s green/gum size 11.5 440 insole)
(pain level 4/10)

After a rain delay I met Joe at the 20th street DIY.  It had gone from pouring rain to sunny and super hot/humid in no time.  It took me a while to get going.  Partly because there is so much greatness that I couldn’t figure out where to start.   The line I worked up to was really fun.  Grind over the love seat, crooks, kickflip to fakie.  I had some way better feeling crooks than I did in the clip.  Joe rattled off his ledge maneuvers and got some legit crooks.   The rock and roll I did on the double qp was so fun.  That’s why I love this park so much.   There is some weird fun stuff but also some perfect ledges.  I would get a line of front slash the little qp then slow front 50 shove the red ledge.  Hyped me up to ollie that high.  Joe’s boardslide around the bar was gnar as was the halfcab flip ender.  Super fun session.  I’m missing a lot.   Man I wish DIYs were as good in CO.  Maybe I should do something about that. 

(setup 5/10 8.3 pmg, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 titanium royal bushings flat top washer, bones 51mm stf v1 pj, new balance numeric 272 blue size 12 half insole)
(pain level 2/10 but pain in my left knee)

On a hot and breezy day Cass, Rob and I pulled into a mostly empty Spring Canyon. Hayden would join, but couldn’t skate because of foot pain. Cass put on DJR radio to begin and it did hype me up and got me going a little faster than normal even though I couldn’t manual to save my life. Rob had done manuals and nose manuals while the rest of us multiple decade skaters couldn’t do one. Okay, well Cass did get a manual and then a back 50 or two before hurting his back again and chilling. Jake had done some fun hips to tail on the little mount that were fun and Cass and I played copycat. I may have recorded the slowest back 50 on record. I took a while to get the ollie up then boardslide the little rail. It’s a bummer it’s not as easy as it once way, but I am happy I didn’t give up. Jake had a few tricks on the steep qp like feeble to fakie, pivot to fakie and a meaty front d. Rob may have gotten his manual around the potato chip, some noeslides on the bench, steezy barrier rides. I had some accidental 5-0s, front 50 180, front 50 shove on the lurb. As everyone was sitting I battled a line of crooks the bench then kickflip on the lumpy qp (it was like 1/3 up the transition). Oh yeah, I had gotten really close to a Rick flip or two.

After MRKT and a snack we ended up at Northside. It was pretty chill. Rob joined Cass in the shade having an adult beverage after a few laps around the park. Jake was shredding the mini. I was dorking around trying to overcome my new fear of rolling into the bank which Jake did first try. I called out 3 tricks on the barrier, but we ended up doing more. I slammed on a rock ‘n roll and my board hit my arm and it hurt way more than it should. I would get rock ‘n roll, way too many tries for axle stall, front rock, front slash. Jake would add back pivot and feeble fakie. Then we played down below. Jake was trying no comply pole jams. I did a few noseslides on the ledge and some of the better feeling crooks I’ve done. I couldn’t get a f/s halfcab flip. Ended by trying slappy crook the china bank ledge followed by an ultra slow treflip. I would get the line but the treflip was quite questionable.

(setup 6/10 8.3 pmg, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 titanium royal bushings flat top washer, bones 51mm stf v1 pj, new balance numeric 272 blue size 12 half insole)
(pain level 3/10)

Rob and I pulled up at the same time then rolled into campus and started at the two stair with the slight bank up to it. It’s a good warm up spot and we would get some tricks. Rob back pivot to back tail, then back 180 out and front nosepick to fakie. I had some crook stalls to fakie, front tail shove, kind of a kickflip axle stall and kind of a front smith front 180 out. Next up Baker ledge that continues to get taller each time I go there ha ha. Rob had first try halfcab noseslide, front board pop out, boardslide pop out, halfcab boardslide. I would get some little crooks, noseslides, couldn’t get a slow front 50 but did get a slow fakie front 50 flop out. Next we hit the little manny pad which I haven’t skate in a long time. Rob manualled it right away, nose manual, first try halfcab manual back 180, no comply manual, manual followed by flatground kickflip. I took like 10 tries to get a manual and then ended with one of my fav lines in a while. Heelflip, nose manual, treflip. All done slow, but I was still hyped. Fun day!

(setup 6/10 null abstract33 8.3, jessup ultragrip, ace af1 low 55 hard bushings, 52mm pink snot, new balance numeric 272 green/black size 12 half nsoles)
(pain level 3/10)