On a very hot afternoon I met Matt and a very non-crowded Omaha park. I had new insoles and man they felt good. Currex. We’ll see if they pass the test of time. Anyway, we started no the ledge area, but I couldn’t really do much of anything. Matt had rattled off quite a few “basics” like fakie nosegrinds both ways and b/s nosegrind. Also a halfcab backfoot flip. Then we started playing in the snake run. I wanted to do a nollie front shove rock fakie after doing it on a bank the previous week with Dave. It took a bit, but then I got one. Matt wanted to film it so I took several tries to get another one. Both were super fun, as were the setup grinds. Then Matt got in on the action and did what he says is his first “Joe Hamiltons”. He had some funny bails on back 50s. Then we went to the flat bank and did our tricks. No surprise, but I took the longest. Matt said we both had to do kickflip to fakies. It took me less tries than the b/s flip surprisingly. We were doing the “puff puff pass” game with the phone to get all the tricks. It was motivating. Then to the ledge where Matt did the gnarly nosegrind shove and I was too lame to try anything with an ollie in it. Last was flip tricks into the snake run. Matt did the nollie lazer first try, then took a few tries to get the cleaner version above. I took awhile to get fakie bigflip. It’s been too long since I’ve even tried it. Stupid big setups. Matt gave up on the b/s late flip. I tried a couple treflips. Then this young basketball short wearing kid came and did the treflip in the same spot first try. To add insult to injury he looked back and snickered. Matt said “Welcome to Omaha Glen, worst scene ever”. Ha ha. The kid had no idea whatsoever. I got the really slow one a few tries later and felt good about the smaller setup (except how I couldn’t front 50 earlier). Also really liked the new insoles.

(setup 8.25 Null Lazer deck, venture 5.2 v-hollow trucks , venom 91a bushings, bones stf v1 53mm wheels, 2 washers on the inside of each axle, new balance numeric 212 maroon size 12, currex runpro medium arch insole )
(pain level 2/10)

Was borderline skating before work as I had some errands to do first, but ended up getting there around 8:30 on a warm morning. I had the place all to myself again except right at the end when a blue haired lady did some rollerskating in the corner. I started off feeling good and ended up having a pretty good session. Early on got a line of crooks the picnic bench, kickflip on flat, noseslide shove the ledge. It’s been awhile since I’ve done that trick and I got it first try. That put me in a good mood. Then I kind of mixed up two main line attempts. Front 50 the ledge then kick back tail the tiny ledge. Got remotely close. Going the other way crooks the picnic bench, back 180 a parking block, fakie flip on flat, halfcab noseslide shove. I had done the halfcab noseslide, but never got the line as thinking of the shove out messed me up. At one point I got a first try fakie nosegrind the ledge which was also another high point (even though it was garbage). Got a few crooks on the metal bench, didn’t land 360 flip after. Finally got a couple front 50s on the picnic bench. Well, one was an accidental 5-0, the other a slow and fun 50. This spot rules.

Then after work I met Sean there before a filming mission. I was sore and it was hot and kinda crowded. Sean was ripping. I didn’t do much other than try boardslide 270 shoves on the small flatbar and nollie back tail shoves on the tiny ledge. Got close to the nbts. And I wallied the wallie thing before we left. Sean ollied the table like it was nothing and got on the benches easily.

(setup 8.38″ null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside), bones stf v2 51mm wheels, new balance numeric 212 maroon size 12, footprint gamechanger orthotic insoles)
(pain level 3/10)

Dave convinced me to meet him and Rob at Blue Skies on a gorgeous Friday. Warming up wasn’t easy for any of us. Rob went the manual route. Dave seemed on the shove/180 tip and I was on a similar program. Kickflips eventually started coming for us. I had some hideous fakie flips at the start. Struggled with halfcab flips. That trick gets so much harder with a bigger setup. I made up for it with a first try f/s halfcab flip. Couldn’t get fakie bigflip. Magically got a nollie treflip (with some toe drag) that felt pretty great. Rob was lining out some shoves/180s/fakie bigs to kickflips. Dave had some cabs, fakie bigs, kickflips. He had a pretty magical f/s halfcab flip where his momentum stopped, but he wanted it so bad and stuck with it. Rob was doing some cool old school tricks in the mix too. I got a sketchy treflip which fueled the desire to get a fakie tre as well to get all 3 of the tres (switch doesn’t exist in my world). We played a game of SKATE. Or rather, Rob and Dave played because I was out so quickly. I got 2 letters on front shove, bailed a halfcab one foot, got a letter on sex change (although I was very close) and lost on shove revert (can’t believe it). I tried a line of treflip then fakie treflip while they kept playing. I got a few treflips, landed on a bunch of fakie tres, but never got the line. I saw Rob get Dave with a halfcab flip. Dave get Rob with a creepy spin. Dave do the steeziest hand down fakie varial flip. Rob got a sick fakie bigspin then no comply bigspin line. I had to get going to work so I did just fakie tre until I got one. It also had some toe drag, but it still felt great. Then it was off to work. I’m surprised how much I like this big setup. Although halfcab flips and heelflips seem impossible.

(setup 8.75″ null valley deck, venture ftc 5.8s, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside), spitfire f4 radials 52mm blue/yellow swirl wheels with 3 washers on the inside, new balance numeric 379 tan/gum size 12, lakai rubbery insoles)
(pain level 2/10 felt way better than expected) 

On a gorgeous night I went across the street feeling pretty sore. There was one of the high school kids skating too. He mostly did lines with lots of 180s and cruised. I stuck to the curb. I had put an 8.5″ deck back on after being too timid to ollie up the 2 stair at Southern Hills. I also wore the 379s again. I got a first try slappy crooks and it continued to be a blast after that. I got several 50s, front & back slappy crooks, a kick back tail stall (hyped!), kickflips off the curb, an actual tailslide and ended with a front 50 back 180 that was fun.

(setup 8.5″ null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s v-lights, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside) no boardside washer, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 379 all black size 12, super thin adidas insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

On a beautiful day I rolled to Indian Peaks with Dave L. We arrived at the same time as Dave F (hereby referred to as Dave – Dave L is Dave L). Rob was the first to start doing tricks. No comply bigspin, crails, kickflip. Dave had the fakie shoves. Dave L was cruising around checking out the line possibilities. I was kinda doing nothing, but managed a first try kickflip to fakie to cheer me up some. Rob had some wallride nollies, front shove fakie, front big, kickflip, one foots. Man its great to have his style and energy back in the mix. Dave L working on nollie cabs and did lots of cool little manuals on the brick medians. I tried the little nollie shove then wallride nollie on the lower wall, but couldn’t get the wallie nollie. Dave was doing beautiful wallie nollies, did his first ever Hale spin (nose stall tailgrab 360) which was so sick. He also had a crazy switch shove revert thing. Two Dave NBDs within a few minutes of each other. Crazy. I started hucking backside flips and several tries later I got one, then a really great feeling one, then another one shown in the clip above. I was hyped as that’s a trick I’ve wanted to do there for awhile. I failed at 360 flips to fakie for awhile. Dave had a sick 360 over the hip. Dave L had a nice 360 no comply over it. I finished with a tiny boneless over the hip then the little kickflip. The hip is much harder than it looks since it’s so rounded. Super fun session. Then Dave L and I looked at a ledge spot that I skated with Jason forever ago. It still looks good, gotta wax it up and get it going!

(setup 8.25″ null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s v-lights, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside) no boardside washer, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 212 b/w size 11.5, stock insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

Went to Saul’s on the warmest evening of the year so far. Which really isn’t saying much, but 60 something felt absolutely great. I went to Saul’s after a quick nap/bite at home. Dave and Saul were skating. Saul had a few of his patented quick grind runs that rule. Dave seemed a bit off. I bailed some axle stalls. Tyler and Veronica came and did a few runs when it was decided we would go to the EBCC slappy spot. We arrived to a very crowded parking lot, but we still skated and it would slowly clear out. We ended up in the yellow curb area for awhile as it had the least amount of cars. I had put an old 8.5″ deck on that was in way better shape than my 8.3″ deck so I felt a little off, but I didn’t let it get to me. Everyone was kind of on their own avoiding cars. I saw Saul do some of his amazing long slappies. Dave hit a rock and slammed super hard. Tyler and Dave swept the yellow bank and waxed it. Dave had a nice front tail. Tyler a nice back tail. I may have slid a front tail. Veronica had just done her first slappy a few days ago and was trying, but these curbs were less forgiving. Tyler made the tiny gap look easy. I had a sketchy ollie down it. Then I started trying a line near where Dave was doing front crook slappies. The line was back slappy, treflip, kickflip up a curb, front 180 the little gap. I was mostly alone for this as people had moved on to the better area of the curb that had cleared out. I got to the kickflip a couple times quickly, but hit stop rocks right before the kickflip and fell. Argh. I would eventually link the whole line and landing the 180 felt absolutely great. Glad I stuck with that line. Tyler and Saul had been doing really long slappies and doubling it up around a corner, then they split. I joined Dave as he tried switch slappy crook shoves. He didn’t get it, but he did get some super good switch slappy crooks. I tried another line. Slappy crooks to fakie, halfcab flip, ollie the quick euro gap. I never got the ollie up the euro, but was close. Fun night. Felt good to be warm and push and be with a crew. Oh yeah, at one point I had ran and jumped off a fire hydrant onto my board since I’ve been inspired by the Vallely 9 club.

(setup 8.5″ null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside) no boardside washer, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 379 all black size 12, stock insoles)
(pain level 5/10 kinda sharp knee pain)

Rob, Carliegh and I showed up at a mostly empty park around 1 under cloudy skies. Carleigh went off to the dog park with Ella and I had the pleasure of skating with Rob for the first time in a few months. He looked good as always. Seeing that perfect back 180 again was awesome. I felt better than I have in awhile. Got a first try manual which is surprisingly rare. Carleigh joined. We were all having fun. Rob got into his groove with manuals, no comply up the curb, back 180s, manual and nose manual the main pad. Carleigh did a flatground ollie as a warm up and it reminded me of how I never just do flatground ollies. It feels so weird. I should more. She boardslid the little rail easily, axle stall the steep qp. I had done a few ledge tricks. Was hyped back 50 didn’t take me forever. Couldn’t get front nosegrind though. Dave showed around when I was trying a line. Ollie onto a potato chip, front 180 off, fakie 50 the ledge. I think I got it, but came out f/s halfcab instead of to fakie. I tried a few noseslide back 270s out (after that amazing Bobby Worrest part!), but wasn’t close. Couldn’t front 50 it to save my life. Crooks worked at least. I started trying a line that would take me forever. Crooks the bench, kickflip up the curb of the wave, push up the hump because I didn’t do the kickflip fast enough, axle stall. The axle stall took forever. But at least when I finally did it I added a first try kickflip off which felt extra great. Dave had been trying a line too. Back tailslide over the tiny hump thing, front 50 the ledge, fakie nosegrind the ledge. The back tails over the hump hip were incredible though. The best I’ve sen him do. Rob got a sick manual up and round a hump. Carleigh was slamming on frontside wallrides then got a super solid one. Dave was trying halfcab manuals on the top of the volcano near the bowl. I don’t think he got one, but it was super crazy. It inspired me to try a transition line. Frontside ollie the qp, axle stall the steep qp, kickflip on the qp. It took me a long time, but I got it and it was a blast. I almost got a treflip to end it. Dave did a crazy back tail 270 on the hump hip. Then we did some front crooks on the slappy curb and called it a day. So fun! One of the best days I’ve had in awhile.

(setup 8.38 null lazer deck, venture ftc 5.8s, doh dohs bushings (blue 88a barrel boardside one, yellow 92a roadside) no boardside washer, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 379 all black size 12, stock insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

On a Thursday night we motivated to go somewhere new and different. I picked up Carleigh then met Kevin and Dave at Curbside Skatepark. It was crazy crowded when we got there. Or at least we thought it was super crowded. We kinda started in the corner with the two weird humps and steep tall qp. Oh I had already tried to wallie a parking block, bailed and knocked someones filming phone down. Doh. For about the first 15 minutes I thought there was no chance I’d be able to get warmed up and have fun. Kevin had already kickflipped up the euro, Carleigh ollied up it, Dave did a back tail on the steep bank. Then we migrated to the miniramp which was way more fun than I imagined. It’s perfect, mellow, small. That doesn’t mean I didn’t struggle with back 50s and other basics though. Kevin had the pivots to fakie. Carleigh did a first try back disaster and that’s when I knew this would be a special session. Dave was skating on the other side of the park. I got a couple basics on the mini for me. Was happy to do front 50s pretty easily. Then me and Carleigh started trying noseslides on the A-frame ledge. It took us about the same amount of tries. It was so fun once you committed to it, the kick threw you right into the noseslide. Carleigh lined it out with pop shove over the bump too. I lined it out with kickflip to fakie. I did the first kickflip to fakie I tried which was also a sign that this was a better than average session. Kevin front 50 and 5-0’d down it, then front 50’d up. He was doing nollies and fakie ollies over the bump too. Kevin was also killing the ledge. I started trying crooks while he was trying kick back tails. That ledge is so slick it was insane. On crooks you gain speed. 303 Luke was there destroying 360 flips over the bump and crooks to almost nollie flip out. Denver legends Isiah and Trevor were there destroying as they do. Dave was doing long boardslides to fakie on the ledge, bigspins on the bank, nose stalls to fakie, and much more that I’m missed because I was skating non-stop having more fun than I have all winter. I got a few crook grinds that I stood up on and man they felt so great. Carleigh, Dave and I were trying kickflips over the bump for awhile. Dave gave up and did halfcab flip instead. Yes, tech Dave! He also did kind of an accidental cab flip over it. The halfcab flip was so sick though. I got a sketchy kickflip over it. Carleigh did shortly after me. We were at our 2 hour limit basically, but kept skating it was just so fun. Carleigh and Kevin were skating the mini. I was posing 360 flips to fakie on the bank. I committed a couple times, but never landed on it. We were doing some flip tricks on flat. I got first try halfcab flip and a few tries for a 360 flip which helped make my day. The park was clearing out. I spent awhile trying halfcab flips over the bump and would one. It felt awesome. Dave was lining out boardslide to fakie on the flat bar, switch noses jib the bank to ledge then crooks. The photo above was a crooks I thought until I saw the photo. Ha. I did a few other tricks than crooks on the ledge finally. Front 50, front 50 shove, halfcab noseslide, switch front nose. I ended with another fun crooks. Carleigh had done back blunt on the mini. Kevin convinced Dave to try and manual around the deck of the mini which he did pretty quickly. Such a banger to end the session with. Incredibly fun session. Oh and they were even playing great music.

(setup 8.38 null atomic cowboy deck, venture ftc 5.8s, venom 91a bushings with no bottom washer, bones stf v1 pj 53mm wheels with all washers on the outside, new balance numeric 379 tan size 12, stock insoles)
(pain level 4/10 knees were sore from climbing onto ramps)

After getting hyped on some Vics Market videos at Jack’s I felt like doing some real street skating for once.  Just pull up to an area of town and skate.  I had to bring boards to Fedex so I just went there and skated around.  I was immediately stoked to see the very well lit alley behind the old Whole Foods being totally skateable now.  I played around for awhile warming up then settled on some lines to get going.  I would do a variation of a side rock, then ollie a little square cement chunk and then try to tailslide a little yellow curb.  I had setup a new board, 8.25.  It felt small, but fine.  I had the City Cups going again and they felt tine too.  I took a long time to get a kickflip to fakie, the approach was hard.  I tried to back tail the tiny yellow curb, but that didn’t work.  Pop shove to fakie was fun too.  That area is cool.  Then I rolled around for awhile and ended up at the weird wood bench in the photo.  There is a slight bank up to it.  i did a nose stall to fakie then took a very long time to get a front axle stall.  But it felt good when I did it.  I had tried a few flippers, but didn’t land much.  My board/shoes felt weird for that.  But yeah, super fun night, felt great to really street skate.  I need to do this more.

(setup null 8.25 lazer deck, 5.8 venture black icon trucks, bones  bushings (medium big bottom one, hard top one), no washers inside each axle, spitfire f4 radial blue/yellow swirl 52mm 99a wheels, adidas city cup size 11, stock insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

Late on a cold Sunday afternoon I brought the master DVD in to Mike’s got get duplicated then felt like hitting my favorite slappy crooks curb. Jack and Carleigh were gonna meet me in awhile. I started with slappy crooks of course. So fun. Although I couldn’t get slappy front crooks. I was having fun lining out things, then got side tracked for a bit trying to ollie over the parking block onto the median and then over the next parking block. It was an embarrassing display of no ollie skills, but I stuck with it and did it. I’m trying not to shy away from ollies I should be able to do anymore. Then I stated trying a line for awhile. Manual the median, slappy crook, no comply 180, switch front nose the curbba. It took awhile and Jack and Carleigh had arrived, but I did it. Jack no complied then no comply flipped the median. Carleigh no complied it too, then did a little ride on back tail on the median curb cut. Jack went on a rampage. Kickflips over the median, pop shoves over it, sketchy rideaways. Then we moved into the campus a little. We looked at the parking block to 2 stair, but it had a car. We looked at a couple other spots. Ended up at a new loading dock thing. Jack nose manual shoved it quick. Carleigh and I ollied up. Well, Carleigh did and made it off. I kept hanging up. Jack did a crazy hop to boardjib hippy hop. We hit a dorky ledge for a minute. Carleigh and I ollied the 3 stair by it. Then we hit the ledge in the photo/clip. Jack did front 5-0 somehow (that doesn’t grind) then front tail fs flip out. Whoa! Carleigh had some steezy boardslides. I got into 50, but blame the ledge for not landing it, then did the switch nose jib shove in a few tries. Fun day cruising with no plans to film anything.

(setup null 8.5 perception deck, 5.8 venture black icon trucks, doh doh bushings (yellow top, blue bottom) bushings, 2 washers inside each axle, spitfire f4 radial blue/yellow swirl 52mm 99a wheels, new balance numeric 212 black/white size 11.5, stock insoles)
(pain level 3/10 hard to get lower than 3/10 when it’s that cold)