I really needed a new deck and I was out of 8.125 Nulls so I picked up an MJ board at MRKT. It’s a horrible graphic in my opinion, but it’s the right size and MJ is one of my favorite pros so I got it. There was a foot of snow on the ground and it was still dropping. After working from home I went out in the garage wanting to land a new trick. I started in a zone of trying to get a perfect backside flip going down the garage, nollie flip going up. Never got the nollie flip and the b/s flips I got were anything but perfect. Then I went with my 5 treflip minimum down the garage and rotated between switch flip (close), switch heel and nollie inward heel up. That took awhile. I got a nollie varial flip at least, a crappy nollie bigflip (I was still hyped on it!), and an over 40 varial heel. I hucked switch front heel for awhile and came so insanely close on one of them. That trick somehow feels possible. Fun night, I was motivated. Skating flat and listening to old cassette tapes (Daisy Chainsaw!) and new ones (Bilge Rat) is fun.

(setup: 8.125 chocolate mj, venture 5.25 lows with 3 washers inside, venom 91a bushings, 50mm bones stf V1 wheels, nbnumeric pj stratford 533 black/gum)

Went out to the garage for a quick kickflip before heading up to the mountains to go snowboarding.

(setup: 8.25 null control room deck, venture v-hollows 5.2 hi with 3 washers inside, venom 91a bushings, 50mm bones stf V1 wheels, nbnumeric pj stratford 533 black/gum)

50 days in a row spoiling myself with a new complete. Everything except the old bushings. Perfect.

A photo posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Feb 20, 2016 at 7:38pm PST

All new everything (except for bushings)! I was feeling extremely lazy, out of it and sore and didn’t get out skating until around 2pm. I was going to meet Jake and Carleigh at Valmont ledge. I got there first and was starting to warm up when a truck backed in so the destination was changed to research ledge.

I actually had some fun there for awhile. Noseslides and crooks worked. It was fun trying to get the crooks groove going on some new trucks. Jake had them too. Carleigh did noseslides and noseslide shoves. She does that trick good and doesn’t come to a halt on the noseslide like most people (me). Carleigh also did a bunch of kickflips and got into front noseslides and battled front 180 nosegrind for awhile. Jake was rattling off tricks. Front 180 up the curb, fakie back tail the ledge. Back 50, front 50, front 5-0 180, front tail, front tail shove! Geez. I never got a clean back 50 or front 50. I managed a front 5-0 on accident instead. Flip tricks were going ok for me. Did some kickflips up the curb. Almost a line of front 180 up the curb, halfcab flip on flat, kick back 50. Never got the kick back 50, haven’t ever done it there. Carleigh left first. Jake next. My stubborn self stayed awhile putting my body through more needless pain. I tried back 50 shove, but when you can’t back 50 it’s hard to do that. I ended trying a few tricks 5 times going slow. Halfcab noseslide, halfcab crook (didn’t get it), switch front nose, fakie 50 (didn’t get it) and for complete science fiction I hucked 360 flip noseslide (not even remotely close). I felt ok earlier on, but I was mostly just bummed when I left.

(setup: 8.25 null awkward deck, venture v-hollows 5.2 hi with 3 washers inside, venom 91a bushings, 50mm spitfire 99a wheels, nbnumeric pj stratford 533 patriot)

Not feeling very well after a late nap I headed to research center feeling tired and out of it. I started off pushing up the hill, rolled down the long stairs a couple of times and then pushed down the hill going fast and doing powerslides. I had a new deck since I had cracked mine so bad the day before. The funny thing is I kind of cracked the tail on my first ollie up the curb. Ha. Not enough to even show, but it made me laugh. I don’t really like brand new decks. I like brand new grip though. I laid into some noseslides for awhile, took a long time to get crooks (mostly because I was scared of how fast I was going), couldn’t get a front noseslide, got one really bad back 50, hucked flippers that I couldn’t land, couldn’t front 50, got a halfcab noseslide quicker then normal, posed halfcab crooks and front crooks. Left tired. Bummed on how little I landed, but happy I went a little faster then normal. I had put some venom bushings in since the bones bushings had blown out a little and were kind of bumming me out.

(setup 8.25 null venture 5.2 hi’s 3 washers inside 52mm spitfire 99a F4 venom 91a bushings nb# pj stratford 533 burgundy)

Finally, a “warm” day in the 40s! After a long walk with Liz I set out to Wells Fargo bank to do a quick River Dance. It ended up being way harder there then I thought because it was too quick. On top of that some trucks were going to pull in and some workers informed me that my car would be stuck if I didn’t move it. I left.

You know it's January when 45 feels this warm. @fullertrron 5-0

A photo posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Jan 2, 2016 at 4:08pm PST

After chilling at Sol for awhile Dave and I went to Rocky Mtn Elem and it was mostly dry! They had even redone a lot, but somehow left the ledge and banks completely skateable. Awesome. We started off on flatground. I had a new deck and put smaller trucks back on. It felt very different, but nice. I still wasn’t skating great. I had long johns on to combat the soreness I got in the cold the day before. It was overkill, but kind of nice. We did some nollies, switch ollies, 180s, etc over a little puddle. It was fun. We had some kickflips too, I struggled with halfcab flips, but landed on a nollie tre first try. Basically the board was flipping better again, but I just wasn’t used to it yet. Then we moved on to the ledge. In the school remodel they had created a rather large crack before the frontside approach that really messed with me. Gotta bondo it! Anywahs, we still rattled off quite a few tricks. Dave did boardslide to fakie real quick, crooks, noseslide, back 50, boardslide 270, front 50, front 5-0. He did all of them good too. I had noseslide, noseslide to fakie, crooks, some bad back 50s, front 50, front 5-0 (accident), front 50 shove. I tried kickflip noseslide for awhile and committed a couple times, I had one flop off and I landed it, but still none where I really got into a noseslide. I got close to kick back 50 too, it’s great how fast the smaller setup flips. We did some lines. Ollieing the medians on the banks. There are rocks you can ollie on to now. I think Dave did a line of front 5-0, manual on a rock, nollie back 180. Tight.

Snow skate with @fullertrron.

A video posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Jan 2, 2016 at 5:08pm PST

Then we went to this little park. There wasn’t much to skate as it was mostly snowy. We skated the bank for awhile. Dave did nosebash to fakie and nosebash tail grab to fakie. They looked fun so I tried them too and eventually landed them. So fun! Then I did my first ever crailbock! I’m coming for you Rob! Ha ha, it hyped me up though. Dave went gnar and nollied then fakie ollied into the bank. I took awhile to do a kickflip to fakie on the bank. Dave rattled off a bunch of different tailblock tricks. My favorite being the rocket block. It made me laugh. We ended with the boardslides and 50s on the snowy ledge. It was fun.

(setup 8.25 null venture 5.2 high 52mm spitfire 99a F4 with 3 washers on the inside of each axle nb# pj stratford 533 brown/gum )

Went out to the garage with my new setup without much intent on skating hard or long. I started on the “manual pad” and a few tricks in I slammed, did the splits and hit the back of my head on a bike pedal. Awesome. I did a few more manuals tricks then decided to bring in Ledgy and see if it would be possible to skate it in my garage. I went to move the ‘manual pad’ and noticed how convenient it would work to make a sweet bank to curb. I played with that for awhile, but it needs a sign at the bottom to make it good. The sign I have was in the back yard and covered with snow. Next time. I still messed around for awhile, just lifting up the crack and doing nose stalls and front rocks and stuff. I think it will be quite fun.

Then I put Ledgy out to skate. I only did stalls obviously since there is no room. I’m not sure I could actually do grind tricks, but I did backside nose stall shove and frontside nosestall shove. Both were really fun. Don’t think I’ve ever done the fs version before. Then I made myself do a front tail stall and called it a night. Oh yeah, I hucked a few switch flips without getting close. The new setup is a 8.38 board. Why am I going bigger? Because I’ve been into ledges and I think the extra board room helps me.

(setup 8.38 null venture wides bones medium bushings 50mm v1 bones stfs nb# pj stratford 533 black/white)

Had a late start and a busy morning and it was off to bring India to ballet. I went to Safeway ledge while she was there. Things started off good. I had moved past “slappy” noseslides quickly. I was even nosesliding the tall fence ledge quickly and got front 5-0 on the lower fence ledge as well as crooks. On the main ledge I had quite a few tricks. Noseslide, noseslide fakie, switch front nose, switch back nose to regs, “nollie” front tail, “nollie” front tail to fakie, front 50, front 50 front 180 out, back 50, back 5-0, back 50 back 180 out (horribly done), front tail (weak sauce), front 50 shove, front 5-0, halfcab noseslide, fakie nosegrind, kick back 50. Came really close to front crooks, kick back 50 shove and kick back tail! The kick back tails were the last thing I tried and I think if I would have had more time I would have gotten one. Flatground was ok. I spent a lot of time hucking tricks I’ve never landed. I really want to start landing switch and nollie tricks. I got somewhat close to switch f/s flip, nollie flip, nollie heel. It was fun hucking. It would have been a great session, but I struggled too much with 360 flip and nollie 360 flip. I only got one 360 flip and never got a nollie tre.

Day 299 #strugglefest #ihavenopop

A photo posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Nov 7, 2015 at 3:50pm PST

Then I headed to later in the day to hit 303 and I decided I’d skate these ledges I’ve driven by 100 times. They looked somewhat tall from the road and yeap, they were really tall. Ugh. I was sore and started off so poorly. I eventually did a couple mediocre things like a line with crooks and noseslide to fakie. A few incredibly slow front noseslides. Then I tried front 50 for like an hour and only got into one. Ugh. That is the tallest ledge I’ve skated in awhile. It bummed me out. I need to skate taller ledges more.

(setup 8.25 null venture lows 1/16 riser 4washers bones medium bushings 50mm spitfire f4 101a nb# pj stratford 533 black/white)

Too lazy to head to a parking garage on another rainy night so I went out to the garage. I had a new deck. Another 8.1, but the older longer ones. I started out on the sheet of wood manny pad and it was a total blast. It’s really fun even though they don’t count as real manuals. Nose manual 180s, switch 180 manual, 180 nose manual, 180 nose manual rewind, 180 nose manual 180 out and manual back 180. Flip tricks didn’t go very good. I struggled. I did a few of the basics. Nothing felt great. 360 flips were hard. Ended trying nollie 360 flips and switch flips.

(setup 8.1 null venture lows 51mm spitfire f4 nb# pj stratford 533 white/gum)

After lots of cleaning and chores, then some rain I went to Valmont with a new board. I waxed up the ledge real good while the puddles dried up. I love skating a new deck at a ledge spot first. I started with the ol’ no ollie noseslide routine and I felt pretty good. Then I started ollie’ing into them and still felt good. Got a f/s one to forward which is rare. Crooks happened quick. Back 50 took a bit. Front 50 happened with no pain in the groin which surprised me. I got a front 50 shove on the middle section that hyped me up enough to put a little dumpster after the loading dock and try to ollie it. But I never ended up committing. Oh well. Back to the ledge I hucked a bunch of tricks. Had a few front tails that actually slid I minute amout. I tried a bunch of nollie flips in between and didn’t even get my feet on it this time. I tried kickflip noseslides for awhile. It took me the time it took a cute fuzzy caterpillar to walk the entire length of the ledge. The one I got was another crappy one where I didn’t lock in. I did get close to locking in a few times though. Had a good nollie varial flip, a few 360 flips that I landed perfect and didn’t ride away from for some dumb reason. Got a kickflip back 50. Tried front crooks for awhile without success. Tried back 180 nosegrind without getting close. Did a couple dork tricks off the loading dock. Got tired and left for home happy that I didn’t have much pain.

(setup 8.1 null venture lows 52mm stf v3 nb# pj stratford 533 brown/gum)

If at first you don’t succeed, wax, wax again.

After a long day of filming and skating the day before it was mostly a family day. I got to get out for a couple hours during the hottest part of the day. Shortly after noon. I drove by Southern Hills hoping to skate there, but they were doing another one of those clean up the school things. Ugh. I was thinking of trying airwalks to fakie so I wanted to go somewhere else with a mellow bank and a ledge. Valmont again then. I felt a little better initially. I had setup a new board and put tiny risers (1/16) on. After some warmup no ollie noseslides I started trying real tricks and it became apparent that I wasn’t actually feeling better. In fact, I struggled way harder then the day before. I never got a back 50. Got a couple front 50s on the middle part. I had to wax like crazy to do so. Airwalks on flat were not happening so I never tried them on the “bank”. 360 flips went alright, landed a nollie varial flip. Hucked nollie inward heels for awhile which somehow seem like they would be easier then nollie heels which I’ve never landed. Had a fun run of kickflip up the curb, heelflip on flat, ollie off the loading dock. Also front 180 up the curb, halfcab flip on flat, front 180 off the loading dock. Started to feel warmed up. Got a couple brief front tailslides. I was at least trying them good enough that I would slide out sometimes. Tried front smith for awhile and got pretty close. Was trying switch front noseslide bigspin out too when it started raining. Doh. Went to the red curb valmont garage nearby and some dork in a BMW had to tell me that I wasn’t supposed to be skateboarding there. Thanks dude. I kept skating for awhile. Tried a line of slappy crooks, 360 flip on flat, fastplant the little median. Got close to the fastplant, but couldn’t get the 360 flip so I gave up thinking I could find some dry on the other side of town. Nope, it ended up raining for a couple hours.

(setup 8.1 null venture lows 1/16 riser thunder bushings 52mm stf v3 nb# pj stratford 533 cream)