After a lot of sleeping and lounging I headed out to the dog park to try and relearn flip tricks. I started slow, was going through some of the basics at a decent rate and then stalled out at 360 flip. It was so incredibly frustrating. I posed other tricks too, got close to switch flip and nollie front heel, but could never get the 360 flip. I wanted to focus my board, but luckily I landed on a treflip in the middle of snapped the board. I was hyped! Ha.

I miss the midnight Alaska sunsets. #cantbelieveitsdarkalready

A photo posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Jun 12, 2016 at 8:24pm PDT

Later on I went out to the research ledge. I had a new deck and new trucks. I had been skating some old Thunders that had really bad axle slip and I remember why I gave up on them a long time ago. I had traded a pair of free Ventures for them. Oh, and I had new shoes I started earlier too. Ha, I’m a poser! My last Swifts were too small and they were killing my feet. I started off pretty bad missing noseslides and it almost sent me into a rage. But stubborn me stuck with it and I would have some kind of fun. I got a lot of the basics for me. Noseslide, noseslide fakie, boardslide, crooks, switch front nose, horrible back 50, horrible halfcab noseslide, noseslide shove. I could not get a front 50 though. I got into a bunch, but never landed one. It was dumb. I posed a lot of flippers too. Got a couple over 40 treflips (whew), close to switch flips and had a few more of the basics.

(setup 8.25 null awkward vectors deck, thunder 147 HL stock bushings, 3 washers on inside of axles, 50mm bones stf v1, Es Swifts grey/white)

Right after work I went to the Dog Park as Rob, Neil, Dave, Blake, Brandon and Alec were in rainy Broomfield and were going to head to campus shortly. So I had a bit of time. I had new shoes. They are a little small, should have got 11 instead of 10.5. Anyways, I was stiff from work. It took awhile before I could ollie, but things started flowing. I got a couple of kickflips and was hyped on how good of flick the Swifts have. Then they kept coming. I posed a few other tricks. Landed both fakie bigflips I tried which I have been struggling with for some dumb reason lately. Halfcab flips, fakie flips, heelflips even. I started trying the “Ironman” (coined by Darin) which is kickflip, heelflip, treflip in a row. I got super close. Heelflips have been a pain lately, but I probably got like 20 of them and was hyped. I landed on most of the treflips, but just didn’t quite ride out. I landed on nollie tre, close to fakie heel, remotely close to nollie flip. I felt the best on flatground I have in awhile.

Then we met on campus at the spot us old guys love. The banked ledge/manual pads/etc. Those dudes were already filming. I guess Neil’s knee was hurting bad so he wanted to just film. Blake was doing slappy crooks easy, wallies over the whole ledge, and slamming while trying to ride across rocks. Rob was ripping. Slappy grinds, wallrides, long lines with fakie bigspins, front shoves, kickflips, etc. Dave was doing slappy tailslides, slappy crooks, slappy back 5-0, eventually switch slappy crooks (wtf!), accidental fakie slappy tails, lines with back 180’s over a grate and cabs. I got one line I was hyped on of front 180 a grate, fakie bigflip, pop shove, slappy crook. Near the end we were trying lines starting off the ledge. Rob had back 180, fakie bigspin, kickflip, and front tail (I think). Oh yeah, Rob had also done some rad push carve grinds that looked oh so fun looking. Dave was going for switch ollie off the ledge, switch shove, switch crook. Don’t think he got it. I was going for kickflip off the ledge, heelflip on flat, .. but I never got the heelflip. In fact I took a primo to the arch and it hurt so bad it pretty much shut me down.

@pantry_raider 50-50-50-50

A photo posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on May 24, 2016 at 6:49pm PDT

A little more skating was done on the bank to curb and and double ledge area. I was sitting as my foot was killing me. Blake did the gnar double 50, even with a shove out. Neil was trying to get things going on the little bank to curb, I think he did nose manuals on it. Dave did something cheer worthy, but I didn’t see it. Fun night with the exception of the primo slam.

(setup 8.25 null abstract 5 deck, thunder 147 lights stock bushings, 3 washers on inside of axles, 50mm bones stf v1, Es Swifts black/white)

Riley @siouxer666 Persing with the siiiickest backside flip today!!!!

A photo posted by Nolan Cormier (@nolancormier) on May 3, 2016 at 8:26pm PDT

Right after work I drove to northGLENn park. The traffic was surprisingly good. It was sunny and nice out. Still a bit crisp. I showed up the same time that Riley, Bernie and Garrett showed up. Derek was there. I had new shoes. PJs. Bright red/gum. I just couldn’t handle the Sals anymore. They hurt when they were knew, they were gonna end up hurting a lot more. Ugh. Bernie had some new shoes too so we were having the new shoe blues. We goofed around near the bowl, played a really bad game of SKATE. Nolan showed. Then I tried my new challenge of fakie front pivot to back pivot to tail on the tiny noping qp. I didn’t get very close. A regular qp is probably better to do it on, but the nice qp doesn’t have a wide enough deck. Riley took awhile to get it. Bernie was in on the program too, but moved on to kickflips and cab flips. Nolan did the trick to fakie instead. I wasn’t doing much other then trying that trick. There was a very loud dude trying nollie 5 shoves over the gap. Nolan was doing crazy lines. Derek rips that park. Then I filmed Nolan get a line first try and then him and Riley skate the barrier for awhile. Those dudes skated the bowl for awhile while I tried to get warmed up again. Then a cali grind session ensued on the little curb down the bank. It was fun. Riley and Nolan gap 50’d down it. Nolan really did everything actually. Crooks down it, nosegrind up it, front 5-0 to switch crooks up it. Gnar. I was happy to get a 5-0 down it and front 50 up. A hip session went down. Riley did the best b/s flip ever (above). Garrett got a big flip I think. Riley did switch 3, Nolan did regular 3. I got a tiny kickflip that took way too long. Then I sat down shortly before the lights shut off. I didn’t skate all that great, but I had fun.

(setup 8.25 null awkward vector, venture lows, bones medium bushings, 3 washers on inside of axles, 51mm stf v2, New Balance Numeric PJ Stratford 533 burgandy/gum)

Today's Tour de parking garages summed up in 60 seconds. With @43shifty and @fullertrron. Can't wait for warmer weather.

A video posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on May 1, 2016 at 6:42pm PDT

On another cold and snowy day I met Rob and Dave at the bottom of St Julien. The garage is dark, boring and depressing. Rob and I were over it immediately. But good ol’ Dave brought the hype. Rob mastered wallie nollies. Dave did regular, switch wallies, regular switch no complies and made the parking block death trap look way less scary then it is. My line in the clip above pretty much sums up everything I did, with the exception of getting close to noseslide transfer and a slappy crooks or 5.

We went to another garage where we stayed for awhile (the one with the angled curb). Saw Rob do some proper slappy back 50s all posted on top, slappy crooks, front slappy slash. Dave was doing switch tricks like above. I was kind of in my own world. I was trying to get used to some new shoes and trying a long line I would probably never get. No comply a tiny curb, nollie 360 flip on flat, quick little manual, front 50 the parking block, ollie the little trash can, 360 flip. Yeah, I was dreaming. I never got the nollie 3 flip, but I did get almost every other part of the line (except the one other hard trick – 360 flip). I messed around with some other flippers.

@corpoglenny ripping

A photo posted by Rob Helmstetter (@43shifty) on May 1, 2016 at 4:07pm PDT

Last up was this garage. I did a few slappy crooks, Dave and Rob did some long back 50s. Rob and I were pretty beat. Dave was still going nuts and filmed a banger (saved for The Stubborns).

(setup 8.25 null awkward vector, venture lows, bones medium bushings, 3 washers on inside of axles, 51mm stf v2, Es Sal black/gum)

Not feeling like skating at all I went over to the school to dork around on the curb in the back. It was totally covered in little rocks. Ugh. I held onto the handrail and posed a couple tricks, but I can’t really do that. I went to the front, did a kickflip and went home. I had some new PJs. These ones seem extra comfortable. This shoe rules.

(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 steel/gum)

Went to Lafayette on a day off of work feeling tired from the late night Longmont session the night before, but not too sore somehow. That park is fun to cruise around in when you’re the only one there. I kind of did the same ol’ thing. Hit the little ledge up top, cruise around the middle section or end up in the snake run or toilet bowl. I didn’t have much energy though and for the most part was just kind of passing the motions. Almost got front 5-0 shove on the little ledge. Did my first every back disaster to fakie on the tiny tiny qp. Also got a crooks on the smaller bump to ledge for the first time ever. It was fun. I was breaking in some new black/gum PJs, they are a little tight, hopefully they stretch out a little.

(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 black/gum)

Feeling better I woke up way too early excited to skate. It has snowed a trace overnight and some areas has snow/ice on them. I went to research ledge before 10am and it was dry! I was feeling pretty tired as I tried to skate it though. Noseslides were a battle, but got me warmed up. I had a boardslide popout and then took a long time for crooks. Had a couple bad back 50s before losing them for a long time. It was so frustrating. I hucked some flip tricks, but didn’t land much. It felt good to fall down though. I setup hosercam to try and capture either a front smith grind or crooks bigspin for The Game. Didn’t get either, but got close to both. I tried to skate a little faster which made tricks harder. Oh well.

@boredzinejp the nose manual shove was harder then I remembered, but it was indeed fun. I was thinking halfcab flip on a bank for the next challenge then randomly thought of a fakie sex change. Ha. So here's your challenge sir, fakie sex change on a bank! #theglenandjosholdfartlongdistanceinstagramtricksuperchallenge #anotherdumbandslowfliptrickwithnopopfromglen

A video posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Jan 31, 2016 at 11:53am PST

After awhile I packed it up and headed to Valmont area to do a new trick for the challenge. In my head I was thinking halfcab flip, fakie sex change or maybe fakie hardflip. I got the first two. That is the first time I’ve done a fakie sex change on a bank. It was pretty fun.

I was pretty sore and achy, but felt like trying a line. Ollie a little gap over a curb at the very top of the photo, kickflip up the curb, ollie the little gap off the corner of the 3 stair then ollie over the tall curb. The kickflip took awhile because of how rough it is up there, but the line felt great when I got it.

Poor mans kickflip for the boy.

A video posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Jan 31, 2016 at 6:55pm PST

Later that night I wanted to start breaking in some new PJs as the burgundy ones finally got a hole in the sole. I was doing some kickflips in the garage when Ollie came out! I was so stoked. I messed around with some silly tricks while he was out and we did the poor mans kickflips together. He was hyped on it. Then he went in and I posed nollie flips, treflip and varial heels for awhile. After skating the burgundy PJs beyond how long I normally skate them the new ones feel so stiff and bulky. Oh well, good shoes take awhile to break in.

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

Headed out to the garage for a short flip trick session before dinner then swimming with Ollie. I had put the brown/gum PJ’s on originally, but saw that my repair patch on the toe had worn off so I decided to go with the new pair I had been breaking in for awhile. Burgundy. I didn’t really like the brown colorway anyway. I started by posing switch flips for awhile. A couple felt close. Then I did kickflips and b/s flips for a bit. Got the closest I’ve ever gotten to switch heel. It flipped so fast and my back foot was on the board perfect. Just didn’t get the front foot on. So close! Then I tried treflips for awhile which are so hard in the narrow space in the garage. I hucked Janoski flips as well. I finally got a treflip then headed inside to eat.

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

Met Rob and Dave at Blue Skies on a warm December day. Like 55 degrees! It was a little breezy at times, but basically perfect. I had a new pair of PJs. I’ve been wearing them for like 6 months so they are more then broken in. I did quite a few kickflips to get them broken in though. Dave and Rob warmed up in their normalish ways too. Fakie shoves on the bank for Dave. Crailtaps for Rob. Boardslides on the flatbar for all. Rob would go on to do crailtaps on the “quarterpipe” too which I thought was gnar. Him and Dave would try them on the big bank as well. I had did both kickflip to fakie attempts so I didn’t have to worry about Dave showing me up again. Dave was trying feebles on the dragon rail. Rob almost crooksing a tall ledge. I was trying a line of crooks up an escalator ledge, b/s flip on the main bank, back 50 up the other escalator ledge. I was struggling with the last two tricks and having confidence issues. Flip tricks were going ok though. I would eventually get the line, but I was hardly even moving on the back 50. It was so scary to me for some reason. I need to start skating faster again, but it’s hard this time of year. Something happens to my confidence. I had a good time with the boys though.

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

First time trying a #tentricktentryflatgroundfridayfabulousfearsomefunfight in awhile. @boredzinejp gave me a nice list and it was going great until I tried to clean up the heelflip. Should have stuck with the 2nd try make. #doh #itwascold #andnewshoes

A video posted by glen gillinghammer (@corpoglenny) on Nov 6, 2015 at 4:33pm PST

I left work a little early with the intention of warming up then doing my first 10×10 in awhile. Josh had written my list of: fs halfcab flip, f/s halfcab heel, varial heel, nollie heel, nollie f/s flip, sw flip, 360 flip, heel flip, backside flip, f/s flip. It was cold, but I managed to get warmed up somewhat quickly and started the game. I was going to go in order of easiest to hardest for me. It was going great until heelflip. I got one 2nd try, but used the rest of my 8 tries to try and get a better one and on the 10th try SNAP went the tail. DOOOHHH. I had new shoes. NB# PJs again. Rad.

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