Another cool morning, but the clouds gave a fun east coast vibe. I had new shoes ( Adidas City Cups, basically the thinnest cupsole I could find with a wide toe box ) and finally setup a new 8.25 deck. . I rolled around for awhile without much aim or direction, but was trying stuff. I tapped into my inner Eric and tried to front 180 the wallie barrier. I kind of got it, but never clean. I was trying it in a line. Crooks, 180, fakie nosegrind. After awhile I gave up because I’m trying to not spend a whole session on one thing. I tried front tails on the half cinder block ledge, switch front crooks on it. Tried kick back 5-0 on the regular one, never committed, got close to halfcab crook. Ended trying fakie front noseslides on the cinder block bench and got close, but had to leave for work. I had done a few flippers. Halfcab flips both ways, fakie flip, b/s flip.

(setup 8.25 null curby deck, venture 5.6 v-hollow trucks, 52mm easy street v5 bones wheels, 3 washers outside each axle, bones medium bushings, adidas city cup shoes size 12 burgundy, stock insoles)
(pain level 4/10)

My OCD got to me and I just had to try the dog park on lows. In my head and past experience I thought I had more pop on lows. I put lows on the 8″ board thinking it was a good idea last night. But this morning I knew it was a dumb idea and was really hoping I would dislike it. And oh man did I ever dislike them. I basically didn’t do much of anything until I just started posing tricks. Kick back tail on the lower step and kick crooks on the cinder block bench. I got remotely close to kick back tail, but not kickflip crooks.

(setup 8″ null dream machine deck, venture 5.2 awake low trucks, bones medium bushings, old 53mm bones v1 pj stf, mob grip, new balance numeric 306 foy white/gum size 12, rubbery lakai insoles)
(Pain level 6/10)

Wanting to enjoy some of the warmth from the day I went to the dog park for lunch. I got there shortly before Luzius. The warm up process feeling pretty overwhelming. I tried to huck some, start with a line of noseslide the black ledge, b/s flip on flat then halfcab noseslide. But I couldn’t get on the b/s flip with that big board. I think I just confirmed it’s too big for me. Dave warmed up with his smooth destruction over the parking block. Crooks on the cinder block benches were working okay, halfcab noseslides. I really didn’t do a lot, but I did skate with some motivation. Hucked a few flippers, none of which I put my feet on. Dave can 50 5/0 the benches so easily now. He also learned nollie front lip. I got the tiniest fakie nosegrind imaginable, a line with crooks then front 50 the benches. I ended hucking some 2020 dream tricks. Kickflip noseslide on the upper black ledge, kick back tail on the lower. I could really feel the hardness of flipping the board on the kick back tail. Then it was back to work, right about when I was warmed up.

(setup 8.75 null event horizon deck, venture 6.1 trucks, bones medium bushings, bones easy street v5 52mm wheels, new balance numeric 306 foys white/gum with nike sb zoom air insole)
(pain level 4/10)

Feeling alright after dinner and noticing it was still 45 degrees I grabbed my 8.5″ setup and went to the school. I started with some slappies which were pretty fun. I haven’t been there in awhile. I got a few basic slappies then went to the back area. The smaller board still felt big, but good. I had a few kickflips, fakie flip, still didn’t land other flip tricks. But since it was the second time skating today I was pretty sore. I struggled to ollie onto the easy rock, struggled to get stalls on the other rock, posed ollies over the big rock, came kinda close to a switch flip.

(setup 8.5 null curby deck, venture 5.8 trucks cast baseplate titanium hanger, bones medium bushings, bones easy street v5 52mm wheels, new balance numeric 306 foys white/gum with nike sb zoom air insole)
(pain level 6/10)

After working most of the morning I met Jack ,Carleigh and Ella at the meetup lot. We pretty much went right to the Baker ledge/manny pad area. It was quite cold out and the breeze did not make it fun. None of us were particularly motivated and it showed. I struggled with kickflips, but got a first try f/s halfcab flip. The bigger board rules for that. Jack had some nice back 180s, fakie ollies, halfcabs, bonks off the ledge. Tailslide up to nose manual, back 180 fakie manuals where he kept spinning on accident. They were funny. He also did a bunch of perfect front 5-0s on the ledge, front 5-0 back 180, front tails, front tail 270 shove. Carleigh had some kickflips, no comply off the ledge, noseslides. I couldn’t front 50 again. It’s frustrating. I think it’s partially a timing thing with big boards, I gotta get used to it. I couldn’t even front 50 up to manual. Came close to a manual to grind, had a fun switch front noseslide. Then the wind/shade dropped the temps and we left.

(setup 8.75 null event horizon deck, venture 6.1 trucks, doh doh 88a bushings, sml 53mm og wide wheels, new balance numeric 306 foys white/gum with nike sb zoom air insole)
(pain level 4/10)

Went to dog park on a cool, but sunny day. Dave L was there. The parking lot was being redone so I had to park the next street over. I wasn’t as cool as the dog owner who parked his car on the median. I wore my PJ shoes in hopes of reducing some soreness. It seemed to help. I had also put the 5.6 axles on too. Initially my board felt excellent. I had some new Spitfire 52mm tablets. Dave was doing his warmups over the parking block. I was feeling out a few things. Got a bad line of ollie the little narrow ledge then slow back 50 the step. Also boardslide a bench then noseslide 270 the next one. Dave got the kickflip over the parking block then quickly stacked tricks on the benches. 50s, 5-0s, manuals, nose manual, almost nose manual 180. Then he was mostly working on switch front boards. I tried a line for awhile of crooks a bench then 360 flip , but never got a 360 flip. I did have a good feeling halfcab flip earlier at least. I slammed pretty hard trying to get a back 50 over the top of the black step. Got front 50 180 first try, sketchy fakie nosegrind first try, halfcab noseslide to fakie. Slammed on a treflip. Also slammed trying halfcab noseslide 270 shove. Argh. I had mostly fun though.

(setup 8.3 null collage deck, venture 5.6 v-lights, 1/16″ riser, spitfire 52mm tablets 99a f4, 3 washers inside each axle, bones medium bushings, jessup grip, new balance numeric 533 grey size 13 with stock insoles)
(pain level 4/10 just sore still)

On a lazy cold day I ran boards to Emage and had a little sunlight left to find something. The dudes at Emage told me about this spot and I remember seeing it in a Crisis edit and wanting to hit it. It was in a fun area of town I had only hit once before. I cruised around. Rode on a steep bank a few times. Then basically showed up at the ledge not feeling warmed up or even warm. Ha. It was cold. It was my first day with sweats under my pants and it made ollies harder. I started with some slow front 50s. Then a couple lines. Wallie nollie, front 50 180, fakie flip. Wallie nollie, front 5-0, kickflip. My board of the day was 8.3 with 5.8 trucks, 52mm wheels. It felt good and stable, but I did want smaller trucks for flippers. It was too cold for flippers anyway though. I got a crooks going up, back 50 going up, a couple sloppy kick back 50s, front 50, front 5-0, front 50 180, front 50 shove, accidental front 5-0 to tail to fakie. I left after giving up on front 50 back 180. I was super sore, tired and cold.

(setup 8.3 null collage deck, 8.5 venture titanium, 1/16″ riser, 3 speed washers on outside of axle, bones medium bushings, 52mm sptifire classic green 99a f4, new balance numeric 255 b/w size 12, nike sb zoom air insoles)
(pain level 7/10)

On a cold winter morning I went to Broomfield park to meet Kevin and Sean and eventually Jack and Carleigh. I was still in setup madness and brought two setups. 8.25 and 8.3 with 5.6 and 5.8 trucks respectively. I ended up pretty much hating both and everything about skateboarding. Ha. I really did suck it up though. Kevin and Sean were doing flatground when I showed. I kinda cruised around doing basics. Kevin had some full pulls with switch nosegrind 180, nollie nosegrind, nollie flip and another line. But his should was really hurting and at one point I remember yelling at him to stop skating. Ha ha. Sean stuck with his solid ledge destruction. Almost got nollie back nosegrind nollie back bigspin. Whoa. Jack and Carleigh showed. Carleigh did the no comply pole jam right away. Jack did a lot of cab nosegrind, back 360 nosegrinds. So incredible. The only two tricks I did I was remotely proud of was manual the blue pad and got kinda close to halfcab noseslide 270 shove on the black ledge. Jack ended things with a back 270 lipslide. It was so incredible. Then we went and drank and watched skate videos until I clumsily broke Jack’s Xbox. Doh.

(setup I literally switched every few minutes between 8.25 and 8.3 and hated both)
(pain level 5/10)

Went to Dog Park around 10:30 on a cooler and a bit breezy Friday. I had two newly compiled completes. An 8.3 with 8.5″ trucks. And an 8.25 with 8.25 trucks. I went with the later. Luzius was already there ripping. Kickflips over the parking block easily, back to back. I really like his approach to progression. He starts with basics and gets harder and harder. Sebastian was there too. He’s rad. He slams a lot, in a good way. I liked how the 8.25 felt. I had put a small riser on it. Popping over a parking block felt easier. I had a pretty mixed session. I lacked some confidence on 50s, but crooks and flip tricks went mostly better. I landed my first 2 treflip attempts. Dave got a sick front nosegrind. Also a line with front hurricane then back hurricane. Wow! Lots of back 5-0s almost nosegrind, lots of slappies, pop shoves over parking blocks, etc. I came remotely close to a line of crooks a bench, crooks to fakie the next one then fakie treflip. My crooks were better than normal. I guess my body is still used to that ol’ 14.25″ wheelbase I learned so many tricks on. I ollied onto the black ledges 2nd try, came really close to halfcab noseslide 270 shove, failed at back 50 on the low black ledge, ollied the little narrow ledge better than I have before. It was an alright lunch session. I gotta get better at the basics because I’m stoked on how Luzius is progressing.

(setup 8.25″ null nolan deck, jessup grip, venture 5.6 v-lights, doh doh 88a bushings, 3 speed washers inside each axle, old stf 53mm v1 pj wheels, new balance numeric 255 b/w size 12, nike sb zoom air insoles)
(pain level 2/10)

Went out to the garage on a warmer night, but snow is still everywhere. At first I had no motivation. I played around with shoes/insoles for a bit and ended up with the PJs without orthotic insoles. Oh yeah, I had put the 8.5″ Curby back on too. So many changes, so little time to decide on a size to stick with for 2020. 8.5 felt great. My warmup was basically to huck switch heels for awhile. Some felt really close, others not even remotely close. I did commit on some. I was like 8/10 on kickflips which was nice. Got fakie flip too. Then settled in on a 3 way rotation of halfcab flip, nollie varial flip, treflip. Got the halfcab flip pretty quick. Came incredibly close to nollie varial flip, got a few under rotated treflips. I was also doing ollies really trying to level it out and use the front foot to get the back of the board up in the air. It seems to be kind of working which is exciting. For how little motivation I had when I went out to the garage I was happy with how hard I skated. Listening to Dinosaur Jr Glimpse helped.

(setup 8.5″ null curby deck, jessup ultragrip, venture 5.8 titanium trucks with regular cast baseplate, bones medium bushings, 3 speed washers inside each axle, 52mm spitfire classic green swirl f4 99a, new balance numeric 533v2 pj grey size 13 stock insoles)

Feeling better than I thought I would I had some time to kill before leaving for the mountains so I went out to the garage and skated. The 8.3 setup felt better, I had put smaller wheels on it too which I liked. Flip tricks were still hard, but came easier. Got kickflip, fakie flip, bad heelflip, backside flip. Hucked switch backside flip and it felt close. Nollie flips felt really close too. Ended with a few treflips with heel drag. It’s hard to get those all the way around in the garage.

(setup 8.3 null collage deck, venture 5.8 titaniums, bones medium bushings, spitfire 52mm green swirl classics f4 99a, new balance numeric 306 black/gum size 12, footprint gamechanger insoles)
(pain level 3/10 right knee isn’t so good)