Plan B was subconsciously Plan A all along.

Today
It was a gorgeous 75 degree February day in the desert of LA. Couldn’t keep myself indoors at work, so Plan B took effect.

Here I am, empty church parking lot, about to enjoy plan b.

On the way to work I stopped and did about 10 grinds off of this:

After work, playing hookie, on the most gorgeous day, I came to this church parking lot where I’m writing this.  Just to practice flat ground tricks. Alone. Unjudged.
Warmed up with varial shovit attempts.
Under the new way I track it, I went 0-10-0. 1. Zero makes 2. 10 fails where the board flipped correctly but I only landed with back foot. 3. Zero fake-outs where I didn’t Ollie properly and the board just thuds.
Stationary Kickflip Practice
Went 16-6-3 for a 64% make rate. (16 makes/6 where I over or under spun the board, or landed with a foot falling off)/3 fake outs where the Ollie timing was off and all my kinetic energy just went into my feet.
Rolling Kickflip Practice
Best ever since childhood.
13-15-22. Make rate: 26%. Correct Spin/almost make rate: 30%. Thud rate: 44%.
Gotta Ollie higher, then spin.

Here’s a couple waxed skate curbs I passed on the way here:

On way home played around with ollies off this high curb hip:

Skated through neighborhoods with sometimes steep sideways. On a couple dozen I skated up, did a frontside mini Ollie at the top (someday to be huge!), turned and reentered as though I was on a big concrete wave. Super fun, super imaginary, practice for the parks.
Driveways like this:

And then there was a beautiful sunset.

Varial Flip Time
Went out for an errand and tried Varial Flips for about ten minutes and landed one. Feels so good. I know it’ll be work but eventually I’ll be busting a majority of attempts off curbs and ledges.

Nice and sore, New way to count

This is a great curb on the building where I have a day job. Waxed, ready to go.

Today
Commuting I was on board for about 90 min, busting ollies, slamming shin guards. Then I had another hour of trying stuff. Felt one with the board. Felt amazing.
Also, very sore from very many Ollies of varying types over the last few days. Jumping hundreds of times

Stationary Kickflip Practice.
58/100. Make rate: 58%. Of the makes, there were some nice ones, only a few sketchy makes.

Rolling Kickflip Practice:
I spontaneously skated counting a different way tonight, to further break down my kickflip practice. Three numbers: 1. Makes 2. Spin problems (1.5 or half, pushing it away so foot falls off, wrong angle). 3. Ollie problems (height problems, psyche out, thud, or cases of fake out or kicking board down.
Today: 4-11-10. Or 16%-44%-40%
I landed about 4 more while commuting around.

That second stat reminds me that I’m awesome. It’s the fake outs I need to weed out.

Hey I'm a 39 year old skateboarder!

Tomorrow
More height. More practice. More fun. Obstacles seem doable, perspective is changing.
I need to really nail kickflips before I really focus on varials.

White trash time in the lot

As soon as I began stationary practice, two pathetic white trash people fought in and out of this trailer where they live. Distracting. I moved for rolling practice.

Today
Went to work super early, at a time of day where pushing the board is enough for my imagination to bear.
Between shit job and CBS, I made a spare 40 min. Took advantage of it on the downlow.

View from work at shit job. Makes me want to get out and skate and do stand-up comedy

Stationary Kickflip Practice:
Same as yesterday, landed 18 of 25
Make rate 72%.

Rolling Kickflip Practice:
Landed 3 of 25. Make rate 12%. I must remember, get up and then flip. Get air first. But don’t overthink it. Just keep going, it’ll become muscle memory.

Tons of kinetically frustrating psyche-outs, where it was anticlimactic and I got out of the moment a bit, feeling entitled to being better faster. I don’t remember being attached to the outcome as a kid.

When I landed what I did, it was sweet. Makes me want more.

Passed this on Vine, en route to get a burrito and skate.

Psych outs in the name of progress

Took another big chunk out of the board today. The duct tape helps mark the front and kickflip mark

Today
I also call “psyche-outs” fake outs. It’s when I go into spinning or whatever the trick motion is before I hit the tail, or I hit tail too slow, hard or soft or wrong angle but still thud the board by doing something with the front foot. While practicing rolling kickflips I had quite a few. Very eager! Not just chilling and popping. Simple straightforward coordination practice.

Stationary Kickflip Practice:
18 of 25. Make rate: 64%
Ollie high and then flip.

Rolling Kickflip Practice:
9 of 50. Make rate: 18%. Best ever. Well, only been tracking twice now. About 10 flipped well, but my back foot fell off or I under our over spun it.

Tomorrow
Today was super busy. I finished my screenplay! Then went to Oscars party. Then home at 10pm and I still got out for 30 min. Can’t wait for tomorrow, might be very busy with no skating. So, next time it’ll be more of the same. Varial Shovit practice asap again too. As fun as those are, I feel I need a better foundation with the components first.

Longer Skate Day, Total Meditation

View of Hollywood sign from DMV bank, one of my favorite spots near my place.

Today
Took care of business early, and have long evening of a writing project ahead. So for 3 hours, mid day I’m out here at the Hollywood DMV just loving life. Ironic statement. Am writing this mid-skate session, while chilling in the sun.
Just did Rolling Popshovit Practice. Haven’t really just focused on that in awhile, and it’s a component of my goal, Varial Flips.
At 50 attempts was still warming up, getting the angle of pop with rear foot and strength of push with front. Had landed 18, was at 36%. During second half landed 40 of 50, for 80%.
Total rolling popshovit drill: 58 of 100. Make rate: 58%.

Stationary Kickflip Practice:
More like meditation practice, because I was frustrated a bit. Yesterday I landed 52% and thought it was awesome. Today I had higher expectations of myself because I was doing 100 instead of 50 and thought I’d have warmed up and broke 60%. Today I did 49% and it was not as effortless as the last couple days. About 20 fake outs, not high enough, and about 20 where only my back foot slipped off, so that’s promising.
Really warmed up for the last 25, where I had about 5 good floaters. They feel awesome.
Objectively, 49% is great, especially for how far I’ve come. 5 months ago I couldn’t even land one Popshovit, I’d never landed a Varial flip, and half the time since then I was in a sling recovering from my October severe ligament damage. Also, only 1 week ago I’d never landed a new school kickflip ever.
Today was only the second time wearing pads didn’t bother me. I’m alone, I’m getting used to it, and above all, Damn those pads took a beating today, all of them after totally committing and falling a bunch, and also spiking the board into my knees when the front foot would fall off.

Moving Varial Flip Practice:
Landed 2 of 50. Make rate: 4%. Awesome. About 3 were almost makes, and another 10 spun correctly, caught with one foot. The rest were fake outs, meaning I went into front foot spin motion before I hit the tail, or I didn’t hit tail quick or hard enough and they were big flops. A bunch spun 180 correct but only halfway horizontal, so I landed on the bottom of the board. Or, I push the board too far away with front foot. In both cases it shows I need to move front foot off the edge closer to the bolts. Still seems like a dream.

Enjoyed doing long fast grinds on this genuine painted curb coping. Also I loved blasting high Ollies off two steep curb hips, and 180 ollies, and moving kickflip attempts.

Moving kickflip practice:
Landed a bunch today. It feels so good.
I counted 25 attempts, landed two, for an 8% make rate. Seems like nothing, especially compared to my stationary practice, but it is the best I’ve done in my limited practice of this aspect. Also, many were fine but my back foot fell didn’t make it. That seems to be corrected when I gain more height and when I don’t push it away with the angle of my flip.
After I stopped the drill part, I kept making rolling kf attempts and had a higher success rate and more fun not counting.
Best moment near the end: make a few attempts at rolling kf off curb. LANDED ONE! First time since childhood, and it was nice and high and in control. Felt awesome. Although I’ve a long way to go with kf practice, am psyched that my alignment is good enough to land straight. I pull it frontside about 10 degrees sometimes. The nice high one I did off the curb was straight and great. Did a few celebratory 50-50 grinds, and a nice high stationary kf and left.

On the way home, still fully padded, sweating, satisfied, I banged out about 10 nice frontside wallies on the same traffic barrier I self-photographed last week. Did it nicer and higher than last week too. Very fun. Even landed a low fast backside wallie.

I love skating very warmed up. I gets better and better. My nollies, other than popshovit nollies, are non existent. Note that for my tomorrow section. As in future. Tomorrow if I get to skate I’ll work on more of the above.

New obsessive way to breakdown flip tricks

The billboard beneath which I'll be practicing from now on instead of dmv at night

Yesterday
Other than commuting and blogging, and checking for the new Thrasher, I was involved with work all day and night.

Today
Also a long work day, busy with shit job,  8 hours background acting and 2 bad tickets from the cops (driving stuff), grocery shopping.
At home 9:30 pm, the wife starts to cook, I hadn’t eaten all day. She says 30 minutes it’ll be done.
So I head out to my new close practical quick awesome workout spot, the well lit car wash, smoke check, manual pad. Curb blocks, rain coverage if needed, hard decent pavement. It was a beautiful chill evening.

Directly beneath the billboard light, great night spot

Stationary Kickflip Practice:
26 makes of 50 attempts. 52% make rate.
Learned a ton in this short time about separating all these tricks into Ollie (height) and Spin(s), spins being broken into strength and angle. Every single attempt can be evaluated on this. Small tweaks, large experiments, finding consistency. Changing foot angle, where toe goes off the side, from where it starts.
I learned this once I got nice consistent height, I was spinning half of the fails 1.5 times. So I eased up on the intensity of the spin.
Also, with varial flips I hit the nose angle sharper down, and the pop with an angle frontside. Changing angles and pressure. Mechanics, math. Am way into it.
And really the inspiration for this new break down is Mullen’s quote, “pop an Ollie, learn a trick.”

I landed the most smooth, high rising kickflips than ever before. Good things to come.

Did some nollie shovits, and tried about 15 varial shovits and landed one. I loved it.

On the way home, 30 min later I did a smooth one attempt and onward no comply with air over a parking block. Felt awesome.

Tomorrow
Am already vying for a couple hours skate time. Lots of the above! With moving kf and off-curb practice.

New bushings, new skate spot, new adjustment

Move that mat, cool manual pad with options. On Western.

Yesterday
While skating around and trying a bunch of frontside wallies before work I blew out my rear bushing. Both were pretty shot, trucks wouldn’t tighten.
Had fun going to a skate shop for only the fourth time since I was a kid. (The other times: 1. Buying this 20 dollar Pharmacy deck 2. Buying the trucks. 3. Buying the wheels and bearings). Scoped out decks. My next one will be 1.5 inches longer, same width.

This was right outside the skate shop, I want to learn rail slides on rails.

After work and marriage, despite objection I went skating for about an hour.

Found this great curb near my house. Well lit. Needs a little more wax, but otherwise it’s perfect!

Practice:
Stationary kickflip practice. After 25 attempts, I only landed 5. That’s down to 10% from the day before when I was 78%. Was thudding the tail too hard, with not enough pop and front foot not far enough back. I had been trying to get board higher like I mentioned.
When I adjusted, pulled the foot back, not worried about height, I got lots of smooth high ones, more than ever. Went 19 for 25, for a 76% second half.
Totals: 24 of 50. 48% make rate. Biggest comeback.
Awesome to consciously learn.
Also skated Popshovits, no problems. Tried about 15 varial shovits. A few good spins, no makes.
Also, tried nollie shovit heel flips. What! Light years ahead of me, but I got it to pop and spin right!

Today
Will see. More kf. Once I’m consistently above 75 percent I’ll start the motion practice of it. However, am writing this on the onset of a very long day. Might not get out tonight. I also have a screenplay deadline.

Awesome rain practice in a car wash

Today
Long day at work and work at CBS. Home after dinner, it’s raining. Wife feeds me well, says how it’s cozy and late, and I say I’m going to try skating right across the street under the shelter of a 24hr self carwash. She’s like, “No way”, and I’m like, “Yeah way.”

It was slightly angled terrain, no biggie.
Also had fun practicing an Ollie into Casper and out. Whatever it’s called. Old school.

Stationary kickflip practice.

26 of 33 attempts. Make rate: 78%.
Most of my attempts had me jumping clean and high, way above my board. A few had nice board ride. 6 of the non lands were just back foot slipping off.

Great promise. Board only overflipped one, and I didn’t fake out much. Need to get the board higher tho, with more control. HOWEVER, considering I I just started relearning these, it’s awesome.

Pulled groin seems healed already, and I feel presently sore. Broken toe is the most bendable since I broke it in October. Ligament damage to wrist is getting stronger too.

Tomorrow
Will see. I have ever increasing ambition. Today I tried a few Ollie wallrides off side of Koreatown church wall, St.Basils. Was just starting to rain, only tried about 10, but 4 or so were great until pulling in control to land. Close. I’d love to really hang and try that a bunch.
Main current goal is to really master great high kickflips, moving, off curbs and ledges. Same with Popshovit off obstacles, trusting it.
And then Varial Flips all the time. And then 360 Popshovits, then tre flips.
Also, starting to Jones to do wallrides down the side of stairs, and then board slide down rails.
Oh and huge, I want to do Casper flips and other variations of changing direction midair. And Casper grinds, and other Casper tricks.

Staying with it

New future skate spot down the street

Today
Walked through Larchmont today and within a few blocks saw great spots I’ll love to skate. Above is one, below are more.

Practice: Total skate time: About 90 min, with 55 actually skating and practicing.
Stationary kickflip attempts: 50. Makes: 20. Make rate: 40%
Not as many 1.75 flips, but a lot higher cleaner attempts than yesterday, where my back foot fell off.

Then had fun with Casper attempts, pop shovits, varial flip attempts. All good, about ten each. Landed 5 Popshovits, high. Close with a few varial flip attempts.
Found this new place in the hood for night skating.

Tomorrow
Will see! For sure kickflips gotta be mastered.

Great fun first day back on board

Catching the last rays of the day at Hollywood DMV

Yesterday
Like I wrote already, I was out of commission with vertigo, flu and career depression for almost two weeks. During that time I watched some skating how-to videos and saw I needed to relearn kickflips the modern way if I want to build off it. And I do want to build off it.

So not much skating lately, and when I did I was back to the beginning with board control.

Today
Only warmed up for a minute before doing counted kickflip drills. Right away I pulled a muscle in my groin. Well, two weeks of not moving, no yoga either, and then kickflip practice at 39, that’ll do it.

I persisted and loved skating for about 90 minutes.
Attempted 50 kickflips, landed 18. Make rate: 36%. Of the ones I didn’t land, half of them were smoothly over-flipped, and most of the rest just my back foot fell off.
Best I’ve felt about kickflips since re-relearning.

Then tried about 20 varial flips and landed a nice one!

On the way home I stopped at this road divider thing and busted some fun frontside wallies.

Also today I got a random Facebook message from a friend of my best friend skate buddy growing up. A great former skater whom I competed against a bunch in those tri-state contests growing up. (I twice placed second).
It was a huge compliment, he said I was one of the best, most natural skaters he ever met. Straight to my heart.
Then I overwhelmed him with a looong message about kickflips.

Tomorrow
Will see. Going to turn off my emotions and go back to the shitty job I quit last week. Broke. Need it. Then stand-up. Otherwise it’s more of the same kickflip and Varial flip fun practice.
Of course, now I have this pulled groin. More yoga, more skating.