I never met Marc. I live on the other side of the world. I started skating when I was 7 or 8 but I was 19 when I bought my second ever video (skate videos were hard to get here - in the old days before the internet), Modus Operandi. MJ's few words and his part changed how I saw and understood skateboarding.
'You can take something that is pure thought, and make it reality.'
The way MJ spoke about skateboarding, the way he moved, his trick selection, his lines - It opened me to seeing skateboarding completely differently. With this new perspective and inspiration for skateboarding, I was able to step away from some heavy drug use and trade it for my new drug, skateboarding.
Probably like most of you, I consumed every video and magazine I could lay my hands on but any MJ part, interview, photo or trick in a montage were pure gold.
When he started Enjoi, it was the antidote for a sickness skateboarding was experiencing; a sickness where everyone was becoming a carbon copy of each other. Same style, same tricks, same clothes. Tilt Mode and Enjoi shook skating out of its disease and gave it new direction. At the time I was running a skate store and would flick through every new release of transworld to find that month's Enjoi ad for the hilarious satire of skating and the industry. MJ was not only an incredible skateboarder but was the industry's trickster that would make skateboarding take a good look at itself. He lead the way to better places. The tilt mode videos made skateboarding shake itself off and start being creative again.
I think it was 'Hot Chocolate' where he said;
'If you can think of something, you can do it. Skateboarding is ideas put into action ... you can do any trick you want, if you try it for long enough... your body is only doing what your mind is telling it to do.'
We have all learnt the hard lesson from skateboarding that if you want to do something, it only depends on how much pain you're willing to tolerate but MJ's words hit me deep. Shortly after, I travelled Europe skateboarding and on returning moved to a new city and started a new life path. He made me realise that if I wanted to do something I just had to persist with trying it long enough.
When Fully Flared was released I realised my days of keeping up with skateboardings progression was over. MJ moved things so far forward and it was too big of a leap for me to try to follow and emulate. We all know that MJ gave his body, mind and soul to that part and went to a place that I don't think he ever quite fully returned from - fully flared indeed.
Pretty Sweet - to me - is his best part. The power, speed and finesse with that unmistakable MJ silhouette, whilst showing he could do anything. (Just think of the fs 180, fakie 5.O to fakie tre line at mach ten!) MJ was not just one of the best skateboarders we have ever seen, he was not just a trickster and a leader of skateboarding as a creative act, he was an artist. No argument. No discussion. He made skateboarding an art form.
I don't know what was going on in his mind or his life but I can't shake this tragically sad feeling that MJ was an artist that gave all of himself to his craft, he embodied the spirit of skateboarding and the collective entity of skateboarding wasn't there to hold him when he needed it (I am not pointing fingers to any certain people or any company or even the industry)
MJ's death has broken my heart and the soul and spirit of skateboarding has gone with him. I have seen skateboarding change dramatically since I was a kid but with MJ gone, all that is left is a simulation that serves a mindless machine seeking profit from the next product.
I remember when I listened to the 'basement tapes' interview and he talked about wanting to help people and change their lives - I really wanted to be able to tell him that he already has and does!
I am not one for heroes of fanning out over famous people - quite the opposite - but I looked up to MJ, he inspired me. I never met him and my life feels more empty with him gone - I am a grown ass man and I have cried everyday since Wednesday. Damn it, I didn't cry this much when my dad died! The deep intrinsic unfairness of life - that someone that shone so bright, suffered so much.
MJ's words, his thoughtful and sharp opinions, the way he approached skateboarding, his creativity and style - affected and inspired me much more deeply than just skateboarding, he changed the way I met my life, and showed me that anything I want to achieve is only limited by how long I'm willing to attempt it for.
Sorry if this is a bit deep - I just had to put this somewhere.
Thank you Marc.
Topic: R.I.P. Marc Johnson (Read 74883 times)