Hippie Mike is a man of many talents, many skills and many creations. A master of construction, Mike loves to build and create unique and custom projects, but he also takes the same mind frame to everything else he does.
I’ve been skateboarding now for 26 years, and I would say I have learned quite a lot of tricks, but the best thing about skateboarding is just running as fast as you can on to your board and surfing the concrete. Today’s generation doesn’t always understand that concept. They get dropped off at the skate park, practise their tricks all day, get mad when they can’t land them, and call their Mommies to come pick them up. That’s not what skateboarding is supposed to be about.
Skateboarding is about Freedom – Freedom to express yourself in any way you feel. I can skate for hours without doing any tricks and without ever leaving the ground. Just cruisin’ and carvin’. Some days my favorite thing to do is just grab a couple buddies and hit up the Surrey Downhill 3 or 4 times. You should try it some day. Quit worrying about who you’re impressing and just go skate.
Since the “What the F” video came out in 2010, I haven’t really been filming too much. I’ve kind of just been keeping to myself, riding my ramp at home, slashing around at Chuck Bailey, and just going back to the roots of why I love this sport. But it’s time to giv’er once again. Through all the injuries that have plagued me over the past 26 years, and the changes in my body structure due to some of these injuries, it is still my greatest passion to be out there on my board.
Here’s a little taste of the footage you’re about to get from the old Hippie Mike. Enjoy it, and get ready for a whole lot more….
To celebrate Youth Week there will be two skateboarding contests and one BMX best trick contest taking place on May 4th and May 6th. Turn your attention to the flyer below for more details…
“To be loved is to live forever in someone’s heart…”
    This quote is written on a frame at the top of our stairs. I don’t know who wrote it, and can’t remember where I bought it, but it is one of the most true statements there is, and I always stop and think about other people whenever my eye catches it.
      We are all loved by someone. But none of us were meant to live forever. But those who love us will cherish our time together in their memories. Those who were loved will always be remembered.
      My Dad was definitely loved by so many people. He was so caring and protective of any of his family and friends, never wanting to see anyone get hurt in any way. I quote my Mom with this statement –
“I can’t think of one person who did not like him…”
It’s amazing because it’s true. How many people in today’s world could you say that statement about?
      He was a kind and gentle man, who would always try his best to be happy, and hardly ever complain, even though he probably had more stuff to complain about in one day than most people would be able to deal with in a month.
      My Dad was a survivor. He was a warrior. He was a soldier.
      There were many battles in his life that never ended, but he would never give up. I learned about life from my Dad, and how it’s not usually fair. I learned not to expect everything to go my way, but also not to ever just take what I was given. I learned how to go out and get what I wanted, and not to take no for an answer. And I learned how to treat people with respect when they deserve it, and how to share my love with all of those who surround me in my life, and to accept their love in return.
To be loved is to live forever in someone’s heart,
On Saturday, May 5th 2012 there will be a Pro Skate demo by RDS and RedStar skateboards at the Plaza skatepark in Vancouver. This skateboarding demo is family friendly and is free for all ages.
If there is one thing that all people in the world have in common it is that we were all born innocent. Never has there ever been a baby that the justice system was awaiting to put on trial or send directly to jail the second they are born. Unfortunately, there are babies born into slavery and other torturous means but that is not the topic today.
We all come from an egg and live in our mother’s womb before we are born. That’s what makes us mammals.
And when we are born, we all take that first breath of air and begin our lives. We are all at the same stage of life at that point.
So when does it change?
Why do we all end up so different from one another?
And where do we learn these differences from?
The quote this month is from the song Comin’ In From The Cold from the album Uprising, and it reads this:
“The biggest man you ever did see was at once just a baby in his life”.
That is one powerful message. Bob Marley is a hero just for thinking of this sentence, let alone writing it into a song. No matter who you become in life, whether you’re the most amazing sports figure in the world – Mohammed Ali, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods; or maybe the legendary ruler of a country – George Bush, John A. MacDonald, Mikhail Gorbachev, Sadam Hussein; or you were an amazing movie star – Brad Pitt, Marilyn Monroe, Jack Nicholson; even a pop star extravaganza – Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton…
The lists of people who are bigger than the rest of us go on and on forever. These are the people that we are trained to worship, brainwashed to love, and taught to fear. But why?
What makes them different?
We were all born equal – helpless babies.
No matter if you’re 80 pounds or 750, at one time you were carried around in someone’s arms everywhere you went. You couldn’t talk, you couldn’t eat by yourself, and you needed someone to change your diaper and wipe your bum.
We were all the same.
I was at an event today called “Challenge Day” and it’s an event mainly for high school students to share their true inner feelings and step out of their comfort zone to find out more about themselves and the people around them. It was an amazing experience for everyone in the room. Lots of smiles, plenty of tears, and tons of hugs. The emotions in this room were unstoppable, and the whole time I was there I kept thinking about that line, The biggest man you ever did see was at once just a baby in his life. It kept ringing in my ear. I would see people who were super upset and it would remind me of childhood. Every kid depends on someone for survival when they are a baby, but then we all grow up and try to out-do each other, and be better than the next guy. People bully each other, and put others down for no reason. They follow the trends in the media and do things to make themselves appear like they are more special than everyone around them. But in our hearts and souls, we’re all the same – helpless, innocent babies.
Bob Marley was all about Unity.
He wanted everyone to be treated equally, and I think that’s where this sentence originated from in his mind.
Because the only time that we are all considered equal, is right when we are born.
Growing up, I went through some strange phases, as most kids do. I stopped combing my hair at a young age, and started to wash it with just the bar of soap instead of shampoo. I decided to walk and hitch-hike everywhere I went instead of using transit, and I just plain stopped caring about what anyone thought of me – period. I decided to just be myself at all times.
But one of the most interesting phases was when I was about 18 years old:
I decided that I was going to listen to nothing but Bob Marley. That was it. If I was in someone else’s car or house or a place of business, I had no choice, but when the choice was mine it was “All Bob, all the time”. I had over 30 different Bob Marley albums so it wasn’t hard to do, I would listen to it while I drive, while I skate, and every night while I fell asleep, and this lasted for about 1 year.
You see, one day my whole life just straight up changed. I had an awakening. This was when I decided to never cut my hair again, and to let Freedom take its toll. Most people bow down to society’s ways and fall into the traps of the brainwashing that is all over the media. They tell you how to dress, how to look, how to smell, how to walk, where to work, who to vote for, what to eat and drink, and even how to act in our own homes. You see, the government wants us all to be the same in as many ways as possible so it’s easier for them to control society.
But Bob Marley was always about Freedom – Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religious Beliefs, Freedom to Be Yourself, no matter who you are. And he preached his beliefs in song. And he taught so many people how to listen, how to hear, and how to be Free.
Most people relate Bob Marley to pot. They love him for his belief in legalizing marijuana, but those people have never heard what Robert Nesta Marley was really preaching about.
Bob was a lover,
Bob was a Freedom Fighter,
And Bob was a Black Man in a White Man’s World.
His main purpose in life was to teach people that we are all Human Beings, no matter what color, no matter what race, no matter what size.
No matter where we live now, we all came from the same Africa Land,
And all Bob wanted was for Man to Unite.
I love Bob Marley,
He is my hero, my mentor, my idol.
I believe that if Bob Marley was still alive today, the world we live in would be different in many ways.
His lyrics and beliefs helped me through the toughest stage of my life, when I felt lost in the world and needed advice and had no one to turn to. It was his lyrics that brought me to British Columbia where I am a mentor to so many others, and I will always praise him for that.
In the song Soul Rebel, Bob Marley sings:
“If you’re not living good, travel wide”
And no sentence can ring more true.
If what you have is not satisfying your soul, then leave it behind you and start over somewhere new. Your calling is out there, but it’s up to you to go find it. Don’t stay stuck in a place where you’re sad, find yourself, find your true meaning of existence, and you will know what Freedom is…
Every month I will write down my favourite quotes from Bob Marley songs and express what they mean to me and why.
 In this section, you will dive directly into the soul of Hippie Mike and feel his raw emotions transformed into writing. The things you read could be happy, could be sad, or could be somewhere stuck in the middle. It could be about anything. You won’t know what you’re about to experience until you’re too deep to turn around. One thing is for certain, every word written will be straight from his heart…
This last week has been an amazing time, one of my favourite times of my life. As a young child I had lots of fun experiences, and always did tons of different things each day – skateboarding, snowboarding, biking, swimming, basketball, baseball, bowling, hide and seek, board games, whatever. There was never any shortage of fun times in my childhood.
And as a teenager I always had loads of fun.
I’d be out from the time I woke up until the time I’d go to bed, chasing girls, skateboarding, snowboarding, playing pool, partying all the time. I can’t think of too many sad days I had as a teenager.
Then came my 20’s when I moved across the country to B.C. Nothing but fun times all the time. Whenever I wasn’t at work, we’d be hanging out with so many awesome friends having tons of fun. I met so many people in this province and learned so much about myself through that decade. These were definitely “The good ol’ days”.
Then came 30, and some things did change. My body hurt a lot more. I stopped getting drunk, and really slowed down the party mentality which had ruled my lifestyle for so many years. I spent more time just hanging with my wife, Carrie, and being happy just relaxing. I work a lot more now but all for good reasons.
But throughout all of these good memories, there was always a piece of my life that wasn’t present, until 2 years ago.
When Kaelen was born, he made me so happy. I finally had a child of my own that I could look forward to teaching everything about life, and have fun with. But it takes time for a baby to be old enough to hang out.
This week was one of the best experiences of my life, and I have had some pretty amazing experiences. Kaelen is now 2 years old, and he’s at the stage of his life that I have been waiting for since he was born. He can run and jump, and loves to play. He can sing and dance, and loves to laugh. But mostly, he just loves being with his Mommy and Daddy, and that is so special to me. It was Christmas Holidays and Carrie and I both took the entire week off of working, which is very difficult for me to do. I always have so much work to do with my Cabinet Business that I don’t usually get more than 2 or 3 days off in a row. But this year it had to be done. Christmas only comes once a year, and Kaelen would only be 2 years old for Christmas once in his life. And to me Christmas isn’t about presents and Santa, although we do make that stuff happen. Christmas is about being with friends and family and sharing your love. It’s a time of year when you just put everything aside for those who are closest to you and spend the whole week together. We went to the Vancouver Aquarium, we went shopping, we had friends over for dinners and movies, we went to other friends’ houses to hang out, we went skateboarding as a family, and we sat around together and did nothing at times. It was great.
I learned that our 2 year old son is man enough to play alone in the house while his Mommy and Daddy get some extra hours of sleep in the morning. And he is smart enough not to misbehave at this time and to come wake us up if he needs anything. I learned that Kaelen learns everything you teach him so quick and explores beyond what he has been told. I learned that our child is the best thing that ever happened to us, to bring us together even closer as we watch him grow.
But most of all, I learned why I was put on this Earth – to be the best, friendliest, happiest, and coolest Father in the world.
After everything I have done in my life, this was the week I found myself, and I know now why I have to slow my life down to be there for my son, my only true blood relative.
This was the week I found myself, my passion, my meaning of life.
I can’t wait to experience the next 10 years with him, the most fun time in his life. And my whole goal in my life, is to make his the most fun he could ever have…
     I was skating Kensington Park the other day and was busting out some flip tricks on the old Record Flat bank and it brought back the memories of all the awesome times I had with the Mad Carver back in the day. The record was built as a tribute to Carver to remind us all of how much he loved his music, especially that sweet Reggae Vibe.
        Don Hartley was a DJ, a caring individual, and a hero to many people – and most of all a true skateboarder for life. “Live by the Board, Die by the Board…” any hardcore skater says it, but do they mean it. This man was in his 50’s, skateboarding every day if possible. He would just carve man. In all the years I knew Don I don’t think I ever saw him leave the ground, except for that front flip off his board out of the deep end at Seylynn Bowl. The coolest thing about Don was that he was such a nice guy, always encouraging to everyone around him and always giving out free advice. And he always pushed the younger generation to wear their helmets.
Don Hartley was a man I loved and a man I will always love…
     It was July 1st, 2009 – an incredibly beautiful day outside. It was a day I had waited for all year, just like every year – Seylynn Bowl Series Contest. The year prior there had been a potential jumper on the Second Narrows Bridge and it was closed most of the day so this year everyone came early so they didn’t miss the contest again. Must have been about 300 people around just having a great old time. It was Advanced heats and they set it up for a full Seylynn Locs Heat: Don, Hippo, Dave Boyce, Dave 57, and everyone was rippin’. All day there had been sooooooooooo many close calls like usual and the crowd really feeds off of them. Seylynn is one of the coolest parks in the world, built in 1978 in the shape of a snake and there really is no limit as to how fast you can go there. Unfortunately though it does have its blind spots, and sometimes you’re going so fast that you don’t see someone else in certain spots in the bowl. BOOM!! Tragedy struck… 57 went flying into the deep end for the speed line not knowing that Don was inside carving and slashing up a storm. It was a face to face collision at high speed and Don never knew what hit him. I was lucky enough not to see it, but I was standing about 20 feet away, and that sound will be etched into my brain forever. The crowd went silent, the music stopped, I jumped into the bowl – worried. A couple others jumped in as well, one of them was an E.M.T. ambulance attendant so I felt safe enough that they could handle the first aid and got out of the bowl. The ambulance was on its way, but how long would they take. The Mad Carver was down, and still unconscious…
        It must have been the longest 10 minutes of everyone’s life waiting for help to arrive. I kept chanting “C’Mon Don! Let’s Go Don!” and telling everyone it was gonna be alright. I believed that. I honestly thought Don was going to be okay. The ambulance took him away and the contest ended right there. The mood was definitely destroyed. What went from being one of the best Seylynn Comps of all time turned into what will hopefully remain the worst.
        Don went to hospital and was put on life support. 3 days later I received a text that he was gone. No more Mad Carver…
        I was standing by my truck at Kwantlen Park setting up for the kickoff contest of Hippie Mike’s Tour de Surrey for that year and just broke down into tears. There was at least 50 people around, but suddenly I was standing alone – a moment I’ll never forget. I just wanted to go home, but I couldn’t. I’m Hippie Mike – and it’s my Tour de Surrey. I said my last words to Don out loud not caring who heard me, wiped away the tears and walked back over to my chair. I knew that Don was a legend. I knew that his death broke the hearts of thousands of people. But mostly I knew that he was always so stoked on skateboarding and watching people learn, and that was what these competitions are all about. I asked DJ Cuzo to play me some sweet Reggae music and the show began. It was a tough day, but it was all for Don. I got through the contest, packed up and went home, and found the first cd that Don had ever made me – 72 minutes of sweet Reggae Vibes. I love you buddy.
        For a while, those moments kept reoccurring in my brain. That horrid sound of the initial collision. The immediate silence of 300 people. The tears that ran down my face when I got that text message. And every year when I get ready to go to Seylynn on Canada Day for the Bowl Series I still watch The Seylynn Story DVD, and no matter what I’m in the middle of when Don Hartley’s part starts, I stop and sit and watch the whole damn thing. Nothing gets me more stoked when I’m about to go to Seylynn Park. I wish I could skate that place like Don did. Any local at that park has their own style and their own lines. You watch the footage of Don there and you will understand where the name “The Mad Carver” came from. He ripped that place – since day One.
      Bowl Series will never be the same. The music’s not the same. The vibes aren’t the same. Life isn’t the same. But we are a family and we will overcome. We will never forget Don Hartley and what he did for the sport of Skateboarding. We will never forget the kind words he spread amongst the groups of people that surrounded him. We will never forget the way he loved to groove. But mostly, we will never forget that day.
For those of you who knew him, then you know what this means:
Have you ever seen a sleeping baby, it has to be one of the coolest things you can watch. So precious and beautiful. It’s a sight that every person should experience at some point in their life just to feel what reality is.
No one is more trusting than a sleeping baby, full of happy thoughts and sweet dreams. I love to just stand there for long periods of time and watch. You get to experience so much of what is happening in their minds while they are just lying there with their eyes closed.
You can tell if they are dreaming.
You can tell if they are scared.
You can tell if they are too hot or too cold.
Bob Marley says in a song, Comin’ in From the Cold:
“The biggest man you ever did see was once just a baby in his life”.
Man, Ain’t that the most true statement you ever heard.
No matter how big you are now, no matter what you went through and accomplished in your life, no matter if you were President, Prime Minister, King or Queen, at some point you were a tiny, helpless baby, dependent on all those around you to be loving and caring and to keep you nourished.
