Why I Never Gave Up… The Meaning Behind The Intro Poem

Jun 24,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

In 2006, I released the first full length video from Protest Skateboards. A lot of people probably didn’t see this video just because I didn’t publicize it, didn’t have it for sale anywhere, and didn’t utilize YouTube back then, if it even existed. It’s a shame though because it contained one of the craziest skateboard video parts ever made with the 2×4 board, which a lot of people have watched now since I put that section on YouTube.

The Video was named Never Give Up.

It was named this for many reasons, mainly just because I’m one of those people that makes tons of goals for themselves and then does whatever it takes to fulfil those goals. And sometimes, most times, there are many many surprise barriers that come into play.

All my life I was one of those guys that was always hurt, and I would get seriously injured often where it would take months to recover and life would never be the same. To some, they might consider me to be accident prone, but for any that knew my lifestyle, I was far from it. I just liked to do crazy things, and invent a lot of new tricks on skateboards and snowboards. I wasn’t accident prone, I just spent my life doing things that if you make a mistake, you’re gonna get hurt.

So we worked on this video for quite a while, and one day in 2005, I got really hurt, blew out my MCL kickflipping down a 3 block. I couldn’t believe it happened, especially on such a basic trick down a fairly small gap compared to some of the stuff I used to fly over, but it happened. I was out. It took me almost 7 weeks to put my cane down permanently and start skateboarding again. 1 week later I was asked to do a Video Shoot for a Commercial this guy was making for a contest and I said yes. I started ignoring the pain and doing flip tricks on the flat banks and over this pyramid. I had a great day, and didn’t get hurt!

I think I was too excited though because as the guys were putting away their equipment, I stopped them and said, “I got one more…”

I pulled out this fold up table and told them I was going to hijump it, you know I jump over it and my board goes under and we come back together in perfect unison.

Blam!! My back foot slips off my tail when I land it and fully folded my knee over sideways, again.

So my friend Homer carried me out to the car and we went back to my house so I could wallow in sorrow. I had still not been to see a doctor, and had no plans for it. I spent another 6 weeks recovering again, all the time gaining weight and losing skills. It was painful, mentally more than anything. But I knew one thing, I was not going to quit. I worked hard to recover, and I made my way back, and unfortunately had to give up big gaps after that injury, but I still skate hard everywhere I go.

It just proved my entire way of life though –

Go out and try new things, fight for what you believe in and work hard to bring your beliefs to reality, take what’s thrown at you and throw it right back, get back up every time you’re pushed to the ground, and whatever you do…

Never Give Up!!

Intro Poem:

As your body crashes into the ground,

You know you’re hurt, you want to scream,

Scream from the pain,

or more the frustration,

Your life could be over,

a career down the drain,

Pain crushes your soul like a tidal wave of mass destruction,

You are dead to the world…

But what if you wiped those tears away?

What if you tell yourself, “It’ll be okay,”

What if you stand up and try to be strong,

Working hard to get better, no matter how long,

You’re only dead if you can’t resurrect,

So Never Give Up –

At least not yet…

Hippie Mike Hippie Mike's Messed Up Mind The Man I Am

Zephyr Forephyr

May 2,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Awesome,

I just watched “Lords of Dogtown” for the very first time. I’ve always completely avoided watching it because I knew it was going to be Hollywood cheeseball and I have a problem with movies like that but I figured Kaelen would like it for the fact that he’s 2 years old and loves skateboarding. Since I had seen “Dogtown and Z-Boys” so many times too I figured it wasn’t going to show justice to the documentary. And it really didn’t. In fact it was a totally cheeseball movie that skipped through years like jumpin’ cracks in the sidewalk. But it brought something special to reality for me.

The biggest moral of the story is to: follow your heart but never forget your roots. Always remember who you are and where you came from and love the people that you ventured through those times with forever – or should I say Forephyr.

These guys were truly hardcore, We all know that. Anyone who’s seen the documentary or been around for the evolution of skateboarding knows the Z-Boys and thanks them for what they did for skateboarding.

They lived every day on a mission to be awesome.

They took no moment for granted.

They put their balls on the table every chance they got and proved who the man was all day long.

Nothing could stop them.

But then came the dreaded curse of “Fame and Fortune”. So many people in the world strive for it every day of their life not realizing that if you find it your life will never be the same. You go from trying to be somebody that everyone wants to know to being sick of people all the time and just wanting to be alone. Once everyone knows your name they publicize it and then you just get more and more famous which means more and more people who want to get a piece of your name on their products. Sad.

That’s why the movie was actually good to watch because it showed how these guys forgot about the best thing they had – family. The money was offered and the stardom awaited but they had to give up the times they had to get it. That sucks.

Skateboarding is all about freedom and the Zephyr Boys knew what freedom was. But they lost that freedom when they became popular and were forced to be solo artists in the world of skateboarding. Props to jay Adams for always saying no. He may not have made the fortune that a couple of the others did but he kept his freedom by speaking his mind and doing what he felt was right. No one owned jayBoy. Stacy and Alva both took the high road and I think in a way there was definite regrets on both parties but it ended in the same mindframe – they both started their own companies and made them count. Trust me when I say Powell Peralta is the best company of the 1980’s and still rocks the house. “I Hippie Mike declare that Powell Peralta Mini Rats form the late 80’s are the best wheels ever made and will only skate those golden nuggets for the rest of my life.”

And Stacy Peralta is always and always has been promoting skateboarding for all the right reasons. Powell Peralta was about family, just like how that whole group of surfer kids were before Z-Boys existed. They created the Bones Brigade and promoted all Five riders as One – not one at a time but as a team.

Everybody on that team had something special to offer to the audience. And they respected each other for their skills.

Go back in time and throw The Search for Animal Chin into your VCR and remember what the message was all about. A group of guys on the search for freedom and at the end they discover that it was right there with them the whole time. Animal Chin was a man but they weren’t searching for him… they were searching for themselves.

I understood that video and I found who I am.

Do you know who you are?

Hippie Mike Hippie Mike's Messed Up Mind The Man I Am

The Man I Am

May 2,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

In this section, you will learn what makes Hippie Mike who he is. Adopted at birth, raised in a small town, stubborn and full of opinions. This is where Mike will share his stories of success, and the struggles he faced to make these stories possible.

“Remember, life is what you make it, and if you don’t stand up for your beliefs now, you’ll have nothing but regrets later…” – Hippie Mike

Hippie Mike Hippie Mike's Messed Up Mind Protest Skateboards The Man I Am

No Sell-Outs

May 2,2012 / By Hippie Mike / 1 Comment

All my life, I’ve been independent. And I never wanted to be filthy rich, unless I could do so without changing my life one bit. But I have major hatred for the world of Sell-Outs who will do anything for money. Life ain’t about money, it’s about happiness, and money cannot create everlasting happiness. A good chunk of cash every now and then can be fun for a bit, but it’s a different kind of fun. The big thing is, I just want to be me, and use my talents to make the money I need to survive comfortably. When we were growing up, we were big into Punk Rock (NOFX, Face to Face, Pennywise, Bad Religion, etc.) and we were always adamant about never changing the way we were for anyone else. That went for appearance, attitude and beliefs. Changing any of these things because someone else wants you to, and you personally don’t want to, that’s being a sell-out. The stupidest question people always ask me is, “How much money would it take for you to cut your hair?” What an ignorant question. Could you please take my hammer and smack yourself in the forehead as hard as you can so I don’t ever have to listen to you speak again. These are the people who would do anything for money. I actually had a guy who just argued the fact that if the amount was big enough, I would cut my hair, like I’m growing it just for that moment to come along. He has absolutely no sense to the fact that I grow my hair as a sign of Freedom, to show that I don’t have to bow down to society and follow their ways of existence. I am free to be who I am, and don’t care if you like me or not. For me to accept money to cut my hair would be selling my own freedom. This person was completely incapable of comprehending this concept – what an idiot. Absolutely no respect for himself. I said it growing up, and I’ll say it till the day I die,

“I will not sell my soul.”

Years ago, I did some movies and TV extra work, and the agent got a couple calls from people who wanted to put me in commercials. I said no right away. There’s nothing dumber you can do than be a puppet in a TV commercial, looking like an idiot and saying some stupid line that North America is going to relate to you for the rest of your life, No Thanks.

A funny story I have for you right now is the “All Extreme” story. I’ve had quite a few interviews on TV and in the local newspapers and magazines about all the stuff I do skateboard wise, so this guy shows up to one of my contests this one summer, approximately 6 years ago. It was at Bear Creek Park, one of the Grand Finales for Hippie Mike’s Tour de Surrey, so there were about 200 people there and the contest was running smooth. I had the comedic touch in my commentating that day and was having a great time. So in between the categories this guy comes up to me and starts kissing my ass, big time. He’s telling me how amazing I am, how knowledgeable I am to the sport and how cool I look. He started selling me on this TV show about extreme sports like skateboarding, surfing, etc. called “All Extreme” he was about to create in Seattle and how he would love for me to host it. His exact words were, “With your cool look and knowledge of the sports, and this “super-hot” girl here co-hosting, the audience will want to tune in for sure.” The girl was standing right beside him at the time, and as I wondered what she had actually done to get this part I abruptly stated, “First of all, the audience that will watch this show will be watching for the actual extreme sports, not for the super-hot girl hosting. And secondly, she’s not that hot…” and I just turned away and continued on with what I was doing. “Yeah sure,” I’m thinking, “I’ll come host your shitty show and then you’ll want to trim my frizzy hair , shave my beard and dress me up in some cheesy getup I would never even have in my closet – I don’t fucking think so, loser.”

And that was pretty much the end of that. I didn’t even look to see them leave but I assume they didn’t stick around to long after that. It was a classic situation of being offered money to change everything I believe in, everything I’ve created in my life, and straight up who I am.

For some people, impossible to say no; for me, too easy.

Fuck That!

So the funniest part of the story came earlier this year, 2011, when I was checking the Guide for what was on TV one random afternoon and saw a show called “All Extreme”. I thought, “No Way, it can’t be the same show.” I turned it on and sure enough, there was the chick, still not super-hot, hosting the show all by herself. I watched the show, and it was actually pretty good. I liked the initial idea of the theme when the guy had explained it, I just didn’t like the ignorance that was going to be behind the cameras.

Too bad so sad.

Onward I went with my happy life.

Hippie Mike Hippie Mike's Messed Up Mind The Man I Am

The Man I Am Introduction Poem

May 2,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

The Man I Am

Kind and gentle,

Simple and sweet,

But stubborn and serious,

To not show defeat,

I’ve grown up strong,

And left my mean side behind,

I give love to others

Who recognize me as kind,

I struggled to get here

Through my teenage years,

Went through my share

Of liquor and beer,

And other things too,

Which were bad for my life,

But all part of learning,

I would starve without strife,

I am who I am

Because of all I’ve been through,

I am who I am,

And you are just you,

My entire life,

The world pushed me down,

But I won every battle,

I’d never stay down,

I’d fight every fight,

My weapons – my beliefs,

The bullshit they threw at me

Would cause me no grief,

You cannot stop me,

I will still change the world,

And bring even more freedom

To all boys and girls,

Just try and stop me there,

Uncle Sam,

And I will let you see

The man that I am,

I’ve lived a tough life,

And I’ve always overcome,

Went through my rough times,

But redemption would come,

Everything in life

Happens for a reason,

You never know what

to expect the next season,

but no matter the issue,

no matter the pain,

just push it aside

to the back of your brain,

Be who you are,

Whether people like you or not,

Stop caring how others judge you,

Go on, give it a shot,

And maybe you’ll end up

Right here where I am,

As happy as possible,

The man that I am,

For I am a man

Who has altered the Earth,

Changed minds of all people

From being prejudiced jerks,

From judging on appearance,

Not knowing me one bit,

To respecting all I’ve done,

And praising me for it,

You don’t know me at all,

You don’t know who I am,

You don’t know where I came from,

Or why I hate “The Man”,

You don’t know why I’m angry,

You don’t know if I cry,

But you can be damn certain

That I don’t ever lie,

I’m straight to the point,

As true as it comes,

And I fight for what I believe in,

Till the battle is won,

I help out the innocent,

And knock the guilty ones down,

I have changed the world

Starting right here in this town,

And made it more acceptable

For everyone around,

To be who they are,

And to not be pushed down,

Believe it when I say it,

This isn’t a scam,

‘Cause this is all me –

The man I am…

Hippie Mike Life and Death - And all the Emotions that come in between Protest Skateboards The Man I Am

The Man I Loved The Most

Apr 30,2012 / By Hippie Mike / No Comment

Raymond James Faux

Sept 18th, 1947 – April 29th, 2012

“To The man who adopted me, loved me and taught me how to be a man myself – a humungous part of me dies with you, but the rest of me lives on for both of us…”

The Man I Loved The Most

By Mike Faux

The day I’ve feared forever
finally arrived,
The day The Man I loved the Most
Had to die,
I knew it would happen
My entire life,
I expected it at any time
My entire life,
He struggled through so much
Sickness and disease,
But he always wore a smile
And he always seemed pleased,
He taught me not to give up
On whatever I believe,
I’ll wear a heart forever
To represent him on my sleeve,
His suffering is over
Now our pain begins,
We will miss him forever
In our hearts within,
To The Man I loved the Most
My regrets I send –
My Dad, my Father,
My Friend till the End…

We love you!

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Category : The Man I Am

Why I Never Gave Up… The Meaning Behind The Intro Poem

Zephyr Forephyr

The Man I Am

No Sell-Outs

The Man I Am Introduction Poem

The Man I Loved The Most