Page 34 - THE ENDLESS WAVE | Skateboarding, Death & Spirituality

THE ENDLESS WAVE | PART ONE
that Noel didn’t have much in this world. Some would say he was generous to a fault. To say he had a larger-than-life personality is a complete understatement.
Noel had spent a number of years selling skateboards and snowboards at one of New York City’s best-known sporting goods stores. His goal was to create a fraternity of board sports enthusiasts from locals across the world. In the three years I knew him, we probably only met up half a dozen times. But on every occasion, Noel made such an incredible impression on me and I have such fond memories of the times we spent together.
In the summer of 2012, I found myself at Uncle Funky’s skate shop in Green- wich Village. As I walked down the stairs, I could hear Noel’s booming voice. He was there with his father, Ray. Curiously enough, I happened to be there with my youngest son, Ethan. For the next two days we spent a huge amount of time hanging out, skating and we even took a road trip to Original Skate- boards in New Jersey.
There are so many stories about Noel that they would fill a 500-page book (at least!) I have never met anyone quite like him and I doubt I ever will. Noel was truly one in a million. I could go and on about what a truly remarkable person was, but you get the idea.
In 2014, Noel was trying urgently to make the Schralper’s Union successful. He was furiously producing t-shirts, and stickers and spreading the stoke at every event he could attend. As most skaters know, it can be extremely diffi- cult to motivate people into action. But Noel was relentless in trying to estab- lish something of value.
On December 6th of that year, Noel was with his girlfriend, Alice Parks in a New Jersey warehouse. They were working together when the boiler in the building started to malfunction. Tragically, it started to leak carbon monoxide. At the time in the state of New Jersey, carbon monoxide detectors were only mandatory in houses and apartments. The poison leaking from the boiler eventually wound its way to Noel and Alice and they died. What is most hor- rendous about their deaths is the fact they were entirely preventable.
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