Page 58 - THE ENDLESS WAVE | Skateboarding, Death & Spirituality

THE ENDLESS WAVE | PART ONE
At the time of our meeting, I was publishing a magazine called Untapped. It was about finding your flow and the concept of serendipity. Let’s just say it was a bit out there and probably way ahead of its time. But Bill was a perfect fit for the magazine. I knew instinctively that I wanted to do a profile on him. So, we exchanged emails and arranged for a time to meet up. His apartment was bursting with boxes of magic tricks, and we spent a great deal of time talk- ing about the power of magic.
Bill offered me a glimpse into his life as a professional magician, and I shared with him what it was like being a skateboard magazine publisher. Initially, I would have given anything to trade places with him, but as I got to know him, I sensed some struggles were bubbling under the surface. My wife always says I am a pretty bad judge of character, but in this particular case, I had a feeling that when Bill quit the corporate world to do magic, it hadn’t been an easy ride. I could sense some demons were brewing under the surface.
When Bill expressed a desire for a skateboard, I procured one for him. I vividly recall teaching him how to ride it. He was a little nervous and was worried about falling on his hands. But Bill tried his best, and I know that he was stoked with the skateboard I gave him. Sadly, my goal of learning a card trick that I purchased was not as successful. Despite having the instructions, it seemed that only a practiced magician like Bill could make the trick work. The preparation and presentation were way above my level.
Although ours was a brief friendship, it was one of the most unique ex- periences I have encountered. Magicians like Bill are literally in a world of their own making, and we are, for the most part, spectators watching their show.
Bill spent countless hours perfecting his magic routine, and he had quite an intense demeanour. But he also had a big heart and loved to share the joy of magic with anyone he met. Bill also spent a lot of time working with schools teaching magic to kids. He used magic to explain science and math, which blew their minds. In fact, some of his tricks were so good that I borrowed them and integrated them into a programme that I created called “The Magic of
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