Sabre

 

WHEN I FIRST STARTED DOING THESE Q AND A’S NEAL “THE DUDE” UNGER WAS ONE OF THE MAIN INTERESTS FOR ME PERSONALLY. FOR MOST OF YOU “THE DUDE” THAT WE HAVE FEATURED IN MANY OF THE SABRE ADVERTISING SEEMS LIKE JUST SOME ZANY LEFT OF CENTRE PERSONALITIES THAT APPEARS INTERESTING. WELL AFTER KNOWING NEAL NOW FOR OVER 3 YEARS, I CAN HONESTLY SAY HE IS ONE OF THE SINCERE, COMPELLING AND YOUNG AT HEART PEOPLE I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING. NEAL HAS THE ABILITY AND PERHAPS THE SKILL OF EMBRACING LIFE AND IS TRULY CONTENT.

I THINK NEAL IS AN INTERESTING PERSON MAYBE EVEN MORE SO BECAUSE OF THE AGE THAT WE LIVE IN, MOST KIDS TODAY PREFER TO LOOK LIKE A “SKATEBOARDER” THAN TO ACTUALLY “SKATEBOARD”……NOT OL’ NEAL HIS UNDYING STOKE FOR SKATEBOARDING AND LIFE IS INSPIRATIONAL.  HE IS A PROUD PART OF THE SABRE FAMILY. THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT NEAL….FUCKING RIP IT UP…ENJOY

1. AT SCHOOL WHAT WAS YOUR SOCIAL SCENE? 

THE SOCIAL SCENE AT MY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN PB, PACIFIC BEACH, SAN DIEGO
CALIFORNIA, WAS THIS, IF YOU HAD LONG BLOND HAIR AND COULD SURF YOU GOT RESPECT OR JUST SURFED AND HAD LONG HAIR. THERE WAS A SECRET SPOT CALLED BIRD ROCK THAT BROKE WITH A SUPER THICK LIP LEFT BARREL. IF YOU COULD SURF THAT YOU WERE AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN AS FAR AS
POPULARITY WAS CONCERNED. I SHIPPED OFF TO CANADA AT AGE 14 WHERE I WAS BASICALLY TOLD
THAT I SHOULD GO HOME FROM ONE OF MY HOCKEY FANATIC CLASSMATES. GO HOME? I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO. I FORCED MYSELF TO LEARN TO SKI AND FROSE MY FINGERS OFF IN THE PROCESS. I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL IN 1975 FROM BOWNESS HIGH, CALGARY ALBERTA CANADA. AT 18 YEARS OF AGE I LOADED UP MY 1965 FORD F-100 AND MOVED TO THE CENTRAL COAST OF CALIFORNIA WHERE I WAS EXTREEMLY STOKED TO SURF MY BRAINS OUT FOR THE NEXT 17 YEARS.

2. DESCRIBE YOUR FIRST JOB?

MY FIRST REAL JOB TOOK PLACE IN CALGARY WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL. I STARTED AS A DISHWASHER AND
REACHED THE SPAGHETTI COOK POSITION. THE OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY. THERE IS ONE IN NEWPORT
BEACH. I GOT TO EAT A LOT OF GOOD SPAGHETTI
FUN JOB.

3. WHAT ARE YOUR WORST FEARS?

     MY WORST FEAR IS TO WAKE UP ON STAGE IN FRONT OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COMPLETELY NAKED.

4. DID YOU DREAM YOUR LIFE WOULD TAKE THIS DIRECTION AS A TEENAGER?
   
     AS A TEENAGER I DREAMED OF FINDING A WAY TO EXPRESS THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING STRONGER WITH AGE. THAT DREAM IS SHOWING PROMISE.

5. CAN YOU NAME ONE DEFINING DECISION OR MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE THAT CHANGED YOUR FUTURE?   
    
IF I COULD NAME ONE DEFINING DECISION OR MOMENT THAT CHANGED MY FUTURE, IT WOULD BE MY DECISION TO GET INITIATION INTO THE PRACTICE OF TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION. I PRACTICE THIS FOR 20 MINUTES TWICE A DAY REGULARLY, FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEVELOPING? ENLIGHTENMENT-
PHYSICAL HEALTH-AND MORE RECENTLY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE ABILITY TO FOCUS IN THE NOW IN THE MIDST OF RIGOROUS ACTIVITY ALSO KNOWN AS RESTFUL ALERTNESS, SELF AWARENESS, ECT. I STILL PRACTICE TM. MAXIMUM COMPRESSED PHILOSOPHY= SHUT UP AND SKATE OR SHUT UP OR BE QUIET. SILENT YET VIBRANTLY ALIVE. WORDS CAN ONLY BE A SIGNPOST HINTING AT WHAT I AM TRYING TO CONVEY. SHUT UP AND SKATE WORKS WELL FOR ME.

6. IS IT DIFFICULT JUGGLING FINANCIAL REALITY WITH CREATIVE FANTASY IN YOUR WORK?

THIS NEXT QUESTION OF JUGGLING FINANCIAL REALITY WITH CREATIVE FANTASY IN MY WORK IS DEFINITELY
THE TOUGHEST QUESTION. FIRST, WHAT IS MY WORK, I STILL BOUNCE AROUND THIS IDEA. WHAT COMES UP IS THAT EACH MOMENT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACT FROM A QUITE PLACE RATHER THAN RE-ACT TO SOMETHING OR ANYTHING, AND THIS ACTING CONSCIOUSLY IS CREATIVE EFFORTLESSLY AS APPOSED TO RE-ACTING WHICH IS ACTION BASED ON THE PAST WHICH IT SEEMS TO ME BY DEFINITION IS ONLY REPETITIVE. CREATIVE INTELLEGENCE IS THE NOW. YET I CAN ONLY STRESS THAT WORDS CAN ONLY POINT. SIGNPOSTS AT BEST. FORGET THE WORDS. SHUT UP AND SKATE OR WHATEVER. I AM ONLY JUST NOW ATTEMPTING TO STRENGTHEN MY FINANCIAL WELL BEING THAT I MIGHT BE AFFORDED THE GIFT OF EXPRESSING MYSELF CREATIVELY THROUGH SKATEBOURDING!

7. HAVE YOU FOUND SUCCESS IN ANY OF YOUR FAILINGS, PLEASE DESCRIBE?

HAVE I FOUND SUCCESS IN ANY OF MY FAILINGS. THIS IDEA ALWAYS MAKES ME THINK OF THE TIME
I TORE THE CARTILAGE IN MY LEFT KNEE SKATEBOARDING. AT THAT POINT I REALLY NEEDED MY SKATEBOARD TO HELP ME GET AROUND ALTHOUGH IT FORCED ME TO RIDE SWITCH FOR SIX MONTHS STRAIGHT. WELL I WOUND UP GETTING RECOGNITION FOR A TRICK I LEARNED AS A RESULT OF RIDING SWITCH SO MUCH, FAKIE NOSE MANUAL 360 G-TURN. I RODE SWITCH BECAUSE I COULD ONLY WIPE OUT GOING BACKWARDS IN ORDER TO HOLD MY LEFT LEG AS STRAIT AS A BOARD DURING WIPEOUTS.
 
          SHUT-UP & SKATE. WORK IS FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T SURF-SKATE

8. LIST THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE INFLUENCED YOU, AND HOW?

BESIDE ALL THE DIE HARD SKATEBOARDS AND SURFERS WHO HAVE INFLUENCED ME, MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI FOUNDER OF THE TM AND TM-SIDHI PROGRAM, ECKHART TOLLE AUTHOR OF THE POWER OF NOW, RICHARD BACH AUTHOR OF JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL, ILLUSIONS, BRIDGE ACROSS FOREVER, ONE, AND RUNNING FROM SAFETY, PARMAHANZA YOGANANDA AUTHOR OF AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI, JOHN HAGLIN FOUNDER OF THE SUPER SYMMETRIC FLIPPED SU5 GRAND UNIFIED FIELD THEORY. I'LL STOP HERE. THE WAY THEY INFLUENCED ME. MAHARISHI BY PROVIDING ME WITH A POWERFUL TECHNIQUE FOR TRAINING MY MIND FOR THE INWARD STROKE. ECKHART TOLLE FOR TEACHING ME HOW TO STOP USING MY MIND TO GENERATE SUFFERING FOR
MYSELF NEEDLESSLY. THE REST FOR INSPIRATION ON MY PATH.

9. IF YOU COULD LIST 5 BANDS THAT DEFINE YOU AS A PERSON?

THE FIVE BANDS THAT DEFINE ME AS A PERSON. RUSH, RANDY NEWMAN, NIRVANA, JONI MITCHELL,
COLD PLAY.

10. OFF THE GRID, COULD YOU DO IT?
 
    I KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE TO LIVE OFF THE GRID, ARE WE EVER REALLY OFF THE GRID? THIS EARTH IS OUR SPACE SHIP, WHAT CAN WE DO TO PILOT IT. CONNECTING TO YOUR INTERNAL SELF PLUGS YOU INTO A VERY POWERFUL GRID.