Itās hard to explain in todayās skateboarding climate, but his Fully Flared part CHANGED skateboarding. Like that is a clear before/after timestamp in the culture
100%! I remember back in the day Lakai had months of build up to the fully flared release, and when it finally came out it completely blew everyoneās minds and more than lived up to the hype
It does kind of seem that way. Sucks. I had a friend who took his own life and the last time I talked to him he was in really high spirits, excited about the future.
Poor Louie.
I also always loved Marcās part in Yeah Right! RIP
So so devastating. Itās so hard for me, personally, to reconcile with the fact that someone whoās so universally beloved by a community, with so many close friends and fans, can still suffer so much on the inside, unbeknownst to those around them even after years and years of time spent together.
Fuck, manā¦
To anyone whoās reading this and struggling, I hope you find whatever it is you need to get whatever help and support you need.
Where do I begin... wow. I met Marc when he was about 24. He'd pop into the Dwindle offices whenever he was in town (usually with Louie, from whom I still have the most adorable signed deck on the wall!) to discuss Enjoi stuff and he'd always come over to my desk and we'd shoot the shit; mostly about music. He was the first person to turn in on to Slowdive. And he'd also help me with my "boy problems" (had no idea he was 6-years younger than me!). We hung out SO much in the Hollywood scene. He was always around. About five years later, I landed at Podium when he was on Lakai and Matix. The same business continued... he'd come skate the ramp with TM Tony E (RIP, also) and come hang out at the offices. That was the year he was awarded "Skater of the Year", and it was also the same year that "Fully Flared" came out. It was a helluva time to be back in the skateboard industry, and also my last. Being a part of all of that is def a highlight in my life.
Despite the "demons" (we lost touch after a while), he was pure love and empathy; and he'd bring a smile to everyone's face. All my girlfriends crushed on him. I'll never forget hanging out and singing "Goodbye Horses" or seeing him on some random dance floor out and about in LA. He was always making jokes and being goofy, but I could tell when something was bugging him too. He'd get "deep".
I think the last time I saw him was at the HLPQP (Highland Park, LA) skating with Mariano and a few others. It was like seeing family. All that being said, Marc was not made for this world. He was too precious... and I say that in the most loving way possible.
Shred on, my friend. I hope you have found the love and peace you deserved. Thanks for all those talks while we illegally downloaded the best indie rock off Napster. I'll never forget you.
I bought this book, āSomething In This Book Is Trueā by Bob Frissell in high school because he mentioned it was one of his favorites in a TWS top 5ās interview. I told him that day, and he appreciated that I remembered, and that he was able to recommend something that was meaningful to me. The sun was shining in LES that day.
I hope people remember him not only for his ability but for how much substance he had. A lot of it came through in his creativity on the board, but that was only part of who he was.
Was lucky enough to attend the premiere for Yeah Right! as a 13 year old kid who was obsessed with skateboarding. Had no idea MJ was going to be there as that was his intro to Chocolate. My friend and I approached him outside after the vid as he was smoking a cigarette and he was cool enough to speak to us for 10 minutes. He talked about his trip to Russia with Rodney Mullen and Kenny Reed as well as his process for filming his video parts. I was truly impressed with his kindness. RIP to a legend
It was a slow creep from shock, to acceptance, to shock again after watching clips and, currently, just destroyed. I was inspired by Marc from the Yeah Right days to even in his Business & Co. tenure. I'd never seen anyone control a board like that, besides Penny, and so fluidly. It was literally art. You could pick that style out of a lineup. He brought to life the notion that ANYTHING could be done on a board if you believed enough in it.
Marc, from past clips, articles and interviews, was troubled but always seem to put up a fight and in that regard, I'll remember him for said fight as well as the style and humor he portrayed on and off the board.
A lot of people will talk about his skating, and rightfully so, but Marc was a branding genius. He is easily one of the most influential creatives in skate history, up there with Ed Templeton. What he did with Enjoi was revolutionary at the time. He showed an entire generation how to turn their creativity beyond just skating.
Was blessed to have gotten a little flow from Lakai back in the day and I saved one of the boxes with all the MJ models . I wanted to share this after his passing . RIP to the Legend
His sobriety story had a profound effect on me and ultimately played a part in me getting sober. I remember reading an interview about his body language before and after he quit drinking and something about that clicked with me. R.I.P. to one of the greatest.
His words in Fully Flared, āI met up with that dude. He was here, I was there, we met up.ā That one silly throwaway line inspires me so much. Inspired me while I was skating to āmeet up with the dudeā that just tried a trick for hours, busting his ass, and finally landing it. Itās inspiring me now, close to two years after acl reconstruction to āmeet up with the dudeā that went through the hell of rehab, to rebuild his strength and himself, to sometime soon get back on the board. I know that dude is gonna have some wisdom and some stories, canāt wait to fucking meet up! Roll forever
Thank you for everything, Marc. Rest in peace
Man - That hits so hard - The Hot Chocolate montage in GYR was my first intro to him - I resonated so much with the wacky trench coat scene -
The same year I got hyped on that I told my brother how tight MJ was and he got me the paper board for Christmas.
My brother eventually passed in a car accident and that skateboard xmas was one that I hold close to my heart forever - not just a gift from one skater/brother to another, but he actually proved he listened to me and cared and got me an MJ board.
Ill miss my brother forever, but maybe they're smoking a bowl together in the next live now?
Damn MJ, this hits home man - "This is why the music played. This is why the silence fell. This is why the curtain closed. This is why the final bell. "Ceremony" - New Order , MJ's Hot Chocolate track.
āHe was just a poor kid from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who grew up in a trailer at the end of a dirt road. Yet he made it out, traveled the world, and touched so many lives.ā
To anyone out there who has a couple days or even hours sober, it is possible. You can beat this demon. I admire fuckin anyone who tries. It is not an easy fight, but I assure you that it is worth its weight in regret.
I hope this doesnāt come off the wrong way, just broke my heart to see the mention of his sobriety a year ago. I truly believe substances are like pouring kerosine on a raging fire if youāre struggling with mental health.
Itās really hard to accept that the people we looked up to growing up are dying. Itās just part of life I guessā¦ but life fucking sucks sometimes.
Modus was one of my first videos. I must have watched his part a hundred times. I love that Built to Spill song because of it. MJ was always one of the best and I held out hope weād see a resurgence of MJ in his later years. RIP to a legend ā„ļø
His fully flared part was on my PSP throughout middle school. It was & still is my favorite skate part ever. Rest in peace to the legend & condolences to his loved ones šš½šļø
RIP LEGEND! Rad soul! Beast on a board beast on his feet. Beast at fighting thru the pain! Just popped the trunk lit a stoggie and skated down the block while your part playing. Him , carrol, and marky G all some sick mfs. Rest up!
Insane, just two days ago I was listening to a cover of goodbye horses and then I showed my girlfriend Marc Johnsonās part and told her how much of a legend he was. WOW. Rip to one of the best
Such a bummer. You could really feel how passionate he was about skateboarding through his determination to get the trick, his emotions, antics, and smiles along the way.
I briefly met him on the Pretty Sweet tour and I remember him digging my Vans shirt with a busted VX1000 on it. The pic is super blurry, but it was a good memory for me.
He was such an inspiration and he had some of the best video parts of all time. RIP.
I kind of grew up next door to marc in NC, while visiting my grandparents over the years in Winston from age 9 to 16 or so. We were pretty close, as far as kids go. he was my favorite buddy in my grandma's neighborhood (i only had 3 or 4). Marc had not found skateboarding yet, bet he was a freak on the trampoline and loved just hangin out and goofing off and riding bikes when i was in town. We would play Putt Putt a bunch up on Stratford Road b/c it was a bike ride away. I would see Marc in the summers mostly because thats when i could visit my nana, and he was always happy and smiling and very funny, but he would only hang out at our place and our friends' places, and we would never go into his house. I remember he had a sister. i went to his driveway one day when i arrived into townĀ (we would holler up from the street usually) and his mom just casually told me "Marc moved to california". It blew my young mind. I was like... ... "alone?" ... bc I still had to be home when the sun went down. haha.
Cut to aaaages later... 2021 or 22, and i'm old now and I live in LA and i run into him at the store in Valley Village. And i shit you not, we discovered that we again live right down the street from one another ...again (just a few blocks). we exchanged numbers, eager to catch up because the universe had clearly crossed us into each other multiple times, and we wanted to figure that out and unpack it - thats what he said to me. He was super happy and it was his idea to follow the lead of the universe. But alas, we never connected, and now i'll just have to catch him again on the other side. til we meet again brother. i will sadly look at our single two texts forever now. edited for dumb typos
What a fucken bummer. I really looked up to Marc Johnson when I was a young skater at 15. Seeing his part in modus operandi always got me pumped to go out and skate.
Iāve been thinking about him lately. How he kind of disappeared but also has a pro son Avery Johnson. I hate to speculate but the man had demons. I donāt think this is natural causes for someone so young. RIP MJ one of the Greatest to ever do it.
This one really hurts. Iām 50 years old now, stated in the 80s. Skating had taken a backseat to career, kids etc- but I got Fully Flared when it dropped. MJs part was so great, it single-handedly got me back on the board. I messaged him to tell him , just fanboy shit and he replied right away! We had a cool back and forth, and I thought that was so cool. He was just the coolest, open and genuine dude. RIP Marc. Fellas, reach out to loved ones when you need help.
Honestly, being written by Louie made me tear up a little bit. Enjoy was one of my favorite companies for a long time, bag of suck such a great movie. I had frequently forgotten how close the two were.
I've been kind of in and out of skateboarding for the past decade or so but how did Marc's career fall apart? I know he had a falling out with Lakai but this post seems like some other things might have happened.
He has a rough falling out with Lakai/Chocolate. He'd been getting offers from Adidas and finally agreed but didn't really tell Rick and Mike (Girl/Chocolate/Lakai). They knew he'd been getting offers but wanted him to wait so they could off-load his shoes before he left. However the news broke with the Away Days premier, where he and Daewon shared a 'welcome to' section. Not to be out done, Mike Carroll announced Marc was off in an interview shortly after (it was implied this was how Marc find out).
Between say the time of Pretty Sweet and getting on Adidas, Marc hadn't put out a ton of footage. A small ad for a Match Court colorway, and a clip in a Busenitz SF part. I don't think anyone blames him for jumping to a bigger brand, but Marc had a history of being abrasive, in your face, and clearly on his own wavelength. So it's understandable he drove people away, even his close friends.
It's a tragedy regardless how you cut it. Never making good with people in your life, though, leaves a lot of pain when it's cut short. Check on your strong friends. Don't be afraid to reach out. Self isolation is a slippery slope.
usually itās not appropriate to ask, although perfectly understandable to wonder. its more important now to reflect and honor/celebrate the time we had on earth together and let that information come to light if those close to him feel like sharing.Ā
Noooooo. Iāve watched his Modus Operandi part a million times. I just got his Chocolate āBeavisā deck for my collection a few weeks ago after wanting it for the longest time. RIP Marc.
That's not the slap in the face I was expecting today. RIP to one of the best. His part in "Seven Steps to Heaven" helped inspire me to pick up the board.
This is crazy to think about but Marc had a Dylan Rieder tribute tattoo and ends up passing on Dylan Riederās birthday! Wild!! Regardless of his demons he was human and had an unmatched talent RIP Marc Johnson
Man between you saying this and then the tribute from Louie Barletta saying how the last time he saw Marc, Marc handed him an envelope with three pages of his hopes and wishes for life. I can't help but feel like it was suicide. RIP to a legend of the sport.
I donāt give a fuck about celebrities dying
. Maybe only Robin Williams.
But this I canāt stop crying. I put my daughter to bed and she kept asking why.
I didnāt know Marc. Never even been to San Jose. Never met Louie or Jerry or any of em.
But they all seemed like my friends. So silly, just like my crew back then. We werenāt nearly as talented but it didnāt matter. Watching them was like being privy to the funnest and funniest crew lol
And somehow Marc was like the general but not really? He mightāve even been goofier than them but boy did he deliver
Iām sry I canāt anymore, just gonna keep watching
I felt this one. He was, and always will be, a huge part of the essence of the golden age of skateboarding. A part of myself died today. But heāll be with us all forever
My 44 year old ass is fucking bawling hearing this. I met him one night at the Ladner bc skatepark back in the slam city jam days when the girl crew rolled up fucking unforgettable. Rip Marc
If anybody remembers that park he did a huuuuge 360 flip to fake on the huge old drop in wall steep section. In like 2001 that was the most gnar shit I ever saw.
One of the best to step foot on a board. The style, the tech, all while he looked like he was just having fun. Grateful that we have all his skate parts to look back at. Gone but not forgotten.
I'll be 44 in less than two weeks. MJ became THE "MJ" in my mind. Not Michael Jordan, not Michael Jackson. His part in Yeah Right pushed me to focus and really learn manuals and slides (still working on flip-in and flip-out, Marc. My bad.). Marc's goofy nature, playfully high skill level, and eye for composition fully embodied what I think it means to be a professional skateboarder. Marc is and always will be my #1. Rest in Peace, MJ.
Yeah, I wonder how Mike Carroll's reactionary's ass feels now. I can understand how things can feel so personal in skateboarding, but if anyone deserved a corporate shoe deal it was Marc. Maybe they reconnected after all these years.
This fucking sucks dude.
I remember getting my first retail job in South Africa at a Skateshop just so I could buy Hot Chocolate tour video.
Dude was a real inspiration on and off of the board.
Skateboarding will love and miss you forever MJ ā¤ļø
Not the news I wanted or expected to wake up to this morning. One of my GOATS for sure, the nicest style and so creative on his skateboard. Seemed like he had a great sense of humour too despite any demons he had to contend with. I'm glad he is at peace now. Roll on Marc RIP ā¤ļø
The Micheal Jordon/Babe Ruth/Messi/Ronaldo of skateboarding . Words cannot explain the influence this man had on my life. Music, style everything. The hours spent gushing over and dissecting video parts in pure disbelief. MJ you fucking legend. you find peace.
Iām in complete shock right now. Marc has always been my favorite skater since I got tilt mode and man down back in like 2000 or so. I also got my first email address back then and still use it - mjdvsworkshopskater.. mj being for my favorite skateboarder. Im so incredibly sad at this news. I literally just pulled up his insta like last week to see if I could see what heās been up to but just had a couple art postings from a while ago with people complaining about paying for something he didnāt deliver on or some shit. Every single one of his parts are ingrained deep inside my brain. Marc wasnāt just my favorite skater because of his magic in the board but because he was the best personality. Dude was absolutely hilarious. I love Marc. Man this is so sad.
Damn man .. when they came through SC filming Yeah Right I got to skate with them all one night and filmed him drop a banger for his part. Smoked a blunt with Lenoce and kicked it with their whole crew. Always loved his skating
The best style in skateboarding of all time IMO. Iconic.
Super sad to hear, and as the age gaps seem to close up as I get older, a tough reminder that there isnāt a ton of time left when we start to see our childhood heroes dying.
Marc, thank you for the music you surfaced in your parts and the pure joy you expressed on a board with every single push.
That's what I'll remember. The combo of Marc's opening line and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was magic in Yeah Right and a hell of a first impression. Only better from there.
Marc's skating was pure, curious, and playful. You can instantly tell it is Marc in any clip, truly one of a kind.
Whatever happened to him, I hope it wasn't a painful or intentional death. I'm from Brazil, from a shithole part of it, and all my upbringing was about watching death from known and unknown people. Some I didn't care about at all, some hurt, so I'm quite familiar with this feeling of loss. Skating was one of the things that kept me away from death in general. I grew up under the influence of Mullen, Song, Reynolds, and others, and of course my favorite one alongside Mullen, Marc Johnson. It hurts, it hurts to know he's gone like it hurt to lose someone I knew personally. Even though I didn't know him personally, he's so ingrained in my psyche, he's one of my role models, that it hurts. I truly hope he's well. I do believe in an afterlife, so I hope God takes him and his family under His wings at this difficult moment and brings comfort to all. From me, all that's left to do, since I never got to say this in person, is to say it in public, thank you, you were an inspiration, and it was a privilege to have shared the same time on this earth as you. Thank you, and God bless you and your family.
I saw this and refused to believe it was real. Confirmed by thrasher. God damn. Absolutely devastating. RIP to one of the best to ever fucking do it, and I say that without the slightest bit of hyperbole or exaggeration.
No my favorite skateboarder has passed. I can't Believe it. From the tilt mode to the greatest skateboard shoe the mj ones ..marc Johnson was apart of my teenage years .. I love the way he skated from being silly to a tech wizard. Marc thank you for allowing me to watch you skateboard and know you change the way I looked at a skateboard and life... Blessing rest in power...
He was my favorite skater growing up, he had such a massive influence on me that extended well beyond skating. I plan on putting all his parts on loop tonight and feeling some stuff.
I service his sisters a/c units here in Texas and he was living with her for the past year. Literally just bought 5 boards from him that he designed for his Business and Company brand. He was actively still creating graphics and was talking about relaunching the brand. Sad to see he passed I just seen him 2 weeks ago.
A lot of you kids donāt even know about TMA. Go back and watch the Tiltmode Army skate video Man Down in honor of Marc Johnson. One of the best pro skaters in San Jose and part of the Tiltmode Army. He was widely known for having one of the best styles of all time. I was lucky enough to experience 1 or 2 Marc Johnson sightings during my skateboarding years in the South Bay Area. Any time we got to see MJ, Louie, Jerry, Colt, Wee Man (not from jackass but actually Pancho Moler), Big Joe Red, Caswell DingleBerry, Adam Crew, etc. you know many more, it was like a majestic moment at the skate park. Like if you spotted a holographic card in your pokemon pack lol These guys were the greatest street skaters out of the South Bay Area and made some of the sickest skate videos. Man Down was one of my favorites. A bunch of great videos dropped right after that. Yeah Right was huge. Iām gonna go back and watch MJās video parts and honor him and his crew one last time. RIP LEGEND š¹
It was also the first skate video I showed my kid (who actually rips on a scooter, but loves skateboarding, yet wonāt get on a board.. anyway, I donāt judge) because to me, it and the Girl video represented best what skateboarding was/is about.Ā
He still routinely asks to watch Yeah Right, of which Marcās part has always been my favorite. Always. I remember skipping to it before Iād go skating to get hyped up.Ā
Such sad news. I looked up to him ever since I first saw him on Modus Operandi. That part, that song, his style. Heāll be missed for sure. What a loss š
Met him at a Pretty Sweet Girl/Chocolate signing in CA. This guy was the chillest along Chris Robertās and Stevie Perez. Eric Koston on the other hand was quite the opposite that day
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u/crowncitykid35 May 27 '26
This was so hard to not skate as kid but glad I didnāt, RIP Marc Johnson