| Smarty |
07-12-2008 09:48 AM |
Rocky Aoki was a nice guy. I was a teenager, or maybe 12 years old or so. My father and I were having breakfast at the diner near, or on, Route 88 in Pt. Pleasant Beach on the morning of one Pt. Pleasant races. Into the diner comes Rocky in his race garb. At this point I had been wrestling since age eight, and I was pretty good wrestler; but to see an Olympic wrestler, AND an offshore racer, and successful businessman - I was starstruck.
I approached him to speak about raceboats and wrestling; he treated me with respect and kindness, truly a decent guy. He could have blown me off in order to enjoy his breakfast and focus on the race that day, but he gave me his time. That was class.
He just seemed like a good guy, who liked people, had money to burn, and liked to race. And, the fact he wrestled in the Olympics, I knew, and I could appreciate that he was a tough dude.
That is my memory of Mr. Aoki, one good dude. May he be with God. Rest in peace Brother Rocky!
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