Meeting The Boss in Duck, NC
Dec 19, 2021
Let’s Reminisce
1997 was my first summer managing a watersports business. It was the middle of the summer and the weather was overcast and not very appealing for getting in the water. Needless to say, business was slow. We were operating out of a location in Duck behind a restaurant (currently, Sunset Grille) when an average looking man walked down the pier and asked if we had jet skis available. Figuring we’d be slow all day I told him we did and that it shouldn’t be a problem getting a few. He said he was having lunch in the restaurant and that he’d come back to rent several. This is usually what people say right before you never see them again. On top of that, this restaurant was notorious for slow service and I didn’t want to try to predict when he’d be finished eating. Because of these factors I didn’t ask to take a reservation.
Oops
Of course, shortly after he left, the sun came out and so did the customers. I was happy to have the business and completely forgot about the man eating in the restaurant….until I saw him walking back down the pier an hour later. In my mind I semi-panicked while trying to stay cool on the outside. I scrambled some smaller jet skis and he didn’t seem bothered. Everything was going well, and after a slow start, it seemed like it was going to be a good day. The man was with his mom, another guy, and a bunch of kids. Everyone was having a great time.
Things slowed down for a few minutes and, as I gathered my thoughts, I said to myself, “That man looks familiar.” I pulled up his paperwork to check his name. Bruce Silverman. Hmmm, I was skeptical. Every customer has to sign a waiver so I looked at that. Bruce Silverman again. I wasn’t buying it. I scanned through the other signatures to see if anyone else used the name I was looking for. And there it was. The name I was looking for. His mother unwittingly exposed him.
A Living Legend Was Riding One of My Jet Skis
Bruce Springsteen and his mom were on my jet skis.
Right then I looked up to see him standing on the other side of the gazebo. We locked eyes and he knew he was busted. I tried to stay cool and walked over to say “hi” again. I asked, “Are you who I think you are?” The Boss said, “Probably.” While all of this was going down a random customer was sitting on a bench about two feet away witnessing the whole thing. I thought his jaw was going to hit the ground.
Think about the celebrity you most admire: actor, singer, whoever. Now imagine that person randomly walking in to your office. That’s what happened to me in the summer of 1997. One in a million chance I meet him. Bruce Springsteen is by far my favorite musician and he did not disappoint. He was approachable and friendly. My biggest compliment is that he acted like a regular guy.
We had a short talk because I didn’t want to make a scene and I didn’t want to take time away from his family. They finished up and went on their merry way. I went up to the customer sitting on the bench and said, “Did you see that?” He couldn’t believe what unfolded in front of him. He was waiting for his family to return on the parasail boat, and when they got back he said, “You guys missed it. Bruce Springsteen was just here.”
Here’s the funny part. I was the only person to recognize him and I didn’t say a word to anyone else until he left. The college kids working with me were shocked.
Priceless Memories
Years later, I was destroying old waivers, and I grabbed a box from that summer of 1997. I thought to myself, “Somewhere in this box is Bruce Springsteen’s alias signature.” I could have dug through the box for half an hour, but what would I have gotten? Bruce Springsteen’s fake name. I destroyed the contents. The memories are much better.
Best wishes,
John Van Lunen
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