The Power of 28

Don't talk to Bam Margera about Numerology

A guest post from my brother, Andrew Hagen, on his birthday!

By Andrew Hagen

My yearly trip back home to New York was coming up, and I was already drowning in flight anxiety days ahead of departure. The kind that has you checking turbulence forecast apps and wondering if maybe the train isn’t such a bad idea after all.

To make matters worse, just before I flew out, news broke about a terrifying crash on June 12th involving an Indian airline. That nearly sealed it for me. I almost didn’t get on the plane.

The actual flight? Bumpy but uneventful. What was a bit off-putting, though, was the guy sitting next to me. Some foreign dude giggling to himself while snapping pics of Saudi Arabia on the world map screen. We were headed to Buffalo. So… huh?

In a rare move, I decided to calm myself by watching a documentary mid-flight. Not something I usually do, especially with nerves buzzing. But for whatever reason, I clicked on “The Rise and Fall of Bam Margera.” Yep. That Bam. The one from “Jackass,” the guy who once ruled MTV, skate parks, and the dreams of every 2000s teen with a deck and a death wish.

Weird timing, right?

Just before my trip, my friend Malcolm had been telling me about the symbolic power of the number 28. How it’s considered the day of wealth and prosperity. Turns out Bam was born September 28th, and man, did that dude hit it big. Magazine covers, sold-out skate decks, and his breakout film “Landspeed: CKY,” which sold over a million copies purely through word of mouth. He was basically a legend before he could legally drink.

Watching the documentary took me back. I grew up skateboarding too. Bam, his stunts, the CKY crew, Viva La Bam—all of that was my youth. And when I’m anxious, nostalgia is my comfort drug. For those 90 minutes in the air, I felt home again.

But it gets stranger.

During my trip, I found out completely by chance that Bam Margera was going to be appearing at Nickel City Comic Con in Buffalo. Autographs. Photos. The works. I literally thought it was a prank. Bam Margera at a comic convention? What, was he going to be wedged between the Yellow Power Ranger and the third villain from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer?”

Spoiler: pretty much, yeah.

The convention ran from June 27th to June 29th. Remember the number 28? I ended up getting a signed skateboard deck from Bam on the 29th, but he dated it 6.28.25. Either he forgot what day it was, or the universe wanted to drive home that symbolic 28 a little harder. Who knows.

I showed up with my best friend Brad. We wandered the convention floor until we found him.

There he was. Sandwiched between the Yellow Ranger and Frau Farbissina, Dr. Evil’s assistant from “Austin Powers.” I couldn’t make this up.

When it was my turn, I did what any nostalgic, half-unhinged fan of Viva La Bam would do. I asked him to slap me in the face. And he did. On video. Bucket list item, check.

I introduced myself and nervously asked two questions. First, I asked how he filmed a specific shot in a music video he directed. He lit up. Got super into it. Gave me a real answer, not some phoned-in “I don’t remember.” That meant a lot.

Second, I asked him about the CKY song 96 Quite Bitter Beings.

“What’s the meaning behind 96?” I asked.

He looked at me, paused and then finally answered.

“You know, that’s actually a really good question. I have no idea.”

Fair.

As he was signing my board, I started rambling. I told him that song meant a lot to me. Then I started telling him about my personal life: how I started working at NFL Network on 9/6, how it marked the beginning of my health journey, and told him how I felt it was all weirdly connected. The numerology. The symbolism. The universe doing its thing.

He didn’t say a word. I stood there awkwardly. Now I know how astrology girls feel when they ask a dude his sign at the bar and the dude replies, “idk STOP.”

In a final panic, I added, “I know it’s your brother’s band… but I love your skateboarding, too.”

More silence. Yikes.

Let’s just say it was not the most poetic ending to a full-circle moment.

Before I walked away, I asked him one last question: whether they brought back his signature 540 Tailwhip trick in the new Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 remake. He lit up again.

“Yes, it’s in there,” he said.

Phew. Signs of life! He seemed genuinely excited to talk about this topic the same way he was engaged when I asked him about the video. He actually cared.

So no, the interaction wasn’t a total flop. It had its ups and downs, but I got my slap, a signed board, and answers to questions I’ve had since I was a kid.

And the 28 showed up again. Funny how things work out like that.

After I wrote this piece, I discovered that Bam’s brother was born on the 28th. I told Emilie that I bet their parents planned it that way. Just like Bam, she paused.

“I doubt that, Andy. Nobody cares about the number 28 that much except you…this week. Next week you’ll be fixated on 56.”

Maybe she is right. After all she is an 8/9, but that’s a conversation for a whole other day.

I turn 34 today. In numerology that adds up to “7” which means the genius.

For next 365 days, I’ll be sure to let everyone know I’m a genius.