A day of very mixed feelings, extreme sadness linked into laughter and personal reunions.
The background, when I was 18 and riding my first “big bike†a 650 Triumph one of the characters that I became friendly with was Vic, a man who I found out later was in fact 10 years older than the rest of our growing group of 18 and 19 year old motorcycle novices. Vic was small of stature but a big man in all other ways. He lived beachfront and was already a veteran from the 50’s surfing scene. We’d go away in groups of 5 or 6 for weekend trips on our British bikes and camp in the open. He taught me that beer was a legitimate breakfast food. He taught me how to ride for miles standing on the seat of my bike. On one interstate week away his Fastback Commando blew a head gasket and because of warranty issues we put it onto a train and sent it home, I doubled him for the rest of the week. We had some great times and I don’t have time to express just how big his personality was. As is the norm once my children started to arrive and I was focused on renovating houses and being responsible we drifted apart but I’d bump into him from time to time we’d catch up with all of the news. About 7 years ago I moved and lived only just around the corner from him so we’d chat when he was (at 64 years of age) rollerblading past or coming home from a 10 hour walk through the mountain just behind our houses. Unfortunately at this time I noticed a slight tremble in his hands which was diagnosed as Parkinson’s. He couldn’t ride any more and focused his time on surfing and long power walks. Only 2 mths ago he became too affected to surf and speech was becoming a problem. Vic chose the time and place to check out and most of us salute his chosen exit as we did his larger than life71 years of life.
I was privileged to be one of a small number that spoke at the service today and a number of survivors from our youth had an emotional but enjoyable reunion with a few beers.
Never to be forgotten by those that crossed his path, cheers Vic.
The background, when I was 18 and riding my first “big bike†a 650 Triumph one of the characters that I became friendly with was Vic, a man who I found out later was in fact 10 years older than the rest of our growing group of 18 and 19 year old motorcycle novices. Vic was small of stature but a big man in all other ways. He lived beachfront and was already a veteran from the 50’s surfing scene. We’d go away in groups of 5 or 6 for weekend trips on our British bikes and camp in the open. He taught me that beer was a legitimate breakfast food. He taught me how to ride for miles standing on the seat of my bike. On one interstate week away his Fastback Commando blew a head gasket and because of warranty issues we put it onto a train and sent it home, I doubled him for the rest of the week. We had some great times and I don’t have time to express just how big his personality was. As is the norm once my children started to arrive and I was focused on renovating houses and being responsible we drifted apart but I’d bump into him from time to time we’d catch up with all of the news. About 7 years ago I moved and lived only just around the corner from him so we’d chat when he was (at 64 years of age) rollerblading past or coming home from a 10 hour walk through the mountain just behind our houses. Unfortunately at this time I noticed a slight tremble in his hands which was diagnosed as Parkinson’s. He couldn’t ride any more and focused his time on surfing and long power walks. Only 2 mths ago he became too affected to surf and speech was becoming a problem. Vic chose the time and place to check out and most of us salute his chosen exit as we did his larger than life71 years of life.
I was privileged to be one of a small number that spoke at the service today and a number of survivors from our youth had an emotional but enjoyable reunion with a few beers.
Never to be forgotten by those that crossed his path, cheers Vic.
