Reggaeman
05-20-2003, 11:08 AM
**Words and Photo Courtesy www.stiksandstones.com**
.................Big Bear started out being one of the best events I have been to in almost a decade, with the sport going through some tough sponsorship times I expected it to be a complete drag. I have been to more race events than anyone on the circuit so I have seen it all, the ups, the downs, and the in betweens. As I said before the event had a really good vibe going on and it made me stoked to be heading out on another season-this all came to a screeching halt when news that one of our fellow pro riders had crashed bad, and eventually word was coming through the pipe that she did not make it and passed away Saturday morning. Haruko Fujinaka died doing what she loved.
Good friends have past over the last decade or so, Litsky, Big Dan, Jake to name a few of my close friends. But Haruko I did not know at all…But it hit just as hard for all of us. Charlie had died while riding his bicycle, Jake did as well and now Haruko. I am not a journalist, not a writer, just someone who loves mountain biking and has been lucky enough to make a living going to the races and loving it, so I know what I write is full of errors, and may be the wrong things to say, but I just wanted to pay some sort of tribute to Haruko. Like I said, I did not know her, but I always love it when all the Japanese riders come over to race, they are always smiling and laughing and bring such a positive energy to the races. My favorite memories of mountain biking are after race parties with all the Japanese riders, they are a great group of people, we all can not communicate with each other, but they always make me smile, just something about them.
It really tore me up after the women’s DH when I saw Mio Suemasa and Hiroko Inomata crying their eyes out about the loss of their friend…so sad. And I can’t begin to imagine the pain her husband is in, since they were in Big Bear on their honeymoon-they were married one week ago, just not right…My most sincere condolences to the Fujinaka family, and her friends…I wish some comfort to you soon. My friend from Japan, and superb photographer Hideyuki Suzuki just sent me some photos of Haruko, so I whipped a small tribute to her...may she rest in peace.
Stikman
http://www.stiksandstones.com/photos/haruko.jpg
It was a sad day on Saturday with the loss of a Pro Mountainbiker at Big Bear, please say a prayer for her family and friends.
RIP Haruko
.................Big Bear started out being one of the best events I have been to in almost a decade, with the sport going through some tough sponsorship times I expected it to be a complete drag. I have been to more race events than anyone on the circuit so I have seen it all, the ups, the downs, and the in betweens. As I said before the event had a really good vibe going on and it made me stoked to be heading out on another season-this all came to a screeching halt when news that one of our fellow pro riders had crashed bad, and eventually word was coming through the pipe that she did not make it and passed away Saturday morning. Haruko Fujinaka died doing what she loved.
Good friends have past over the last decade or so, Litsky, Big Dan, Jake to name a few of my close friends. But Haruko I did not know at all…But it hit just as hard for all of us. Charlie had died while riding his bicycle, Jake did as well and now Haruko. I am not a journalist, not a writer, just someone who loves mountain biking and has been lucky enough to make a living going to the races and loving it, so I know what I write is full of errors, and may be the wrong things to say, but I just wanted to pay some sort of tribute to Haruko. Like I said, I did not know her, but I always love it when all the Japanese riders come over to race, they are always smiling and laughing and bring such a positive energy to the races. My favorite memories of mountain biking are after race parties with all the Japanese riders, they are a great group of people, we all can not communicate with each other, but they always make me smile, just something about them.
It really tore me up after the women’s DH when I saw Mio Suemasa and Hiroko Inomata crying their eyes out about the loss of their friend…so sad. And I can’t begin to imagine the pain her husband is in, since they were in Big Bear on their honeymoon-they were married one week ago, just not right…My most sincere condolences to the Fujinaka family, and her friends…I wish some comfort to you soon. My friend from Japan, and superb photographer Hideyuki Suzuki just sent me some photos of Haruko, so I whipped a small tribute to her...may she rest in peace.
Stikman
http://www.stiksandstones.com/photos/haruko.jpg
It was a sad day on Saturday with the loss of a Pro Mountainbiker at Big Bear, please say a prayer for her family and friends.
RIP Haruko