A farewell to Henry Filip
Cory Dunne
It comes as a blow to many in the paddling community that Henry Filip
of Aspen, Colorado, died in a kayaking accident Saturday, June 28 on the
Meatgrinder section of the Crystal River near Redstone. Meatgrinder,
referred to as a class V+ run by many area paddlers, was flowing roughly
1200 cfs at the time.
Anyone who knew Henry knows that he devoted much of his life to three
passions: kayaking, skiing, and aikido. His easy, high-decibel laugh, wide
grin, and fierce enthusiasm for life will be sorely missed.
On the ski slopes, his antics (on both sides of the boundary ropes)
were a constant source of amusement to his friends and good-natured
frustration to local ski patrollers. He was a regular in the town race
series and an incredible skier.
On the rivers, he set a formidable example. I will miss paddling with
Henry--trying to follow his lines, shuddering at the holes he played in,
and laughing all of the way with him. In the years I paddled with him, I
only saw him get thrashed once. He collected his gear, smiled sheepishly,
and got back in his boat.
Henry's love of the river was evident to all who spent time with him.
Like the river, he was an energetic and dynamic force: at times
mischievous, turbulent, overpowering, blissfully carefree, and
frighteningly intense. I think it can be safely said that the many rivers
he paddled reflected the many rivers which flowed through his being and
infused him with such vitality.
This attempt at an elegy falls far short of doing justice to a unique
individual. The loss of Henry Filip is acutely felt by his many friends
in the Roaring Fork Valley and the paddling community as a whole.
Cory Dunne
dun...@ucsu.colorado.edu
"As the day began, Siddhartha asked his host, the ferryman, to take him
across the river. The ferryman took him across on his bamboo raft. The
broad sheet of water glimmered pink in the light of morning. 'It is a
beautiful river,' he said to his companion. 'Yes,' said the ferryman, 'it
is a very beautiful river. I love it above everything. I have often
listened to it, gazed at it, and I have always learned something from it.
One can learn much from a river.' "
--Herman Hesse,
_Siddhartha_
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Cory Dunne dun...@ucsu.colorado.edu
http://ucsu.colorado.edu/~dunnec/Home.html
"Who needs astrology? The wise man gets by on fortune cookies!"
--Ed Abbey
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timtracimckennie
In article <dunnec-0207...@tele-anx0247.colorado.edu>,
dun...@ucsu.colorado.edu says...
>
> It comes as a blow to many in the paddling community that Henry
Filip
>of Aspen, Colorado, died in a kayaking accident Saturday, June 28 on
the
>Meatgrinder section of the Crystal River near Redstone. Meatgrinder,
>referred to as a class V+ run by many area paddlers, was flowing
roughly
>1200 cfs at the time.
I heard that he was running the meat solo. Is this true? I hope not
as this, while certainly meaning no disrespect, would seem a sad way to
die.
Terry Delliquadri
timtracimckennie wrote:
> I heard that he was running the meat solo. Is this true? I hope not
> as this, while certainly meaning no disrespect, would seem a sad way to
> die.
Tim
As far as I know this is untrue. A friend was on shore setting safety
and videoing. Also, the accident took place below the Meatgrinder rapid
on the runout from that rapid.
When you are running a small, steep section of river such as this at
1200 cfs, there is really nothing another boater can do while actually
in his boat there in front of you or behind you.
terry
timtracimckennie
In article <33BBAC...@wildnet.com>, te...@wildnet.com says...
other boaters, no safety, no onlookers etc. I'm sorry if I was wrong
but I thought it was amazing that someone would run V+ with no one else
in sight.
Terry Delliquadri
timtracimckennie wrote:
> True, but the story I heard was that he was running it solo as in no
> other boaters, no safety, no onlookers etc. I'm sorry if I was wrong
> but I thought it was amazing that someone would run V+ with no one else
> in sight.
The story you heard was untrue. While there was no one else in the
water boating at the moment, his friend was on shore setting safety and
videoing.
terry
Judy Zachariesen
Cory Dunne (dun...@ucsu.colorado.edu) wrote:
: It comes as a blow to many in the paddling community that Henry Filip
: of Aspen, Colorado, died in a kayaking accident Saturday, June 28 on the
: Meatgrinder section of the Crystal River near Redstone. Meatgrinder,
: referred to as a class V+ run by many area paddlers, was flowing roughly
: 1200 cfs at the time.
Was this Henry Filip from Los Alamos, NM, originally? When I was a kid
I was on a ski team there with a Henry Filip. I was very bad; he was
very good. Wondering if it's the same guy?