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safetychek
Since 07 Nov 2006
72 Posts
Hood River
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 Tue Oct 03, 23 9:57 am Our friend Felix |
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Got this from Instagram..
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx6VSZHSz48/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Not sure if this link works for everyone, so I am copying and pasting Richard Hallman's post.
At this end of his post he mentions a memorial..
With a Heavy Heart I share the news of Felix Louis Njai’s passing… Apparently, he was attending a wedding off Point Reyes, CA - when he along with a few other people were off in the water swimming in chest to shoulder high water when a shark suddenly breached the water and hit him in the head. (this, according to somebody who was in attendance,) apparently, after that there was some thrashing by several other “Fish” (more sharks?). He never again resurfaced….
Words cannot begin to express how literally gutted I feel for his friends and family.
Felix had such a huge heart, and $1 million smile to go with it. He would spend his summers up here and it always put a huge smile on my face when I would see him after many months and could not wait to run up and hug him. An incredible water man, we got together on photo shoots on several occasions. I’ll have to dig back and find the photos from one particular photo session we did right at sunset ~ there were fires in the area at the time and the sky was all red and he was ripping his foil back-and-forth flying a giant ram air kite. That was a gorgeous sunset and those were some beautiful images📸
He used to organize these outdoor movie events up in the valley. Getting together tons of friends and projecting the latest movie release on the side of a barn. He was such a legend in the Wind Sport community, a loss that will be felt for many many many years to come. I have so many Felix stories, I urge you to share yours in the comments below.
Rest in peace, my friend, my only hope is that you got a few good punches in 😢❤️🙏🏽
for Hood River Folks, we’re gonna have an informal memorial this coming Sunday, 10am October 8th, 23 down at the Event Site!
Last edited by safetychek on Tue Oct 03, 23 11:55 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Sasquatch
Since 09 Mar 2005
2088 Posts
PNW
Bigfoot
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| Tue Oct 03, 23 1:28 pm RIP |
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My condolences go out to his friends and family. I personally didn't know him.
R.I.P. Felix!
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shred_da_gorge
Since 12 Nov 2008
1308 Posts
Da Hood & Da Wood
XTreme Poster
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lubomm
Since 15 Aug 2007
248 Posts
Hood
Stoked
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| Tue Oct 03, 23 9:13 pm |
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I am still heartbroken and in disbelief. We have been friends since 2010.
Rest in Peace Felix!
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bobgatpdx
Since 04 Oct 2008
218 Posts
Stoked
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| Wed Oct 04, 23 5:35 am |
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We loved Felix. He was always stoked and had a contagious smile.
“I’ll see you in church” was what he said about going out on the River.
He will be missed.
_________________
RoosterCam Guy
pdxgreen.com/RoosterCam.php |
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windpig
Since 28 Aug 2008
278 Posts
Obsessed
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| Wed Oct 04, 23 11:31 am |
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Huge loss! I only had passing interactions with Felix, but they were always super positive and the stoke meter was always pegged with that guy! I always loved seeing him on the water. I have a fond memory of a Felix flying by me on an early foil in the Blowout back in 2014-15 ish? Always smiling!
_________________
"I don't believe in doing work that I don't want to do in order to live a life that I don't want to live."
-Ed Abbey |
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jasonq
Since 12 Jan 2009
245 Posts
hood river
Stoked
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| Wed Oct 04, 23 4:36 pm |
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when i read this yesterday, and after i finished hyper ventilating, I immediately sent Felix a text telling him to let me know he was OK. Sadly, no response. I'm shattered.
I met Felix years ago at the event site. He was a avid telemark skier, kiter racer, and more recently, winger. We immediately bonded over our shared loves of wind and telemarking and became close friends.
It was just 4 weeks ago we sat on our deck talking about everything he had going on, just a couple days before he returned to SF. He was very excited about his progress working thru the layers of bureaucracy and road blocks to represent his home country of Gambia at the Paris 2024 Olympics in kite racing. He also planned on 2028 in LA.
He loved spending summers in Hood River, it was one of several of his happy places. He loved San Francisco in the Fall, and Tahoe in the winter. And he loved his Land Rover.
I can't believe he is gone.
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morecoffee
Since 24 Aug 2011
26 Posts
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| Thu Oct 05, 23 10:21 pm |
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Speaking from crissy, we are all just poleaxed, grieving in our own ways. Two of the wedding party he was with, eyewitnesses, came and talked to us late Monday afternoon. He was bitten in the neck by a shark lunging out of shallow water, likely almost instant death.
Location was Wildcat Beach, Point Reyes, not a wind waterman spot. You have to hike 5 miles over somewhat rugged trails to get there. He was not doing any kite thing at that time, he'd just walked out into the deeper shallows with two other folks. A bystander had a satellite phone and raised the coast guard and county fire department, and both the CG and FD were on the scene quickly with various assets.
He will be missed.
"See you in church!"
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felixChargingIt02small.jpg |
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shred_da_gorge
Since 12 Nov 2008
1308 Posts
Da Hood & Da Wood
XTreme Poster
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morecoffee
Since 24 Aug 2011
26 Posts
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| Wed Oct 11, 23 9:55 pm |
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From today. Many people, this one grips me. That's how he rode.
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felixMastFrag2.jpg |
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morecoffee
Since 24 Aug 2011
26 Posts
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morecoffee
Since 24 Aug 2011
26 Posts
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| Sat Nov 04, 23 9:27 pm |
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Celebration of life today. Karl, of course, showed up. Karl was not afraid of Felix, and from riding with Felix I'll say he wasn't afraid of any weather condition. (photo credit: stefaans)
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felixMemorial1.jpg |
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morecoffee
Since 24 Aug 2011
26 Posts
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| Sat Nov 04, 23 9:33 pm |
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This happened (photo credit: kerry h)
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felixFogbow.png |
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morecoffee
Since 24 Aug 2011
26 Posts
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jasonq
Since 12 Jan 2009
245 Posts
hood river
Stoked
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| Sun Feb 11, 24 3:14 pm |
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A brick for Felix at the Hood River Library. Its not much, the least i can do the help honor the memory of such a good friend to so many.
pic of the brick and the view from that spot (as walking down from the library, on the east just before the first flight of stairs)
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small_brick.jpg |
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Mark
Since 20 Jun 2005
3678 Posts
I need my fix because I'm a
Naishaholic
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| Mon Feb 12, 24 8:05 am |
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RIP Buddy. You will be missed.
_________________
Cleverly disguised as an adult...
www.naishkites.com |
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