In memory of Steve McKinney...

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Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber

Out Of Bed

Oct 23, 2014 - 04:11am PT

Climbed & skied. Skied faster than any one alive

was trying yo be a safe driver too

Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber

Out Of Bed

Oct 23, 2014 - 05:10am PT

Climbed & skied. Skied faster than any one alive

He was trying to be a safe driver too

After the accident that left a cloud over the fun and jovial crowd in the ‘70’s

Some on super topo were just remembering that sad chapter as well
The Donna Pritchett thread.

He did not want to,

not have learned,

from someone falling asleep at the wheel

He climbed into the back of his pickup truck to sleep for a bit

A sleepy big rig trucker ran into the back of his pickup

mouse from merced

Trad climber

The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.

Oct 23, 2014 - 01:04pm PT

My younger bother is Sixty Years old Friday. I emailed him this morning.

I put the question to Brother Tim, former address at Olympic Village, now in Jamestown, about Steve.

He kindly replied this way:

Thanks. I'll be turning 60 this Friday.

Sounds like a good time at that film deal. I remember when you took me to see that dude ski off El Cap and then parachute
to the Valley floor. Sylvester Sudan was his name I think. Or maybe it was someone else. Do you remember?

Stevey Mac was a good friend. I worked for him for two years traveling around the western US putting on the Camel Speed Skiing Challenge.

I and another guy, LANCE, you remember Lance right? we would take the timing gear and the fencing to the ski areas and Steve and the
others (Kavey from Iran) that helped put on the show would fly out. It was a dream job. I worked the desk registering skiers. A bonus not having to go out and prepare the track!!!!

Then he died. got hit by a drunk on the road. sad deal.

He was a neat guy. Super cool. Easy going. Smart. Bold. Very sure of himself and his abilities.

I found the thread a long time ago when I was looking at your topo sight. I could have been in that picture of everyone at that Mexican restaurant in Truckee.

Fermins was the name of that place. Long gone....like a lot of things.

Yeti

Trad climber

Ketchum, Idaho

Oct 23, 2014 - 03:00pm PT

Mouse: You're thinking of Rick Sylvester.....

zBrown

Ice climber

Brujò de la Playa

Oct 23, 2014 - 07:07pm PT

I have been wondering - why the lack of smiles in that Fermins photo?

Weren't these the best of times?

I wasn't there, but I was in the vicinity and from what I've read here they were.

WBraun

climber

Oct 23, 2014 - 07:24pm PT

Steve was in Mammoth on one of his trips and got busted for not having a lift ticket.

Soooo stupid.

He was US team at that time and they gave comp tickets to them anyways.

But the mountain management was pissed he didn't go thru the right channels and busted him.

He now had punishment set out for him, lol.

I worked night crew at that time and the mountain told me I was in charge to make him work the night shift cleanup one night as his punishment, (hahaha) stooopid.

So he shows up and asks me not to work him too hard.

I told him he's now officially fuked and he's done for and it's gonna be hell sh!t job.

I tell him to get his sh!t and we're gonna start outside in the front.

We're the parking lot and "I say where's your car?".

Steve points to it thinking WTF is Werner gonna make me do out here?

Hahaha I tell him to get in his car and go home.

The mountain asked if Steve work hard.

"Yep" ... I said ...... hahaha

WBraun

climber

Oct 23, 2014 - 07:32pm PT

When Steve and Craig came to Mammoth they kept their skis in my room on the mountain.

So did a lot of other people.

Bridwell had a lot a skis in there.

One day a big wig mountain manager came walking by and walked into my room because it was open.

There were probably 40 pairs of skis in there at that particular time lol.

He thought I was the mountain ski thief at first.

Luckily some of those big name skiers names were on those boards .......

zBrown

Ice climber

Brujò de la Playa

Oct 23, 2014 - 07:45pm PT

Too bad tech wasn't what it is today. That's a heck of a missed photo op. Right there!

Weren't ski team members sposed to use these? Seems like Steve just missed another night (off) of working for you. :}

Lynne Leichtfuss

Sport climber

moving thru

Oct 23, 2014 - 09:13pm PT

Nice stories, Werner, thanks for the share. Cheers, lynnie.

zBrown

Ice climber

Nov 25, 2015 - 07:41am PT

Let's make it a nice round 200. Another year slipped by (November 10). I can't help but wonder what Mr. McKinney might have accomplished in all these years and what cool things he would have been doing today.

Heck, maybe he would have had his own shoe line [heh].

zBrown

Ice climber

Oct 13, 2017 - 12:43pm PT

STEVE MCKINNEY SKIS MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN PARANOID FLATZ/PARANOIDS IN THE 1970S IN HIS USUAL STYLE—FAST AND TUCKED, PHOTO BY ERIC PERLMAN PRODUCTIONS

STEVE MCKINNEY TAKES A SPEED-SKIING RUN ON STORM PEAK AT SILVERTON, COLORADO, IN 1981, PHOTO BY DAVID E. CARMAZZI

notated.jpg

Tim Bermingham

Mountain climber

Jamestown, California. U.S.A.

Oct 13, 2017 - 06:11pm PT

He was so awesome. My girlfriend got to meet him this morning and the rest of my departed friends. Mac woulda liked her. But hey Steve was the kina guy who liked everybody. I guess that's one good thing for today this Friday the 13th. RIP Annie. I guess I'm in shock still.

nah000

climber

now/here

Oct 13, 2017 - 08:32pm PT

zBrown... that top pic is one of the coolest images i've seen on st in a long, long, long time...

in fact last pic i can recall seeing on here that oozed that much integral style was one of eKat's motocross pics...

that pic is like if dogtown and z-boys made love with sex, drugs, and rock and roll... and then put on a pair of skis and had their picture taken.

only criticism i have is that you really should put a warning label at the top of your post and then a page of white space before the image... something along the lines of:

WARNING viewing this image while being female and of childbearing age, may cause spontaneous and unwanted pregnancies WARNING

seriously: there's more actual cool in that one image then i'm pretty sure exists in whole hipster neighborhoods of today...

i have no choice but to post it again...

zBrown

Ice climber

Oct 14, 2017 - 12:24am PT

DAMN. . . this is such a good thread. . . the stuff TheTacoStand is flat out famous for. . .
we need more stuff like this, these days.

....

I'm so sorry for your losses Tim

You chose yourself an excellent fellow as a boss and I'm sure an equally excellent mate

Dick Erb

climber

June Lake, CA

Oct 14, 2017 - 05:53pm PT

I was so glad to see this thread come up again I reread it again end to end. Getting to know Steve was one of the true delights of my years lived at Tahoe; so confident, but with no arrogance, so friendly in an open natural way. You would never no his legendary skills by talking to him, but if you skied with him or talked to the hard core skiers the awe was right there. He got into climbing by going for it on hard climbs with the best climbers around, relying on his super human strength and courage while learning the technique. No wonder he took a hundred foot ripper. That would have stopped most people.

vôo

climber

Denver, CO

Jul 17, 2018 - 05:13pm PT

There is some good commentary on Steve here:
https://www.sierrasun.com/news/sports/hall-of-fame-welcomes-speed-skiing-legend-steve-mckinney/

When we were in Lhasa Steve was buying up all the turquoise he could find. The Tibetan women had him surrounded.

Later when we were sharing dinner in Roskelly's tent Steve started talking about all the good turquoise he picked up.

One of the Brits there mentioned he had been looking but hadn't found any. Steve remarked it was probably because he got it all.

Steve went back to his tent and gathered up the rocks and returned. The Brit said it looks pretty good, got a lighter? Steve handed over a Bic and the turquoise melted onto the floor of the tent.