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handsome B
Gym climber
Saskatoon, Saskatchawan
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Aug 15, 2006 - 12:21pm PT
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So sorry to hear this. Best wishes and a speedy recovery (physical and emotional) to all.
-brendan
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de eee
Mountain climber
Tustin
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Aug 15, 2006 - 01:49pm PT
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So sorry to hear about Steve. Deepest sympathy for his family and friends.
Quick recovery for John and Anastasia.
Way too much grief lately.
David, Margy and Jake
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pc
climber
East of Seattle
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Aug 15, 2006 - 02:08pm PT
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Warm thoughts and condolences to Steve's family and friends. Wishes for a speedy and complete recovery to John and Anastasia.
Hug your loved ones,
pc
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burp
Trad climber
Salt Lake City
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Aug 15, 2006 - 02:23pm PT
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My condolensces to Steve's family.
Get well soon John and Anastasia!
If there is anything you need let me know.
Mike
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michaellane
climber
Spokane, WA
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Aug 15, 2006 - 02:56pm PT
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Goddam. Words are inadequate ... this is very, very bad news.
John, we're all pulling for you.
Steve was a good man. Smart, kind and passionate about his life. I'll miss you.
Sincere condolences to Steve's family and to his partners, JB and Dario, for their loss. Guys, let me know how I can help in any way.
--ML
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AKDOG
Mountain climber
Anchorage, AK
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Aug 15, 2006 - 02:56pm PT
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Condolences and best wishes to all those that have been affected by this tragic accident.
Speedy recovery to JB
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AlliRW
Trad climber
Ten Sleep, WY
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Aug 15, 2006 - 03:00pm PT
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Genuine, kindhearted, sincere, and generous beyond a person's wildest expectations...Steve was one of the most honest and real people involved in the climbing industry. His belief in Acopa and his wholehearted investment in the company account for so much of its success. He will be missed, and he is missed already...
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Ksolem
Trad climber
LA, Ca
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Aug 15, 2006 - 03:30pm PT
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I just got home from some beautiful days in The Meadows, to find this awful news. I did not know Steve, but reading the many fond words of his friends here speaks volumes. My heartfelt sympathies to all who knew and loved him.
Anastasia, you are such a sweet kind person, and JB you have been an inspiration since back in the days when we used to follow you around on your circuits in JT just to be amazed...
Be well both of you...
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chrisbloch
Boulder climber
Orinda, CA
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Aug 15, 2006 - 04:23pm PT
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I am totally stunned and upset....
Where do I begin?
I have known Steve for about 6 years. He and I shared an office when we worked for Touchstone Climbing. We had a great time at work, and away from work. I am so sad he is gone, because he was finally doing something that he truly believed in and took pride in, not to mention the fact that he was successful.
I remember when he started the Acopa thing, with boxes of shoes stacked in his house, completely confident that he would make the business work. He would tell me of his hopes and aspirations, while we drank beer and played Tiger Woods Golf on Playstation. He had a positive attitude no matter what bumps he encountered in the road. We had a great time together, endless laughs...
But Steve wasn't just a climbing shoe guy. He was a 5.13 fly fisherman! I will always remember the time on the Truckee, and while all I caught was a buzz, he just kept catching fish! "Just cast it right there," he would say. I was completely in awe of his knowledge of the river. I would also argue that if he had spent more time on the golf course, he could have gone pro. Steve had incredible talent, and while he would beat me by 30 strokes, I always enjoyed watching him play.
Steve was a genuine man, who I confided in, and whose opinion and ideas I respected. He was fun-loving, generous, caring, and intelligent. He was an entrepreneur with realistic optimism. He was one of those friends who you don't talk to for 6 months, and in one phone call, you get caught up in 5 minutes and the friendship picks up where it left off. I am still in disbelief that that phone call will never happen again.
My thoughts are with Sara, his family, and all of the people he touched in his time here. I will miss him deeply.
Chris Bloch
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Lisa Raleigh
climber
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Aug 15, 2006 - 05:06pm PT
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I just want to share how saddened we are at Steve's death. I've had the pleasure of working with him for the past 3 years as he, JB and Dario launched the Acopa brand here in the US. Steve was always so upbeat and personable and I looked forward to all our conversations. He never failed to greet me with a big hug at each OR show, and I had no way of knowing three days ago at Summer OR would be the last time we would see him. He epitomized what is so fantastic about our industry and he did it with a great sense of humor and style. He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with JB and Anastasia as they begin their recovery process. Godspeed.
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graham
Social climber
Ventura, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 15, 2006 - 05:34pm PT
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I just spoke to both Anastasia and John. They’re doing as well as can be expected. I just want to pass along from them a kind thanks for everyone’s good words and support.
It sure hurts when we loose a friend and member of this close community.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Aug 15, 2006 - 05:36pm PT
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It's always so sad and tragic to learn of stuff like this. My heartfelt condolences to Steve's family. Is Anastasia the same girl who sometimes posts here? Has anybody got a more recent prognosis?
I'm shaking my head - John has pushed the envelope free soloing possibly harder than anyone else who has lived to tell the tale. And now this.
You really need to live each day as though it were your last. If you are harbouring any feelings of ill will towards those who you love and who love you, you had best resolve them. You never know when you will be next.
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chrisbloch
Boulder climber
Orinda, CA
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Aug 15, 2006 - 06:39pm PT
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FYI:
In the Elko Daily Free Press this appeared:
(Edited from a larger article)
ELKO — Six people are dead following three separate crashes on regional highways this weekend — and troopers say driver inattention, high speeds and failure to wear seat belts played a role in each of the tragedies.
Nevada Highway Patrol trooper Rocky Gonzalez said driver inattention and speed contributed to all of the crashes.
“The weather’s nice so the speeds are higher,” Gonzalez said. “When traveling long distances people need to remember to take breaks.”
.........
The third crash occurred on Sunday when a California man was killed after the vehicle he was in rolled on U.S. 93 about 33 miles north of Ely.
John Martin Bachar III, 49, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., was driving south on U.S. 93 at 7:25 p.m. when he allowed his Toyota 4Runner to drift off the west road edge.
Bachar overcorrected to the left, the Toyota went across both lanes to the east shoulder and overturned.
“During the course of the rollover, a passenger seated in the rear was ejected,” Gonzalez said.
The ejected passenger, a 40-year-old man from El Sobrante, Calif., was pronounced dead at the scene. His name is not being released until after next of kin is notified.
Bachar and a third passenger, Anastasia Elleni Frangos, 33, of Santa Paula, Calif., suffered numerous injuries. Both were transported to William B. Ririe Hospital in Ely.
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Fluoride
Trad climber
California somewhere
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Aug 15, 2006 - 07:20pm PT
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Yikes, poor JB, he was at the wheel during the crash. Was his friend not wearing a seat belt?
Man, that's going to leave some emotinal scars. Best wishes that he get through this with emotional strength. Something like that can be haunting for time to come.
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CorporateDog
climber
Middle California
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Aug 15, 2006 - 07:26pm PT
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Positive vibes to the survivors and my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the deceased.
While I could never in my wildest dreams have hoped to have climbed at the level that John has done, and given that I have never been one to go for "hero-worship" - I will still say that Bachar's exploits was one of the driving forces that got me onto stone in the early '80's.
My first pair of honest-to-god climbing shoes were Fires because JB was the man.
Never met the man - would love to tho - heal quickly and recover to both John and Anastasia.
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ha-ha
climber
location
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Aug 15, 2006 - 07:29pm PT
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condolences to steve's family.
speedy recovery to anastasia and john.
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JEM
Social climber
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Aug 15, 2006 - 07:31pm PT
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I am very sorry to learn of the accident. John and Anastasia, I wish you a speedy recovery and offer my sincere sympathy over the loss of your friend.
JEM
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Mike Ierien
Trad climber
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Aug 15, 2006 - 08:13pm PT
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Wow...wow. I'm just sitting here shaking my head. My prayers are with you all. Speedy recovery to all.
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markolator
Boulder climber
CA
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Aug 15, 2006 - 08:24pm PT
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My deepest condolences to the family and friends of Steve Karafa.
Anastasia, I sure hope you feel better soon, (although one can imagine it taking a lifetime to process what happened)..please tell John we hope he is not in too much physical agony, as for the emotional aspect...whew! Words fall short.
May you both heal swiftly and fully
God Bless,
Marko
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James
climber
A tent in the redwoods
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Aug 15, 2006 - 09:10pm PT
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Get well and stay strong.
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