Word comes from the Kinetic world that longtime Kinetic Racer Dale “Grandpa” Olsen has passed away.
Kinetic Mother Christine writes saying:
Our Most Infamous Kinetic Family Member is in his Flying Machine…
Joining Hobart in Finishing The Race Before Us…
he will Live On In Infamy…
as One Of The Most Colorful Characters In Life.
There will be a celebration in his Beloved Ferndale…
where he was born
and lived all his life
Saturday
…
more information as it becomes known [Services will be held at the Ferndale Veterans Building on Main Street, Ferndale on Saturday February 28, 2009, at 1:00 P.M.] See T-S obit for more on Grandpa.
Grandpa aka Dale Olsen has been a dear friend for as many years as I have known him…
He, like Our Glorious Founder… is not Gone… just Passed On…
and… well.. Different…
as only he
and we
You all know how much he Loved The Race
and I hope we can share some of the many stories
to share in The Kinetic Hall Of Fame place
I send Lot of Love
and a huge Kinetic Hug
As Always
your devoted
Kinetic Mother – C
Rutabaga Queen Foxy Biloxi (aka Harmony Groves) writes:
Oh Grandpa! He will be remembered this year in our historic 40th Anniversary Race. Perhaps a tribute to Grandpa during Crab Park and our awards ceremony is in order? How many years did Grandpa Race?
Racer Duane Flatmo adds:
I was just thinking about Grandpa a few days ago and thought, “I should find out how he’s doing.” I knew he was not well. It’s very sad to see him go. He was a big part of this Kinetic Family. I sure loved that guy. Always a good spirit. A natural honest rough and tumble guy. I’ve been racing 28 years and I know he must have been doing it for at least 34 years.
I remember the first time I was in the middle of the bay and seeing him standing in knee deep water on top of a sandbar. It was like we were in some dream out walking on the water in the middle of Humboldt Bay, his machine all twisted up with silver duct tape and a kite that wasn’t working for him — I wondered “Who’s that crazy old guy?”
When we finally got across the bay and we were standing in the MASH tent to get warm, I asked him who he was…..with a big smile, and a gravely voice he said, “I’m Grandpa.” I don’t even think I knew he had the name Dale for the first few years I knew him — He was Grandpa!
He will be missed….I know that all the people who raced on his team and that he touched on this earth are very lucky to have known and loved him.Let’s keep him in our thoughts this year and dedicate this year’s race in his memory……
Duane
This article appears in Radioland.
Grandpa, you’ll be missed. Give ’em heck, wherever you are.
I’LL MISS YOU, GRAMPA!! And just to let you know, we are retiring your number, #113. I am so glad we honored you last year with our first ever Lifetime Achievement Award. I know how proud you were and you truly deserved it!! You were and always will be a remarkable guy, a legend and a free spirit. I am honored to have known you and called you friend. Oh, and Duane, last year was his 37th race at the ripe old age of 82 (at least that is what he said and who would ever think of questioning Grampa). I’ll have a "beverage" at the Palace at the Finish Line on Monday, May 25th, just as the Finish Line closes at 4:37 pm.
Kisses to ya, Jen-O
Grandpa started among the early "street" racers, but he doesn’t show up in Stan’s list of racers from ’69 to ’75. The cross country races began in ’74, and street races only continued for a few more years, so he must have started sometime in the late ’70s.
When I first began work on the Kinetic Museum, I asked Grandpa if I could display his ’82 entry. He was so excited that he went home and gave it a fresh coat of paint, duct-tape and bailing wire. He even restored his kite! I’m amazed that he had the guts to try and cross the bay on a Stingray with a 1" foam wing for floatation.
I wrote this about Grandpa for his display in the kinetic museum:
"Dale “Grandpa” Olsen showed up for his first race with a kite, and nowhere to go but up. Over the years, Grandpa’s Fling machine has improved, and Dale has become a staple of the race. Grandpa has also developed a reputation for being one of the most frequent, if not the one of the best cheaters the race has known. Of course in this race there is a saying, “Cheating is a privilege, not a right” and Dale has earned that privilege many times over."
I’ll never forget the year he argued that he should have won the award for speed, despite the fact that 3 other riders were pulling and pushing him, or hearing the announcer telling the crowd that "Grandpa’s Flying Machine is about to exit the bay" as I stood next to Dale on shore. It’s true, the machine did exit. I’ll miss that cheating bastard.