Live each day to its fullest

[BK]

Hey everyone -

I'm in a state of shock right now. We need prayers - lots of prayers.

One of my old 'racin buddies' from the California COBRA days collapsed today - he suffered an aneurism at his friends shop. He is young - in his mid 30's and worked many years for Dick Sherrer Marine. He is the father of one little girl.

I was told tonight that he is gravely ill and in a hospital in Riverside Cal. :(

I used to tease him about his double crashes at Havasu where he earned the knickname 'Frogman". He left boat racing not long after I moved to Texas, and he got deeply involved with Jet-Ski racing - going on all the tours. For about 10 years, we had lost touch with each other. He got married and started a family.

A few years ago, we ran across each other on the Internet, and we've been catching up on life over the past couple of years. He had just started his own jet-ski motor building business and I helped him dress up his resume' to go job hunting a few months ago.

I promised him that I would scan some old photos of our fun group, affectionately known as the "COBRA BRATS". We had so much fun in those old days :(

But I never got around to scanning those pictures :(

-- Never put off for tomorrow, what you can do today --

To Kurtis Seebold --- here are the photos I promised you. Hang in there "Frogman"!
We love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BK]

Very early morning at the Parker Enduro - about 1989-90.

Front: friends since childhood: Joe Johnson & Kurtis Seebold
Boat in Back: Uncle Ted May and his famous "Hell Cat"
Left side of photo: Craig Schiad and "Team Enduro"

[gdfatha]

Hi Kurtis..

Although we have never met I pray for, and wish you a speedy recovery..

marc bivona

[CDave]

He is in my prayers.
I lost a friend, he was only 40, to an aneurism eariler this year.

[skatermike24]

Our prayers and thoughts are with Frogman and his family, get well soon!:cool:

[AnthonySS]

BK,

Your Heart in this alone could heal your freind...prayers go a long way!!!

NO PROBLEM

[Scott]

The Confraternity Of The Most Holy Rosary
has heard your request

[BK]

Thank you guys SO MUCH! You are awesome!

And I know in my heart that Kurt thanks you too.

I'm too afraid to call the hospital and they probably won't tell me anything anyway. I haven't heard back from the guy who E'd me, so I'm going to calm down and suspect that no news is good news.?

Kurt was not related to the famous Seebold family (not that he was aware of, anyway) but it was fun when we'd be at a small local race driver's meeting -- and the Race Director would be doing roll-call -- when he got to Kurt's entry, he'd yell "SEEBOLD", and Kurt would call out his number. All heads would immediately turn to find the "Seebold" in their midst! lol You'd hear everyone whispering to find out who the mysterious Seebold was....

He and I played 'Who's number' on Instant messages -- Some days out of the blue he'd send an IM with just a boat number from the past: Like 75 or 286 or 191 -- and I'd respond with the answer. Lee Holden, M. Seebold, J McConnel - We'd always try to stump each other.

Kurt is the coolest guy. He makes friends with EVERYONE and can keep a crowd laughing for hours. Absolutely a ton of fun.

He also has a heart of pure gold. A few months after our best friend "Texas Thunder" Red Hindman was killed at the Havasu Classic, knowing how upset I still was, Kurt sat in my rental car with me at a hotel in Parker AZ for hours, with the song "Thunder Struck" blasting away, while we recalled memories of Red. :(

Kurt is a super guy.

[Just Streamin]

Never met him but my thoughts and prayers are with him

[BK]

I left a message on Kurt's phone -- it was so painful to hear his chipper voice asking me to leave a message at the tone. :(

A friend who is monitoring Kurt's cell phone, just called me back.....
He said they are currently running tests on Kurt for brain activity.

:(

Dear God - please let him pull through this.

:( :confused: :(

[BK]

Knowing that Kurtis was a jet ski guru, and not wanting to bother his cell phone anymore -- I searched all the jet ski message boards for any good news.

But no good news there.

I'm still somewhat in shock, but saw a message in the last sentence in this post below. A good reminder to us all. :(

Awful things can happen in the blink of an eye.
How totally tragic. :(


Subject: Kurtis Seebold a father, a wrench and a freind
From: "momar" momarski@yahoo.com
Date: 5/16/2002 8:04 PM US Eastern Standard Time
Message-id: <gGYE8.74022$071.28079370@typhoon1.we.ipsvc.net>

The jet ski racing community is like one big sometimes disfuntional family but deep down inside we all like each other and we have lost a brother who did alot a good for all of us! He was always respectful and freindly and gave me many a good deals! I am really hurting inside! Kurtis Seebold passed
away today at 2:30! It was just yesterday me and him were talking like normal, everything was allright and just a little while later he suffered an aneurism to the brain and basically thats all she wrote! If you got any freinds that you have had a falling out with and deep down inside you'd like to repair this relationship, don't wait to long or you might not get the chance! In closing I hurt, its as simple as that!

[NPK2003]

I hadn't been to the board for a while, so when I started reading this thread, it was more like a story unfolding. Gosh, what a heart breaker. Here I am starting to say my prayers for Kurtis and smiling at the same time looking at the pictures BK posted of the gang back then. When I finished reading the posts above mine, my heart just grieved as it pumped.

I DO believe that our prayers were heard and that Kurtis was taken from us because the alternative of life after the attack might have been too hard for anyone to bear. I didn't know him, but know of friends like him that I too have lost.

BK. You are a real inspiration to me, and I am sure to many more of this board. You have HEART! I am sorry for the grief you must once again feel, and because you have such a "Huge Heart" for people in general, your pain must be great.

Tommorow, or whenever the sky is clear and brilliant blue, and you look up and see the white, swirling streaks of a vapor trail on high, streaking quickly across the horizion, comfort yourself by thinking that the vapor trail is really the prop stream of a friend blasting to and fro up there in heaven! Our prayers made it possible!;)

[BK]

thank you Nick. Gosh - you got me all choked up!

This day has been difficult, and your letter helped my spirits a bit. I'll be looking in the sky tomorrow.

They are establishing a memorial trust fund for Kurtis' little 4 year old daughter. I'll post the info when I get it.



Thank you again guy - You're pretty special too!

[BK]

:(


Farewell, Kurtis.
.... We'll meet again someday. :(

[AnthonySS]

Dear BK,

I am so sorry to hear the news of the day...I really thought he would pull through

...I thought I was pretty solid as a Christian...but I am really short of words today!!...sorry!

THANKS NICK I think you said it all ...and I right now cannot say it any better.

God Bless you Kurtis...everything will be OK BK:)

[ALLISON7710]

SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT KURTIS. IM SURE HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED AND MY PRAYERS GO OUT TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS. GOD BLESS YOU KURTIS I KNOW YOU ARE IN A BETTER PLACE KNOW. THANKS ERIC.

[H2Onut]

Truely sad ...very sad.

My prayers go out to the entire family.

[ZZGRAFFIX]

Sorry to hear about Kurt. One of the best crank guys in the business for sure and an all around good person. Never met him personally but had work performed by him on many occasions in the past. I still ask why take a little girls Daddy and a young wifes Husband. Although I know we are not supposed to question these things, I just can't help it. Kurt will be missed by many many people.