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Today I gave myself over to a flood of memories from his life. Nik telling me that "I better be ready to jump alot if I'm going to come under his wing," early in my BASE career.
Nik turning his front lawn into an other-worldly sea of flourescent green that wasn't even safe to walk on with bare feet. . . but it WAS the "greenest lawn in Portland." "Better gardening through chemistry!"
Nik at my house after a night of revelry and fun, telling a goofy story in a Scottish accent to a roomful of spun-out, wide-eyed friends. Where did he come up with stuff like that? "The half-prrrrretzel."
Nik and I opening my first new object together, the Frasier Tower, me in all my newbie excitement and him sharing and amplifying that excitement with a smile on his face.
Nik and I jumping LaTourelle after being up for 48 hours straight, looking one another in the eye at exit: "is this really a good idea?" Went anyway, perfect landings and big smiles all around.
Nik lecturing me about BASE politics - he knew I didn't care, but he always had to try.
Nik cutting in front of me while I was getting ready to do my first aerial at the Perrine: "let me show you how it's done, mate." A piked double-gainer.
Crashing at Nik's place after a night out on the town for a few hours sleep. Key was always there, under the hedgehog. Was there a BASE jumper in America who didn't know where the key to Nik's house was?
Nik's freezer and its legendary trove of goodies, shared freely with friends when the timing was right.
Nik trying out his professional slide-shows on us jumpers before he presented them at coroner's conferences. He was always so eager to share, even as our stomachs churned.
Nik taking "a deep 4" off of Sputnik which was actually more like 3.5. But who was really counting - it was a beautiful day and I cherish the memory of that jump.
Nik obsessing about his legendary Portland BASE crew barbeques - arranging everything just right, inviting everybody, fussing over all of us like the majestic host that he was.
Nik and his goddamned bloody lucky meteorite - where was that good luck when we needed it most, my friend?
Nik and his excuses when he didn't want to jump because it was rainy and miserable. He'd never just say "no;" he was always "on call" or "not packed." Never just "no" - a point of pride with him in his own funny way.
Nik and his manic excitement to jump the Trinity Tower with us - even with way too much wind. We never did get to make that jump, my friend.
Nik and his plans to have a murder mystery dinner at my house. "If you don't come in costume and in character, you can't come at all" he said so stridently. I believe him - he would have pulled it off and we'd have had a ball I'm sure. Who else could do something like that and get a bunch of self-important BASE jumpers to let their hair down and laugh at themselves.
Nik pouring his heart into his attempt to save Brian after his PC failure - "breathe, ##### goddamnit BREATHE!" If anyone could have saved Brian, it was Nik (and Dwain).
Nik proudly displaying his badge while opening access to Sputnik for all of us. "I did good, didnt' I?" Yes you did, my friend, you did good.
Nik and his random BASE board posts after one too many red wines - did anyone really understand them? I suppose Nik did, and that's what mattered.
Nik smoking cigarettes and drinking Bud at 9 in the morning after picking me up at the Boise airport - I'm damned glad he smoked all those Reds, now. Good on you, mate!
The last jump Nik and I did together, again at LaTourelle. Both of us had bad openings, and bad landings. Nik cartwheeled head-first into a blackberry bush. Both of us, smiling and laughing, dusting off the dirt and briers. "Now THAT is BASE jumping!" Nik, under canopy, setting up for what was going to be a less-than-pretty landing: "uh, oh. . ." Me laughing out loud, laughing so hard on the drive home my stomach hurt the next day.
Nik on the day of Dwain's 1000th. "1000 smiles and counting. . . " There were more smiles than that, Nik, so many more.
Nik, lest any of us forget, the "REIGNING BRIDGE DAY CHAMPION.' That you were Nik, that you were.
Nik, you were a champion in so many ways more than that. So many memories, so many smiles, every time I start to come to some provisional peace with our loss. . . more memories come flooding back. Smiles, and tears.
I hold all these memories close to my heart, never to fade away. For us fortunate ones, we are sometimes blessed in life with a few truly great friends. It hurts so much to lose them - but it would hurt even more if we never had them as friends at all.
Nik, I accept the horrible pain I feel as a tiny price to pay for the joy, happiness, wisdom, and life you gave me in our time together. I thank you for everything, a thousand times over. I'll never forget your last words to be: "be safe, my friend."
That I will, Nikolas, that I will.
Peace,
Douglas B. Spink
ddog@wrinko.com
