Karl RIP

Meets Brisbane
21

I first met Karl when he came over to Adelaide for last years ACMC. Karl was one of the first interstate couriers I met and from the first beer I had with him I got the impression that he was just a top bloke.

When I first moved to Brissy I was keen to get involved in the scene. After I moved here I thought it was only a matter of time before I ran into some of the Brissy couriers I had met at the ACMC, and sure enough, Karl yelled out to me one sunday as I rode down Boundary st. The arvo that followed was my first introduction to sunday polo and the Brissy scene and the people involved in it who I now call my mates :slight_smile:

Cheers Karl

RIP

22

Karl…

He was a great guy. One you could spend hours with (as most of us did) knocking back beers… until the wee hours of the morn… (4am for Gear Brisbane opening night) Yes we were hungover for the alley cat.

My best memory of Karl, is when I met him on the polo court. It was the first night polo game, and we headed up to the top of a 5/6 story carpark (cant remember what the carpark was called, but it had a barrier around the edge that was about a meter high). Ranga Dave hit the ball to Karl, a little too far ahead of him. Karl mashed towards the ball, and the barrier. Pretty sure he got the ball, and bailed as he hit the barrier. His entire upper body was flung over the barrier. He managed to stay on our level, and for the rest of that night we were all thinking to ourselves, ‘FUCK ME! This dudes competitive.’
And this is how I will remember Karl. The one guy who had the balls to go for all.

My condolences go to Karl’s family, close friends, and even closer friends of the Brisbane Fixed Gear community.

Chris

23

Hi All
It’s Karl’s sister, Fiona here. Thanks for passing on the info about this thread. A ride / alleycat in Karl’s honour would be a very fitting tribute. You have our blessing to organise this.
All welcome at the funeral & wake:
Wednesday 23 September, 2009
11:00am
Albany Creek Crematorium, Albany Creek Road, Bridgeman Downs.
Wake from 12:30 at the Full Moon Hotel, 118 Eagle St, Sandgate.
Thanks for the kind words and photos.
Fiona

24

Thanks Fiona - much appreciated.
I hope you are all OK.

25

Just found out - bugger.

Will post later when I get my head around the loss of such a lovely person.

26

The first time I met Karl was also during the ACMC’s last year, me and my mate randomly met him and Simon at the pub a couple days beforehand, and from that moment on, as you all know, his natural charisma was immediately evident.
While I was working I saw him the next day, black bike, black clothes, like a ninja manouvering through the traffic. It was one of those days, I had 25 jobs on the screen, packages bursting out the bag and as I saw him riding he gave me one of those beaming smiles as if to say ‘mate, I feel for you’. That smile could lift the spirits of anyone.

You’ll be sorely missed Karl, I’m imaging you pulling a mad skid upto those pearly gates, throwing the bike against them and saying "Hey God, let me in dude, I’ve got a fucking priority on’

27

Thanks for all the good fast rides Karlzi.

An absolute speed machine that I always
wanted to catch but never could!

The things I seen you do on a bike I wouldn’t even
know how to consider doing them.

You will be missed,
RIP

Goose.

28

Heh I really don’t know what to say accept what an awful loss.
I remember karl fondly.
He messaged me after one of my first alley cats saying thanks for turning up.
Which was pretty kind for a fast cool young bloke to say to an old slow daggy bloke in a full face.

I will miss his hellos and his gentle nature
love you and rest in peace

full face

29

I was telling my wife that someone from polo had died. She’d only been once to have a look with my son and watched for 20 minutes or so.
Guess who the one person was that she actually remembered?

In her words…
‘Fantastic rider, cute to boot’

:slight_smile:

30

All welcome at the funeral & wake:

Funeral:
Wednesday 23 September, 2009
11:00am
Albany Creek Crematorium, Albany Creek Road, Bridgeman Downs.
(not Pintaroo)

Wake:
From 12:30 at the Full Moon Hotel, 118 Eagle St, Sandgate.

http://www.whereis.com/?id=99187FACF01EE

31

The Man…

The Machine…

As one…

R.I.P. Karl.

-JB

A few more hi-res shots of Karl on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/julianboot/sets/72157622402303014/

32

Just had the weirdest trip of serendipity and ended up calling karls number. His voice mail is still active so I left a MSG and I think it’s a really nice way of telling the man himself how you remember him and how he touched and affected your life. Peace to all and here’s to making Wednesday a day to remember one of the greatest people I have ever met. Love to all and to all a good night :mrgreen:

33

nice one…

34

Brett is orginising a ‘Silent Ride’ for Karl, Matt and Matt.
This coming Sunday night
9.00pm
City to New Farm
Come for the ride or meet us at the end for a drink in the park
More details to follow

35

Sounds like a great tribute. I’d be interested.

-John C

36

http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/~uqdangus/pictures/CIMG3101.AVI
http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/~uqdangus/pictures/CIMG3102.AVI
http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/~uqdangus/pictures/CIMG3103.AVI

Polo video links from antmandan
Cheers
Fiona

37

Will there be more info re: this ride?
Sorry for not making the funeral today…child care issues.

38

hey there
emma here.
feel a bit of an intruder to this community, but would like to offer a public tribute. I spent some time with Karl in Brisbane, a few years ago. we lost touch I think when he was moving on from living in Melbourne.

yesterday I found myself wondering, what’s Karl up to these days? I googled him. and sadly, unbelievably, found this thread.

sounds like with you mob, he was the same old Karl I knew. enthusiastic about life, up for challenges & adventures, optimistic, huge sunny smile, generous with his time, friendly to everyone, kind almost to a fault.

I was new to Brissy, and so he though he’d take me for a ‘bushwalk’ up the coast. soon found myself standing at the foot of Mt Beerwah staring up at the sheer incline. ‘yep it’s a bushwalk!’ he grinned at me. he wasn’t put off by the fact that i was scared of heights. he encouraged me all the way to the top. I think he could have run up and down the mountain twice in that time. i’ll never forget that.

I always thought he’d travel round the world, meet someone fantastic and have 6 gorgeous blonde kids…he would have been a great dad.

so I can’t make it to his funeral today. but I wish Fiona and all his family and friends some comfort in what a lovely person he was. sorry you’re gone Karl.
emma

39

karl…

u were the biggest influence in my entire life! i write to you now having been plagued with the images from ur memorial service… dont take this the wrong way but i dont know whether im gonna be huggin you, or beating the shit outta you, the next time we meet…

u were the brother i always wanted… but because of our father, u were the brother i never had… i’ve sub-consciously been basing my entire life around what would make u proud… well here it is bro, im a kickass deejay… a kickass bartender… and most of all, im a kickass human being… and im happy… i just wish i had the chance to share some of my love with you…

i’ve been seaching for u on facebook atleast once a week for the past two years, hoping that you would show up… i heard fi (as u liked to call her) say that ur facebook name was karl dibson or something as a joke… i wonder what both of our lives had been like had u not been such a clown and just used ur proper fucking name so that i could have gotten in contact with you before you made the decision you made… i have saved many of my friends from the point of despair, and i truely believe that i could have helped you, i am a ball of energy willing to help those who need it, like you, who needed it, but now, its too late…

i miss u karl, i really do… and judging by the sound of the people on these blogs, and the amount of people that turned up to say their farewells, u were more loved than you will ever know… i just can’t believe you’re gone…

you were a champion at everything you ever did… skating, soccer, cylcing, surfing, lawn bowls (thats right i remember) and im sure the list could go on for hours… haha remember that time u took me to that skatepark next to the old amazons water park… u tried to teach me how to ‘drop in’ on a skateboard… epic fail! but regardless of how grazed my knees and elbows were by the end of it, that was my fondest memory of you… or maybe it was the hand-brakies you did in that lil car you had when u were living with rudi (think it was yellow) shit man, they scared the shit out of me… yet funnily enough i wrote off 3 cars trying to replicate ur skills…

i cant stop thinking about what was going through ur head when u decided to do this… to have so much opportunity… to be surrounded by so much love… it just breaks my heart to even imagine the desperation you must have felt…

i know its only early but i dont think i will ever accept that this was ur time to go, however i take comfort in the fact that this was ur choice, and hope that ur decision had been well thought out…

this is the worst day of my entire life, i just cant believe that u are gone… i would trade anything for one more chat, one hug, or even just one word from you…

see you soon bro!

love you always and forever!

ur full brother todd!

40

Silent Ride
9.00 pm Sunday 27th
Depart 410 Ann Streeet, Cathedral Square
City stops
Finish approx 9.45 New Farm
Merthyr Park
Enter from Oxlade Drive at Sargent Street.
Come for the ride or meet at finish
Bring an old skid tyre to throw on the “tyre tree”
Lights and Bells recommended!