It’s been a year since my son’s boyhood friend tragically died in Hawaii from a surfing accident. His body was never recovered. I wanted to take a moment to remember this bright shiny boy and the joy he brought to everyone he met.
The loss of a child cannot be fathomed.
Who could ever be prepared for their child to die before them?
There must be endless tears and sorrow and sadness and a forever and unrelenting pain.
For me, it’s a pure and simple matter.
If I never heard my son’s voice again or was never able to wrap my arms around him, I don’t know if I could take another breath.
…On Wednesday, November 13, 2013, Kirk Passmore, 32, a passionate big-wave surfing veteran and Hawaii resident, is presumed to have drowned and as of today his body has not been found.
One minute he was alive, surfing an estimated 20-foot wave at Alligator Rock on Oahu’s North Shore, with an audience of other surfers and photographers.
He dropped into the steep face of the wave before falling over the front of his board and into the water.
It was the last time anyone saw him.
Although extensive searches have been conducted in the area, he’s been missing since the day of the accident and is presumed drowned.
It was all caught on video.
This is the video of his last wave. Somehow he never made it out alive.
His dad wanted the his final ride shared with as many people as possible.
Maybe you heard about this. Maybe you were watching the news on television and you paid scant attention to the story while you were on the computer or eating dinner.
Maybe you read it on the internet and saw the pictures or the video.
You probably thought to yourself or even said out loud, ” Wow, that’s really sad.”
Kirk Passmore.
Why am I writing about him?
Yes, it’s true that he was someone’s child, brother, friend.
But he was also one of my son’s friends.
They went to school together.
He’s the first of my son’s friends to die.
Kirk had the biggest smile and the reddest hair. Everyone called him “Fanta” or “Red”.
He was one of the many boys I’d chauffeur around, packed like sardines in the back seat, all gangly legs and arms, endlessly stuffing their mouths — bottomless pits of growing boy bodies– with the cookies and smoothies and other snacks cheerfully provided to everyone who came over.
A carful of boys talking about school, skateboarding; laughing, always smiling, always a thank you for the ride as he slammed the car door.
“See ya, Jason.”
A flash of bright red hair lit the way as he ran up the walkway to his house.
But no more.
I bet for most of these boys – and I still call these thirty-somethings BOYS because to me they will always and forever be “the boys” or “the guys” — my son’s friends from Kelly Elementary, Valley Junior High, and Carlsbad High School — this is their first experience with death and subsequent thoughts of their own mortality.
I feel so bad for his family and his friends who are mourning him with candlelight vigils, surf paddle-outs, tributes, and memorials.
To honor Kirk, they’re handling their pain with grace and beauty.
One of them, artist Bryan Snyder, created a memorial wall in our town. If you’re ever in Carlsbad, check it out.
Our deepest sympathies go out to Kirk’s family. Our hearts are heavy and we are so very, very sorry for their loss.
The Passmore family released the following statement:
Kirk was born February 11, 1981 in Orem, Utah. He grew up in Carlsbad, California and graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1999 where he was a member of the school’s surf team for four years. As a youth, he was active in pop warner football, little league baseball, and basketball but his love was in surfing.
He started coming to Hawaii when he was 14 and was an experienced and expert surfer. He was not new to big wave surfing, having surfed most of the well-known big wave locations, including Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach, Pipeline and outer reefs on the north shores of Hawaii. He was a familiar face at Todos Santos off Baja California. He also surfed Maverick’s in northern California and Puerto Escondido in Mainland Mexico. He spent 3 years in the southern coast of France. He moved to the north shore of Hawaii full-time in the spring of 2012.
Kirk was a part owner of Third Stone Surfboards in Waialua, Hawaii and a Manager at Bonzai Sushi in Haleiwa, Hawaii.
He is survived by his mother, Diane Passmore (Orem, Utah), father and step-mother, David and Karey Passmore (Sunset Beach, Hawaii), siblings, Alyson Adams (Highland, Utah); Merrily Roberts (Encinitas, California) and Matthew Passmore (serving an LDS mission in New York, New York).
The family wishes to thank the Coast Guard, the City and County of Honolulu lifeguards and Fire Department who continue the search.
Related articles
- Family, friends remember surfer’s passion (utsandiego.com)
- Kirk Passmore’s Family Releases Statement on Missing Surfer (bleacherreport.com)
- Utah-born surfer missing after wiping out on 20-foot Oahu wave (fox13now.com)
- Big Wave Surfer Kirk Passmore Presumed Dead After North Shore Wipe Out (americanlivewire.com)
- Big-wave surfer Kirk Passmore missing, presumed drowned after wiping out (grindtv.com)
- Kirk Passmore’s father wants others to see his son’s last ride (grindtv.com)
- Search Continues For Missing Big Wave Surfer In Hawaii (newsy.com)
- Surfer missing after wiping out on big wave (wyff4.com)
- Search for Carlsbad surfer in Oahu (utsandiego.com)
- Big-wave surfer missing (cnn.com)
So tragic. My heart goes out to everyone impacted by this beautiful boy’s passing. It’s never easy.
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Thank you, sweet friend. It brings me back to my son’s surgery, I don’t even like to think about what I’d be like now. If. Anyway, happy Tday to you and your family!
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Thank you for a profound and moving tribute to a young man who lived with passion and joy. I share Paulette’s feelings – my heart goes out to everyone impacted by this beautiful boy’s passing…
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Thank you so much. A whole year — I can’t even imagine the family’s pain.
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I can’t imagine the torment of never recovering his body, that seems to add to the pain.
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It really does, doesn’t it? That open wound. Tragic.
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That was beautifully written. My throat caught when I read “see ya, Jason.” We never know when could be the last goodbye. I live in Carlsbad– where is the memorial wall located exactly? Thank you for posting this. I’m hugging all six of mine a bit tighter.
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Thank you so much. I’m not sure it’s still there, but this is the location of the wall. It’s near the Carlsbad Village train station in downtown Carlsbad, across from the northern end of the station’s parking lot
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This is a beautifully written tribute. My condolences to Kirk’s family and friends.
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So many of our young people die before they should, like Kirk and like Michael Brown in Ferguson. So sad.
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So sad and tragic. I’m just 4 years older than him and have friends his age, I can’t imagine the pain and sorrow his family and friends are still going through. A beautiful and moving tribute from yourself. May he and all young people we lose too soon, rest in peace.
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My son told me that all the guys here and in Hawaii had a tribute to him on his one year anniversary; my son wasn’t able to go, but I can only imagine how his family must feel. Nice to hear from you!
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Life is unpredictable ! Treasure the loved ones that are still with us and every moment when we’re with them!
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Yes, that’s the message I got out of it, too. I’m enjoying every minute with my son!
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This was a beautiful way to share this young man.
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Thank you very, very much. It’s beyond sad when a young adult dies.
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