Steve Tapp
Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2017 2:46 am
For those of you who don't visit GWTW very often I thought I'd share the sad news that Steve Tapp as passed away having succumbed to bone marrow cancer.
Steve was one of the most generous member of that forum, not only did he build and gift numerous kites to several lucky forum old-timers (myself included) but he invariably bought several tickets in any fund raising raffle that was run. He was one of BMK's best customers before starting to tinker with designs and building. At that time we were flying the Exile kite a bunch and he worked on a vented version, there being none available. I think I tested a couple of different versions for him as he refined the design (mesh and velcro'd patches with Aerostar adjustable standoffs). After BMK shutdown Steve evolved the Exile design into the Enigma which while largely faithful to look and feel of the Exile (and BMK in general) was a more pitch oriented and handled stronger winds better. The resulting kite had a huge window window and would wrap up comete with the best of 'em.
More recently he'd be sewing sails for Skyburner, after they'd lost their builder, Pam Kirk of Heads Up Kites also sadly to cancer. At the time Steve donate several kites to the fund raising effort to help with her hospice care, this was the type of wonderful bloke he was.
I got to say my goodbyes last week and thank him for his friendship and his generosity over the years. He'll be greatly missed by us in the US, too few and too far afield as we are, but very fondly remembered.
-Frazer
Steve was one of the most generous member of that forum, not only did he build and gift numerous kites to several lucky forum old-timers (myself included) but he invariably bought several tickets in any fund raising raffle that was run. He was one of BMK's best customers before starting to tinker with designs and building. At that time we were flying the Exile kite a bunch and he worked on a vented version, there being none available. I think I tested a couple of different versions for him as he refined the design (mesh and velcro'd patches with Aerostar adjustable standoffs). After BMK shutdown Steve evolved the Exile design into the Enigma which while largely faithful to look and feel of the Exile (and BMK in general) was a more pitch oriented and handled stronger winds better. The resulting kite had a huge window window and would wrap up comete with the best of 'em.
More recently he'd be sewing sails for Skyburner, after they'd lost their builder, Pam Kirk of Heads Up Kites also sadly to cancer. At the time Steve donate several kites to the fund raising effort to help with her hospice care, this was the type of wonderful bloke he was.
I got to say my goodbyes last week and thank him for his friendship and his generosity over the years. He'll be greatly missed by us in the US, too few and too far afield as we are, but very fondly remembered.
-Frazer
