Placement of Bruce's Memorial Plaque
on Saturday, 5/8/04
by Brendan Pegg

The purpose of going to Chief’s on Saturday was not to fly, it was to install the Bruce Wallace Memorial Plaque.  I was glad to see the people that showed up for that.  Many of the faces from the Age-of-the-Innocence were there.  Kristi, Art, Bob, Ron, Benson and even Dan (who was unmistakably still Dan while at the same time being unmistakably different).  Other faces from that era that would have been nice to see would have included Tom Truax, Sharon Sweeney, Bill Bailey, and Zvi.  Eddie was on the fringes working as usual.  Also in attendance were people that had been added to the mix along the journey.  OJ, Tom P, Chris G, and Casey.

Anyway, the mood at Chiefs had a very different feel to it as we unloaded a wheel barrow and concrete rather than our wings.  Once a suitable spot was selected, I commented that we had a standard “CalTrans work party” going; with 2 people working and 6 people standing around making wisecracks (I was one of the 6).

The spot selected worked out perfectly.  It is about a 2 minute walk up the hill from launch .  There are nice rocks to sit on if you want to spend some time there, and it overlooks Ojai.  The base has several large rocks piled up, so it is visible while flying, but only if you know where to look.

We took some pictures after the installation was complete, and then for me at least, there was an awkward moment when we wondered if something should be said about Bruce.  A moment of silence perhaps?  A few words about how much he meant to us, or how we felt about his absence?  Maybe something instead about his presence that we were feeling as we worked on his plaque and thought about him.

As it turned out nothing was said, we each chose our own form of acknowledging him I suppose.  This may in part have been due to the fact that the day was definitely on (as evidenced by an out-of-towner who was skyin out above our heads) and we were all dashing for our gear.

When Kristi, Konner, and I all go to Chiefs, we try to set it up so both Kristi and I can fly.  The plan is for me to fly around for half an hour or so and then top land so Kristi can launch and I can drive down with Konner.  In order for us both to be able to fly with our friends, I need to get off early in the lineup.  With so many people on launch, and another out of towner already set up, I was very “hurried” in my preflight.

I launched with my speed bar badly twisted and tangled under my thighs.  Made for full speed and an uncomfortable seat.  The lift was strong and a bit rowdy so I waited until I was a couple hundred over before I started trying to fix it.  Letting go of the brakes made for some pretty radical wing oscillations, and the only way to free the speed system was to weight shift to my left while I hauled on the right line to pop the quick-link.  I felt like I was setting myself up for some SIV practice, but I eventually got the thing free without causing too much of a spectacle.

The lift over the main ridge, and over launch was abundant.  Easy climbs to 6K from anywhere you like.  After about 20 minutes of watching people launch, I decided to tag Twin Peaks and then come back in for my top landing.  But once I got back up to the launch, and I was setting up to land, I saw that there weren’t any cars left at launch.  Kristi and Konner were already driving down the hill.  Some poor communication had Kristi thinking that I flew out to land so she just assumed she had driver duties.

So, back up to 6K and on course.  Hit about 5K at the Stooges and watched as Ron F, Casey, and Tom P all floundered very low in the bowl by Bruce’s Point.  I stayed at the Stooges, thinking that if they were all in the pit of despair, I wasn’t going over.  But what do you do with 5K at the Stooges?  Finally I saw all three of them climb through impossible odds and sky out, so I headed over just in time to catch the next massive sink cycle.

How ironic, I thought as I set up to land on Gridley Trail, that we should all end up being pulled in at Bruce’s Point.  But then I got hit with a ratty little gust that popped me up about 20 feet and I began the groveling-scratch-fest that would eventually get me out of there.

Last Wednesday I had been flying at the Grade by myself.  I had my radio on, but since there wasn’t anyone to talk to, I switched it over to the local FM station and listened to music.  Sara McLaughlin’s song about being in the arms of the angels took on a whole new meaning as I was lifted skyward at the Grade.  And I thought of it again as I was battling for lift at Bruce’s Point.  More than once I cried out, “C’mon Bruce, I need a little help here!!”

And help he did, but as anyone that knew Bruce would know, he had a little fun with it too.  I doubt I had a full wing for very much of the climb out.  I got tossed and gusted and bounced around so much that when Eddie and Casey were chatting on the radio about their landings, I got on to say, “THERE ARE PEOPLE WORKING OUT HERE!!!”

Later, at Boccalis, Dan would tell us about a “train ride” he took while in the hospital, somewhere in the swirling ether between comatose, dreamland, and semi-consciousness.  I compared it to the train in the last Matrix movie that operated between reality and the surreal matrix.  And, in some ways, I felt like I was taking my own wild train ride at Bruce’s Point.  Feeling his presence, dealing with the sadness, reliving some past memories, and flying my guts out just so I could enjoy some beers with everyone at Boccalis rather than spend my afternoon hiking out.

I ended up climbing to about 4500 over Bruce’s.  Plenty to resume course for the high school, but I had had enough. As I took the smooth air glide away from the mountains I felt a strong sense of relief.  Time to leave it all behind and celebrate life with my friends in town.


I think I may have created the wrong impression with my posting.

Installing the plaque wasn't actually an event.  Nobody was invited, nor was anyone excluded.  It was just something that needed to get done.  My thoughts on who was there (and who wasn't) were just my own reflections back to the days that a certain few of us would religiously bounce up to Chiefs in Tom Truax's brown suburban.

Tom P had tried several times to organize a get-together around the installation, but each time there were people that were available, and others that wanted to be there, but weren't available.  It kept getting put off and put off, and finally it just needed to get done.  Tom told me that he was planning to go up and just do it alone.

It so happened that a few extra of us ended up tagging along.

I think that is also the reason that we didn't say a few words for Bruce at the conclusion.  It wasn't a memorial service, we already did that two years ago.  The plaque is up now, for everyone's benefit.  Pay your respects as you best see fit.

Thanks especially to Tom P for his work in arranging for the plaque and installing it.  Thanks to Benson for the design.  Thanks to John and Susan Klor for bringing the tools.  Thanks to everyone that contributed in all the different ways.

Brendan