by James Bacon

I remember when I came home and Craig told me he’d had a German guy over to check out the empty room. To be honest, I was hoping for a hot Scandinavian girl, but we got Holger. A young, outgoing German guy with massive sideburns. I was always a little jealous, because I can’t grow sideburns like that even if I never would anyway. because he said most people here couldn’t pronounce Holger properly and I sprouted the only German I know - Du bist ein waschlappen.

There’s always some trepidation when you meet a new housemate, but that didn’t last long. Holger came with me to Amy’s house for dinner on one of the first nights he was at the house and we had such a great time! I remember Amy and I telling each other how great a guy he was later that night. We had lots of laughs and came up with the nickname ‘Deutsch Dagger’. He didn’t like it much, but he always laughed it off.

Holger was so enthusiastic and outwardly happy all the time. You couldn’t punch the smile off his face when he knew he was going to Kamloops for his paragliding training to get his license and he couldn’t wait to show me the photo’s he took in the air when he got back. When he was telling me about the ski’s he’d broken, he was smiling. When he was telling me about the flat tire Max, Lawrence and Holger got in the middle of Rogers Pass in the dumping snow, he was smiling. When he walked in the front door at 7:35am after a night out, got changed and walked out at 7:40 to get the bus to work, he was smiling.

It was great to meet Lawrence and Max when they came to visit. We had a couple of dinners as a group and Max helped me build snow chairs and the fire in the backyard for New Years Eve. I’ve only had the pleasure of knowing and living with Holger for a few months, but to those who’ve know him for longer, I can’t begin to imagine how you feel at the moment.

As I work at the same resort, I heard of the accident very early on, but had no idea who was involved. I sent an SMS to both Craig and Holger to check if they were touring out in Greely that day. Craig replied, but Holger didn’t. I’d seen him earlier that morning, on my way to work. He was dressed to go touring and on the phone. I offered him a ride while trying not to interrupt him, but he declined as he was catching the bus. I walked out the door and that was it…

Everybody who knew Holger is feeling the pain of losing him, but we are all sticking together and hoping that Holgers family and friends back in Deutschland are doing the same. I decided I wanted to gather his belongings in his room. Among other things, there were postcards from Germany on his bedside table – I think that shows what his family meant to him.

Holger had been going to The Last Drop each Wednesday for chilli and beer so there will be a night of laughs and tears on Wednesday 27^th at 7pm at The Last Drop and anybody who would like join us to share stories and meet each other is invited to come along. If you have any photos, videos or memories, bring them along too and we will make sure they get back to his family.

James Bacon