# Local cycling icon, Chris Hipp dies.



## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

It happened yesterday morning, July 14 on Sandhill road while he was riding to the Woodside morning ride.

Here is his website:
https://www.hippster.com/pages/personal.html



Here is some info about him from Norcalcyclingnews.com:
https://norcalcyclingnews.com/2009/07/14/christopher-hipp-2/
*Christopher Hipp*


July 14th, 2009 
As many of you may have already heard, local legend Christopher Hipp died today. The rumor mill is churning furiously, but I have yet to actually hear a first-hand account of what happened. I will not even attempt to report on the event itself, as that’s really not what is important.

_Hipp winning the P/1/2 Burlingame Criterium, roughly 1 year ago. From Garrett Lau.
_
Many of you probably knew Chris better than I, but I knew him well enough to be convinced that he was a fantastic individual. He was gruff, friendly, reserved, hiliarious, and kind-hearted all at once. I’ve yet to meet someone who didn’t like Chris, a testament to his character, and his personality had a broad appeal. I’ll try and illustrate what I mean.
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I first heard Chris Hipp’s name many years ago, uttered in admiration by one of my friends (who was one of the most brash and talented young sprinters I have ever met.)
“Dude, Chris Hipp is like 80 years old, and he has beat me in 10 straight Woodside Sprints!” he exclaimed to me after my first Valley Ride.
“Who is Chris Hipp?” I asked ignorantly.
“Oh, you’ll find out when you upgrade to the 2’s. He’s crazy, and he’s hella fast.”
Not only did Hipp have the legs to beat us young whippersnappers with a clean set of wheels, but he also had a presence and charsima that commanded the respect and reverence of arrogant college kids.
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On the opposite side of the spectrum, I have a somewhat quiet, reserved young female friend, who had briefly chatted with Chris from time to time on local group rides.
Not more than a few weeks ago, she excitedly told me about a recent ride in which she and Chris had “become friends,” more than just acquaintances. They talked about random things, really–cycling, cyclists, news, gossip–but that’s mostly what friendships are built on. Chris was a man who made everyone feel comfortable, and he made everyone want to be his friend.
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Finally, Chris Hipp always knew what to say, but it was rarely what you expected.
On the Morning Ride, another female friend of mine was hurting, struggling, and trying to hang on to the back.
She gasped to Chris, “Man, is this ride really fast today?” to which Chris responded instantly, without hesitation, “No, you’re just really slow.”
You can’t say things like that to just anyone, and that’s probably not what my friend was expecting to hear, but it made her laugh. That’s exactly what Chris could do: say damn near nothing at all, and say it quietly, but make you laugh even when you were suffering.
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I last saw Chris at the San Rafael Twilight, less than 3 full days ago. We chatted for a moment, exchanged a few good-natured barbs, and then he spotted someone he knew a few meters away. He made “crazy-eyes” at them, which was a most intimidating stare to say the least. After a few moments, he couldn’t hold it any longer, and a gigantic, warm smile burst across his face.
That’s how I remember him…crazy-eyes, and then a big huge smile.
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Tomorrow is the Valley Ride, a ride I’ve never seen him miss. I’m certain that a full-on memorial ride will take place over the next week or so, but I would like to do something special for him tomorrow night because that’s where I got to know the guy.
A lot of you read this blog, so I hope word of mouth carries this. How do people feel about a *SILENT ROLLOUT DOWN FOOTHILL* tomorrow, leaving from the usual Peets location? Obviously, calling out signs and obstacles is a necessity.
Leave your comments below. We’ll miss you Chris.
By: Hernandito ~ Posted in: too random


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## Rollo Tommassi (Feb 5, 2004)

*Condolences*

thoughts are with family and friends.


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## wipeout (Jun 6, 2005)

omg


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## ukbloke (Sep 1, 2007)

Very sad news indeed. He was too young to be taken away so suddenly. Condolences to his family and friends.

I did the Noon Ride today for the first time. We went past the spot on Sandhill where Chris died and the ride spent a few minutes there in silence. I think that Loraine and Chris's brother were on the ride.


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## SystemShock (Jun 14, 2008)

It's odd... some sites are saying a cause of death won't be released for several weeks, others are saying it was a heart attack.

Have to wonder what all the ambiguity and contradiction is about. Some sites are even differing on how old he was... some say 47, others, 49.

Just very strange. 

I wish his family and friends well. It's tough, and probably very unexpected.


http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Infrast...and-RLX-Founder-Chris-Hipp-Dead-at-49-412150/

http://www.almanacnews.com/news/show_story.php?id=4429


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## Sojourneyman (Jun 22, 2007)

He was way before my time in Texas, but he left a big presence here as well. It's been cool to see how he left such a positive and obvious impact to multiple cycling communities across the country. 

All the best to his family and friends


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## zender (Jun 20, 2009)

Not that it's any of our business, but it takes some time to determine the cause of death if it isn't obvious (e.g. trauma).


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 2001)

Wow, New York Times! Quite the man.

* <nyt_headline version="1.0" type=" "> Christopher Hipp, Who Bolstered Computer Power, Dies at 47</nyt_headline>http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/technology/business-computing/17hipp.html#*

<nyt_byline version="1.0" type=" "> By ASHLEE VANCE
</nyt_byline> Published: July 17, 2009 
Christopher G. Hipp, whose groundbreaking work with a supercompact computer helped companies vastly increase their computer power in a business world that is demanding more and more of it, died Tuesday while....


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/technology/business-computing/17hipp.html


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## mangotreat0808 (Sep 4, 2006)

First of all, deepest condolences to the family. This is truly a sad moment.

Read an article dated March 1, 2009 when the Merco Classic Grand Prix was held in Merced, CA. Streaming through the finish line first was national criterium champion Rahsaan Bahati of RR, and followed shortly in 9th place by Chris Hipp! I didn't know how competitive he was battling it out with criterium giants like Rahsaan- who's almost half his age.

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2009/mar09/merco09/merco092


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