The Internet is an amazing thing. It allowed a thoughtful, decent guy like Quiet to touch the lives of countless people he never even knew were following his posts. People like me.
Back when I started in this business I read GFY frequently but I never posted much because I was busy, didn't think I had much of value to add, and well, the culture was a little intimidating.
Still, certain people made an impact, and after all of these years if someone asked me who I remembered from those days on GFY, Quiet would be one of the first to come to mind.
I feel absolutely terrible that his life has been cut short, and that he won't be snowboarding for decades to come. When the front page of GFY loaded and I read the title of this thread, I felt my stomach churn and my pulse race, as if I'd just found out about the death of a close friend. It seems strange to be affected so strongly by the death of someone I don't know, but only know of. Perhaps its a testament to Quiet, who stood out as a good and genuine person in an endless sea of cruelty and nastiness.
In addition to the above expressions of regret and sorrow from his GFY family, maybe his loved ones will take some small additional comfort in knowing that he touched a great many more people than he probably ever knew. People who will be reminded that while life is harsh and unpredictable, kindness and decency can be found in even the most unlikely places, and they leave a lasting impression. People like me.
RIP Quiet