Sebastian
Irvine

Some kids you have to push. Sebastian you just had to keep up with. He came in fast and never really slowed down. Fast on his feet, fast to learn anything that caught his eye, fast on anything with wheels. Eighteen years went by at the same clip, quicker than anyone was ready for.

But speed was never the whole story. The remarkable thing about him is what he carried while moving that fast: a stoic calm that steadies a room, a sense of humor that defuses it, and a loyalty that means he's the first one to help and the last one to take the credit. He cares about the people around him so completely that his one real struggle was ever figuring out what he wanted. He's figured it out now, and watching him get there has been the best part of the journey.

The proof is in the miles. Leadership in his Scout troop. Cross country and track. Junior master metalworker, two yearbooks designed, four years behind the camera at Franklin Film School, and a documentary about summiting Mt. Hood with his best friend. Twenty miles on foot across the city and up Tabor in a single day. The Audi thrown into the corners at Portland International Raceway like he was born to it. He has never once turned down an adventure.

Next stop is the Fab School near Los Angeles, where the days are spent with a TIG torch, learning to build the frames of motorcycles, desert rally cars, and trophy trucks. He dreams of more than just being on fast wheels, now he's going to build them. Here's he will be introduced to the art of fabrication and the desert racing world. Where will this take him? Who knows, but the the desert calls.

A road like that runs away from home, and there's no pretending otherwise. A goodbye lives in it, and a first ride taken solo. The seat feels empty already. But you don't clip the wings of someone built to go, and there's nothing but pride for the man he became: the one who quietly teaches everyone around him how to be a little more decent, usually without meaning to.

So go. Go fast, go far, build something worth the trip. Just loop back now and then. The door stays open and the tank stays full.

With all our love.