Washington Surfer RIP and Water Funeral Announcement

[ill-advised strategy]

RIP to Ellen Debondt, the person I surfed with more than anybody else over these last 2 years. Seeing her and her husband always made my day. She was one of the friendliest people I've ever met.




I bet the muscles in her face were the strongest ones in her body because in hours and hours of time spent in the water with her I never saw her not smiling like this:



always smiling


I know it's short notice, but if anyone is on the strait and wants to paddle out for the Hawaiian style funeral, there are supposed be like 100 of us going out at Crescent at 2pm today.

A little over a year ago, paddlers Ken and Ellen DeBondt sold their Seattle house and moved to a rural home perched on a steep cliff above the picturesque Salt Creek Recreational Area on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington state. Active in sea kayaking, surf kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, whitewater kayaking, and stand up paddling, the home of their dreams was located above a popular surfing beach with access to the wild and scenic Strait of Juan de Fuca. Ellen continued her work as a nurse while Ken worked as a guide and instructor at local paddling shop, Adventures Through Kayaking.
On Sunday, March 6, Ellen’s pickup truck was stuck head-on by an alleged drunk driver who crossed the center line on Highway 112, not far from the DeBondt's home. Ellen did not survive the accident.


The 24-year-old woman who hit Ellen is an alleged repeat offender, who had stuck and killed a pedestrian in 2007 and had a prior DUI.

Originally from Hawaii, Ellen met Ken in the late 1990s during the annual La Push Pummel, a winter surf kayaking gathering known for its pounding shorebreak and huge storm waves. The couple married on the beach at La Push and went on to become the organizers of the event to this day.

Ellen was known for her brilliant smile and on the water for her pure stoke while surfing the beach below their house on the red homemade stand up paddleboard Ken made for her. Originally an artist by trade, Ken also shaped his own wave ski and has done so for others. The couple’s sticker-covered Volvo is a classic on Peninsula’s roads, with one sticker in particular: “Born Right the First Time.”

An account has been set up at Sound Community Bank for Ken DeBondt; contributions can be made in Ken's name (account 10544240). Contributions may also be made at any Sound Community Bank branch, or by check to the Port Angeles branch. Contact Tammi Hinkle for any questions or info relating to this account (tammi@atkayaking.com).

[Tunco]

She seems like a hella cool person.

+VIBES+

[Crystal_Mt_Dreamin]

My condolences on your loss.


"The 24-year-old woman who hit Ellen is an alleged repeat offender, who had stuck and killed a pedestrian in 2007 and had a prior DUI."

[ill-advised strategy]

yeah it's frustrating. This is almost cartoonish in its absurdity, the biggest douchebag collides with the nicest person ever, of course the douche is fine without a scratch after killing her second person.

Shit happens though. Nobody is safe.

[Bud]

god thats awful.... my condolences to all her family and friends.

How the hell was the drunk driver already back out in society if they killed someone just four years ago? Hopefully they get put away for a long time.

[sidewall]

Seems like a wonderful lady, condolences to all.

[hop]

Sorry to hear that Yeti, she sounded like a great person.

[Skibum2]

Damn! Fracking tragic. I hope that douche bag drunk gets life without any remote possibility of parole.

Condolences to friends and family...

[mtngirl79]

condolences... that highway and drunk drivers have claimed a lot of lives...

[BirdRock]

Wow. Sorry to read this. Your friend sounds like a wonderful person.

In regards to the sorry SOB that killed her... don't your friend's death be in vain. Follow the court case. Show up and make your presence felt. Bring friends of Ellen. Make sure this loser gets some serious jail time.

RIP Ellen. Great waves to you forever.

[ill-advised strategy]

I am weird and different in that my preferred outcome under these imperfect circumstances would be the perpetrator learn, grow, and dedicate her life to righting her wrongs in genuine earnest...as opposed to being punitively caged and living as a miserable tax burden.

No court can dictate that somebody be fed mushrooms and sat in a dark room to deeply and seriously plunge into heavy contemplation over the misery and suffering and loss of potential they've caused...but that's what I'd really like to see. I'd like to see this woman pitched into a full psychedelic journey of self-discovery and see her legitimately and willingly turn her life over to some kind of service.

I guess that's not going to happen though. I am not going to be at some county courthouse lobbying for vengeance though.

The closest thing to a realistic situation that I could envision being satisfying to me is if she somehow ended up with a lenient sentence and I was able to track her down and have a sit down detailing her moral and ethical obligations to the community. It's not that I don't think this sort of thing has consequences, I would just rather the consequences be set up as an obligation toward service instead of being thrown away in a cage.

edit: maybe I will write a letter expressing my feelings and send it to parties involved.

[surfgator]

Well stated. I hope the memorial was a cathartic and good turnout for everyone who knew Ellen.

[ill-advised strategy]

The funeral:


These things can sometimes have a silver lining, and this day in the water with so many people was one of them. Lots of waves ridden and and getting "the community" in the water together all at once...good stuff.

[skideeppow]

UNreal, so sorry. Repeat offender. WTF.
So sad

[L7]

24 years old and already killed 2 in separate incidents......... What the fuck can be said to that.

Sounds like a great loss to many communities and families. RIP

(Rot in fucking hell to the piece of shit that did this AGAIN!)