DS mag is dedicated to Sam Taylor,who was my friend.
Often when I ride through the mountains of Kananaskis and Banff Park, I see beside me a smiling ghost on a shiny old black Pan. It's an illusion I know but when you have done something so many times, it can seem to be real, when it's not anymore.
Sam Taylor met his end doing what he loved doing, riding Baby along a stretch of highway. We were supposed to be riding to a run together but Sam had to work late at the Kananaskis lodge where he cooked. He said that he would catch up with us and just never made it. Another victim of a cager in a hurry, who did not take a corner right, but that is another story.
I remember meeting Sam for the first time like it was just yesterday. I had just come into the bar to see my old lady, who was pouring the drinks there. On a barstool sat this cocky little shit chatting her up. He just sat there with this shit eating grin and said "Hey there, I'm Slam'n Sam! How are ya", in the face of that what could I do but have a drink and start getting to know this guy who would end up making a lot of changes in my world.
Over the next couple of years we rode a lot of miles together, faced trouble back to back and generally raised the kind of hell, that left people shaking their heads, but they always welcomed us back and waited to see what we would do next.
Hell I never lived larger than when Sam was around. My old lady liked him, but never knew what we would be up to next, which gave her a few sleepless nights, but that's life.
I probably have drawn you a picture of a mischievous scoundrel, well Sam was all of that and a whole lot more. He was always ready to help anybody in distress, and yes especially damsels. He would work for hours on the side of the road to get somebody's sled up and running. All he would say is "Never leave a biker on the side of the road and you owe me a beer sometime".
The run he was going to when he died was turned into a memorial run to him the next year. His friends the Pair A Dice Riders (I hope I wrote that right) from near his home back east, gave him his last ride to the cemetery in true biker style, and his sister is having Baby rebuilt and some of his ashes will be included in the final product. So they will both be together on the road again some day.
Sam was one of the first people to help me brain storm through the ideas that eventually became this magazine. So it will always be my living reminder of our friendship, and hopefully a long standing tribute to what being a rider is all about.
Big Dog
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