R.I.P. Sean Callahan
This has been such a tragic year for rollerblading. Once again, we’ve lost another one of our greats, Sean Callahan.
One of my fondest memories with Sean was going to see a Roots concert with him in St. Louis as well as a little skating. On the way back, he offered to drive because it was 3AM and I was extremely tired. Next thing I know I wake up to Sean slamming against the left guard rail after falling asleep and then hitting the opposite guard rail, pretty much destroying the front end of my 1995 Accord. Needless to say, most people would be upset if their friend wrecked their car, but Sean was such a great friend and person, all I could do was laugh about it. He took care of everything too, including paying the deductible to get it fixed and even loaned me his car for a while so I would have a way to get to school and work. He truly went above and beyond and I always wanted to return the favor somehow but sadly I’ll never get that chance.
He was truly a great friend and over the next few years we drifted apart after he moved to Bloomington, Indiana, but our paths would occasionally cross and it was always great to see him. It’s sad that the only news I have heard over the last few years was from mutual friends Sean and I have, and now I hear this.
I hope everyone realizes that Depression is a serious thing, and if not treated properly this can be the result. My heart goes out to his family and to Sean, wherever he is. Rest in peace buddy, you were an amazing person and a gift to rollerblading. You will be missed.
I wish I had some more recent photos of Sean but all I have are these extremely old photos from the old site. Regardless, I’ll always think of him as a dude who could shred in his own special way. He was definitely a one of a kind skater. You can also check out some old video of him in both TLS 1 and 2 (both available on Vimeo).
