One week ago the NW Road Reps were in Bend Oregon for the premier and celebration of Jared Elston’s El Camino pro model release. We woke up Thursday October 9th to unthinkable news that we had lost a team rider and so much more in Justin Norman.
Justin_Norman_Mt.Bachelor- Photo by www.brofotos.com Erik Bro Hostetler
This news came at a really rough time as we were all preparing for the big event to happen in Bend celebrating Jared, but having everyone together, the Road Reps crew, Justin’s Bend crew, Tactics staff and team riders and the entire local snowboard community made for a very special moment to truly celebrate Justin’s life and what he meant to all of us and to honor him in a major way.
Justin_Norman_Mt.Bachelor- Photo by www.brofotos.com Erik Bro Hostetler
At the event, we took a moment of silence and we shared the below words. We’d like to take this space to continue to celebrate Justin and what he meant to us and to the community, he was truly a family member of the NW Road Reps crew, going above and beyond always to build with us. He will always be family and we will always celebrate his spirt. We also want to take this moment to say, we’re here for you, the snowboard community is here for you and your local community is here for you. Justin took his own life, we’re all here left behind wishing we could have intervened or done more or been there or known what was truly going on with Justin. We want to push this message, please check on your friends, your team and if you’re the one struggling, please remember what is standing with you and behind you in this life…
Words shared prior to the moment of silence by John Crouch for Jnorm with a VERY powerful outburst of celebration after for our dear friend-
“Its my honor to share some quick words and a moment of silence for a big snowboard community member and friend that passed away this week Justin J-Norm Norman.
I had the pleasure of putting Justin on Arbor over 10 years ago and enjoyed many great years working together in snowboarding. Justin was OG tactics snowboard team rider and from what we heard yesterday, helped get Jared on the team.
Welcome to all of Justins community in the building, he ran with a large pack always. Justin was a person that always showed up. In our experience Justin would bring the rails, the tattoo machines, strong cooking and hospitality and of course caught everyone’s eye when he had the board strapped to his feet.
He was always smiling. He encouraged everyone he encountered to get out there and to enjoy life. He pushed the limits on the snowboard and he was truly larger than life, lighting up the world everywhere he went. He left his mark in the form of tattoos on many of us here and many in our community and beyond, including 30 people in one night at an event we threw last year… He was so loved and such an appreciated person and that shows with the outpouring of love we’ve seen in all the socials in the past days.
Tonight we’re here to honor Jared, but wanted to take a moment to appreciate reflect and share memories of Justin.
For me, death of a close friend makes the world feel very alive, instantly. Yesterday cruising around Bend I just couldn’t help but think, we’re walking around on a live and breathing planet, when someone we love departs us, there’s a void left behind, the world can feel empty, something is definitely missing. There’s hurt, there’s sadness but there can be joy in the remembrance and celebration of the vacuum someone like Justin leaves behind and while the sadness is important, joy and celebration is what Justin would want of us tonight…
Our community is strong, look around, these are all people standing here together, they are here to support. If you’re going through it, know there are MANY who want to know, want to help and are here for you. Let’s push some big energy into the world tonight for Justin and use that to celebrate this great occasion with Jared.”
Justin tattooing one of the 30 people he inked down at the NWRR March Radness Event
Justin cooking at a campout with Arbor team at Mt Hood, he loved to cook and care for people.
