Håkan "carla" Carlqvist unfortunately passed away.

Coyote
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Coyote 7/7/2017 6:09pm
7/7/2017 6:09pm
Bearuno wrote:
This is so unexpected - he's one of those blokes I'd thought would be around for years to come. I'd not seen a word about any...
This is so unexpected - he's one of those blokes I'd thought would be around for years to come. I'd not seen a word about any illness.

I remember him riding with, I think, "Still Moving" on the back of his pants, on a privateer Kawi after Yamaha had let him go. They produced the Watercooled YZM500 in '87 after they'd given him the flick. What he could have done with that bike........

He raced here in Australia, after getting his 500 title for Yamaha in 83. I saw him at a Supercross at Penrith Panthers Football stadium, just across the river from where I live. He got involved in a first or second straight or turn pile up, and it was like watching The Terminator rising from the carnage - this enormous man, in the middle of a pile of bikes, throwing them off of his own. All while claret was streaming from his mouth, and spitting out a few teeth. Scott facemasks really didn't offer much facial protection.

The story about him asking for a shovel whilst testing a bike - in Japan I think - and then him digging a hole, putting the bike in it and shoveling dirt on it, saying "this is what we do with shit in Sweden - we bury it" (or something like that) is legendary - perhaps one of the reasons they didn't give him the chance to race the '87 /88 Alloy Framed bike?

Vale' Carla.

Coyote wrote:
[img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/02/ee/38/02ee380e420668b26c20a5e4b0e911f1.jpg[/img]
This is how I remember Carla.
Bermworm
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Bermworm 7/7/2017 8:58pm
7/7/2017 8:58pm
RIP Hakan never give up never quit and never let anything stop you from giving your all these where the lessons I learned from Carla and a few others of that generation.
The Sneak
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The Sneak 7/7/2017 9:03pm
7/7/2017 9:03pm
A hard man, a legend. So sorry to hear this news. RIP Mr Carlqvist. Sad

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CDswinehart
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CDswinehart 7/7/2017 9:15pm
7/7/2017 9:15pm
This is sad news to hear. Thanks for the memories Hakan, and the muffins and conversation in France '88
jock
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jock 7/7/2017 11:36pm
7/7/2017 11:36pm
RIP legend
RG1
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RG1 7/8/2017 1:56am
7/8/2017 1:56am
Really sad news. I never saw him race as I am too young, but I'm well aware of his influence on the sport and his ability on a motorcycle. Which I think shows how much of a legend of the sport he is. RIP Carla, you will be missed
BigMunster 7/8/2017 2:32am
7/8/2017 2:32am
I remember as young kid an admiring gally,grunt,Williams and so many Aussie champs to me they were my idols.
Back then there was no internet so i and a lot of others followed the the mx scene thru the mags.
I've still got the REVs magazine that announced that the world champ was coming to Australia,I saved all my pocket money to go see him raced our best and it was worth every cent.Hakan played a very big part of my life,he was the true motocrosser,he inspired me throughout my racing.
So Sorry I never had a chance to shout him a beer.
roninho
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roninho 7/8/2017 3:53am
7/8/2017 3:53am
[quote=Bearuno wrote]This is so unexpected - he's one of those blokes I'd thought would be around for years to come. I'd not seen a word about any illness. [/quote]No idea if it has any relation with him passing away, but what i understood is that Carla had been in daily pain due to a combination of a post career mx crash breaking his pelvis which took 2 years to recover from, an incident working at home after that recovery and his mx career related injuries. He lived in France and had been out of touch with the mx community for years and had not interest getting in touch again or doing interviews.
stillwelding
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stillwelding 7/8/2017 6:43am
7/8/2017 6:43am Edited Date/Time 7/8/2017 6:49am
ruy wrote:
Not only was he a world champion, he was a titan. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/07/07/203767/s1200_1239573_496278670458965_1145256572_n.jpg[/img]
Not only was he a world champion, he was a titan.


So true.



stillwelding
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stillwelding 7/8/2017 6:52am
7/8/2017 6:52am
MXBREWSKI wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/07/07/203772/s1200_19030330_10211102964282728_7083935300854873548_n.jpg[/img]


That is a great photo. Any idea who took it?
MXBREWSKI
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MXBREWSKI 7/8/2017 7:05am
7/8/2017 7:05am
MXBREWSKI wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/07/07/203772/s1200_19030330_10211102964282728_7083935300854873548_n.jpg[/img]


stillwelding wrote:
That is a great photo. Any idea who took it?
Not sure who took it, but got it off the Fakebook site "Mozart's Motocross Legends LTD" I think. It is a great pic, and thought it represented him well. RIP Carla.
Poppanator 7/8/2017 7:13am
7/8/2017 7:13am Edited Date/Time 7/8/2017 7:15am
Front page story here in Sweden today



Translated:

The hardest son of a bitch who ever sat on a bike

Big fucking memory special on Håkan "Carla" Carlqvist
Prntscrn
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Prntscrn 7/8/2017 12:02pm
7/8/2017 12:02pm
Don't know if it has been posted, but apparently he went to the hospital with cerebral haemorrhage(google translate but I guess that might be correct translation?) on wednesday.

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Xavier
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Xavier 7/11/2017 5:42am
7/11/2017 5:42am Edited Date/Time 7/11/2017 5:43am
MXBREWSKI wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/07/07/203772/s1200_19030330_10211102964282728_7083935300854873548_n.jpg[/img]


stillwelding wrote:
That is a great photo. Any idea who took it?
Cross bar pad ?
Carla (previously broken teeth and all) does'nt need no stinkin' bar protection !
ruy
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ruy 7/31/2017 3:38am
7/31/2017 3:38am


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