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Rod Philipsen has Left the Range

An old friend and co-founder of IPSC Canada, Rod Philipsen died in a helicopter crash last Friday. They found him Tuesday and the news has hit many of us hard. Let me tell you about my friend Rod. I first met Rod when I was building custom motorcycles back in the mid to late 1970's. As I became hooked on shooting through the other co-founder of IPSC Canada, Blair Molsberry, Rod was drawn in too. Always gungho and keen to do any and every exciting thing on the table, Rod dove right in. In October 1976, Rod, Blair and I drove in Rod's custom van (yes, custom vans were the rage and Rod, a cabinet maker, had tricked his out) to Gridley CA. Where the hell is Gridley? 55 mi north of Sacremento. There we shot the first IPSC match ever by Canadians, the Northwest Sectional Championships. We met a great bunch of Californians led by Keith Hamilton. We drove 16 hours one way to shoot 36 rounds. Yep, we were young and crazy and proved it often. After another trip in November of 1976 and January 1977, we returned and started IPSC Canada in February 1977. The sport has never looked back. Rod was a fierce competitor and a hell of a pistol shot. But we also shot his dad's .45-90 Springfield. We opened a box of factory ammo to shoot -GEEZ! His dad would have clocked us if he knew! One night at practice at the indoor at TMSA, Rod brought up one of his Dad's "toys" from WWII and we shocked Molsberry. I can expand on that event but not in a public forum. Buy me a frap and I will tell you all. We travelled to the first ever IPSC US Nationals in Denver in June 1977. We shot hardball .45 ACP 230 FMJ and didn't even notice recoil. Another great trip for the Pros from Dover. We all met the legends of IPSC: Jeff Cooper, Ray Chapman, Leonard Knight, Bill Wilson, Ken Hackathorn and a host of many more. That shaped our future. Rod moved into the gun business as a pistol smith and kept the demand for good IPSC pistols alive. He continued in the gun business for years and moved into other businesses over time. The last time I saw Rod was at the awards banquet for the 30th Annual IPSC Canada Nationals in Vancouver. He appeared at the end of the evening and we took the last photo of him with Blair, Elder Jeske (who also was instrumental as IPSC Canada developed) and me. We sat for hours in the bar afterwards telling old tales and lies and reliving the "old times". I cherish that last time with Rod and hold it dear. I have been going over the old photos and have included some here with comments to give you an insight into what a wonderful, energetic man Rod was. I cannot emphasize enough his contribution to the founding of IPSC Canada. If you shoot IPSC, take a moment to remember this unique man and what he did to bring your sport to life in Canada. Goodbye old friend, you will be remembered well. Rod 1977 at TMSA. He was well kitted out. His NVSA cap and shoulder patch, much sought after that you had made your bones by travelling to Gridley CA; his Pros From Dover name badge which only he, Blair and I were given for our trip to the first IPSC US nationals in Denver CO, June 1977, (I still have mine), Colt patch, hat pin(pins were the rage and collecting them was a sign of cool), mandatory long hair and mustache of the era. He has it all going on for 1977. Rod using a Bianchi Pistolero rig with leg tie down, about 1977 at TMSA, Pitt Polder BC. Brown belt and black holster, we were stylin'. His gun is a Colt Government in .45ACP, as were almost all, but it is one of 800 made in the US and shipped to Canada. We "customized" (read: butchered) many of these until we realized how rare they were -OOPS! First IPSC US Nationals, Denver CO, June 1977. The Pros from Dover take to the range, Roddie shooting the mover; six rounds left side, reload, six rounds right side at 20 yards (would have been meters, but we were in the US). Great times! Ken Rooney (who left the range in August 2011) shooting against Bill Walker, creating lots of laughs. Check out the tie-down rigs, thumb snap holsters and everyone except Bob Grasby (mustache, mandatory then, and no cap) shooting a Colt Government in .45ACP. Bob was a rebel shooting a Browning Hi Power in 9mm Luger from a shoulder holster. The blue muffs on the left with the stop watch and whistle (pre electronic timer era) is Randy Fisher. Rod is wearing the then-new Gordon Davis rig. Ken and Bill, on the line, are wearing Milt Sparks Leather. Milt WAS the MAN and his gear showed you were tuned in. US Nationals Denver June 1977 Randy and Rod, TMSA 1977/8? Note the gun in Fisher's hand for the START instead of a whistle. What the hell were we thinking?:) or were we;) Wait, look at the revolver, the hammer is still back but Rod's making the draw. Anyone remember what that was about? Things a bit different then;) PPC in Fruitvale BC 30th IPSC Nationals with the other founders of IPSC Canada. From left to right: Rod Philipsen, Blair Molsberry, Murray Gardner, Elder Jeske Here is who I remember in this photo from l-r: George (last name is lost), Bob Grasby (he and his son now shoot together), Barry (same story w/last name), Blair Molsberry, Rod Philipsen (Match Winner), Dave Stanford (who later became the driver and President of USPSA), Jay Rite (a famous PPC shooter and Mountie from Fruitvale BC) and some dude who I can't remember. These match wins were one of the many reasons Rod was on the IPSC Canada National team to the World Shoot in South Africa in 1979. Our third trip to Gridley CA, January 1977 when we determined that those 16 hour one way drives were wearing out Rod's van. In the photo, you see me, Elder Jeske and Rod. They wore shoulder holsters and all of us had Colt Government 1911's in .45 ACP. The match was held at the Sewer Pond #6 where we shot our first match in October 1976. Barricade strong side. The edges were padded to stop the splinters. Note the old style targets. What you cannot see is that they are hand cut out of reversed beer boxes that we had sourced. We used to have target cutting parties to make these up as commercially available targets were not available. You can also see the patches as they were just plain old masking tape as the brown tape/patches of today were a long way in the future. You can see at least two different targets stands here. Rod always built his guns and here he is sporting one of those "gamey" Swensen (who came to one of our matches as well as Milt Sparks and Gordon Davis) ambi safeties but note the sights are still fixed. This photo also shows that Rod had technique nailed and it still works today; high thumb on the safety, hand driven up into the grip safety (beavertail grip safeties had not been invented yet and hammer bite was fierce), locked out arms. No glasses and probably custom molded hearing protection. Around late 1977 we had discovered Gordon Davis Leather. Everyone, except May (shooting) had one. Rod is on the watch and whistle, no electronic timers. You made certain you had YOUR own personal whistle:) Six mags on the belt as they only held 7 rounds each...yes, only 7 as 8 shot mags were about 5 years away. Rod demonstrating what has been passed on; straight finger draw, solid grip and the game face staring down the targets...without glasses. We were still learning. Yep, you HAD to shoot one handed below your sternum. In those days the draw was important so holsters had to reflect that. Cross draw was THE way to go and Colt was the ONLY 1911 Government that worked and/or was available...for $250. Rod was also the founder of Coast Mountain Combat Association, CMCA, at TMSA. Yes, we called it combat and did so unapologetically. Later it was changed to Coast Mountain Practical Shooters, CMPS, to match the IPSC name.

Anecdotes

I first met Rod in October of 1977 at the first NW Championships being sponsored by the RCT (Rainier Combat Team) at the Cascade Rifle and Pistol range near Covington, Wa. It was my first match, I'd just found out that there was IPSC activity in the Great NW. And the scene that day was one I'll never forget: A shootoff between Murray and Rod for the Winners trophy. Yes the scoring system we were using made it very possible to have a tie. But it was growing late and getting dark. So the shootoff was set up and illuminated with the headlights from several cars!! And IIRC the course of fire was the venerable "El Presidente". And I'd never seen anyone shoot a .45 that fast! Right now I'm not to sure who won but I'll never forget that match. As time went by I got to know Rod very well, spent many a Saturday evening with him before a TMSA match on Sunday. His shop was usually the first stop when we got into town from Seattle. And now I have to deal with the fact that I hadn't made the effort to see or talk to Rod for way too many years.

-Lorne Busch

I was checking my e-mail yesterday morning when the messages started popping up. Once I comprehended what had happened, and I don't think I've fully accepted it yet, a great rush of memories flooded in. Rod and I were close friends for many years. Rod was "best man" at my wedding in 1981 and we shared many happy times together. I first met Rod at the TMSA range (when it was still in one piece ) along with Murray and Blair. Rod was shooting an S&W M39 and the type of shooting these guys were doing was totally different from anything I'd seen before. I was immediately hooked and joined them on their shooting sessions, thus becoming the fourth member of a group that formed the genesis of IPSC in Canada. I vividly recall the trips to California in Nov/76 and Jan/77 in Rod's custom van.

I could go on, but I want to share something very personal and it's something I don't talk about that often. It is the time Rod helped save my life and demonstrated his true character. As many of you know I operated a gun shop in Burnaby. When the store beside mine closed down, Rod moved in and opened his gunsmithing business. It was the perfect match, gunshop and gunsmith. We had an adjoining opening between the two shops, so I was basically like one big store. We even lived in the same building, Debbie and me in one suite and Rod in the other. There were ups and downs, especially when the economy tanked in 1982, but we managed to hang on. Then came April 14th, 1983.

It was an absolutely beautiful day, clear blue sky, not a cloud to be seen. Business was slow and Rod was out back in the yard working on a car with another friend and I was whiling away the time in my store. Then mid afternoon an individual walked in, opened his jean jacket and pulled a .45 automatic. He pointed it at me a said "Do you know what this is?". I will not get into all the details of how everything unfolded, but the end result was a shootout between myself and him on the street outside the store. I was hit twice in the lower abdomen by 230gr. FMJ RN bullets. Both bullets caused massive damage and went completely through. One just missed my spine, but somehow clipped the femoral artery going to my right leg. I managed to stagger back into the store and then over to Rod's side. Rod heard the shots and came running up. As soon as I saw him I said "I've been shot" and then fell forward into his arms. He set me down carefully and moments later Debbie was at my side. Rod then went out to assess a still potentially dangerous situation basically unarmed. Fortunately my aim was good that day and I had permanently ended the career of this revolving door criminal.

The police were very slow to respond, but as luck would have it there was a paramedic crew close by and responded quickly. They arrived well ahead of the police, but stopped at the end of the block. Their policy was not to enter a shooting scene until it had been cleared by the police. Rod saw the ambulance and waved to get their attention and gestured for them to move forward. Somehow Rod conveyed to them the urgency of the situation and they decided to attend immediately. It's a good thing they did because I was bleeding out fast and going into shock. Once on scene the paramedics quickly got me into a pressure suit which stopped the bleeding, at least until I went into surgery, but that's another story for another time. I want to stay focused on Rod's contribution that day. Many months later I spoke with one of the paramedics who first attended and he confirmed that it was Rod's action that made them decide to break policy. I am convinced that had it not been for the precious minutes saved by the early medical intervention of the paramedic's that I would likely have died on scene or on the way to the hospital. It was Rod that got the paramedics there in time to save my life.

There's another aspect of this story that involves Rod and in particular the revolver I used that day, but I will leave this narrative for now. Just retelling this much has rekindled strong emotions in me.

-Elder (Zeke) Jeske

I first met Rod in 1976-77 at a Thompson Mountain club match. I was at the range with a friend checking out the facility and noticed this small group of guys shooting pistols and wearing holsters. After a little bit of small talk with this group (Murray and Rod) I found myself wearing a holster and shooting a hand-gun for the first time. (Black Badge courses were still 10 -12 years in the future.) Rod had lent me his gear and gun and with some advice and very close supervision IPSC became a part of my life.

Rod and I became friends and over the years we competed in many matches in the U.S. and in 1979 both of us represented Canada at the World Shoot in South Africa. On the trip down all of my shooting gear mysteriously disappeared and once again I found myself using Rod’s extra gear, gun, shoulder holster etc. Rod always seemed to be able to help a guy, give advice or be a friend.

Time passed and I saw less and less of Rod, he had a new life, family, job and moved to the interior but every now and then he would show up and we would reminisce about the old days.

Rod’s first love was his family but flying was his second passion and as I prepare for my long flight to the World Match in Greece I will have plenty of time to think about my time with him.

Good-by old friend, you will be missed but not forgotten

-Randy Fisher

My Friend Roddy:

You asked if I had a story to share, well I have been thinking with my old dim brain and I do remember the night that we all went out to celebrate mutual birthdays. Rod I think was an Aries too along with you and I and we let Blair come too. I remember not the little details but the energy and fun of that night.

One of the things I remember the most about Roddy was that he always seemed to laugh, he enjoyed just about everything that he did and he was always game for whatever was happening, and the more outrageous the better.

He didn't worry so much about rules and regulations and I liked that, he would push the envelope too. Of course, I don't know about recently, maybe, unlike some of us, he matured, but I doubt it.

Those early years at the mountain were so exciting, it was like we all knew that we were on the verge of finding something fabulous and couldn't wait.

I remember that there were several of us whose birthdays were fairly close together, so we all went out for dinner, and even let a few "special" friends come as well. It was probably the most fun that I had had in years, I probably drank too much because I seem to recall a big hang over the next day, but I also remember that my face felt sort of stiff or sore from laughing so much!

It is that kind of memory that will make Roddy live on, at least for me, forever.

-Margaret Stephens

Memories of a Special Friend

I met Rod at the first IPSC match at Thompson Mountain in February of 1977. Friends from Fruitvale were there to shoot the match and introduced me to Rod. It was also my introduction to shooting and firearms – having been a bit of the common unknowing naysayer. Rod taught me how to handle the guns and be safe with them and the fear quickly faded.

Five of us, including Rod, Murray and Blair, piled into a very small (as I remember) motor home and made the trip to the first US National Championships in Denver in the summer of 1977. On the way, we stopped in Idaho Falls and there I met Milt Sparks and fell in love with his beautiful leatherwork. I ordered a rig while there and I hadn’t even started shooting yet! While in Denver, we met most of the who’s who of IPSC at that time – including Jeff Cooper, Ken Hackathorn, Armand Swensen and a new holster maker by the name of Gordon Davis.

Along with the introduction to guns and shooting, came the madcap 16 hour trips in Rod’s van to Gridley, CA and sewer pond #6. We became fast friends with all the great people at NVSA and made many all-night drives there just to shoot and enjoy a little “Hotel California” and a snuggle with Gable (Craig & Marianne’s cat). The “crazy canucks” provided them with lots of entertainment – both on the range and off!

I will always remember Rod as a fun, upbeat and easy-going guy. He was very much a “live and let live” kind of person and made everyone feel at ease. His love of a good laugh made him such great company that you always wanted Rod to be part of the group. I am so thankful for Rod introducing me to so many great people and the fun of shooting and he holds a special place in my memories. Fly high my old friend!

-May

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