Frank Leinhaupel

[Harv]

I was notified this morning that my friend and mentor, Frank Leinhaupel, has passed. For those of you who did not know Frank, or had not heard his name, I can only say "I am sorry". Frank was my friend for over sixty years and like most everyone who knew him, have had fuller lives for the experience.

For those of you who use what have come to be known all over the world as "mid-handled" guns or had the names of others attached to them as a commercial enterprise, I can only say shame on you. Frank never asked for a dime's return or even name credit for the contribution he made to our (your) sport. All he ever asked was the guns be called "Addict" guns. Humbly I might suggest this request was well within his just desserts. That he made this request for the benefit of his friends, members of the club he helped found, is just so "Leinhaupel".

In age in which superlatives are tossed around the internet like so much confetti, I am truly comfortable calling my dear friend a true Renaissance man. What else would you call someone who could recite the elements on the Periodic Table until you were certain he was making up new ones, and then suggest several gourmand recipes for preparing Bonito. No small feat if you have tried either.

In closing, let me say that my life, in and out of the water, has been so much fuller as a result of our friendship and say so on behalf of so many others:

Godspeed

[popgun pete]

The "Addict gun" was a do-it-yourself laminated timber speargun characterised by its considerable length, mid-handle position and plenty of shooting line rigged on both sides of the gun. Addict Club members made their own Addict guns from scratch, so there was some variety in the minor details, but at a later date a plan was drawn up to enable others to build similar guns which is shown attached. The guns had somewhat more grunt than commercially available weapons such as the French Arbaletes that supplied many early spearfishermen. Addict guns often had large line packs fitted to cope with the flight of large specimens that were not going to give up easily.

RIP a legend of the sport.

[popgun pete]

More here http://www.spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=140453

[popgun pete]

Another related door to the past here: https://macmedadestruction.com/la-jo...tom-scratchers

[Harv]

Thanks for the reply, I was beginning to wonder if anyone actually reads this stuff. I should have expected that you would reply.

One beauty of Frank's original inspiration was that he conceived something that most anyone could build on his kitchen table (or a kid could build in a high-school woodshop class). Genius means being able to conceive something that can be built.

Cheers

[popgun pete]

Frank is interviewed here https://voices.nmfs.noaa.gov/frank-leinhaupel

[Marco]

Rest in peace