22.7.07

F I R S TP R E V593NEXTLAST

Hopper's Hands, Fort Point
If you're a runner in San Francisco you know Hopper's Hands well. Located next to Fort Point, under the Golden Gate Bridge, it marks the farthest west spot you can run along the Bay before having to turn back. For years runners have touched the protective chain link fence marking their halfway point along one of the most beautiful running locations in the world. In 2001, one of San Francisco's unknown heroes, Ken Hopper created and put up these hands to give runners an official touchpoint (he also created a pair of paws for those who run with dogs).

Hopper has been a Golden Gate Bridge ironworker for 23-years, he is also part of the Bridge's voluntary suicide rescue duty. Hopper often gets calls in the middle of the night and rushes out to try and talk down someone poised to jump from the bridge. As an ironworker he is one of the few people qualified to climb out onto the Bridge's extremely windy superstructure in the dark fog of night. Over the years it is estimated that he has talked or wrestled down about thirty would-be jumpers, and lost two. Despite the physical danger of the volunteer duty, the psychological toll is even greater, but people like Ken Hopper do it because they care about others. That can be seen in even his simple acts, such as creating these runner's hands, which grateful people of San Francisco have named in his honor.
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