A stuntwoman killed while filming a scene for the movie 鈥淒eadpool 2鈥� in Vancouver on Monday is being remembered as a pioneering motorcycle road racer who lived her life to the fullest.
Joi (SJ) Harris was a true personification of her first name, friends say, as she exuded happiness and had an ever-present smile.
鈥淪he played by her own rules and lived her life to the fullest by following her motto: If it鈥檚 not a challenge, it鈥檚 boring,鈥� said Kim Edwards, who said they were 鈥渂esties鈥� and she affectionately called Harris her 鈥渓il sis.鈥�
鈥淪he will always have a place in my heart.鈥�
The BC Coroners Service identified Harris, 40, as the stunt driver killed on the movie set in downtown Vancouver. Spokesman Andy Watson said Harris, a resident of New York City, died at the scene.
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Witnesses said she appeared to lose control of her motorcycle while filming outside the Vancouver Convention Centre and crashed through a ground floor window of an office building across the street.
A memorial of flowers and candles has been set up at the scene in front of the boarded-up window. A message written on one of the candles reads, 鈥淏rave, beautiful and free.鈥�
Harris鈥檚 Facebook page was updated Tuesday with a statement that called her 鈥漚n extraordinary woman with a passion for riding and motorsports. She was known for her beautiful spirit and bubbly personality.鈥�
鈥淪he was fearless and relentless in her pursuit of her dream, to ride as a motorsports professional,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淪he was living her dream, when her life was suddenly cut short while filming as a stunt rider. She will be dearly missed by her race fans all over the world.鈥�
Harris described herself on her website as the 鈥渇irst licensed African-American woman in U.S. history to actively compete in (American Motorcyclist Association) sanctioned, motorcycle road racing events.鈥�
James Holter, vice-president of the American Motorcyclist Association, said it was difficult to confirm her claim. The group has many African-American female members but does not collect ethnicity information when licences are issued, he said.
鈥淚 think her skill, both at the controls of a motorcycle and in representing herself, I think have gone a long way, not just to advance African-American female motorcyclists but all motorcyclists,鈥� he said.
Kevin Elliott, president of the American Sportbike Racing Association, said Harris began racing with the association鈥檚 beginner-level Champion Cup Series in 2014 and this year moved up to a 鈥渇eeder鈥� series that is meant to prepare riders for racing at an expert level.
Harris loved the freedom, the excitement and the adrenaline rush that motorcycles brought her, said Elliott, adding he will always remember her smile.
鈥淪he would get off the track and even before she鈥檇 pull her helmet off, she鈥檇 have a grin from ear to ear. No matter what happened, whether it was good or bad during that race, she would always get off the bike just like she had won the race,鈥� he remembered.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the pure joy of being able to get out and compete and do your best. She always showed that, every day.鈥�
For the first two years she was racing on a bike that was too big, but when she switched to a bike that was more suited to her size, her talent showed itself to be 鈥渧ery promising,鈥� he said.
Harris hadn鈥檛 won yet, but she came in third at a race involving amateurs and experts in West Virginia in May, a proud moment for her, Elliott said. A photo taken after the race shows her smiling next to her bike.
He said the association does not allow tricks on the racetrack and he didn鈥檛 know what experience she had doing stunt work.
A spokeswoman for 20th Century Fox said the movie鈥檚 production had been shut down on Monday and Tuesday and she couldn鈥檛 say when filming would begin again.
Watson said separate investigations of the crash are underway by the coroner鈥檚 service and WorkSafeBC, the province鈥檚 workplace safety agency. He said the coroner鈥檚 report will be released publicly when it is complete.
