A rip tide claimed the life of art car sculptor Tom Kennedy on April 12, while he was body surfing at San Francisco's Ocean Beach. A prankster of the highest order, Kennedy was known for his mastery of fabricating whimsical mobile works of art. Ripper the Friendly Shark, a shimmering fish on wheels with a mischievous grin and a flicking tail, was the first of many art cars he constructed, many of which he drove in parades.

Known for his diplomacy in the many sticky situations he and his cohorts found themselves in when their art cars caught the attention of authorities, he will also be remembered for his social consciousness. When the war ended in Bosnia, he shipped bicycles to kids from opposing sides and organised a parade in an effort to heal the rift and bring peace to an area of age-old strife. One of his last works, Topsy Turvy, half of a school bus with its wheels in the air welded to the top of another school bus, was commissioned by Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, to demonstrate against military spending over education.