I had the honor to chat with Steve the day before Xterra Nationals in 2003 at Lake Tahoe, he even took my bike for a short spin to check out the Magura Marta's i had just bought. He was a very nice guy and someone who i always followed due to his crush-it-on the bike racing style. So sad to hear, my condolences & prayers go out to his family.
RIP Steve
RIP Steve