Has Storm Chasing Become an Entertainment Industry?

[JamesCaruso]

they'll outgrow the whole "never stop chasing" mentality... we all did. Hell, I have an all-expense paid, chase whenever I want job, and yet, I decline to go out all the time because, well, I'm old and I have a life outside of chasing

I'll be the contrarian here too - not that I disagree they'll outgrow it, but that it has only to do with age or stage of life. I *never* had a "never stop chasing" mentality. Granted, I was already almost 30 when I started chasing, older than some of these guys are now, but one's 30s are hardly "old." Back then, even on a chase vacation, I would pass on things that were too far away relative to the potential of the setup, or that required too long of a haul for a one-off, only to have to come back (for example, having to drive from KS to SD for Day 2, and back to KS for Day 3). Some people would drive all night for a marginal risk and "less than 2% all areas" tornado probability, but my chase partner and I wouldn't. To us, it was supposed to be a vacation too, and that made it too much of an obligatory effort, more like work than a vacation. We would often give up on a storm in favor of a nice sit-down dinner, or even choose between two targets based on the one that would allow us a shot at a good dinner in a decent-sized city, sometimes to our detriment.

I watched Connor Croff's livestream of the Tribune KS rain-wrapped tornado on August 3. The storm was obviously well past its peak, yet he stayed with that thing all the way until after dark. Obviously he's got the energy of youth, but I don't think that's the only thing. As much as I love chasing, I have to admit that Croff and his fellow livestreamers are somehow able to sustain an exuberance, enthusiasm and motivation on a whole other level than I am able to. There comes a time that I just know the probability of anything worthwhile is slim to none, and a nice dinner after 8 to 10 hours on the road, famished after just snacking all day, becomes much more interesting and appealing than continuing to stay out ahead of some grungy HP or even watching lightning.

 

[Warren Faidley]

This kind of reminds me of when the stock photography business went down the sewer. Guys like me were making a fortune until everyone started doing it and the market became saturated to the point of no return. I see the same thing happening with extreme chase entertainers. Every year, the numbers grow. In some ways this is fascinating to watch -- as it can only morph into even more extreme behavior. I'm so glad I've gone back to my journalism roots and don't have to climb the poop pile to try and stay on top.

 

[Blake Naftel]

Yes. "Chasers" of the "storm" have become an entertainment industry for a mere blip in time. Does it really matter in the end? Nope. Why? It's the weather. It happens, it's passive. The majority of society have far more important matters to consider and do so at the swipe of a smart reel upon a supposed smart phone. Regardless, if someone takes an amazing jaw dropping photograph, drives into a rotating pile of bat guano or creates a web series showcasing storm models of the Nebraska sand hills; all of those are entirely personal issues that perhaps requires some serious intervention beyond momentary profit.

Point of that ramble... enjoy the sky while you are alive!

Warren, why don't you just keep focused on what brings you joy? All of your successors focus on that, and it's a nerdy thing for sure, but regardless, innovate! You did before and you can do it again. Inspire! Don't dwell in darkness. I realize this may read overly lecture like or upbeat for a "storm" forum but please do generate that next amazing monsoon lightning shot that so many of us saw in Time Magazine back in 1989 and just enjoy. It's easy to get dragged into the mess that is present day regardless if it relates to storm chasing as a "brand" or not. Some care, many do not! Perhaps my commentary is over the top? I realize it reads eccentric as I experiene a great natural light show in OT Chicago. I digress.

Regardless if chasing has hit the gong show chime, for those who actually catch that ancient reference, the activity is an absolute personal matter and how it's showcased on various platforms presents a unique kaleidoscope to everyone involved.

My three cents. Enjoy your "cheeseburgers" and I'll step off the forum for now.

That's all folks!

Blake



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[John Farley]

To us, it was supposed to be a vacation too, and that made it too much of an obligatory effort, more like work than a vacation. We would often give up on a storm in favor of a nice sit-down dinner, or even choose between two targets based on the one that would allow us a shot at a good dinner in a decent-sized city, sometimes to our detriment.

There comes a time that I just know the probability of anything worthwhile is slim to none, and a nice dinner after 8 to 10 hours on the road, famished after just snacking all day, becomes much more interesting and appealing than continuing to stay out ahead of some grungy HP or even watching lightning.

I find this very reassuring. I half thought I was the only chaser whose chase decisions were sometimes influenced by where I could get a good dinner after the chase. You are right, it IS a vacation.

 

[JamesCaruso]

I find this very reassuring. I half thought I was the only chaser whose chase decisions were sometimes influenced by where I could get a good dinner after the chase. You are right, it IS a vacation.

My chase partner and I used to joke about starting an upscale tour company, where we’d have our group chasing a storm and then suddenly say “OK, that’s enough of that, who’s ready to head to Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse in Bricktown OKC?!?” Glad to know our imaginary venture might have at least one customer!

But seriously, as I mentioned, it’s been to our detriment at times. The one that still bothers me is targeting the Wichita area and missing Chapman in 2016. Sure, there were other factors: We were far from the only ones that chose Wichita, it was a viable target, and there was some complacency being the day after Dodge City - who would expect a second consecutive high-end day like that? But thinking about a nice dinner in Wichita (at a particular restaurant called Larkspur) after several late nights on the road was undeniably part of the decision, and may even be part of the reason we elected not to deviate 85 miles north when we first saw the cell in radar that would become the Chapman storm…

 

[Sean Ramsey]

As much as I love chasing, I have to admit that Croff and his fellow livestreamers are somehow able to sustain an exuberance, enthusiasm and motivation on a whole other level than I am able to. There comes a time that I just know the probability of anything worthwhile is slim to none, and a nice dinner after 8 to 10 hours on the road, famished after just snacking all day, becomes much more interesting and appealing than continuing to stay out ahead of some grungy HP or even watching lightning.

I'm the same way and it part of why I stopped streaming. I usually get a feeling for when a storm has pretty much finished up and when I'm done, I'm done and I'm ready to head home or get some tasty dinner. Just by looking at the sheer number of red dots on any given storm well after dark these days, we may be in the minority but my interest in squinting to see a maybenado in the rain in the dark of night is about zero.

As far as streamers staying live for the garden variety thunderstorm stuff well into the evening, maybe it is youthful passion, but one could gather that it's harder to gather donations if you're not live. Ad revenue on YT isn't exactly what I'd call good money, so it makes donations and memberships the lifeblood to keep the train rolling, and even with those YT takes a 30% cut (of super chats anyways) so there's some motivation to keep on trucking well after we're done. But for this exercise, I'm going to just go with the notion that they love the weather so much they just can't stop chasing.

 

[Jason Boggs]

I'd extend this into the early 2000s... when I was reading this thread and came across Warren's post, I immediately thought back to my very early days, arguably the tail end of what I'd consider the 'golden era' of chasing. Two examples rush to mind (there are more, but these always have stood out to me..

On a chase in 2001, I was poor, so sleeping in my van a lot on overnight ventures. Somewhere in southwest Kansas, I took up a pull out in a field on some random dirt road off the highway. The following morning, there was a knock on my van window to wake me up. An older lady was standing outside with breakfast for me. She saw I was there (I was on their property). Not even a hint of anger; she introduced herself and I told her I was storm chasing the night before and was too tired and just decided to 'camp' under the stars. She was very taken with the idea I was a storm chaser.

Then after May 29, 2004, I had wrapped up my chase and was going to set my sights on home. I drove up to Newton (the Newell Truck Stop then) where I was one of the only patrons in the restaurant (it was close to closing time). Again, still poor, decided to SPLURGE on a steak dinner to celebrate what was my best day in my young career. I was editing my video on my laptop at the table, and they staff took notice. They were SUPER taken by what I had done, it was relatively new for them, and in the end, the manager on duty came out, they comped my entire meal, threw in desert, and even sent me off with some extras for the road.

I had countless other cool experiences back then, and while I'm sure many chasers will find very similar stories, I think the reasoning behind them is different. It's not so much the chasing part, more than the celebrity part that modern-era chasers carry within their followers, if that makes sense. There was a genuine kindness to people BECAUSE we chased, and it was new and different and to them, was a huge service to the public. Now, I feel like a lot of those 'kinder' acts toward chasers as because of the celebrity status they carry on social media.

I dunno, maybe I am wrong, but I share in Warren's feelings that the public certainly views us differently than in the past. I think people who had zero interest in storm chasing in the past looked at us in a much brighter light... now, those same people see us more as a problem. Those that do tend to react better to us are the ones who have been exposed to storm chasing and are 'fans' of storm chasers more so than anything else. Even recently, on the May 23 Akron day this year, a couple locals were very against us being out on the (public) dirts roads, yelling at vehicles to get off and clear cause they were "blocking" farming folks from getting around or whatever. I see that a lot, responding much more negatively toward us and it's understandable given what is overwhelmingly shown.

On this last trip, I was part of a chaser convergence up in North Dakota and many of the frequent streamer chasers were in the group, all of them streaming this entire waiting for a clear sky bust in the parking lot. I overheard one of them distinctly say that it's all about getting close for the viewers... I'm paraphrasing a tad, but the message was clear. It was about the views, keeping the viewers entertained. First time I heard it from the horses mouth, was a reality check. But that's what it is... and I heard it from the horse's mouth.

It's a different era for sure... makes me even more grateful I got the exposure to some of the best years before it all began to change.

Very well said Tony!

 

[Warren Faidley]

Warren, why don't you just keep focused on what brings you joy? All of your successors focus on that, and it's a nerdy thing for sure, but regardless, innovate! You did before and you can do it again. Inspire! Don't dwell in darkness. I realize this may read overly lecture like or upbeat for a "storm" forum but please do generate that next amazing monsoon lightning shot that so many of us saw in Time Magazine back in 1989 and just enjoy. It's easy to get dragged into the mess that is present day regardless if it relates to storm chasing as a "brand" or not. Some care, many do not! Perhaps my commentary is over the top? I realize it reads eccentric as I experiene a great natural light show in OT Chicago. I digress.Good point, thanks. I don't actually dwell in the dark as much as people think. As a journalist, I feel it's important to make sure the history of chasing is not rewritten to glorify the more "reckless individuals" as the foundation of what chasing is about. We talked about this when you asked me to participate in your production.

Thanks for the note -- good points.

It’s important to make clear that not all chasers are reckless, endanger the public, or behave like clowns. The recent Oklahoma legislation was a prime example of why this distinction matters. Storm Track remains a valuable place for these discussions, as most chasers here are open-minded and far less jaded than many in the social media sphere. In many ways, ST may be one of the last strongholds for preserving the authentic history of storm chasing.

As a journalist who has worked through most of chasing’s history, I feel an obligation to ensure that history isn’t rewritten to glorify the reckless and misleading behaviors that have gained popularity and often overshadow the genuine reasons many of us began—whether as a hobby or for legitimate storm spotting. I'm guessing the majority of ST members have operated in a responsible manner over the years.

I also hope that the legacies of people like Dave Hoadley, Jim Leonard, Chuck Doswell, Tim Marshall, and many others who built and nurtured this pursuit are not lost in a haze of distorted history. Sadly, I believe many modern chasers have little interest in those who came before them. I can name two or three dozen individuals who made significant contributions to chasing, yet have been largely forgotten or ignored.

Many people misunderstand my role in chasing. I don’t see myself first and foremost as a chaser, but as a photojournalist and journalist. I cover many events traditional chasers do not cover, like wildfires and other natural disasters. Any criticisms I express are rooted in editorial opinion, not so much out of anger or frustration, as I have zero skin in the circus world of chasing entertainment. What is frustrating? The lack of an accurate portrail of reckless, misleading chasing by an credited journalism outlet.

 

[JamesCaruso]

I'm the same way and it part of why I stopped streaming. I usually get a feeling for when a storm has pretty much finished up and when I'm done, I'm done and I'm ready to head home or get some tasty dinner. Just by looking at the sheer number of red dots on any given storm well after dark these days, we may be in the minority but my interest in squinting to see a maybenado in the rain in the dark of night is about zero.

Sometimes when a storm goes up relatively early, say 3pm, and I’m kind of pessimistic about the day, I’ll say to my chase partner “We only have to do this for another six hours!”

 

[JamesCaruso]

Good points Warren. One of my early responses in this thread was that it shouldn’t matter that chasing has become entertainment, but now I have more of an appreciation for your concern - that chasing is going to be re-characterized, hijacked, misappropriated... In other words, instead of just adding a new virtual audience, the entertainment aspect supersedes the more-earnest origins of chasing.

In many ways, ST may be one of the last strongholds for preserving the authentic history of storm chasing.

I also hope that the legacies of people like Dave Hoadley, Jim Leonard, Chuck Doswell, Tim Marshall, and many others who built and nurtured this pursuit are not lost in a haze of distorted history. Sadly, I believe many modern chasers have little interest in those who came before them. I can name two or three dozen individuals who made significant contributions to chasing, yet have been largely forgotten or ignored.

Yes, we do need to protect their legacies. And I agree it’s sad that the youthful live streamers show no respect for them, or us for that matter (not that I am putting myself in the same league, but it’s part of the general disregard for all veteran chasers that helped pave the way and created the demand they are satisfying). This unfortunate state of affairs was touched on in another thread earlier this year.

Ironic, though, that ST is the only vehicle for protecting the pioneers’ legacies, when they abandoned it long ago, first for CFDG and then for social media!