How do you define a "true chaser"??

[Bob Hartig]

The next time your friend gives you a hard time, offer to take her out with you...then show her how REAL chasing is done

Amen to that. And be sure she gets a good dose of how many miles she may have to travel in search of what could turn out to be just a blue-sky bust. A little reality therapy never hurts. I feel a bit like Dan: something inside me wants to insist that there are a few dues to pay before you earn your merit badge, and I think there's some truth to that. But a large part of it is just plain attitude. Like Darren said, if you're a chaser, you'll chase. It's about the storms.

 

[Teri Mooney]

Funny, Larry, because Thunder & Lightning have pretty much chased Storm off. She mostly stays with a friend up the street. Ha.

 

[Darrin Rasberry]

It was really interesting to read discussion about the guy can't remember his name who gave his video to CNN" I am in tornado" and all that.People were really critical of him that he brings bad name to storm chasers( I hard to understand why???) his life,his wish,his gimmick,even if he endangered others by driving at high speed( many have done some point of their life???) so what?

Point again "for any reason"

Would a chaser be someone who robs a bank? Murder a family of four? Whatever, just to chase? Of course not - that would be a criminal, not a chaser.

Now, if this guy were alone (or with willing passangers) and going 120 down a road visibly empty for miles and miles, then yeah, chaser. Idiot maybe, yahoo maybe, but still a chaser. What this guy did broke the law such that others were in danger, and to me at least, that crosses the line to a criminal (or a genuinely mentally disturbed person).

Also, for those familiar with academic logic, this is a texbook example of the "no true Scotsman" fallacy

 

[Paul Knightley]

My take in this:

A storm chaser is anyone who chases a storm, for whatever reason.

A true storm chaser (if we need a definition) is someone who chases a storm and has an underlying interest and understanding of severe weather/meteorology. This person would not be put off by a bust, or a series of busts, and would learn from these.


What I'm trying to show is that there is no real definition of what a storm chaser actually is, other than someone who chases a storm. However, if someone does it time and again, learns from it, enjoys it, doesn't mind busting out, and spending quite a bit of cash in the process, then they might be something close to a true storm chaser!

 

[Chris Carter]

Just a funny joke that popped into my head.

"A true storm chaser drives across 5 states to chase a severe thunderstorm."

But on a serious note i have to agree with most of the board on this. There is no real difference between a storm chaser and true storm chaser. No matter whether you are standing right underneath a rotating wall cloud, 100 yards from a EF-3, or 3 miles away watching the CG lighting up the structure. The moment you jump into your car with the intent to go see a severe thunderstorm, your a storm chaser, no matter what the storm does, or how close you get to it.

But you know, does spending your first paycheck from Krispie Kreme on a camcorder at the age of 15 so you can film severe thunderstorms from your backyard, count as being a storm chaser?

 

[S. Shannon]

Chasers

I believe a chaser is a person who goes out during severe weather to capture either the beauty or educational experience that it offers. Keep in mind "Chaser"....We chase the storms. We are not core punchers or goin out to be the person on the news with the closest video of the twister. We Chase! Period.
I chase to get pictures and video. It is something I want to have for myself. My wife and her family think I am crazy, but when I get older and someone says, Remember that severe storm and that tornado?.....I want to say yes. I was there.....wanna see the pics and vids? As far as position,personally, I would rather be a few miles away to see the whole structure. should a tornado spawn....I might get closer.

 

[David Drummond]

I always likened storm chasing to an amusement park. Some people are content to ride the smaller, slower rides, while others want to get on the most extreme ride in the park.

 

[D. Hayes]

A true storm chaser is a spotter who drives a lot!

 

[Dan Nichols]

Call me a chaser if you wish, though I prefer being known as an interceptor of storms. "wild goose" chases are not my thing, where a storm almost always outruns me. But if a storm is to my northwest, heading east, it would be nice to go north and catch it "on the fly", and get there ideally just before its arrival. I seek being right in the midst of the most activity. Anyone can stay home and see a storm "go around" either to the north or south.

 

[Jason Foster]

A "true" storm chaser is someone who feels some need to categorize themselves higher for some reason being either for lack of confidence in justifying themselves or for commercial gain or for attempting to make themselves feel some sort of higher rank than others. It may also be a chaser that has chased a while and isn't as receptive to new chasers, changes in chaser culture, changes in the commercialization of storm chasing, etc.

Yes...I'm being overly critical here...just for sake of discussion. Bottom line is: let each persons attitude, experience, success, patience, presentation, ethics, etc. be all that we should consider...not labels and classifications.

Now...a whole other thread could be started with nicknames and "brand names" folks create for themselves...that would be an interesting topic.

 

[Dave Kaplow]

Aw, what the heck, I've been waiting for an appropriate thread to post this...

Note: for the record, it's only a joke.

Photo credit and sincere apologies to Jim Reed, who AFAIK has never used drugs of any kind. You do almost get a rush just from looking at the photo, though.

 

[Lucy Blinebury]

My definition of a storm chaser, is someone who goes out to intercept storms, because they enjoy doing that, and someone who is keen to educate themselves about severe wx, storm structure, and forecasting, as well as other elements of severe wx related activities. I guess I could consider myself as a storm chaser as I go out at every opportunity to intercept storms, and I educate myself about them, and...I moved several thousand miles to be in the best country for severe weather, to be able to chase my dream, which is chasing storms. Its what I love to do. I am someone who is passionate about severe wx, so I guess that would lump me into that "category".

 

[Shawna Davies]

I always likened storm chasing to an amusement park. Some people are content to ride the smaller, slower rides, while others want to get on the most extreme ride in the park.

Perfect analogy, David!

 

[Shawna Davies]

Aw, what the heck, I've been waiting for an appropriate thread to post this...

Note: for the record, it's only a joke.

Photo credit and sincere apologies to Jim Reed, who AFAIK has never used drugs of any kind. You do almost get a rush just from looking at the photo, though.

That is straight up FUNNY!!! Love it! (Have to say though, I've chased w/ Jim Reed a few times, and he does have an addiction to Starbucks and Red Bull.) lol

In regards to the original post of the definition of a true chaser. IMO, it really doesn't matter why you chase or if you would be considered a "true chaser" or not. If you love storms, love to chase them, then do it. Don't worry about labels.

That being said, I do feel that positioning yourself with a storm in a way that YOU feel comfortable with (taking into consideration your knowledge, comfort zone and road network) definitely makes you a SMART chaser.

 

[Derek Weston]

Somebody that would die or ask others to die for their hobby.