Opinions regarding Reed Timmer from within the chaser community?

[Bob Schafer]

It seems that he'll call off a chase and do search and rescue when it's needed.

FWIW I know for a fact that the "Dominator" was one of the first couple chaser vehicles to arrive in Pilger, and didn't leave for at least an hour and a half. I don't know if Reed was actually present, though.

Think of if someone came to you with an offer of all-expenses-paid chasing plus a budget to do/build whatever you wanted. What would you do? I'd guess that any one of us would probably end up doing similar things.

I wouldn't. Making chasing into a "job" doesn't appeal to me at all. It would ruin it for me. That's just my one vote.

 

[Taylor Wright]

I wouldn't. Making chasing into a "job" doesn't appeal to me at all. It would ruin it for me. That's just my one vote.

That's my response to when everyone asks why I'm not majoring in meteorology. Some things are best kept as hobbies. As for Dan's comment, while it wouldn't appeal to some, it would appeal to many. Of course I'm always wondering where he gets his money for all of this. He had that Kickstarter account last year, but other than that I've heard their crew runs into a lot of money issues. Not that it's my business, but I just can't imagine dealing with the financial stress of running a tour company like ETT.

 

[Shane Adams]

All chasers are more alike in our motives and love for storms than we care to admit.

Not really. I'm pretty sure most of us love storms, but motives? Those are as different as our many personalities.

Think of if someone came to you with an offer of all-expenses-paid chasing plus a budget to do/build whatever you wanted. What would you do? I'd guess that any one of us would probably end up doing similar things.

Again, no. The wonderful-sounding offers of sponsorship and free money and all that gobblygoo seems great at first, but with sponsorship comes sponsors, who will eventually be dictating how/when/what you chase. For some of us, it's just better to struggle on your own, as yourself, than succeeding as a sponsor puppet.

 

[Todd Lemery]

I think most of us would like take something we love doing and turn it into a career. Unfortunately, when that switch is flipped, it adds all kinds of pressure to succeed and that can suck a lot of the enjoyment out of it. Sometimes it's better to keep things a hobby. Kind of like being a professional fisherman. Great thing to do with the kids, but when your livelihood is depending on it, watch out.

 

[Warren Faidley]

If Mr. Timmer was my best friend I would tell him this:

Run!

Get away from the commercial end of chasing and chase for fun. He has an excellent education, future job prospects and does not need to be taking such risks with his long term creditability and financial liability. Without going into private details, a few of the guys he works with, and some who have chased with him, occasionally fill me in on the inner workings. I for one, would not want to be in his shoes, despite what some people think. For the most part, I've avoided major chase publicity and big media for the last 8-9 years. I also turned down a part on Storm Chasers and I have no regrets.

This is not to say I would not accept a future gig where safety or survival education was the main theme. (;

As someone who has worked in the commercial end of chasing for over 25 years, I know all too well that mixing "fun" chasing with business eventually becomes toxic. Sure it's fun to have attention and some money to chase with, but sooner or later you realize you are chasing dollar bills, not storms. I've lost multiple chasing friendships over the years because business came first. It's simply not worth it.

Run.

W.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

Ya think Reed is going to keep on chasing even after he lands a job working with the NWS or as a weather newscaster? Hard to say after a decade passes. Maybe someone can ask Reed and hear his take on all of this. Think he is still a member here, sure would like for him to respond to some of the comments.

Personally, I think that although Reed has commercial ties, he still shares the same enthusiasm that many of us do still when chasing. At least - so far. Although he has many successful chases, he still gets out there every season (wish I could get out for every season). You just can't make that kind of enthusiasm that he has up IMO . . .

 

[Dan Robinson]

Not once in your chasing life would there have been a time you would have accepted a TV gig/sponsor/income source? I'm not defending any one individual's bad decisions or actions who has ended up in the limelight. My point is that deep down, we are all likely similar in our reasons for chasing (a love for storms), and any one of us could have been the 'star' if we'd been the one chosen. A chaser is a chaser is a chaser. Some are better chasers than others, but I contend that we are really not all that different as to why we are out there to begin with and certainly not 'special' in any real sense of importance. Putting any chaser on a pedestal - or throwing one under the bus - for being the star is hypocritical to me, because it could have been any one of us.

Knowing everything I know about the TV world now, I would be very leery of accepting an entertainment deal these days - but I can't honestly say that I would have *never* done it at some point in the past. And I'd not rule out accepting something I deemed worthy in the future (though that's highly unlikely, as I don't have the energetic personality that TV types love). I'd say most of us probably wouldn't, either, if we found ourselves faced with the real decision and not the hypothetical forum thread situation.

 

[Shane Adams]

I'm going to take the liberty of assuming this was directed at me, since it's pretty much a reply to my previous post on the subject...

Not once in your chasing life would there have been a time you would have accepted a TV gig/sponsor/income source?

There have been times when I would've wanted to, but as I learned the hard way, those offers came with stipulations, the kind which would've turned chasing into something completely different than the activity I fell in love with so many years ago. I've had offers and turned them down, because what they were asking of me was, to me, just ridiculous. I refused to go through any type of "screening" process to be hand picked out of a group of other chasers, like some type of beauty contest. I found it asinine that I would be contacted by a producer, and THEN told I had to jump through all kinds of hoops (along with other chasers) so they could judge who they wanted. My take was this: if you do your research, you should be able to find out about a chaser on your own. By the time you're actually calling me, I better be hearing "we want YOU. Here's the offer....." Not "Okay Mr. Adams, we need you to do this and this and this, and then after we've reviewed all the other chasers' this and this and this and yours too, we'll get back to you." Whatever, I'll save you the trouble. I don't do tricks.

My point is that deep down, we are all likely similar in our reasons for chasing (a love for storms), and any one of us could have been the 'star' if we'd been the one chosen.

If we'd been chosen AND accepted. You make the assumption that we were all standing in line hoping to be the next star. Probably many were, but you shouldn't dismiss the fact that others never had any interest. As I stated before, myself (and many others I'd imagine) have received unsolicited offers before that we passed up.

A chaser is a chaser is a chaser. Some are better chasers than others, but I contend that we are really not all that different as to why we are out there to begin with and certainly not 'special' in any real sense of importance. Putting any chaser on a pedestal - or throwing one under the bus - for being the star is hypocritical to me, because it could have been any one of us.

Chasers are similar in one aspect only, the love of storms. Beyond that, we're as different as snowflakes (I laughed as I wrote that, but it gets the point across). If you mean outside perspective, then I agree, because the general public likely sees us all collectively as just a bunch of (1) nerdy losers or (2) adrenaline junkies...which is unfortunate. You said you think it's hypocritical to throw someone under a bus or put them on a pedestal because anyone of us could've been "the star." IMO that's a ridiculous reason. For starters, as I mentioned above, some people never wanted the spotlight, therefore we can't possibly be viewed as hypocritical for the reason you stated. Secondly, broad-brushing any criticism of a "star" chaser as hypocritical suggests they are infallible, which in fact DOES put them on a pedestal, which goes against your other point in the "hypocritical" sense. Lastly, it cancels out your original statement, that "a chaser is a chaser is a chaser."

Also, I don't think you can truly calibrate who is and isn't "great" these days. The bar is pretty low as far as ability required, with technology allowing anyone with the time and means to be successful right out of the box. Maybe as recently as a decade ago you could say "that person is better than that person", but technology has since made those determinations impossible IMO.

Knowing everything I know about the TV world now, I would be very leery of accepting an entertainment deal these days - but I can't honestly say that I would have *never* done it at some point in the past. And I'd not rule out accepting something I deemed worthy in the future (though that's highly unlikely, as I don't have the energetic personality that TV types love). I'd say most of us probably wouldn't, either, if we found ourselves faced with the real decision and not the hypothetical forum thread situation.

I agree mostly. I had no clue about the television world back in the 90s, but fortunately I knew enough about fair compensation to know when to cut a negotiation off immediately once it became obvious they were trying to lowball me (which ALL production companies did, at least to me). But I had to learn the hard way about things like sound bites and interview flow/direction. Fortunately, those lessons learned didn't cost me anything but time, patience, and a little pride (they couldn't use any of my stuff because I rambled). There was a time (back during those days I just described) when I was wild about the idea of television and being recognized and doing this professionally....but I believed I could keep being myself, chase the way I do, and they would just pay me to do it. I had no clue that with "stardom" everything I'd known about chasing would've been changed to fit the script, angle, producer's whim. I am very thankful that I didn't step into something all starry-eyed that I couldn't get out of without legal issues. So I guess I learned very early into my chasing life that television stardom and fame and fortune simply isn't for me.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Not just you Shane - I was trying to reply to the general mishmashed sentiments in the thread.

I've never sought out fame, but I have worked a lot over the years at trying to monetize what I can. I learned early on that it would never be a true career (that is, one that paid rent and groceries *in addition* to chase expenses), but I always have my eyes open for that rare niche opportunity. I don't expect to ever find it, especially not in the realm of TV. If it exists, it will definitely be in some other field. Attempting to monetize chasing might ruin it for some, but I find working in a cubicle at a computer 9 to 5 with no flexibility a much more poisonous prospect.

My point is that Timmer is a chaser just like many of us (albeit very skilled), but he's put on a pedestal (mostly by newer chasers) to where we've got a thread here. I find the existence of this thread as odd as if someone started one about me or about any one of us. What does it matter about what I think of Timmer, or Doswell, or anyone else? I don't think a 'star' is immune to criticism, just not criticism simpy because he's a star and does some things that some of us might do from time to time as well.

I always wondered why someone like Shane, Jim Leonard, Gene Moore, Roger Hill, et al never got a show, or at least a few episodes. That is, longtime well-known chasers with a track record. Shane, from what it sounds, you *might* have had that opportunity, I don't know. I can't blame you for not wanting to play the TV producer games, but who knows - maybe it really *could* have been you with a show and a Stormtrack thread. I did a couple of the audition tapes many years ago, and you're right - they're just another way to get chasers to give free man hours to cheaper production companies. Next time, I'll bill them for it!

 

[JamesCaruso]

...Also, I don't think you can truly calibrate who is and isn't "great" these days. The bar is pretty low as far as ability required, with technology allowing anyone with the time and means to be successful right out of the box. Maybe as recently as a decade ago you could say "that person is better than that person", but technology has since made those determinations impossible IMO.

Interesting observation that may deserve a debate in its own thread. I would never deny that technology has leveled the playing field, but I still think there remains a wide continuum of forecasting and chasing ability. There are still a plethora of ways to screw up even a no-brainer day - I know I have - for example, coming up empty every day during the last two weeks of May in 2013. Of course, maybe that just means I suck Then there are the guys that seem to be on nearly every "storm of the day" without fail. So maybe 15 years ago, some guys batted .150 and even the best guys batted .500. Now everyone has improved and the gap has closed - maybe now it's .300 at the low end and .800 at the high end. But still enough variation to be able to distinguish among ability levels.

 

[Stan Rose]

Shane, you could have been a contender...
But...you may be interested in the new reality show im producing: 'Storm Chasing Babes' One guy and 24 supermodels in the Great Plains...it's kinda like 'The Bachelor' only instead of dates you go on storm chases, and the girls get to stay based on their performance on various tasks: navigating through gorilla hail, pushing your van out of the mud (and falling in the mud in the process...), cow tipping...etc. Contact me if you're interested.

 

[Jason_Dasho]

Kickstarter!!

Sent from my SCH-S738C using Tapatalk

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

Shane, you could have been a contender...
But...you may be interested in the new reality show im producing: 'Storm Chasing Babes' One guy and 24 supermodels in the Great Plains...it's kinda like 'The Bachelor' only instead of dates you go on storm chases, and the girls get to stay based on their performance on various tasks: navigating through gorilla hail, pushing your van out of the mud (and falling in the mud in the process...), cow tipping...etc. Contact me if you're interested.

I like it!
His market share is rising as we speak.

 

[Marcus Diaz]

Shane is like the Brett Michaels of chasing.

 

[Skip Talbot]

Shane, you could have been a contender...
But...you may be interested in the new reality show im producing: 'Storm Chasing Babes' One guy and 24 supermodels in the Great Plains...it's kinda like 'The Bachelor' only instead of dates you go on storm chases, and the girls get to stay based on their performance on various tasks: navigating through gorilla hail, pushing your van out of the mud (and falling in the mud in the process...), cow tipping...etc. Contact me if you're interested.

Stan, I thought I saw you out there in Oklahoma (aka the Southern Plains Circus) last year!

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