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The Thrill of the Chase with Storm Chaser Hank Schyma
Manage episode 434671058 series 3593612
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On this episode of the Adrenaline Zone, Sandy and Sandra are joined by storm chaser Hank Schyma, aka Pecos Hank. Unlike most who go indoors when thunder roars, Schyma does the exact opposite. When a severe storm warning crosses his path, he packs up his car with film gear and heads off to rendezvous with the storm. Today he talks about all things Mother Nature, from hunting for hotspots and the unexpected dangers of storm chasing to TLE’s and Hollywood’s hokey interpretation of the job.
Opening up the episode with brief notes on his childhood love for storms, Hank recalls the journey that led him from his boyish bedroom to Tornado Alley. As one would expect with a career like Schyma’s, making his dream a reality was no easy pursuit and certainly cost him a lot - especially in gas money - along the way. So listen in today and get swept up in Hank’s riveting analysis of the ins and outs of storm chasing, the rather unexpected dangers of the chase, and the role that adrenaline plays in this work to which he has dedicated his life.
Thanks to Culligan Water for sponsoring this episode!
The Finer Details of this Episode:
- Schyma’s early love for storm chasing
- Why Schyma’s timing is everything
- Hunting for hotspots
- Unexpected dangers of storm chasing
- Adrenaline V. Anxiety
- Schyma’s shooting style
- TLE’s
- Merging science and art
- Storm Chasing in Hollywood
Quotes:
“If something doesn't interest me, it's going to be really hard for me to learn it. So cameras, documenting things, and Mother Nature has always just been so easy for me.”
“On those days, you kind of feel anxiety and adrenaline. You're feeling that on the morning you wake up, because wow, ‘Godzilla’ is coming, even though he's nine hours away.”
“The things that I'm good at, and the things that I'm not good at in life have funneled me to this trade.”
“I would take a close tornado that I'm in control of versus I-35 commute any day with the people driving on their phone; that is so dangerous. And we can joke about that, but for storm chasers, that's the big reality: the danger is the commutes.”
“People talk about the adrenaline junkie. And I've said, I'm not that guy now. I'm like, maybe I just don't understand adrenaline. But for me, I've always thought that it gets in the way of what I'm trying to do.”
“So if I'm screaming, cursing, and shaking the camera, that interferes with– even though that can be a great delivery for entertainment, I'm not ragging on that style at all. But my style is I want to go back and observe the tornado. And it's easier to observe with stable footage.”
“So there's a very high false alarm rate, which is what they've opted to do; better to warn than not warn.”
“So perhaps the green ghosts are shedding light. I think people were surprised that the oxygen was exciting at that level.”
Links:
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