What better way to start off our brand-new blog and website than with one of the most common questions we get asked as stormchasers: "why do you chase storms and how did you get into it?".
Even though the answers to this question will vary from person to person, there are similar motives to be found among them.
CURIOUS KIDS, LATE BLOOMERS AND FILM FANATICS
Often times the seeds of chasing are planted at an early age. Common interests at this age are often things like general love for nature and a fascination for what happens above our heads: the clouds, the stars, airplanes, lightning... an upward gaze and a head in the clouds. With coming age, the desire for knowledge grows. Books, documentaries, vlogs, blogs, online courses, nothing seems to quench the thirst for new info.
Striking fact: most stormchasers will be able to tell you exactly which thunderstorm caused their interest to become their passion. That one setting on that one day, that right amount of fuel that ignited their ember to an inferno.
Another category are the late bloomers, people that are into filming and photography and want to learn more about storms and the weather in general. And before they know it, they're in a car driving for hours, to try and catch photogenic storms. Of course, media has a huge influence too. Everybody knows the epic 1996 film Twister, and even if the science wasn't really that accurate, it still inspired many people to start stormchasing. Discovery Channel’s Stormchasers is another reason why a lot of people are out there (sometimes even too many).
And let's not forget National Geographic's and PBS Nova's many documentaries, featuring iconic scientists and chasers like Joshua Wurman, Howard Bluestein, Tim Samaras and so on. These have been a huge inspiration to many chasers out there, including ourselves.
ABOUT LIGHTNING-, CLOUD- AND TORNADOCHASERS
For some chasing is all about the lightning. They prefer chasing at night to capture amazing photo's and mindboggling slow-motion videos. For them nothing beats getting that shot of a crisp lightning bolt, away from all the rain. Others prefer jaw dropping structures, time lapsing clouds dancing across the skies in the most violent yet graceful ways. And others will do anything to get up close with tornados. Hearing the roar and seeing the dust getting flung around, while trying to stay in a safe zone. Whichever you prefer, being a chaser means you can appreciate all the aspects of a storm. Because all it comes down to one thing: being in awe of Mother Nature's raw power and pure beauty.
If we look past nature, and look more at the practical side of things, a lot of us just like the challenges that each chase brings. Starting the day off with a good forecast is crucial, a wrong forecast can put you hours out of position and trying to catch up with storms usually does not work out. Choosing the right roads while barrelling down on a supercell, avoiding road works, traffic and chaser convergences are amongst other challenges thrown at you during each chase. Checking all of those boxes and getting rewarded by nature, with memory cards full of footage as a silent witness, just gives you an indescribable feeling.
MOSAIC OF INTENSE EXPERIENCES
A last, but very important, aspect for chasers is the social one. Long before the show even begins you spend many, many, MANY hours together in a car, at a restaurant or (not always so) patiently waiting at a parking lot. Even when you're out chasing alone, you will always bump into other chasers, or curious passers-by. Many opportunities arise to strengthen bonds or making new ones.
Added that for us at Chase2BE we have the extra duty to warn and inform people in time or realtime, and you quickly understand that stormchasing is a mosaic of different aspects and experiences. But even though there are dozens of reasons why we go out to chase, the one that matters most is: it’s our passion.
