CHASE HISTORY

1996
I took an unconventional, and probably unpopular route into storm chasing: I threw myself to the wolves. Nothing was ever planned, just an impromptu chase one day by a friend and myself. Despite our total lack of experience, we got lucky and nailed a tornado. This sparked the passion in me that became my life's purpose. Although we only chased once, this was the start of my chase career.
1997
My rookie year. I was relentless in my pursuit of tornadoes, needing to feed the passion that had been sparked from my first chase/tornado the year before. I was also obsessed with trying to prove to the world that I wasn't a one-hit wonder. Though the year was largely a failure, through it all I gained valuable experience and began to slowly develop as a chaser. My tenacity paid off late in the year with more tornadoes, getting the one-hit wonder monkey off my back.
1998
A classic sophomore jinx. This was the worst season of my career. I had much confidence going into this season, feeling my experiences the year before would only help me improve my showing this year. However, Mother Nature and Lady Luck had other ideas. The season was dull, and almost everything we chased early on was a bust. Later in the year when the action picked up, bad luck bit me in every way imaginable. This was definitely a character-building type of year.
1999
This was a dream season. Everything that had gone wrong the year before went right this year. I saw more tornadoes on more different days than I ever had before, including ten on May 3, and broke just about every statistical record I keep. I saw things that I had only seen on television or read about in books. My name and face were introduced to the chasing world through the genesis of my website, my joining of the internet discussion group WX-CHASE, and television appearances in both America and Germany. After three years of chasing in complete obscurity, I had suddenly arrived.
2000
 This year I was finally able to expand my chasing frequency and range. I chased more often and much further than I ever had before. Unfortunately, this didn't help to improve my success ratio. I had gained a lot of experience over the years, but I was still a poor chasing forecaster. This ended up hurting me several times this season. I discovered that chasing more doesn't necessarily mean seeing more. Despite this painful learning curve, I still managed to observe and document some of the most incredible moments of my career.
2001
For the first time in my chasing career, I was able to put everything together at once: I finally had my own vehicle, my own equipment, unlimited flexibility, and was making the best money of my life. I took advantage of this situation and chased hard and often. Unlike the year before, my diligence paid off. I saw tornadoes on more different days than any other year, and discovered I had a knack for seeing the tornadoes that others missed. This was one of my most successful seasons, and one of the most enjoyable.
2002
A tough season overall, but there were a few diamonds in the rough. My life was pretty much falling apart prior to this season. In the span of two weeks, my car broke down, I was told I would have to move out of my place, and my boss told me work was drying up. I was handed a $1400 check the first week of April, and told to make it last because there was no more work on the horizon. I could secure my future with a new apartment and kiss my 2002 season goodbye...or I could chase. I chose the latter.
2003
A horrible year for me. Once again, personal issues in my life were severely complicating my ability to chase. My ex-chase partner from 2002 had stolen my video camera prior to the start of the 2003 season, so I had a huge strike against me before I even chased once. Fortunately, another chase partner lent me his backup camcorder, and I was able to document my 2003 season. Lack of a vehicle and money often kept us sitting at home on the best days, but I was able to score one of the best chases of my career and come away with something positive from what was a dreadful season overall.
2004
The best season of my career. This was the year I really started nailing forecasts and getting incredible video on a consistent basis. I discovered that success breeds success, and once the ball was rolling, it seemed we could do no wrong. I witnessed and documented several incredible events and tornadoes, breaking my old record for most tornadoes in a single year. I also released my first DVD in December, realizing a dream I'd had for years. This season raised the bar.
2005
This was a good solid season. I didn't see a lot, but what I did see was incredible. I was beginning to understand that great chase years are based on quality, not quantity. Another year of firsts, as I finally fell victim to large hail for the first time in nine years, losing both front and rear windshields. I documented some of the most incredible events of my career, and released my second and third DVDs, which featured my early chase years. A satisfying and productive chase season.
2006
Another good season. In what was one of the worst chase years on record, I had one of the best years of my career. Though my tornado count was low, I saw severe weather on a higher percentage of my chases than any other season. Even the storms that didn't produce tornadoes were great supercells, and rarely did I bust completely. Like the previous year, I didn't see much, but what I did see was spectacular. Another great video year as well, with some of the best stuff of my career. I released my fourth DVD in August, ending what was a fun and productive chase year.
2007
This season was a rebirth for me as a chaser. Over the previous Winter I experienced severe burnout, and even considered giving up chasing. However once March rolled around, I quickly regained my senses and jumped into the season head-first. We witnessed several events, including a rare exclusive of the historic May 4 nocturnal tornado family in Kansas, observing tornadoes after Greensburg that no other chasers witnessed. One of the better seasons of my career.
2008
I entered this season with a brand new effort and outlook on life. After an off-season filled with moves, cash problems, and a job change, I had finally put everything together just prior to the start of the 2008 season: a new apartment back home in Norman, a new job, and money to chase. We scored early and often this year, including my single day record-setting chase on May 24 that produced 11 tornadoes, which also helped me set my all-time record for most tornadoes in a single year. Bridget began chasing with me this year as well, and her passion made the experience even more enjoyable throughout the season. I released my fifth DVD in December, completing an excellent year.
2009
This was a long year. As with several seasons before it, 2009 was hampered by a severe shortage of chasing funds and, in most cases, not having any wheels. With one of our long-time chase partners having personal issues throughout much of the season, we were forced to sit on the sidelines for several chases. We had our best chase early in the year, but things slowly faded afterwards. It seemed that every storm we intercepted just wouldn't produce tornadoes, and few we did see were brief, weak, and non-photogenic. However, there were a few bright spots. Our April 16 chase carried us through the year as one of our best, a few new chase friends helped us out with rides, and Bridget and I were hired by friends to run a week-long chase tour, which extended our season a full week.
2010