Did you have another hobby besides fishing?

[Catt]

Who would have pictured Glenn was a pyrotechnician?

My kids say my hobby is causing hate and discontent  

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Car audio custom fabrication.  I love fiberglass and motorized stuff.  I like the challenges offered and the room for creativity.

I don't do much of it anymore now that I have moved and don't have my garage. I do a few special side jobs for 2 local shops when asked to though.  Strictly sub boxes and "special application speakers" (center channels, Tweets,etc)

Below are some pics of boxes I've done and some "specialty" install stuff too.

Jetta

Audo quattro

Civic (capacitor dish pan)

PT Cruiser  CES show car done by a local shop.  I did the fit and construction on the sub box/amp rack, and built the center channel from scratch.

center channel

Bentley (I  did the 2 sub boxes)

[slomoe]

Thats amazing Russ, Sick stuff.

[Mrs. Matstone]

I do not have a long list of hobbies and I will be the first to admit that I do not have the time that I used to have to do them since having kids but I still love to do them when I get the chance.

Snowmobiling

4 wheeling

rock climbing

Glenn if your a licensed pyrotechnician than I have a few neighbors I would like for you to meet.

[fish-fighting-illini]

used to be golf absolutely loved it but the price and 5 hr rounds of golf I pretty much gave it up. Plus my scores were so so. Thus now my hobby is FISHING ONLY.

 sort of a hobby as I spent many years with it was coaching my kids sports teams

 use to play some soccer in my "thinner days" would like to find something light and easy along tthose lines again

 It was a paid hobby but I umpired baseball and softball for almost 25 years ( started at age 12). In boys / mens did kids, to a few semipro games. I got into girls fastpitch and did that for probably the last 15 years of the run.

[Dean]

Snowmobiling 8-)

[bassdocktor]

Mrs. Matstone and Dean what type of sleds do you two have? My dad and I just got into snowmobiling with 2 2000 Polaris sled. His is a 500xc and mine is the 500xcsp. Both came with just about 1000mi on them.

bassdocktor

[Dean]

Mrs. Matstone and Dean what type of sleds do you two have? My dad and I just got into snowmobiling with 2 2000 Polaris sled. His is a 500xc and mine is the 500xcsp. Both came with just about 1000mi on them.

bassdocktor

My dad's is a 1998 Polais Indy 488, and mine is a 1994 Polaris 440.  Yes they're older but they run like champs.

[Redlinerobert]

I use to be big into exotic cars - Porsche then Lamborghini.  I would organize drives and track events.  Two events in particular, we had over 140 Porsches driving together to a luncheon/carshow.  That was a site to see!  I then did the same when I had the Lamborghini, but could only manage to get 20 Lambo's together.  Still, it was so awesome to see these cars all driving together on the road.  

I now honestly find fishing more exciting than driving.

[Guest muddy]

Thats because your getting old Like AVID and LONG MIKE ;D

[Redlinerobert]

Thats because your getting old Like AVID and LONG MIKE ;D

Atleast I still look good.  

[flippin4it.]

 I own a 1963 Nova with a full roller 420cid small block backed by a Coan converter and a glide. It's you basic street/strip 10 inch tire car. Runs 10:60's on the motor through the mufflers and street tires. Now put 300hp NOS to it and it'll win your money on the street. Did I mention it looks like a total heap?

     For years I rode a 1977 Shovelhead, but gave that up for bass fishing....  

[TruflShufl]

Well, I had another hobby in-between fishing I would say.  Going to the racetrack was the thing to do in Tulsa, OK when I was 15-16.  The 'midnight drags' went from 12am-3am.  This was street drags aka 'run what ya brung' king of races.  Sure you get the occasional drag car, but for the most part you have guys pulling up in their street cars.  A guy caught my eye (and a lot of others) in '93 driving a Mistubishi Eclipse turbo/AWD.  There weren't any modified import cars around this time...no Hondas with crazy wings or body kits and graphics.  Just camaros and supercharged mustangs.  This dude in his Eclipse could hang with these modded V8's, and my fascination ensued.  I became a DSM junkie, and purchased a Talon in '94 (DSM meaning Diamond Star Motors '90-'99...a joint venture between Mistubishi and Chrysler).   There was a turbo and non-turbo version of the Eclipse and Talon, with the turbo being made by mistu and available with AWD (all wheel drive).  Just had to give a little background on the DSM...not a ricer vehicle at all...even the domestic V8 guys respect a modified AWD DSM on the street.  Most DSM's don't use any nitrous...just massive turbos.  My money went into modifying my car before I got back into bass fishing, but no, I didn't run that fast!  

Here is a video of John shepherd...him and Brent Raul have the fastest DSM's known.  No nitrous...street legal.  He is racing a blown 'Stang with a 300shot of nitrous.  

Yep...street legal

Fellow dsm'er!  8-) I used to drive a 92 laser awd. Amazing with the 6-bolt/4-bolt combo. That car was fast but it was way too unreliable. I had it for a year and it only drove consistently for about 4-5 months of that  

My only other real hobbies are hunting and computers/networking. Fishing is the #1

[Glenn]

I used to play Whirlyball - a lot. Was on a national championship team. If you don't know what it is, don't ask. It's kinda weird, actually.

I also was into boomerangs for awhile. Even competed in them. I still own 14 'rangs. Haven't thrown them in years, tho.

Ya, I'm a dork.

On the "cool" side, I was a licensed pyrotechnician for 6 years. I shot professional fireworks displays. Used to do 30-40 shows a year. The most famous would be the Space Needle on New Years, and Ala Moana (Hawaii) for the 4th of July (did several of each). I say this was a hobby because the pay was.... well, it wasn't enough to live off of, that's for sure. I did it 'on the side' while still doing my regular job. You can't beat the sound of a crowd of a million+ people screaming/cheering at the end of a finale - and it's for YOU. What a rush!

That rides pretty heavily with me, considering I'm a pyro. I am a total firework junkie. My father in-law runs a firework stand every year, so I get the 'good' fireworks at cost (the repeaters...or multi-action as they are sometimes called). He is also a pyro, and spends the bulk of his budget on the 'good' fireworks. I spent $500 last year and our display lasted 2.5hrs. This did include beer drinking though...

That's a little scary if you ask me.  I don't trust the cheap class "C" fireworks AT ALL.  They're all very unpredictable, incosistent, and in my opinion,  the most dangerous class of fireworks around.  Add alcohol to the mix, and you get a ride in an ambulance.

Class "B" is far better, because they're built to exact standards (exept Chinese brands).  The European fireworks are amazing.  Not only that, only licensed pyros can use them (unless you get them illegally - then you're literally risking your life by "playing" with them).

I designed and shot a few shows using class "C" fireworks (mainly high school homecoming games.  We had to use the smaller stuff due to regulations.) And I hated using them.  You can't time anything with them, and misfires are frequent.  Some of them even disintigrate while they're going off.

Designing shows w/Class B fireworks is a cakewalk by comparison.

[fourbizz]

I have had only 1 experience with "big" fireworks. LBH could definitely appreciate this one.

Myself and about 10 of my friends were staying at a cabin directly across from the main gates of Squaw Valley ski area for New Years a couple years ago. We launched five 6" mortar fireworks off of the front deck at midnight. It was very cool and most of the neighbors were cheering, the rest were calling the men with the flashy lights on their cars ;D

The first one scared the ever loving crap out of me!

BBBLLLLLOOOOMMMP..........................................KAPOW!

[tkite16]

Played golf 3 days a week till I bought my boat in July of last year . Havent played since . I keep going in my back room and looking at $2500 worth of clubs and tryin to figure how many Ardent reels and Gloomis rods that is sitting there.

[Glenn]

You can and will get killed doing that.  I cannot understate that.  

I've known a few pros who have been injured or killed, and they were trained, licensed professionals.

Trust me, you do not know what you're doing.  Unless you have gone through the certification courses and passed your exam, you do not know what you're doing.

Hand firing a 6" mortor SHOULD scare the bejeezus out of you.  

Try being me and firing a 10" mortor.  Or being in a show where 3, 12" mortors fire simultaneously with 8 10-inch and 15 8-inchers.  I witnessed apprentice pyros running away when that happens.  I didn't, because I know what's safe and what isn't.  That was during a finale of 1,500 shells in 30 seconds, covering a 1 1/2 miles of sky.

Painting the sky with fire.  What a rush!

But, again, unless you're licensed, DO NOT... EVER... even GO NEAR class 'B' fireworks again!!

[fishfordollars]

Drag Racing back in the 70s and early 80s. Set some national records and won some points meets.

[Micro]

I used to hunt, a lot. Now rarely do. It's gotten not-so-challenging. On top of that, land to hunt is getting harder to come by. People that had land no longer allow hunters due to constant trespassing and slob hunters littering. The only type of hunting I really enjoy anymore is spring turkey hunting, and small game, but I haven't done that in a awhile, either.

My other outdoor passion is reptile hunting. I love snakes and have hunted them and kept them since as long as I can remember. I keep several now. I've rehabilitated quite a few that I've found injured. I've performed snake removal and relocation. I've even had the opportunity to take some graduate students out on a couple of occassions as a guide.

My other "rainy day" hobby is history. Particularly WWII aviation history. I've assembled a very large library of books on the subject, and collect documents and search archives for tidbits of information.

This is when the going gets good.  Curiously, I've found more cottomouths before you get to that sign than beyond it.  

[Gatorbassman]

I used to play Whirlyball - a lot. Was on a national championship team. If you don't know what it is, don't ask. It's kinda weird, actually.

I also was into boomerangs for awhile. Even competed in them. I still own 14 'rangs. Haven't thrown them in years, tho.

Ya, I'm a dork.

On the "cool" side, I was a licensed pyrotechnician for 6 years. I shot professional fireworks displays. Used to do 30-40 shows a year. The most famous would be the Space Needle on New Years, and Ala Moana (Hawaii) for the 4th of July (did several of each). I say this was a hobby because the pay was.... well, it wasn't enough to live off of, that's for sure. I did it 'on the side' while still doing my regular job. You can't beat the sound of a crowd of a million+ people screaming/cheering at the end of a finale - and it's for YOU. What a rush!

I didn't know that you were a pyrotech. That's cool. My oldest brother works for a company out of Logan Utah. So he is a Rocket Scientist by day and a Pyrotech by night. lol

He ran a crew for the Salt Lake Winter Olympics. The day after the Olympics he had to fly to Russia for a business trip. They arrested him because he came up hot when an bomb sniffing dog hit on him.

It took him a day to get the go ahead. lol

[utser]

83 shovelhead, collecting body art, trying to play guitar, driving my old lady nuts.

[Mobydick]

I enjoy hunting a lot. Mostly rabbits, deer, turkey, bear, coyote,and fox. I love archery, but not the hunting part. I shoot it for competition and sport. My dad was really good and shot bow with Larry Wise a lot when he was younger. Up untill about three weeks ago, when I wasn't fishing, I was with my girlfriend, if thats a hobby, I loved every second of it, so why wouldn't it be? But some really bad things happened.

[fourbizz]

I know Glenn, another in the long list of stupid things I have done with liquid courage.

I think that the sound they make when they launch is probably my favorite part of all. I was also concerned that we were going to start an avalanche. But thankfully that didnt happen either.

I definitely would enjoy doing fireworks shows, but I probably wouldn't last long.

[Guest muddy]

HOW DO YOU GET CERTIFIED TO DO THAT?

[Glenn]

Ya, I hear ya.  My fist handlight show was both terrifying and a rush at the same time.  Imagine M250's blowing off at arms length, knowing that any time, one cold misfire and kill you.  I was shaking afterwards from the adrenaline rush.  There's a video somewhere of me taking my motorcycle helmet off and smoke pouring out.  LOL

Muddy - it varies a little from state to state, but essentially, to get licensed, you must take several safety training classes, get trained on Pyro-Digital (the computer firing system - my specialty), do 6-10 shows as an "apprentice" within 2 years (must document all shows), and then pass a written test that covers all the rules, regs, laws, etc. PLUS submit 5 letters of recommendations from licensed pyros you worked with during your apprentership.

For more info, see http://www.pyrospectaculars.com/techniciantraining.html

Then you must do several shows a year to keep your license active.  Would be very helpful if you have people skills, as you'll have to manage a crew, a demanding client, and a nervous fire chief.

It's fairly rigorous, but if you really enjoy it, you don't really notice.  That said, the job is VERY physically demanding and dirty.  Very long hours too.