Feb 05

1. What is your full name?
Nicholas A. Sipes

2. Where were you born?
Bedford Indiana

3. How old are you?
31, I think

4. Any brother's or sister's?
Only child, besides step family

5. Where do you currently live?
Needmore Indiana

6. Where do you work?
Hall Signs in Bloomington and in my garage

7. What do you do there?
Screen printer / Graphic design at Halls, Fabrication in my garage

8. Do you have a nick name that you go by?
Grumpy...

9. How long have you been into the sport of off-roading?
Solid about 4 years now

10. Who or what first got you interested in the sport?
Like others, Bob Smith. Heard tales of his Samurai and decided it would be a good thing to get into. I was just coming out of Paintball and needed another hobby.

11. Are you involved in any off-road club's, and if so what is the name of your club?
The group I am running with now is the "Limestone Lizards", Mostly Jeeps but it's all good.

12. What is the year, make, and model of your current off-road 4x4?
1987/88 Suzuki Samurai

13. How long have you had it?
I have had this one for about 1.5 years now.

14. Why did you choose this particular 4x4?
It was a good deal and the purchase helped a friend in need out. (thanks Tommy)

15. Is this your first off-road 4x4?
Nope, my first was a 1983 Ford Bronco II with 6" lift and 33" tires.

16. What's best modification you've done to your 4x4 so far?
That's a tough one, I am really impressed with the tires. Boggers.

17. What's the worst modification you've done so far?
None of them are bad, most useless would be the strobe lights.

18. What's the scariest moment you've ever had off-roading?
Badlands, ZookiMelt this past year. In the quarry playing and decided to go down a rock face. Started down it and began to slide. the bottom was undercut and stopped us like an concrete wall. It stopped us so fast that my son slid out of his harness, busted his nose on the fire extinguisher, and cracked the windshield with his forehead. But that also ended up being his most proud moment. Bragged for days about breaking the windshield

19. What was the funniest?
I had my mom out for a run at Redbird, we tried one gap obstacle which was right after a big mud pit. I tried probably 5 times before she asked that I go around it. So I tried to go around. When I did the rear passenger tire slipped into the crevice, drug the front along, and brought both drivers side tires off the ground. Her scream was heard for 100 yards. Everyone including herself got a kick out of that fact. Just for the record, she wants to go again.

20. What have you learned from the sport that you can apply to your everyday life?
If it doesn't work the first time, try it again, a different way. Also patience.

21. If you could sit down and talk to anyone, past or present, who would it be and why?
Doc Holiday

22. What was the name of the last book you read?
Into thin air by Jon Krakauer

23. What was the last movie that you watched?
The day after tomorrow

24. What is your favorite style of music?
Anything from Beethoven to Marylin Manson

25. What do you like to listen to on the trails?
I have no radio, when I did have one it was always Elvis

26. When your not off-roading, or working, how do you like to spend your time?
However, no particular way, but its always with the rest of the family

27. If I gave you a free ticket to visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
New Zealand

28. Name someplace that you have visited in the past that you would love to visit again and why.
Moab Utah, I was there once with a broken leg and a Chevy Beretta. That was even before I knew anything about 4x4's and what exactly was there. Knowing what I know now, I really missed out. Now I could right the wrong and go to wheel and enjoy Moab for some of its famous lure.

29. What did you most want to be growing up?
Until College I had no idea, in college an architect, now I just want to be a good father.

30. Who did you most admire as a kid?
My grandparents, Uzal and Dorothy

31. If you could learn to speak any language fluently, what would it be and why?
Spanish, there is alot of Spanish people moving into town, might be good to hear what the are actually saying so that one could communicate better.

32. If you could give any piece of advice to a future off-roader, what would it be?
Build it to suit your needs, not what someone somewhere else tells you. Don't take it too seriously unless in a competition, and Family comes first...

		On the Hot Seat with Brent May I first met Nick when I started in this great sport of ours. Nick was one of the original members of the Bedford Boys group. He is the type of guy that is constantly tinkering, and learning about his hobby and always trying to find new ways to improve things. To him, trail breakage isn't about setbacks, but another chance to learn and improve.
		1. What is your full name? Nicholas A. Sipes 2. Where were you born? Bedford Indiana 3. How old are you? 31, I think 4. Any brother's or sister's? Only child, besides step family 5. Where do you currently live? Needmore Indiana 6. Where do you work? Hall Signs in Bloomington and in my garage 7. What do you do there? Screen printer / Graphic design at Halls, Fabrication in my garage 8. Do you have a nick name that you go by? Grumpy... 9. How long have you been into the sport of off-roading? Solid about 4 years now 10. Who or what first got you interested in the sport? Like others, Bob Smith. Heard tales of his Samurai and decided it would be a good thing to get into. I was just coming out of Paintball and needed another hobby. 11. Are you involved in any off-road club's, and if so what is the name of your club? The group I am running with now is the "Limestone Lizards", Mostly Jeeps but it's all good. 12. What is the year, make, and model of your current off-road 4x4? 1987/88 Suzuki Samurai 13. How long have you had it? I have had this one for about 1.5 years now. 14. Why did you choose this particular 4x4? It was a good deal and the purchase helped a friend in need out. (thanks Tommy) 15. Is this your first off-road 4x4? Nope, my first was a 1983 Ford Bronco II with 6" lift and 33" tires. 16. What's best modification you've done to your 4x4 so far? That's a tough one, I am really impressed with the tires. Boggers. 17. What's the worst modification you've done so far? None of them are bad, most useless would be the strobe lights. 18. What's the scariest moment you've ever had off-roading? Badlands, ZookiMelt this past year. In the quarry playing and decided to go down a rock face. Started down it and began to slide. the bottom was undercut and stopped us like an concrete wall. It stopped us so fast that my son slid out of his harness, busted his nose on the fire extinguisher, and cracked the windshield with his forehead. But that also ended up being his most proud moment. Bragged for days about breaking the windshield 19. What was the funniest? I had my mom out for a run at Redbird, we tried one gap obstacle which was right after a big mud pit. I tried probably 5 times before she asked that I go around it. So I tried to go around. When I did the rear passenger tire slipped into the crevice, drug the front along, and brought both drivers side tires off the ground. Her scream was heard for 100 yards. Everyone including herself got a kick out of that fact. Just for the record, she wants to go again. 20. What have you learned from the sport that you can apply to your everyday life? If it doesn't work the first time, try it again, a different way. Also patience. 21. If you could sit down and talk to anyone, past or present, who would it be and why? Doc Holiday 22. What was the name of the last book you read? Into thin air by Jon Krakauer 23. What was the last movie that you watched? The day after tomorrow 24. What is your favorite style of music? Anything from Beethoven to Marylin Manson 25. What do you like to listen to on the trails? I have no radio, when I did have one it was always Elvis 26. When your not off-roading, or working, how do you like to spend your time? However, no particular way, but its always with the rest of the family 27. If I gave you a free ticket to visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? New Zealand 28. Name someplace that you have visited in the past that you would love to visit again and why. Moab Utah, I was there once with a broken leg and a Chevy Beretta. That was even before I knew anything about 4x4's and what exactly was there. Knowing what I know now, I really missed out. Now I could right the wrong and go to wheel and enjoy Moab for some of its famous lure. 29. What did you most want to be growing up? Until College I had no idea, in college an architect, now I just want to be a good father. 30. Who did you most admire as a kid? My grandparents, Uzal and Dorothy 31. If you could learn to speak any language fluently, what would it be and why? Spanish, there is alot of Spanish people moving into town, might be good to hear what the are actually saying so that one could communicate better. 32. If you could give any piece of advice to a future off-roader, what would it be? Build it to suit your needs, not what someone somewhere else tells you. Don't take it too seriously unless in a competition, and Family comes first... Nick, thank you for your time, and you are now... off the hot seat!