Bob is one of the many wheelers I have met through the various off-road forums I like to visit. Although I have ever met him personally (I sure hope to some day though), he is another fine example of the type of people you meet in this great sport of ours. Always willing to help out, and just an all around great guy! Enjoy this months Hot Seat, and say HEY to Bob if you see him out on the trail for me!

1. What is your full name?
Robert Charles Gassert, Jr.

2. Where were you born?
Walter Reed Army Hospital, Washington, D.C.

3. How old are you? Ok, now in dog years?
I'll be 48 (EEK!) in June! In dog years, I'd be DEAD.

4. Do you have any brother’s or sister’s?
Three Sisters, all older (they're in their FIFTIES!)

5. Where do you call home?
Middle of Nowhere, Unincorporated Gilpin County, Colorado. It's in the Front Range, 9,000 feet above sea level, west of Denver. If you're looking at a map, it's 5 miles north of Black Hawk, Colorado.

6. Where do you work?
Gambro US Products - a medical equipment manufacturer headquartered in Sweden, with manufacturing sites all over the world. We make Dialysis and automated blood processing equipment, among other things.

7. What do you do there?
I'm officially a "Systems Analyst/Database Administrator" - I fix problems with manufacturing, accounting, and the like. Sometimes it involves programming, sometimes it involves finding smarter ways to do things.

8. Do you have a nick name that you like to go by?
Well, because I'm a "Junior", my family calls me Bobby (my dad was Bob), but to most people I'm Bob, or Zooki, or Bobzook. Hmm, the nickname I like to go by? How about "Exalted Master of the Cryptic Mysteries"? Too long? OK, then Bob will do.

9. Who gave you this name and why?
Oops! Guess I already covered most of that. Well, obviously, Bobzook, and Zooki are because of my screen name on most BBS's - Bobzooki. The "Exalted Master" part can't be explained - either you get it, or you don't.

10. How long have you been into the sport of off-roading?
Tough question! I can remember when I was a wee tyke - must have been 1968, going Elk hunting with my dad and a friend, and asking "Do you always drive like this Mr. Wood?" As an adult, I am an avid backpacker, and began taking trips with a group of friends who wheel for hours to get to the trailhead, where we grab our backpacks and go from there. I started serious wheeling myself, when I bought the Gnewt.

11. Who or what first got you interested in the sport?
Nobody likes to hike an extra day in and out on a backpacking trip!

12. Are you involved in any off-road club’s, and if so what is the name of your club?
NO! But I AM a member of Blue Ribbon Coalition, and contribute to Colorado Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs. I wheel with several clubs, such as the Rising Sun 4 Wheel Drive Club of Colorado (Haha, a Toyota Club - we poke a lot of fun at each other!)

13. What is the year, make, and model of your current off-road 4x4?
The Gnewt is a 1995 Suzuki Sidekick JX - 2-door with the 1.6L 16 Valve Engine.

14. How long have you had it?
I bought it on ebay, in January, 2002. Flew into Dallas, and drove it home.

15. Why did you choose this particular 4x4?
This is my FIFTH Sidekick. It's my THIRD 1995 Sidekick. 1995, because that's the last year that they didn't have airbags, (making the body lift easier) and because it was the most reliable year for Kicks. These babies just keep on ticking. I have 158,000 miles on my 4-door, 132,000 miles on the Gnewt, and my wife has 130,000 miles on her 99 Grand Vitara.

16. Is this your first off-road 4x4?
Well, it's the first one I've built for off-road use.

17. What's best modification you've done to it so far?
Tough call! Well, probably the Calmini 6" combination body and suspension lift. Close seconds, with a multiple-way tie, is the Anvil front steel axle housing, 5.83:1 Ring & Pinions, ARB Air Lockers, and the 4.24:1 transfer case regearing.

18. What's the worst modification you've done so far?
Jacobs Ignition. What was I thinking? About two weeks after it went off warranty, it just completely quit. Up in smoke. I went back to factory ignition, and haven't looked back.

19. What’s the scariest moment you’ve ever had off-roading?
The time I got her up on one wheel - the right front - on...I think Steelbender at Moab. I even have pics! Second scariest, was easily Lion's Back at Moab. The steepest part is right at the bottom, and about 50 feet up, there's a "break over" where it's not as steep - but you can't see over it, until you're actually driving over it! And at the same time, the line takes a bit of a left turn, but you can't see how much, so you just have to do it on faith. Now this is one SKINNY little fin of rock. Most of the way up, there's this...big bump on the right - the fin is too narrow to go around it on the left, or to put both wheels on the bump, so you have to go off-camber as well as up at about a 45 degree angle. You think up was scary? Down is bloody terrifying!

20. What was the funniest?
Funniest? Geez, I just can't recall any time I did something that just left me rolling on the ground laughing. Maybe I'm doing it wrong?

21. What have you learned from the sport that you can apply to your everyday life?
Take a deep breath. Calm your thinking. Don't panic. Wheeling teaches you to focus your attention, like nothing else I have ever done.

22. If you could sit down and talk to anyone, past or present, who would it be and why?
My dad. He was a great guy. The Dalai Lama. What a powerfully spiritual guy.

23. What was the name of the last book you read?
The last book I FINISHED, was "House Corrino" by...darn it...Frank Herbert's Kid - Frank Herbert wrote all the Dune books - his son is continuing the stories. I'm also in the middle of at least 20 other books.

24. What was the last movie that you watched?
Ray

25. What is your favorite style of music?
Rock and Roll. Hard Rock. Break out the AC/DC, Aerosmith, Uriah Heep, Transplants, and a whole lot of new artists. BUT - I also listen to a LOT of other stuff.

26. What do you like to listen to on the trails?
Anything from Golden Earring, to "Sanctuary: Music from a Zen Garden" by Riley Lee - and I also like to listen to nothing at all.

27. When you're not off-roading, or working, how do you like to spend your time?
Woodworking, Cooking, playing Shakuhachi - Japanese Bamboo Flutes, Fishing, Hunting, Skiing, Snowshoeing, Backpacking, Making my own Wine.

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

29. Name someplace that you have visited in the past that you would love to visit again and why.
Washington D.C. - I was born there, but only lived there for a year (typical Military brat). Panama Canal Zone - lived there from 60 to 64 - age 3 to almost 7.

30. What did you most want to be growing up?
A mad scientist.

31. Who did you most admire as a kid?
My dad.

32. If you could learn to speak any language fluently, what would it be and why?
Tough one - Spanish, because I love Mexico. Japanese, because I love the sound of it. Polish, because a lot of the "old" folks in my family are Polish. Esperanto, because it's a modern synthetic language with simple grammar (spoken by over 2 million people world-wide, so it's similar in scope to Latvian, or Lithuanian).

33. What is your best time of the day, morning, noon, or night?
Early morning - like oh-dark-hundred through maybe 10 a.m. I like to get up at 3 a.m., and spend the beginning of my day in silence, and maybe some study.

34. What’s your most embarrassing moment?
Any time people publicly praise me.

35. Have you ever met anyone famous, and if so, who?
Well, not one-on-one. At least, I don't think so.

36. If you could give any piece of advice to a future off-roader, what would it be?
Take your time. It could easily take years (and a ton of cash) to get your rig - and your skill - where you'll want it to be. Be kind to the people you meet on the trail - they are the people you're going to need the most, when your rig breaks, or you just stick it where it shouldn't be, or worse.