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Ryan Shepard

By 17 April 2024One Comment

Storm Chaser – CEO/Owner Storm of Passion and TIV-2

Storm Chasing since 2007 Live in Greeley, CO – 38 years old
{TIV-2 Still holds the record for the strongest measured intentional intercept}

Intercepted 2 tornadoes in 2023 in TIV-2 one near Laverne, OK and one near Kim, CO. Restoring TIV-2 since 2019 (purchase date), most of the major parts of the drivetrain have been replaced, frame and suspension parts fixed, giving us more reliability in the coming years ahead

Production Assistant on IMAX Film Tornado Alley, and TIV Driver in 2009 during Sean’s Ownership.

Tour Guide with Silver Lining Storm Chasing Tours since 2012 where my chase partner Roger Hill has achieved the Guinness World Record of the most tornadoes seen by one human being. I have lost count of my tornado count but it is many hundreds- One EF5 near Piedmont, OK.

The rest of the year when I am not running this organization of 12 staff, I work in the Oilfield (Fracking) because it allows me any day off that I want but at the sacrifice of long hours during the winter. I Have a fixed wing Commercial Pilots License with 350 hours flight time, Commercial Drivers License, Mortgage Brokers License. BAS Professional Aeronautics – Embry Riddle Aeronautical University – Minors in Safety, Management, and Business/Accounting. I went to college to become a pilot and join the Air Force as a Hurricane Hunter, chasing storms by vehicle took my passion instead

I went chasing with my college roommate who was a meteorologist, we chased across Kansas and Texas and saw tornadoes, large hail, structure and crazy lightning – I was hooked. I spent 7 years outside of my other professional work, chasing with my roommate and best friend Johnathan Skinner who had cystic fibrosis – the last years carrying giant oxygen tanks with us as we chase.
Skinner passed away in 2014 to his disease and shortly after, I launched his ashes into a supercell in Nebraska and a large tornado in Wyoming via rockets. My favorite storm to date was Prospect Valley, CO June 19 2018. Solo chase in my 4Runner, beautiful Low Precip supercell with a tornado. Had a drone shot of the tornado and sunset behind it.

Hobbies outside of storm chasing: Gaming, Kayaking, Skiing, Slot Canyons, Off Road Trails, Firearms, Photography and Film, Air Traffic Control operator in Vatsim (for flight simulators), Rodeos, Concerts, Movies, Travel

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