PEORIA'S ORIGINAL OUTDOOR STORE. SINCE 1971.

A member of the team since:
Spring of 1974.

What outdoor sports do you enjoy?
Skiing (XC & downhill), biking, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, orienteering.

What's your favorite product or brand in the store and why?
Patagonia NanoPuff Jacket — Ultra light, ultra compressible, and still very warm.

What outdoor competitions have you participated in?
Birkebiener XC Ski Marathon, SnowGaine, GHR Oreinteering Race, Sangamon 29 mile Canoe Race.

What's your greatest achievement?
Saving the store from going out of business in 1982.

What's your nickname and what's the story behind it?
Rudy — My college roommate would say "Aw Rudy" instead of cussing when I beat him at chess.

What's a sport/outdoor lesson you learned the hard way?
Get to the starting line early.

What's the strangest request you ever got from a customer?
Could we come out and prune his bushes right away.

Tell us how you went out of your way to help a customer.
I drove in from home on New Years Day to get skis out the store for their trip.

What's your most useful advice for someone who's buying a piece of equipment for the first time?
How do you want to use it?

What music do you chill to?
Jimmy Buffet.

What music do you race to?
The wind in my ears.

What's the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Take a lesson.

Favorite outdoor spot?
The new trail at Robinson Park.