Interview #5: Jeff Louder
Here we go listeners...the completion of our father/son Louder interview. Jeff Louder has responded, albeit with advisory panel assistance. He has answered the difficult and provocative questions with style and ease. Now that I think about it, I should have asked Jeff what his favorite food is for thanksgiving. Well, maybe he'll let us know...
Dear Dave, here I am with my advisors and I am ready to answer,
dhblog: $65 burning a hole in the wallet...what would you buy?
JeffLouder: A box of nails? A big box! how much does a box of nails cost? Maybe 4sq feet of tile because that’s all you get! but I’d probably blow it all on drinks for me and my people.
dhblog: favorite concert this year?
JeffLouder: Spoon because the lead singer reminded me of Bowie!. Why that would make a great show, I don’t really know. As I think about I think My Morning Jacket was pretty damn good. They made me wish I had kept up at trying to be a rockstar.
dhblog: favorite concert of all time?
JeffLouder: Grateful Dead parking lot was better than the show!. Phish at the Triad kicked ass in `95! I still have a t-shirt ($7 bucks `cuz that’s all I had). I asked Soorya and this is what she said: `B-boyz. I got punched in the face! and then some guy came up and grabbed me around the throat! saltaire.’ now that’s a memory. Martin Sexton stands out for me. That’s where I fell in love. Powerful stuff. I used to think that any Widespread concert was the best. I probably saw the most "Honest"show of theirs as Saltaire. They played a very, very long time and it seemed like they were having fun, as was I.
dhblog: Avenues Bakery or Liberty Fresh?
JeffLouder: Do I have to pay and what are we treated?. At least at Avenues you are being served.
dhblog: …and, what is the best "supplement" for cycling from both?
JeffLouder: Brownies, from either.. Tho I’d say Heights wins but I’d call it the Heist because that $65 dollars would get me a nice little picnic and that’s it. Gotta love a local shop that only sells the best though.
dhblog: favorite fishing hole?
JeffLouder: The Firehole in Yellowstone this October, not cold and the wife caught lots of fish. If I were alone Id say the Madison in the park, alone with a Halloween and a 26 incher on the line! yeah people, it happens all the time.
dhblog: Jeff, what do you wish your dad would have taught you?
JeffLouder: I think the old man taught me all I NEED TO KNOW. I know where to fish, how to train, what to eat and what to drink, thanks Pa. If he didn’t teach me something its because I didn’t ask! but I ask all the time and still learn things from him. Just yesterday he told me how to perfectly grill Tuna and it worked!
dhblog: what are your biggest cycling victories? what are your cycling catastrophes?
JeffLouder: I think my biggest victory to date is that I get to do this for a living. The "biggest V" still hasn’t come but its always fun to win. I’ve had so many catastrophes that they all out shadow each other and none stand out. Freezing my ass off all over the World has become pretty normal. Crashing just happens and I usually always pack all my gear so there are no "I forgot my shoes" stories. This year was a very good year for getting wet and cold though. But I always race good the worse the weather so that’s hardly a catastrophe. Racing in 40f and 30mph winds for two days strait at 10,000 feet in China stands out as "not fun" though.
dhblog: what caught your interest in competitive cycling and when did you start?
JeffLouder: I always watched the tour as a young kid and I liked the drama. I was a swimmer and that was very boring so when I got a chance to do a Mountain bike race in `92 as a freshman in high school I took it and I was hooked.
dhblog: why do you think Bill Harris hasn't answered dhblog's interview questions? do you think he has something to hide?
JeffLouder: Definitely. Billy is a box of secrets! the student could become the master and then where would we be?
dhblog: have either of you been "star-struck"?
JeffLouder: Hell yeah, I was in the airport in London last year and I saw Slash, that was really cool. Gnf’nR were the best. I’ve trained with Museeuw a bit and that was pretty cool! Burke saw cheech fondeling his wife(his own, not Burke’s, that would have resulted in striking a star). In one of my first pro races a big Italian hit me.
dhblog: what would your dream job be?
JeffLouder: I think I have it. Construction is cool! the post work Buds and all! but it gets sorta monotonous, eh?
dhblog: Jeff, what is your proudest moment as a son?
JeffLouder: When Ken won the TT nats I was pretty proud. I think its really cool that I get to go training with my old man. Seeing him turn up at the group ride is always a proud moment.
dhblog: tell us about your funniest family memory…
JeffLouder: we are very boring and I cant remember a single moment. Not one.
dhblog: how about a list of your favorite beverages?
JeffLouder: I’d pick aTripel any day and I wouldn’t mis-pronounce it (Say: triple)! I do like water a lot (can’t live without it). A D.C. goes down good and a triple latte never hurt anyone. I actually like anything liquid.
dhblog: we're big fans of Burke Swindlehurst here at dhblog...introvert or extrovert? explain…
JeffLouder: That’s a real question! Burke is Burke. He’s a great friend and training partner. I’ve spent a shitload of time side by side with him. He’s outgoing and opinionated and very quick. That says extrovert to me. But for me to say that and then think back to when I first knew him I think its sort of surprising. He’s a hard person to pin down and that makes you think introvert but I think that’s just how it is, no one is who they are all the time. How about that? How about this: Jeff Louder! confusing or confused? Explain.I will say this about Burke: He has a lot of friends. And I’m glad I’m one of them. Whatever he is he’s doing it right.
dhblog: speaking of Burke, i'm going to steal one of his questions he asked to dhblog...if you were a car, what make/model/year?
JeffLouder: The car I am. I’m not that into cars. But if I could own one it would be a Ferrari of some sort.
dhblog: what should dhblog viewers know about you?
JeffLouder: I hate blogs
dhblog: are there any questions i should have asked either of you?
JeffLouder: Why do you hate blogs Jeff? Why? For gods sake, why!?!
dhblog: finally, tell us about your favorite blog?
JeffLouder: I like my blog, I keep it to myself, never lie, never get controversial and it entertains only me! It doesn’t exist but its all mine! But if you held a gun to my head I’d say I like the blogs of the people I know. it’s a love/hate because I’m always interested in what they have to say but I also have a hard time with what they say because the blog personality doesn’t ever line up with the person I know and its weird. I have a hard time separating the Blog from the man and it conflicts me. I do like reading peoples daily accounts of their lives if its well written! even if its part fiction. I would be a shite story teller because I have a hard time with blurring the truth. Honesty never killed the cat but it pissed off a lot of folks.(that was a pretty blog like rant and I would like to apologize to all the people out there that feel the way I do).JeffLouder: thanks dhblog AKA madogg! xoxo-JL. I'd like to thank S.lo, T-Bird, RG and Tif-terif for adding their guidance, advice and company as I came up with these heartfelt answers. They deserve credit for their effort. And sorry Tif-terif, I can't think of a good nickname so I made a funny one up. You can hate me privately or publicly as you choose.
So, that winds up the Louder interview series. I hope you've all learned something new about the racing side of the Louder family. One of these days we may need to request an interview with Carol, Ken's wife, to find out the real story. Thanks again to Ken and Jeff for the time they took to give these probing questions some thought.