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Tornado Hunter brings whirlwind of excitement to David Hoy Elementary School

He has one mission in mind: to find the biggest and baddest tornadoes in North America and head straight for them.
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Ricky Forbes from the popular T.V. show

Barbara Latkowski

Caledonia Courier

He has one mission in mind: to find the biggest and baddest tornadoes in North America and head straight for them.

But on Jan. 20, Ricky Forbes of the popular T.V. show, Tornado Hunters, headed for David Hoy Elementary School in Fort St. James.

With his storm chasing vehicle in tow, Forbes arrived at the school and presented information about his show, educational facts about tornadoes and actual storm footage that he and his fellow storm chasers captured after an incredibly successful storm chasing season.

“I love this. I can’t see myself doing anything else right now”, the 29 year old Forbes said.

But the six-foot-five Saskatchewan native wasn’t always busy chasing tornadoes.

After high school, Forbes graduated from the University of Saskatchewan completing his Bachelors of Commerce degree with a major in finance.

But after a while, he traded in his suit and tie to pursue his passion and love for adventure.

“When I saw and felt that first tornado that was it. I was hooked, “Forbes said.

When not chasing tornadoes with his fellow chasers, Greg Johnson and Chris Chittick, Forbes keeps busy by jumping his dirt bike, falling out of a plane, dropping cliffs on his snowboard or trying to find the biggest jumps on his snowmobile.

His dream of getting up close and personal with tornadoes came true in 2012 when the first season of Tornado Hunters was first aired.

Since then, Ricky has driven over 250,000 km crossing three provinces and 25 states catching over 75 tornadoes.

The students at David Hoy were thrilled to hear Forbes as he spoke about hitting ditches and dodging debris as he navigates through each storm he and his fellow chasers encounter.

“It’s very exciting, Richard Gratz, a teacher at David Hoy said. “It’s not every day we have a celebrity like this visit Fort St. James.”

For more information about Tornado Hunters visit: www.tornadohunter.ca