Connecting with Kevin Ed. 12

Welcome to the 12th Edition of Connecting With Kevin. In this edition, we discuss the 2025 National Storm Chaser Summit held in Overland Park, KS.

The Weather Chicken

In mid-February, Cynthia Hicks and I escorted our youngest child, Maddie (aka "Chicken"), to the 2025 National Storm Chaser Summit in Overland Park, Kansas. This was the trip Maddie had been counting down to for nearly a year. We couldn’t make the 2024 Summit in Dallas, so she had been counting down the days to this one ever since. No concert, no holiday, and no event was nearly as important as the NSCS2025.

Why would we do this, you ask? Well, there’s a two-part backstory: Why do we call her “Chicken,” and why are we now traveling the country to hang out with storm chasers?

Why "Chicken"?

When Maddie was less than a year old, a series of random, silly moments led us to start calling her “Chicken.” You know how it goes—most parents have some goofy nickname for their kids. Some stick. Some don’t.

For example, my 23-year-old son was “Bub” and still answers to it. Xavier was “Bean” for years and still hears that from Cindy every now and then.

But Chicken? That one stuck for good. Honestly, I probably call her “Chicken” more than I call her Maddie. One of my all-time favorite pictures of her is from her first real Halloween—tiny little Chicken, dressed up and waddling around the neighborhood.

(ADHD Sidebar: When I went to save this photo on my laptop, I couldn’t figure out where to put it so I’d remember to find it for this post. I have a folder called “Bird Pics” from my bird feeder camera. Perfect, right? Chicken pic? Bird folder? Nailed it.)

Why weather?

As Chicken grew, so did her fascination with meteorology, storm chasing, and all things weather. Looking back, there were probably two big things that lit this spark:

1. Grandpa’s Weather Channel obsession: When Maddie was little, she spent a lot of time with my parents. My dad was notorious for having The Weather Channel on first thing in the morning. If he was awake, Maddie was awake. She’d sit on his lap, watching radar maps and storm reports, not really understanding much—but never once asking to change the channel.
2. Twister. When Maddie was about 9 or 10, we watched the original Twister together. That was it. Game over. Passion unlocked. (Oddly enough, my oldest child, Avery, watched this as a child and just ended up terrified of tornadoes)

As a dad of four, I’ve seen plenty of kid phases—dinosaurs, sharks, Legos, hating their parents. You name it. But I always say this: If you combined every hobby my other kids ever had and stuffed them into one bucket, it still wouldn’t match Maddie’s love of weather. Honestly, it wouldn't even come close.

We keep waiting for something—video games, friends, or (gulp) boys—to distract her. But nope. The more time passes, the deeper her passion grows.

She knows all the famous storm chasers. Last year, she met Reed Timmer, Edgar O’Neal, and LocalManWeather at an event in Illinois and even sat in the Dominator 3. Dream come true.

(They are all fun follows on socials, links attached to their names. LocalManWeather is SO funny. You all know how I roll. He's my kind of fun dude)

So what was the Summit like?

Honestly? I wasn’t sure what to expect. I mean, I’m not a scientist. That’d be like calling Pee-Wee Herman a theologian. I didn’t exactly thrive in school—I couldn’t sit still or focus.

But here are a few of my favorite moments from the trip:

• Watching Maddie find her people. You remember eighth grade, right? Brutal. Maddie’s had a tough time finding friends who "get" her. While other kids are talking about Minecraft or boys or sports, Maddie’s checking Doppler radar to see when the next lake-effect snow plume might hit Northwest Indiana. Over the course of the past few years, Maddie has developed quite a community of young weather fanatics and storm chasers. Kids from Florida, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and all of the friendships developed through online weather courses, or just talking on social media. One of the greatest feelings a parent can have is watching their child experience true joy. So this video of her meeting one of those storm chasers chokes me up every time.

• Karaoke night. Friday night, packed ballroom. A bunch of high school guys head to the stage to sing Something in the Orange by Zach Bryan. They try to talk the girls into joining. Most are hesitant. But not our Chicken. She stood right up there with seven boys, singing her heart out. Tough as nails. That’s my girl.
• Hanging with the pros. During one presentation, the speaker was breaking down Doppler radar signatures from recent tornadoes. Sitting next to me? Edgar O’Neal himself, casually pulling up and showing me video of that exact tornado on his phone as the presenter spoke. Wild.
• The “Weather Chicken” moment. Maddie’s been "WeatherChicken" on Twitter for a couple of years. On the first night, someone in the Marriott lobby walked up and asked, “Are you Weather Chicken?” Maddie about lost her mind. She was so happy. Chalk one up for branding, but really, Maddie built that name herself. We all wore our Weather Chicken shirts, and even one of her friends rocked one. My marketing heart was full.
• Weather Women documentary. During a parent Q&A, I asked how we could keep supporting Maddie’s passion. The outpouring of advice and encouragement from other parents was incredible. One of the presenters during this part was Meteorologist, Photographer, and Storm Chaser Jessica Moore. After the presentation, Jessica approached us and asked if they could speak to Maddie for their storm documentary, Weather Women. Jessica has partnered with fellow storm chaser, Tori Jane Ostenberg, along with ParaDeigm Films to release a documentary in the fall of 2025. We don't know what footage they'll use, but we're excited to watch.

On the last day...

As we left, Maddie spotted a giant 7'x7' vinyl sign from the Summit tossed in the trash. Before I could say a word, she yanked it out and carried it to the car. It’s now perfectly laid out in my basement. Zero creases. Zero tears. Classic.

Being at the Summit, watching this tight-knit community of storm chasers come together, reminded me a lot of the staffing industry. It’s competitive, sure—but it’s also deeply supportive. They cheer each other on, help each other out, and race to share the best shots of a storm.

So… what’s next?

Well, we’re making plans to turn my son’s old Jeep Grand Cherokee into a chasing vehicle. No way am I sacrificing my pristine minivan to hail damage.

We’re researching safety tips, scouting spots to watch storms over Lake Michigan, and dreaming about time-lapse shots of storms rolling in.

Denver. 2026. The next Summit. Weather Chicken will be there.

Her socials are below if you want to follow along.

Twitter - https://x.com/WeatherChickenx

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@WeatherChicken

Here are a few more pictures.

Thanks for reading! Until next time!

-Kevin