Dave Landreth and Mike Whitcombe
Known for their wrestling masks and fast-n-furious racing techniques, Dave Landreth and Mike Whitcombe reveal the true story behind Los Gringos Locos.
You race under the name "Los Gringos Locos" and wear Mexican wrestling masks. What's the story/motivation: wackiness or pure intimidation?
True story.....Dave never knew his parents. The true sons of Lucha Libre, dedicated supporters of the Mexican Wrestling Federation, raised him in a small Mexican village off the coast of Vera Cruz. It was there that he was taken under the wing of the supreme Gringo Loco "Arturo, La Machina de Amor".
(Los Gringos training camp – somewhere off the coast of Vera Cruz)
Dave studied for years under his guided tutelage and gained a deep appreciation for the mystic powers of the mask, eventually becoming Arturo's main apprentice. Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, Arturo died in a rather "suspect" kiln explosion on the eve of his championship bout with El Conejo Asustado.
On that fateful day, November 20, 1994 Dave commenced his own lucha libre career, vowing revenge 10 years later to all those responsible for Gringo Loco's untimely death. Donning the mask of the marauder and using his trademark "spleen grip" hold, Dave shed his nom de plume "El Bendeho" and became known as El Gringo Nuevo.
Fueled by vengeance and carne asada, El Gringo Nuevo quickly ascended the ranks - until the bout of MachoTaco. Attempting a rare reverse pile drive from high atop the turnbuckle, El Gringo Nuevo miscalculated and drove headfirst into the steel girders adorning the ring. Diagnosed with severe head trauma, tourettes and wild body twitches, Dave became "El Gringo Loco". He was asked to leave the wrestling circuit and began hanging out at Urban Challenge events.
When he met Mike in Cleveland, Dave had an extra mask and the team was born. However a name change may be in the works for 2004.
How did you know each other?
During our International Male photo shoot…
Mike's side of the story.....I met Dave at the at the 2002 Urban Challenge in Cleveland. At the time I was not competing but serving as ground "support" for a couple of renowned UC'ers that had recently won the LA event. Acting as support, my role was to "snap" a couple of pictures – it became evident that my camera skills were not "perfect" and the team of Jeff and Jake were summarily DQ'd (something I would later learn they could do very well without assistance....but I digress) due to a couple of missing photos.
Anyway, during the after race party I was banished from further conversation with the LA team and exiled to the remote reaches of the bar - were I met the event winner, frothing at the mouth from behind his mask (see above).
What skills have you found particularly helpful in doing Urban Challenge?
We are people persons – that is to say we aren't shy. We have found this attribute to be particularly helpful when it comes to invading the person space of innocent bystanders on race day to ask, no demand, answers to our questions about logistics (where the %$(&#@ are we?), about important points of interest (where's the restaurant with the midget chef?), about local transportation (do the streetcars even pretend to have a schedule?), etc… This in your face interaction has been extremely helpful in many of the cities we have been fortunate to compete in – like New York.
Drinking (alcohol) has also been an extremely useful skill. It has made us aware of key bar-room learning – Trivia, Jumble, Boob Match. We now view each trip to a drinking establishment as Urban Challenge prep work.
What checkpoint clue has been the most fun to solve?
This is Mike, I have yet to actually solve a clue, I am just there for the pictures, Dave?
This is Dave. I thought Mike solved them all. Our support team must be really good. The one I remember the best because it should have been obvious was checkpoint 2 from the finals in New Orleans. I look now and Kevin McCarthy jumps right out at me but at the time we were racking our brains with no success
An Homage? Unscramble the anagram below to reveal a familiar two-word name.
What person would you most like to have dinner with?
The person responsible for checkpoint #10 from the New Orleans finals – I have a special message for them.
What training do you do for Urban Challenge?
Mike- I spend about 4 months of the year in total isolation – cleansing my mind and spirit in anticipation of the new season. Also I work my bow-flex machine during evening Jeopardy.
Dave - I stop smoking the day before the race. It really sucks but it is a personal sacrifice I make for Mike (I did sneak 1 between the semis and the finals last year but don't tell Mike).
What's your most memorable interaction with an innocent bystander during an Urban Challenge race?
Besides being hit by a bicycler in New York or being lectured to by the bus-driver of a vehicle we attempted to commandeer while in Cleveland – the best incident occurred in the 2003 New York UC.
2 years prior to the 2003 New York UC, I had a falling out with the proprietor of a restaurant in Maine that sold a $6 glass of "fresh lemonade" that was in fact "Countrytime." Upon discovering it was "Countrytime" I called him out on it. Suffice it to say it wasn't pretty.
So, while racing through Central Park, I hopped a bench and almost crashed into a pedestrian upon landing. Yep, you guessed it, the Maine restaurateur. Before apologizing I asked if he was still serving "Countrytime" – no reply.
Beer or Wine?
Yes, please. Dave favors Boones Farm, Mike's leans more towards Meisterbrau – but Tequila strikes a common chord.
Of the all the Urban Challenges you've done, which would you describe as your favorite and why?
Cleveland 2003 - Rain Day.
Donning our Mickey Mouse ponchos, our heads swelled like overly ripe mangoes due to the heat in that bag. Next, two of our phones crashed because of the water, but knowing that boy scouts would have done the same – we thought to bring a third phone – just in case.
Additionally, it was so miserable that the skip person was searching for cover as we ran by. When she noticed us run past, the wind was howling so bad that we didn't hear her scream at us to come back – so we got to see more of Cleveland than expected.
Best New Orleans memory:
While doing some early recon in New Orleans we noticed Bud's Diner. Dave specifically said "Bud's Diner, I like that – could be a clue." During the race, sure enough Bud's Diner was a checkpoint in the finals – but we didn't get it due to how the clue was disguised. Even as we ran by it, oblivious to the fact that it was the checkpoint, we both looked at each other and said "Bud's Diner – we like that."
So in summary – we saw what we thought was going to be a clue, knew it would be important, ran right by it and completely missed it. Just goes to show anything can happen out there when you're an idiot.
Any major arguments during a race?
Define "major"? Clothing really is the biggest issue for us – Dave is a stronger "fall" and Mike's a definite "summer".
How will your strategy change this year?
We know that if there is a Bud's Diner in Miami we will take our picture there anyway.
Anything in your athletic/academic/psychological/genetic backgrounds that predisposed you to Urban Challenge?
Our individual DNA would suggest that we both contain toxic levels of the insanity gene as well as a strong leaning to severe obsessive-compulsive disorders – perhaps that is why we continue to engage (over and over) in Urban Challenge (over and over) again. Unfortunately we are also told (over and over) there is no known cure.
What kind of trivia do you answer most correctly?
After competing in St. Louis this year it is safe to say "none." Prior to that we would have said the easy ones, but in St. Louis we missed those as well.
Any advice for beginning Urban Challengers?
Treat the event as if it were a fine wine, but don't take it to seriously – you could get hurt.
Also make sure you are super fast, really smart and above all filled with tons of "luck" if you expect to take home $50K – it will require a little of all 3. And remember, chance rewards a prepared mind.
What's the question you wished we asked you. Please be kind enough to answer it.
For checkpoint #1, does Antarctica begin with an "A"? Yes!
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