Elsie Huang and Jeremy Scott Barber
Elsie Huang and Jeremy Scott Barber were in the 2004 Magnificent Seven, and won the very competitive 2004 Boston race. Find out why these two renamed their team to "Dude Where's My Camera" and why yelling can be a good thing.
How did you two meet?
Jeremy: At a pre-orientation leadership program for college. I was two years older than Elsie, was a counselor at the program, and she was a participant. She impressed everyone and was chosen to be a counselor the following year. The two of us ultimately ended up running the program together.
You won the competitive Boston race this year. Give us the story:
Jeremy: We thought about naming our team "The Flukes" this year after we made it to the Magnificent Seven last year. I guess the Boston win suggests that maybe we aren't flukes. I think the win was primarily a perfect alignment of three important things; luck (we never had to wait for a subway car, for example), a good home base, and experience (having run 5 Urban Challenges now, we know how to shave time off here and there).
Elsie: We've run the DC race in the past two years, placing 11th and 8th. Since I moved back to Boston this year, we Jeremy and I decided to run in Boston. Apparently we know Boston much better than we know DC.
What skills have you found particularly helpful in doing Urban Challenge?
Elsie:
- Trivia knowledge
- Yelling, at each other and into the phone.
Jeremy:
- Both Elsie and I are horribly competitive. While that normally works to our disadvantage with friends and family, it has proven to be helpful in this arena.
- We both like puzzles.
- Our friendship is strong enough that we can yell at each other during the race without taking it personally.
What checkpoint clue has been the most fun to solve?
Jeremy: I really liked the first four clues from the New Orleans finals last year. Something about running around a cemetery with a map was neat.
Elsie: I liked the Atari one in the New Orleans semi-finals. We had to barter for that answer.
What’s your most memorable interaction with an innocent bystander during an Urban Challenge race?
Elsie: My favorite people to talk to are hotel concierges.
Jeremy: During the semi-finals in New Orleans, I lost Elsie. Turns out she entered someone's house and was looking through his phone book.
What's the best move you've ever pulled during Urban Challenge?
Elsie: The second time we lost our camera during the New Orleans Finals. The first time was pretty fun, but the second time caused our support friends to quit.
Jeremy: I'm not sure about the best, but the worst is definitely losing the camera, not once but TWICE, during the finals last year. First time we left it on a trashcan before getting on a bus and the second time we left it on the grass before getting on a bus. Apparently buses aren't good luck.
Beer or Wine?
Jeremy: Liquor.
Elsie: Pink girlie drinks are best.
Any major arguments during a race?
Elsie: Every checkpoint, there's something major to yell about. Also, when we lost our camera twice during the finals, I guess that caused some tension. and maybe more yelling. Otherwise, we only argue with our significant others on the phone.
Jeremy: Um, where to begin.... Elsie and I get very into the race, and as a result we like to yell, often. The worst was probably during the finals last year. After losing the camera the SECOND time, we fought about whether to quit or not. We already knew that other teams were done, but we didn't know if they were correct. Thankfully, Elsie convinced me to stick it out, and believe it or not, we didn't finish last!
Anything in your athletic/academic/psychological/genetic backgrounds that predisposed you to Urban Challenge?
Elsie: We are both VERY VERY competitive. Before any UC race, Jeremy eats carbs again and I try to go running at least three times.
Jeremy: We are both competitive to our core. We both like useless knowledge. We both like puzzles. Neither of us likes to run....
What kind of trivia do you answer most correctly?
Jeremy: Pop culture. You would think that we would get the science/math once since we both graduated from MIT, but we seem to consistently miss those ones.
Elsie: Pop Culture and TV. I'm also good at anything covered in 6th grade science.
Favorite game?
Elsie: Celebrity! Jeremy and I used to play every week. We're famous for writing down all of the Saved by the Bell characters.
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