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I recently had a great opportunity to interview one of the most influential individuals in our hobby. He single handily reintroduced the world to amphibious ATVs via the Internet and created an invaluable library of information for all of us to freely enjoy. His passion for our hobby was unmatched and if it weren't for him many of our favorite 6x6 and 8x8 ATVs would just be a distant memory. His great website was an inspiration for most of us and our hobby may not have an online presence today if it weren't for Jeff, the founder and creator of a wealth of AATV knowledge that we all know as Route 6x6.
There is much more to Jeff than just the creation of Route 6x6 though... more on that after the interview.
The Interview
Mike: How were you first introduced to amphibious ATVs?
Jeff: The first time was watching Banana Splits as a kid, I think. And then in my early teens, they used one as a moon buggy on Space: 1999, my favorite show at the time. Living in California, I never saw them here in person. I guess the terrain made the three-wheeled predecessor to the quad more popular.
Mike: What was the first AATV that you purchased?
Jeff: It was the Argo Vanguard. I came really close to buying a Max, but no one sells them here at least not back then. Found a dealer for Argos a few hundred miles from my house. I wanted to try before I buy, as I'd never been on one before.
Mike: How many AATVs have you owned and what kind were they?
Jeff: I only had two: the Argo mentioned above and a KIDD I found in Texas and rebuilt.
Mike: What did you mainly use them for? Work, recreation, did you just enjoy restoring them, etc.
Jeff: I used to have a ranch and I would buzz them around there for fun.
Mike: What was your favorite AATV?
Jeff: The Argo was the most versatile, but the KIDD was like driving a tank. And since it had a hydrostatic drive, it could literally rotate on it's axis.
Mike: Have you ever ridden with other AATV owners?
Jeff: No...like I mentioned above, there just isn't too many of these in my state. It would have been great to go on a group ride, though.
Mike: Are you still involved in the hobby? If not, do you think you may get back into it one day?
Jeff: I'm hoping to get another ranch in the not to distant future and if I do, I'll definitely get whatever is coolest at the time.
Mike: What was your inspiration for creating Route 6x6?
Jeff: The public adoption of the web was fairly fresh. I remember that it had come to a point where is was really useful for finding info. But alas, there was nothing on AATVs. I had collected a bit of information, but not that much. But I knew if I could create a place for others to share information, it could become a repository for AATV fans everywhere to enjoy.
Mike: When did you create Route 6x6?
Jeff: I launched the site on June 16th, 1997.
Mike: What did you like the most about running the site?
Jeff: It was fun to finally be able to correspond with others who enjoyed these machines. And being the first site gave me something of a "birds eye view" of the center of that universe.
Mike: What was your reason for selling and do you miss it?
Jeff: I didn't sell it. I simply pass the baton over to Richard Clark. He was the most adamant member of the site and seemed like a good choice. It was just too much work and I was getting into Humvees and robots at the time.
Mike: Would you rather have had Route 6x6 remain a soley hobby based website like you initially created instead of a commercial site?
Jeff: Originally, the site was completely just an information portal. I had made Richard his own section for selling stuff. When I passed the reins, I suggested that he keep a partition between "church and state." I haven't spent much time on the site lately.
Mike: As a software mastermind , have you ever thought of what Route 6x6 might be like today if you did not give it away?
Jeff: If I had the tools then that I have now, I would have set up the site using Mambo or Joomla. Then I could have had multiple admins and I wouldn't have gotten burned out.
Mike: It is funny how often I hear the same story from different AATV enthusiasts regarding Route 6x6. They all tell of how discouraged they were when trying to find AATV information on the web in the mid-to-late 90's. Then your site came along and there was finally a common place to share information freely and learn about AATVs. Your site was the turning point for so many people, either to stay in the hobby or to get into the hobby in the first place.
I think your passion for life in general really shows in everything you do, particularly in the original Route 6x6 site and it was that passion of yours that just carried over to anyone that visited. Your willingness to help people freely and get more people involved was crucial to where the hobby is today.
Jeff: Thanks!
Mike: After speaking via email briefly about the AATV industry / hobby and where it is at today, does anything surprise you or stand out?
Jeff: I'm somewhat saddened that a mainstream company hasn't created an AATV. I'm surprised the Japanese haven't made one. It's right up their ally and they tend to add unique and useful tweaks to items that were invented here.
Mike: On behalf of the members of 6x6 World, I want to thank you for taking the time to talk with us. On top of that, thank you for all of the time you devoted to creating Route 6x6 and for all of the information that you put on the Web. You developed such a great AATV library and you have been an inspiration to all of us!
Jeff: You're very welcome!
Jeff's Rides
Here are a few pictures of Jeff's AATVs. The Argo Vanguard that he talks about owning and the KIDD 8x8 that he fully restored. There are some before and after shots of it. Great restoration Jeff!
So other than creating Route 6x6, who is Jeff? I hope you have a minute because this may take a while.
He is the founder and CEO of Micromat based out of Santa Rosa, California. Micromat was initially a Macintosh computer repair facility in the early 90's but it has evolved to become a world leader in Macintosh monitoring, diagnostic, troubleshooting, and repair utilities. Micromat's original monitoring and diagnostic utility MaxEKG was used by NASA on Space Shuttle flight STS-51 to test the effects of microgravity on digital electronic equipment in space. (Micromat.com)
If you have an Apple iPhone you may recognize Micromat as the developer of the freeware utility Syphone. It backs up your SMS messages to your Macintosh so that you can archive and view any conversation, even SMS conversations that have been deleted from your iPhone. Micromat has an array of other Macintosh utilities that many of you may recognize.
Jeff splits his time between his business in Santa Rosa, CA and his second home in Hollywood, CA where he rubs shoulders with the who’s who of the entertainment industry. Jeff was also recently on an episode of "The Millionaire Matchmaker" , a show on Bravo about a dating service for wealthy singles run by Patti Stanger a supposed expert in matchmaking. On the show Jeff is criticized for his style but takes it all in stride. It just goes to show you his true character.
Here is a picture of Jeff on the Today show with host Natalie Morales and Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger:
(click thumbnail for a larger view)
From the show you can see that Jeff not only has a unique style but also a passion for life to which he can accredit much of his success. Aside from creating Route 6x6, being the owner of a multi-million dollar company and appearing on reality shows , in his spare time Jeff enjoys composing, recording, and playing music. That’s right, he’s a rocker too! You can check his music out on his myspace page here: Jeffs Myspace Page
Like everything else in his life, Jeff’s creativity bleeds into his music creating a distinct and unmistakable sound that would have Franz Waxman taking notes. It is music suited for horror films but without the blunt force; instead it has a soft edge that drags you into a dark embrace. Perhaps his love for this style of music and performing was the gateway into his famed Halloween parties in Hollywood.
So what does the future hold for Jeff? He is currently trying to pitch a new horror movie TV show perhaps to USA or Spike TV. He didn’t want to elaborate any further right now but I’m sure it won’t disappoint. Now if we could just get him to work an AATV into the show for a little exposure…. hmmmm.
While Jeff’s life is extraordinary, the one thing that stood out the most to me is just how down-to-earth he really is. He is true to himself and as genuine as they come, a person who deserves the success he has had in life. His contribution to our hobby is invaluable and for that we all owe him a huge thank you.
So once again Jeff, on behalf of 6x6 World let me thank you for inspiring so many of us to get into and stay in this hobby. I wish you continued success in all that you do.
One last thing. I thought it was neat to see why Jeff started Route 6x6. Here is an archived page online of Jeff's "About Us" page of Route 6x6 as it first appeared in 1998:
I remenber Jeff. I found that site a long time ago. While talking to people on 6x6 rides ,I told them about route6x6 before Richard Clark.And they looked at me like I was crazy or something. I went to the site every day.It was my favorite one. This one's mine favorite site now. I really enjoyed the post on this thread Mike.Thank You... Rick (momo)
This is very interesting info! I had no Idea who started Route 6x6 and this guy's in my side of the country. It would be cool to organize a California ride with him and the handful of other CA members I know of on here - Unfortunately most AATV owners are in nor cal and That's a longer drive (especially w/ L.A. traffic) than going to Whippers. Actually, a meet up in Nevada would be sort of central for everyone from CA/AZ. Okay, maybe I'm planning too far ahead...
The first time I saw Route 6x6 was around 2000 and I lived in San Francisco (not far from Santa Rosa). That was also around the time where my dad bought (rescued) the very-in-need-of-restoration Tru-Way springer from my uncle... That was the first small glimmer of hope leading to where we are today (for me). Thanks Jeff!
Last edited by techfx; 03-29-2009 at 08:55 PM.
Reason: further thought.
This kid 8x8 is for sale on craigslist anchorage, alaska. I called and talked with the guy selling it a few days ago. Then two days ago out of the blue I came across this thread and thought hmmm sounds interesting the founder of route 6x6. Anyway I scroll down and here are the same pictures the guy in anchorage sent me so I called him back and sure enough its Jeff Baudin's partially restored kid. The guy in anchorage bought it from Jeff about 12 years ago and it has set in his shop in Anchorage since collecting dust and still looks like the pics above primed and ready for paint and a good home. Just FYI
Last edited by akranger72; 04-07-2013 at 12:07 PM.
So an update on Jeff Baudin's former Kid 8x8. The guy in Anchorage, Alaska that bought Jeff's Kid 8x8 and still has it, is now a reality TV star himself. His name is Hank Schimschat and is featured on Bering Sea Gold a reality television series set in Nome, Alaska that airs on Discovery Channel. Hank captain's the AU (Gold) Grabber so the Kid 8x8 has continued on in celebrity style. http://www.6x6world.com/images/jeff-...x8-after-3.gif
Last edited by akranger72; 01-15-2018 at 06:17 PM.
, have you ever thought of what Route 6x6 might be like today if you did not give it away?
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, in his spare time Jeff enjoys composing, recording, and playing music. That’s right, he’s a rocker too! You can check his music out on his myspace page here: 
Pretty Koooolllll Mike!!
