Slipstream January 2021

What a year 2020 was! It’s nice
to be able to say 2021 is here at last.
To start the New Year I wanted to
share with you what may be the
busiest club volunteer we have. You
all know his work as our Editor,
but a lot of you don’t know before
that he was our club ad designer.
Not only did he do that, but he is
also credited with taking our crazy
idea of making a “brand” out of our
coffee meets. We gave him the name
Mavericks and Mochas and a
few days later he said “I have
an idea: do you like ‘Mavs
& Mochas?’” Well of course
we did, and with that you see
this brand image on coffee
mugs, tee shirts, window
stickers, our tent, and more;
in my marketing days we
called this “synergy.”
Not only is he busy
creating our award-winning
magazine - you will often
catch him out at many
events. I’m proud to call this
guy my friend and a great
“partner in crime” as we say.
So here is the next in my
series of “conversations” I would
like to share with you . . .
Kurt Scaggs, Member since 2013
1986 944 Turbo and 1987 Carrera
Bill Kruder: Let’s start off with the
usual. Where are you from?
Kurt Scaggs: Well I was born in
Houston, but we moved when
I was two to Slidell, Louisiana,
which is off the northeast shore of
Lake Pontchartrain, or about 45
minutes northeast of New Orleans.
I graduated from North Shore High
School in 1991.
BK: What about college - did you stay
in-state?
KS: Nope, I didn’t, for a couple
reasons. One, it seemed everyone
from high school was going to LSU
20 January
Coffee, Cars & Conversation
by Bill Kruder, Region President
and I really didn’t want to just spend
another four years with the same
group of people. And secondly, my
dad took me to a Texas Tech game
and we sat with the band, and I guess
that sold me. Well there is actually a
bit more to it. My dad and mom both
are Tech grads; matter of fact my
grandmother is too, so maybe that
had some influence on my decision
(smiling).
Kurt and Melissa Scaggs with son Wilson
BK: Wait a second - most people visit
a college but they don’t go to a game
and sit with the band?
KS: I know right? Sounds kind of geeky
(laughing) but the story behind that is
that I was in my high school band, and
then on top of it, the band instructor
at Tech was best friends with my dad
and insisted we sit with them.
BK: So you played in the
marching band?
KS: Yes I did. I was a
trombone player. I started
in middle school, played in
high school, and in my dad’s
footsteps played for the 450
member “Goin’ Band from
Raiderland”.
BK: So did you get a music
degree?
photos provided by Kurt Scaggs
KS: Oh no! I was a Fine Arts
major getting my degree in Design
Communication and Packaging Design.
BK: So that’s what you do now?
KS: It is. I’m one of very few people
I know that do precisely what they
studied in undergrad. I started out
designing product packaging for
H-E-B Grocery when we lived in San
Antonio and have remained in that
business every since. I now
run my own design business
specializing in retail food
packaging.
BK: So how did you and
Melissa meet?
KS: We were both in the same
church youth group. We
knew each other but we did
not start dating until I was
a senior in high school (she
was a junior).
BK: Wow! So a year later you
go off to Tech, which is some
16 hours away?
KS: I know, right? Then,
when she did graduate, she went
off to UT in Austin for her first
year before transferring to Tech.
Once graduating, we moved to San
Antonio so that she could attend UT
Dental School.
BK: So how did you two end up in Dallas?
KS: Once she finished in San Antonio
Kurt and his parents at an Alumni Band event at Tech
she did a one-year residency at Baylor
College of Dentistry of Dallas before
setting up practice in the area. And
with my work I could more or less
work anywhere.
BK: So how long have you been
married?
KS: We dated for 6 years, got
married in 1997, and had Wilson
in 2012.
BK: Ahhh yes, Wilson, love the
name. Where did it come from?
KS: That was Melissa’s
grandfather’s middle name and
we thought it would cool to keep
the name in the family. An added
benefit is that he rarely gets confused
with anyone else.
BK: Now let’s switch subjects to cars.
What was your first?
KS: My first car my dad brought
home for me was an ‘85 Honda
Accord hatchback. I think it had less
than 100 horsepower, and when I
was given the keys, I was encouraged
to keep in under 3,000 RPM’s
for the sake of the engine. Not a
chance. Then I had an equally high
performance ‘89 Accord, white with
burgundy. It had those cool pop-up
headlights.
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7777 WARREN PARKWAY STE 325, FRISCO, TX
BK: What was your first Porsche?
KS: That would be the Guards Red
‘87. We bought that in 2013 shortly
after Wilson was born.
Although Wilson currently prefers Mustangs,
he never turns down a ride
BK: So why Porsche?
KS: Like so many boys when I was
growing up I’d built model cars -
matter of fact at the time my favorite
was the 993. Hours of pouring
through my Dad’s car magazines
helped drive the dream.
BK: So what made you finally buy one?
KS: I was at a Classic BMW Cars &
Coffee and I saw a 1969 Tangerine
911 and I started talking to this
guy - he had this long hair, a beard,
sounds kind of tough (smiling) and he
told me everything I wanted to know
about the cars
down to the best
model to get into.
After some time in
the club I met Bob
Aines again for the
first time. Bob is
a local legend for
those who don’t
know him and I
credit him with
passing on the
Porsche passion.
BK: Where did
you find the car?
KS: I started
looking online
and found this
one in Stow,
Massachusetts
which is right outside of Boston. I
bought it sight unseen after a PPI and a
subsequent conversation with the fine
folks at Mayo Performance. The car
rolled out of the transporter and
found its way to Bedford for some
maintenance shortly thereafter
and it’s been love ever since.
BK: Now I know a bit about the
944, as you bought that from
our mutual friend?
KS: Yes I did. In high school
the 944 Turbo was the car
in my daydreams. I started
poking around, and Jim Hirsch
mentioned he was looking to
sell his. Anyone who knows
Jim knows how particular he is, so
I knew I was getting a great car. I
purchased the car in late summer
of 2018 and proceeded to drive it
out to Rennsport VI at Laguna Seca
a few weeks later. Not only did I
caravan out with some fellow Mavs,
I was able to do parade laps on the
legendary track. Another childhood
dream checked off the list.
BK: Lastly, how did you, or why did
you, get so involved in the club?
KS: As soon as we had bought the
‘87 we joined the club and started to
attend some events. We also started
getting Slipstream. I saw an ad asking
for volunteers and decided why not
jump in. I met with Jim, then editor,
he sold me and the rest as they say
is history. Looking back, it’s the best
thing I could have done, though I will
say I never thought I would be Editor
of the club magazine.
BK: Interesting! That darn Jim Hirsch
did the same to me (laughing).
Well there you have it: as of this
writing, Kurt Douglas Scaggs not only
is the best Editor, but he is the recent
recipient of the James Shoffit Maverick
of the Year Award for his continued
volunteer work for our club. See page
14 for more on this award.
I’m proud to say Kurt and I have been
driving our friendship since 2013.
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