On Saturday, September 27th, I made one of the best decisions in my college career thus far. I sold my Minnesota football ticket for three dollars on the corner of East U and Hill and proceeded to purchase a popsicle (this is not a joke- although, after this exchange, my friends would definitely argue that I am). As delighted as my friends were that I presented them with a great opportunity to make fun of me until next football season, I now had a hilarious Instagram caption for my popsicle picture and icy blue stained lips to prove my day was a success (and I even hit my record likes).
In case you’ve been living under a rock for this football season, or you were just too blackout to notice (it’s okay to blame the second option), there’s been a white ice cream truck parked outside various frat house tailgates for the past six game days. While I was more than willing to accept the white van as a small gift from heaven and nothing more- my curiosity got the best of me, so I went undercover to investigate “the man inside the van.” (JK, I literally just walked up to him and said, “Hey, my name is Becca.”) But, covert operation or not, this is what I discovered…
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The man inside the van’s birth name is actually Kevin Seibert, but most people know him as “Pineapple Express XVI”. Unclear if this has anything to do with the stoner comedy starring Seth Rogen and James Franco. Regardless of his nickname’s origins, he isn’t working for any fraternity in particular, and no social chair or president contacts him to come sell his delicious frozen treats. Instead, his Saturday mornings are the best night of the week because it’s when he gets the most business.
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After talking to Kevin, he explained to me that tailgates present him with “the perfect opportunity to easily reach a large group of people.” Parking next to a bunch of college kids looking to quickly satisfy their drunchie cravings? Sounds like a smart business move to me.
Photo by Becca Soverinsky
When Kevin isn’t selling snowcones or ice cream sandwiches, he’s documenting his experiences as a cross-country traveling ice cream man. He willingly shared with me the book he wrote entitled, Lessons From An Ice Cream Truck, which documents his experiences traveling to and from different college campuses across the nation (yes, seriously the nation). You can order the book off of Amazon here (or take a peek inside for free.) I don’t know how many ice cream men you know have written books, but he’s the only one I’ve ever encountered.
Beyond his book signings and ice cream selling, Kevin also has several social media accounts including this Facebook page and this YouTube page which promote his “ice”periences. Check out this video promoting his book at 0:33! It features a couple of your fellow wolverines twerking for ice cream (is anyone else having flashbacks to Miley Cyrus at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards?)
I could have simply accepted this white ice cream truck as an angel in vehicle form, but had I not decided to dig a little deeper, I would have never understood just how unique this particular ice cream truck is. So, the next time you’re at a tailgate and you spot the white van, be sure to stop by and say hi to Kevin. If you’re as lucky as I was, he might share his book with you or maybe he’ll even offer you a free watermelon Bomp Pop.
Looking to become your own ice cream man? Check out these recipes for homemade frozen goodies: