A Job to Relish!
After nearly a decade’s absence, the deliciously iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile rolls back into town
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Nothing says summer has arrived quite like the sound and smell of hot dogs sizzling on the grill. Frankly, there’s something about that first juicy bite into a perfectly cooked wiener that transports you straight back to those lazy, balmy backyard cookouts.
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile ushers in the carefree spirit of the season this week with stops scheduled at Foodland, Times, Don Quijote and Tamura’s supermarkets all over Oahu.
Also along for the ride are Hotdoggers Ben Kopish and Derek O’Leary, a pair of well-seasoned goodwill ambassadors whose actual jobs are to eat, sleep and breathe hot dogs.
“It’s not really a job as much as it is a lifestyle,” Kopish cautions before bursting into a laugh. “To become a Hotdogger, it’s about wanting to have the adventure of a lifetime and a love of meeting new people. Having a love of hot dogs helps, too.”
The process of becoming a Hotdogger is a little more formal than that. According to Kopish, Oscar Mayer receives 1,400 to 1,600 applications a year for this red-hot position. After a two-month interview process, only a dozen are chosen for the yearlong Hotdogger gig.
Wiener wannabes should have a college degree, preferably in public relations, journalism, communications, advertising or marketing, a driver’s license and a desire to bring smiles to big cities and small towns alike through appearances at grocery stores, charity events and radio and television stations.
“We love talking about our job,” Kopish enthuses, with a jaunty chuckle from O’Leary echoing this sentiment. “Being a Hotdogger gives you the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the country.”
“And we’re giving people a chance to see America’s greatest icon, which has been around since 1936,” O’Leary adds.
The iconic vehicle was first created more than 70 years ago by Karl G. Mayer as a way to promote his uncle Oscar’s products at grocery stores across Midwest America. As the company grew in both size and popularity, so did the Wienermobile. From the first 13-foot metal vehicle seen in the streets of Chicago to the 55-hot-dog-long (that’s 27 feet in customary units) sizzler of the new millennium, the recipe for the Wienermobile has gone through several designs changes, including the 15-foot Mini Wienermobile added to the fleet last year.
“There’s no shortage of excitement, ever,” O’Leary says of life inside a custom-made fiberglass hot dog.
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And this isn’t your average foot-long roaster. The latest incarnation of the Wienermobile is a fully loaded Chevrolet W4 Series chassis with hot dog-shaped instrument panel, GPS navigational system, state-ofthe-art audio center with wireless microphone system and removable bun roof.
The V-8, 6.0 liter 350 Vortec 5700 engine also gives you a little more go than the average griller.
The view from the mustard-and-ketchup-colored seats ain’t so bad either. O’Leary’s favorite visit so far has been San Francisco, and Kopish says he enjoyed lobster-trapping in Maine. But both agree their upcoming stint in Hawaii is bound to top their list.
“We’re going to have stops at Pearl Harbor, which is pretty exciting for a history buff like me,” says Kopish, a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate.
“Just the thought of the beaches, the warm water and perfect weather ... Being from Wisconsin, you can’t ask for much else.”
O’Leary, originally from Massachusetts, says that in addition to surf lessons and luaus on the beach, he’s most looking forward to seeing family members who live on Kauai and bringing the Wienermobile lifestyle back to the Islands.
“I actually met one of the old Hotdoggers who got to come to Hawaii, and she told me it’s one of the best places to go,” the University of Michigan alumnus says. “Everywhere we go, everyone’s always smiling. People come up to us and share their stories of the first time they saw the Wienermobile or had an Oscar Mayer hot dog. They also like singing the jingle with us.”
He is, of course, referring to “The Oscar Mayer Wiener Jingle,” composed in 1963 and sung by countless kids - and kids at heart - ever since. It’s even a right of passage for the Hotdoggers, who must salami swear to uphold the dogma of those who ever wished to be an Oscar Mayer wiener with the Hotdogger Oath.
Kopish says they heard of Hawaii’s affinity for singing and are thinking of holding a karaoke contest to see who can come up with the best local-style rendition of the Wiener Jingle. Ketchup on the medley by visiting http://brands.kraftfoods.com/oscarmayer/home.htm and click on the FUN link.
“By the time we leave the Island, we might have a permanent gig!” the two joke of how they hope to see contestants get creative with dancing, ukuleles and Wienerwhistles.
While you’re online, also check out the blogs from Kopish, O’Leary and the rest of the Hotdogger Class XXI to get a taste for what else is in store. Kopish promises, “One of the neat things about being a Hotdogger is that wherever we go, it’s going to be a really fun event.”
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile pulls into Oahu Friday, June 26, for an Islandwide tour, with appearances at the following locations:
June 27 - Foodland Sack N Save Stadium, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Foodland Ewa Beach, 2-6 p.m.
June 28 - Foodland Market City, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Foodland Beretania, 2-6 p.m.
July 1 - Times Kahala, 9 a.m.-noon; Times Beretania, 1-4 p.m.
July 2 - Pearl Harbor Commissary, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Times Kunia, 2-6 p.m.
July 3 - Foodland Waipio, 8 a.m.-noon; Schofield Commissary, 1-5 p.m.
July 4 - 7-Eleven Waimalu, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; Times Waimalu, 2-6 p.m.
July 5 - Times Koolau, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Times Kailua, 2-6 p.m.
July 9 - Foodland Hawaii Kai, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Don Quijote Kaheka, 2-6 p.m.
July 10 - Don Quijote Waipahu, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Don Quijote/Foodland Pearl City, 2-6 p.m.
July 11 - Hickam Commissary, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
July 12 - Foodland Kaneohe, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Foodland Kailua, 2-6 p.m.
July 15 - Foodland Mililani, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
July 16 - Tamura Superette, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Foodland Sack N Save Nanakuli, 2-5 p.m.
July 18 - Tamura Wahiawa, 2-6 p.m.
July 17 and 19 - To Be Announced
July 22 - Wienermobile departs, Aloha!
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