Origin of Stunts racer nicknames: Difference between revisions
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'''Origins of racers' nicknames''' surveys the etymology and context behind several notable sobriquets used in the online community around the 1990 racing game ''[[Stunts (video game)|Stunts]]''. This page uses plain external links for sourcing. | '''Origins of racers' nicknames''' surveys the etymology and context behind several notable sobriquets used in the online community around the 1990 racing game ''[[Stunts (video game)|Stunts]]''. This page uses plain external links for sourcing. | ||
== Alain — ''Il Professore'' == | == Alain — ''Il Professore, Alain Prost'' == | ||
Alain (real name) chose himself the nickname after his idol racer. The french four-time Formula One world champion [[Alain Prost]] was widely known as "Le Professeur" ("The Professor") for his cerebral, tyre- and brake-saving racecraft. During his [[Scuderia Ferrari]] stint in 1990–1991, Italian media commonly styled the nickname as "Il Professore", particularly around his contentious split in late 1991 (see [https://www.formula1.com/en/information/drivers-hall-of-fame-alain-prost.6xkomcqkRL5K0HgmPX4zAH Formula 1 Hall of Fame – Alain Prost] and [https://www.gazzetta.it/Formula-1/12-05-2020/gialli-sospetti-polemiche-quando-ferrari-divorzia-suoi-iridati-370909585701.shtml La Gazzetta dello Sport, feature on Ferrari’s 1991 split]). | Alain (real name) chose himself the nickname after his idol racer. The french four-time Formula One world champion [[Alain Prost]] was widely known as "Le Professeur" ("The Professor") for his cerebral, tyre- and brake-saving racecraft. During his [[Scuderia Ferrari]] stint in 1990–1991, Italian media commonly styled the nickname as "Il Professore", particularly around his contentious split in late 1991 (see [https://www.formula1.com/en/information/drivers-hall-of-fame-alain-prost.6xkomcqkRL5K0HgmPX4zAH Formula 1 Hall of Fame – Alain Prost] and [https://www.gazzetta.it/Formula-1/12-05-2020/gialli-sospetti-polemiche-quando-ferrari-divorzia-suoi-iridati-370909585701.shtml La Gazzetta dello Sport, feature on Ferrari’s 1991 split]). | ||
== Alan Rotoi — ''Alan the dog'' == | == Alan Rotoi — ''Alan the dog'' == | ||
According to his own account on the community forum, Argentine player '''Alan Rotoi''' derived his handle from his German Shepherd, Alan. The anecdote dates back “about ten years” before the post: while out for a walk, the dog began to pee not on a tree but near a neighbour’s front door; when pulled back by the leash, the trail of urine left legible marks on the snow that looked like the word “rotoi”. He took this as the dog “choosing” a surname and began using **Rotoi** online (from 1998), later combining it with the dog’s given name as **alanrotoi** (from early 2001). He also created playful images merging his own body with Alan’s head to visualise the persona “Alan Rotoi”. The same post records brief details of the dog’s life: born 5 May 1988 in Monte (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina) as one of nine puppies; adopted 45 days later; died 20 October 2001 after thirteen years with the family. See the first-person narrative on the forum: [https://forum.stunts.hu/index.php?topic=48.0 Stunts Forum – “Names”] and the community summary: [https://wiki.stunts.hu/wiki/Alan_Rotoi Stunts Wiki – Alan Rotoi]. | According to his own account on the community forum, Argentine player '''Alan Rotoi''' derived his handle from his German Shepherd, Alan. The anecdote dates back “about ten years” before the post: while out for a walk, the dog began to pee not on a tree but near a neighbour’s front door; when pulled back by the leash, the trail of urine left legible marks on the snow that looked like the word “rotoi”. He took this as the dog “choosing” a surname and began using **Rotoi** online (from 1998), later combining it with the dog’s given name as **alanrotoi** (from early 2001). He also created playful images merging his own body with Alan’s head to visualise the persona “Alan Rotoi”. The same post records brief details of the dog’s life: born 5 May 1988 in Monte (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina) as one of nine puppies; adopted 45 days later; died 20 October 2001 after thirteen years with the family. See the first-person narrative on the forum: [https://forum.stunts.hu/index.php?topic=48.0 Stunts Forum – “Names”] and the community summary: [https://wiki.stunts.hu/wiki/Alan_Rotoi Stunts Wiki – Alan Rotoi]. | ||
== Argammon — ''Role-playing Advanced Dungeon & Dragon character'' == | |||
In an interview published as “Argammon, a historical reparation”, the German/Swedish-flagged racer explains that his handle comes from a fantasy role-playing character he created while playing AD&D and *Das Schwarze Auge* in his youth. When he first went online (Uniball; Age of Wonders), he reused that character’s name as an alias, went on to notable results (runner-up in the Uniball 1v1 World Cup; winner of the Age of Wonders Starlance league), and “Argammon” became his lucky charm and enduring identity across games — including ''Stunts''. See: [https://zak.stunts.hu/articles/argammon-a-historical-reparation Argammon, a historical reparation] and his racer profile: [https://zak.stunts.hu/racers/Argammon Argammon — ZakStunts]. | |||
== Ben Snel — ''Ik ben snel'' (Dutch: “I am fast”) == | == Ben Snel — ''Ik ben snel'' (Dutch: “I am fast”) == | ||
Revision as of 01:29, 17 August 2025
Origins of racers' nicknames surveys the etymology and context behind several notable sobriquets used in the online community around the 1990 racing game Stunts. This page uses plain external links for sourcing.
Alain — Il Professore, Alain Prost
Alain (real name) chose himself the nickname after his idol racer. The french four-time Formula One world champion Alain Prost was widely known as "Le Professeur" ("The Professor") for his cerebral, tyre- and brake-saving racecraft. During his Scuderia Ferrari stint in 1990–1991, Italian media commonly styled the nickname as "Il Professore", particularly around his contentious split in late 1991 (see Formula 1 Hall of Fame – Alain Prost and La Gazzetta dello Sport, feature on Ferrari’s 1991 split).
Alan Rotoi — Alan the dog
According to his own account on the community forum, Argentine player Alan Rotoi derived his handle from his German Shepherd, Alan. The anecdote dates back “about ten years” before the post: while out for a walk, the dog began to pee not on a tree but near a neighbour’s front door; when pulled back by the leash, the trail of urine left legible marks on the snow that looked like the word “rotoi”. He took this as the dog “choosing” a surname and began using **Rotoi** online (from 1998), later combining it with the dog’s given name as **alanrotoi** (from early 2001). He also created playful images merging his own body with Alan’s head to visualise the persona “Alan Rotoi”. The same post records brief details of the dog’s life: born 5 May 1988 in Monte (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina) as one of nine puppies; adopted 45 days later; died 20 October 2001 after thirteen years with the family. See the first-person narrative on the forum: Stunts Forum – “Names” and the community summary: Stunts Wiki – Alan Rotoi.
Argammon — Role-playing Advanced Dungeon & Dragon character
In an interview published as “Argammon, a historical reparation”, the German/Swedish-flagged racer explains that his handle comes from a fantasy role-playing character he created while playing AD&D and *Das Schwarze Auge* in his youth. When he first went online (Uniball; Age of Wonders), he reused that character’s name as an alias, went on to notable results (runner-up in the Uniball 1v1 World Cup; winner of the Age of Wonders Starlance league), and “Argammon” became his lucky charm and enduring identity across games — including Stunts. See: Argammon, a historical reparation and his racer profile: Argammon — ZakStunts.
Ben Snel — Ik ben snel (Dutch: “I am fast”)
Dutch racer Ben Snel competed in 2001–2002 (often for the Flying Dutchmen team). His screen name reads as the Dutch sentence “ik ben snel” — “I am fast”, a self-referential pun. See Stunts Wiki – Ben Snel and a dictionary entry for snel: Cambridge Dictionary.
See also
Sources
- Formula 1 Hall of Fame – Alain Prost: link.
- La Gazzetta dello Sport, feature mentioning 1991 dismissal and “Il Professore”: link (Italian).
- Stunts Wiki – Alan Rotoi: link.
- Stunts Forum – “Names” thread: link.
- Stunts Wiki – Ben Snel: link.
- Cambridge Dictionary (Dutch→English) – snel: link.
