In a political age where several candidates are doing everything they can to portray themselves as anything but typical politicians, Dell Schanze brings that notion to a whole new level.

This week, he surprised many Utahns by announcing his run for governor. His candidacy for the highest office in the state will no doubt prove quite a spectacle in the months ahead.

Utahns know Schanze for his zany computer commercials when he ran the now-defunct company Totally Awesome Computers. Or maybe they’ve seen his YouTube videos where “Superdell” demonstrates the art of powered paragliding. There’s also his many brushes with police, including being charged in 2006 with creating a public nuisance for flying his powered paraglider over rush-hour traffic on Interstate 15.

Though Superdell had filed to run for Salt Lake County mayor, a few days later he decided he’d rather run for governor.

And he plans on having a blast doing it.

On his blog, Schanze is already asking for help:

“We are going to have some serious fun in Utah. I'm already working on my first event. I'm looking for acrobatic aircraft, base jumpers, powered skydiving pilots, helicopters, race cars, monster trucks, pyrotechnics and everything wild and imaginative you can come up with. If you have an awesome talent you would like to donate, please let me know. I can assure you nobody will be falling asleep at any of my rallies.”

Judging by Schanze’s obsession with outdoor adventure, he’s hardly kidding.

But Superdell’s soliciting skydiving pilots and base jumpers is just the beginning of a campaign that will undoubtedly take many twists and turns through November.

Just yesterday, Schanze started dropping the name of Money Train Title Loans in an interview with ABC-4. He admitted they’re paying him to get the company’s name out there while he’s campaigning for governor. Schanze mentioned “Money Train” no less than four times in about 20 minutes.  

“So yeah, I pitch a few companies and while I’m in there, hey, vote Superdell for governor. Woo-hoo!” he said, adding, “That way I can automatically get hundreds of thousands of dollars a month in ad dollars being spent by these companies who are paying me. It’s not a donation; I’m not taking any money. I’m hired to work for them. I’m doing a job. But while I’m at it, you know, vote for governor.”

To some, Schanze may come across as using a savvy business sense, earning money for his run while campaigning at the same time. To others, it may seem as if he’s manipulating the media and the political process.

Further adding to the fascination with Superdell’s campaign is that despite his quirks, he also shows a serious side at times.

He says he’s a Republican, but also a Libertarian—running for smaller government, lower taxes and less infringement on individual rights and freedoms. He’s also calling for more resources to help victims of child sexual abuse.

Whether Utahns will take Schanze seriously remains to be seen. He definitely has an uphill climb, but if he ever did win the governor’s race, his persona is unlikely to change.

“You can’t beat having some enthusiasm,” he said. “At least we can have some fun at some board meetings.”