Catching up with Kyle

12-Year-Old Kyle Krichbaum enjoys time in the spotlight, talking about toys, vacs & more

In November of 2004, VDTA shared a story with you about 9-year-old Kyle Krichbaum of Michigan. Do you remember Kyle? He was the little boy who was infatuated with vacuum cleaners and obsessed with collecting them.

Kyle received a toy vacuum for his first Christmas. Before he was three years old, he dressed as a red Dirt Devil for Halloween. He made cardboard model vacuum cleaners, and Lego vacuum cleaners. His school art projects and writings always incorporated vacuums.

As he has grown, his love and knowledge for vacuum cleaners has expanded. His collection has grown by leaps and bounds, and he still lives and breathes through filters and beater bars.

What is amazing is that Kyle, now 12 years old, has an even deeper love for our industry. He has become rather famous since he first appeared in our magazine, and this month we are going to update you on the many doors which have been opened for Kyle thanks to his unusual childhood hobby.

In May of 2006 Kyle was invited to introduce Mr. David Oreck as the keynote speaker at the Northwest Ohio/Southeast Michigan Better Business Bureau Torch Awards. Kyle gladly accepted and did an outstanding job in front of an excited crowd of 450 people. The audience loved Kyle and many of them waited to talk with him after the luncheon.

In August 2006, Kyle’s family was contacted by a segment producer from NBC, asking if Kyle would be interested in doing a television talk show. The show was the Megan Mullally Show.

Kyle said, “We flew to Los Angeles and spent three days there. I taped the show on September 26, 2006, and it aired September 27, 2006. I appeared on the show with George Lopez and Jennifer Finnegan.”

Kyle’s segment can be seen on www.youtube.com by a search called “Kyle Vacuum.”

Speaking about the taping, Kyle’s mother, MaryLynn recalled, “Kyle made a big impact on the producers of the show and they decided to make Kyle a regular on the show. He was invited to introduce the 2006 hottest holiday toys. So we flew back to Los Angeles on November 30, 2006, and taped the show on December 1, 2006. It aired on December 7, 2006.”

This segment is also on www.youtube.com by searching “Kyle Hottest Toys.”

Unfortunately, the Megan Show was cancelled in February 2007, but it didn’t slow Kyle down. That same month, the family received a call from a segment producer from the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. They asked if Kyle was interested in appearing on the show.

“After nearly fainting, Kyle obviously said, yes….yes….yes,” said MaryLynn. “We boxed up nine vacuums and shipped them overnight to Burbank, CA. We flew into Los Angeles on February 8, 2007, and taped the show February 9, 2007, the same date it aired. Kyle appeared on the show with celebrity Drew Barrymore.”

Remembering the experience, Kyle said, “Jay Leno is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. We really hit it off and Jay even went crazy for one of my old vacuums because it was like the one his mom had when he was a kid. I found one just like it on eBay and shipped it to Jay. A few days later, I received a personal phone call from Jay thanking me for the vacuum and he told me he would be displaying it in his garage with all of his awesome cars.”

If you would like to view Kyle’s Tonight Show appearance you can go to www.youtube.com again and search “Kyle Jay.”

The Krichbaums received another exciting phone call in late February from a producer who asked if Kyle would like to appear on the pilot episode of a new show. Kyle again flew to Los Angeles the last week of March and taped that show. They cannot release any details at this time because the show has not aired yet, but it should air soon.

Kyle and his mom appeared on the Today Show on April 3 and were invited to the Ellen DeGeneres Show later in April. They could not go; however, because of work commitments, but they are supposed to call later this summer to reschedule Kyle for an early fall appearance.

In late July, Kyle was interviewed by Steve Hartman of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric for an Assignment America segment. This program aired on July 27.

And, on August 20, be sure to watch the History Channel and catch the program Modern Marvels. Kyle will be appearing on the program to share a great deal of his vacuum cleaner based knowledge.

So what does Kyle think of all this publicity and excitement? He said, “The television appearances have been wonderful and it’s been a lot of fun meeting many celebrities and being the center of attention. This makes me feel very important. I am very lucky to have had the national television appearances. I would love to get into acting in the future.”

Kyle also said he enjoys musical theatre and stage acting. Both he and his sister Michelle (age 16) both have the desire to be in the entertainment industry. Kyle prefers to be in front of the camera, and his sister prefers to work behind the scenes.

Kyle said WICKED is his favorite Broadway show and he said he would love to perform in it someday. He also enjoys shows such as Ugly Betty, Ghost Whisperer and Hannah Montana, and would love to be included in one of their casts.

Can he do it? His parents believe in him.

MaryLynn said, “Kyle is a very determined child who will be successful in whatever he decides to pursue in life, and I have no doubt it will be something vacuum and/or entertainment related. He is very well spoken and excellent in front of the camera. These qualities have enabled Kyle to do very well during his television appearances. He has had a wonderful time meeting a lot of great celebrities and it’s opened some doors for future opportunities.”

Kyle’s father, Randy, added, “It is Kyle’s vacuum collection that gets him noticed, but it is his personality that keeps people calling back. I firmly believe Kyle will thank his mom, dad and sister for helping him win his Oscar!”

If Kyle’s future leads him into the entertainment field, he may spend more time looking at cameras than at his vacuum collection, but it’s a hobby he will always hold dear.

“I love collecting vacuums because I enjoy all the different models, colors and designs that companies have come up with over the years. Servicing and repairing vacuums is fun and it is a great hobby,” he said.

Kyle’s father noted that he loves the passion Kyle has for his collection.

“People of all ages can learn something from Kyle,” said Randy. “He has taken his share of grief and teasing from other kids, but he does not let this bother him at all. He says his passion far outweighs what somebody can say with words. I give him a lot of credit to be this strong and determined.”

To conclude our update on Kyle Krichbaum, we’ll end with an excerpt from his November 2004 article:

Kyle’s small bedroom has been dubbed The Museum. In it, there are vacuum cleaners of several makes and models, toy vacuums, books about vacuums, ads from magazines on the walls, drawings of vacuum cleaners, a photograph of Oreck, and in a welcome nod to balance, posters of the Detroit Red Wings, Hilary Duff, and Britney Spears.

He even made his own vacuum cleaner calendar with each page of the month featuring a different model.

Kyle does more than just talk about vacuum cleaners. When presented with a Shark Euro ProX that lacked suction, he methodically checked the filters and beater bar, taking care to unplug the machine as he inspected it for flaws. He circled the machine like a doctor working with an unenlightened patient.

“Did you check the filters?” he asked. “How about looking at the beater bar for debris? Do you clean the hose?”

Within 10 minutes, the Shark is thrumming across the carpet with a hungry roar.

Another little vacuum nut!

3 1/2-Year-Old Grady Luyt

This youngster, Grady Luyt, visited Cadillac Vacuum Sales & Service in Michigan recently. Grady is pictured here in his Halloween costume from last fall.

Grady started to love vacuums at the tender age of eight months old and, now 3 1/2 years old, continues to be fascinated by the machines.

His mother, Stephie, says, “Vacuum or ‘va’ as Grady called it was one of his very first words. It was always a bit of a love/hate thing because he didn’t always love the noise. He has a toy Dirt Devil and toy canister Miele, but prefers the real ones. Our shop vac and Hoover are always in his playroom. He has a small wooden vacuum that is part of a doll house set that he likes to take places. He also likes to make anything into vacuums -- Legos, Tinker Toys, etc.”

Special thanks to Alex Giftos for sharing this with us!

Reprinted from Floor Care Professional, August 2007