"I started the game with a power hungry, somewhat mean streak, and by the end of the game I think I was one of the most honorable players out there."
-An Interview with Mike Ruff

Mario: Hey everyone, and welcome to the latest segment of "The Okinawa Interview." Today I'm sitting down for the most long-overdue interview of them all. Finally, a year later, I am sitting down to talk with the Okinawan champion himself, Mike Ruff!

You may remember Mike as the guy with the gnome. Oh sure, he did a ton of other things during the game, like being the strongest player out there, the guy who did the most manual labor, the builder of the shelter, etc. He had many memorable showdowns during the game, with players like Matt, Beth, and Isabella, yet he coasted to a fairly easy final jury vote because he was so darn popular with the jurors. So how did he do it? Was he as crazy and unstable as he appeared to be at times in the story? And what was the deal with that naughty little gnome anyway? Hopefully we'll find out all these answers and more, because it's time for the Mike Ruff interview. And it's about damn time.

First of all, welcome Mike, and thanks for finally sitting down to have a chat with me.


Mike: No problem. Thank you for having me.


Mario: And right off the bat I have to give you props for being the first of your kind. You are the first ever male character to win one of my Survivor stories. I never thought it was going to happen, I thought I'd end up with a female winner every single fricking time. But all it took was Okinawa and one crazy guy with a gnome to finally break the "female curse." Nice job!


Mike: Thanks. I had never thought of it in those terms before. I'm honored, it's always nice to be the first.


Mario: Anyway, after your big Survivor win, I thought it would be interesting to go back to the very beginning to start the interview. What was your motivation to apply for Okinawa in the first place?


Mike: I applied for Okinawa because you were the one producing it. I had seen your works before, Alaska, Hawaii, and Greece, and knew this was the game to enter. I love reality shows, and I am the ultimate competitor, so it all made sense for me to play.


Mario: Is it true that you had only recently read my stories for the first time when you saw the application for Okinawa?


Mike: Yes. I really didn't know this fan-base existed, even though I have been a huge Survivor fan from day one. But once I found the stories, I couldn't stop. I never would have applied for Okinawa except I could see from your stories that it would be well done.


Mario: So here comes an application from a guy named Mike Ruff. It was one of the last applications we received, and you freely admitted that until recently you had never heard of my stories. So was it a surprise when you were cast?


Mike: Not at all. I actually expected to be cast.


Mario: Why?


Mike: I thought I was a unique character, and I knew I'd make a great entertaining player.


Mario: Well, your uniqueness definitely got you cast on the show, I can say that. There was never any doubt you would be one of a kind, especially with the whole "Gnome Strategy" thing. And once you got in, was the game similar to what you expected?


Mike: The game was better than I ever expected. It was life-changing. I learned so much from the way I played, that it has made me a better person in life. From a psychological point of view, Okinawa helped me grow and see myself in a new light.


Mario: How so?


Mike: I have always been interested in psychology, and the way people interact, and here I got to see how I interacted and what I would do under pressure. I am really not a social person, yet, when I was forced to, I did reasonably well. The game tests everything from those social skills, to intelligence, ability to read people, strategize, decipher what people are thinking, etc. And after seeing the episodes, it reveals your strong and weak points.


Mario: I was always wondering how people were going to take that. Since this was the first time I ever worked with "real" characters, I wasn't sure if people would like seeing themselves from an honest and detached third party perspective.


Mike: From the story I learned almost immediately that I am too trusting, and blindly loyal. I learned that I have a mean streak in the face of competition. And I learned that my opinion of myself should come down a few pegs. And it wasn't always fun to read but yes I found it very helpful.


Mario: What did you think of the way your win came out in the story?


Mike: Well I always knew I won, but from the episodes I saw that I had as much luck as well as skill to pull it off. I saw many things that I did wrong in the game that could have backfired and easily gone the other way against me.


Mario: Now it's no real secret that you were one of the hardest characters for me to write. This was mainly because your editing seemed to bounce all over the place, from good to bad, from hero to coward, from genius to fool, etc. And when you read this in the story did you think you were being portrayed fairly? Or accurately?


Mike: Absolutely. Even though you came back to me after the show concerned about not being sure you captured my character, I thought you were right on. That was Mike. He was all those things. I am so hard to pigeon-hole.


Mario: No kidding. Out of everybody in the entire story, you were one I had a really hard time with. It was like I was writing about a different guy nearly every other episode!


Mike: But that was completely accurate. It's almost like I have multiple personalities. I don't, but it looks like it.


Mario: Kind of like the kid in that movie Primal Fear. Ever seen it?


Mike: Um, not really...when people like you and Matt talk movies, most of the times it goes over my head.


Mario: Oh well. So anyway, on your way to victory obviously you hit a few speedbumps along the way. Things didn't always happen the way you expected, in my opinion probably moreso than anybody else in the game. But what would you say was the most unexpected event for you in Okinawa?


Mike: Well, the biggest thing was something more personal than just a game event. Because like I said earlier, I saw myself in a new light as the game went on. I realized that my cruel streak was a problem, and I realized my competitive side took over in a bad way.


Mario: I was actually quite proud of you during the game because you really did seem to grow and change. You weren't just bullshitting people by being nice, you really were trying to play with honor after everything that happened with Beth on day 21. And unfortunately I don't think a lot of people (or readers) gave you credit for it at the time.


Mike: Nope, but that was all me. I saw that my vindictiveness was a problem and I made a vow to change. And it helped too, because in the second half I saw my good traits like loyalty and sensitivity start to emerge, so that was a big plus for me.


Mario: You made a specific effort to change your behavior and that was the angle I knew would help sell you as the winner. I wanted to audience to see how much you had evolved as a person, and I wanted to contrast that with Isabella who never evolved at all. That's the angle I hoped the audience would embrace.


Mike: Thank you. Like I said, I grew a lot as a result of Okinawa. And believe it or not Lance was a big inspiration, and to a lesser extent Hogan, in helping me realize how important honor was along the way.


Mario: So moving away from unexpected surprises, did anything during the game happen exactly as you thought it would?


Mike: Most every vote went the way I wanted except for the Ryan one, and the Michelle tie. I now realize I had little to do with it *laughs* but they did fall the way I expected.


Mario: Hey, if you get the results you want, who cares how it came about? As they say in baseball... all hits look like line drives in the boxscore.


Mike: Another expected event for me was the tea party ceremony. Even though it wasn't literally how I saw it, the new tribe selection was similar to what I thought might happen. In fact the whole Outcast twist was a definite plus for me.


Mario: Okay, so speaking of the Tea Ceremony, what did you think of the way it played out?


Mike: My range of emotions that day was unbelievable. First I was shocked and scared. Then I was apprehensive. Then finally I was elated at the way it came out. That was an unforgettable day, but I have to admit I was panicking when I first heard I was leaving Kamiya.


Mario: I can imagine. But that was kind of the point of it all. A public shunning.


Mike: For me the shunning aspect wasn't that bad because Kamiya had chosen to put me in that spot on purpose. Had I really been the outcast, you may have gotten the fire-works you were hoping for when you designed the twist. But since I was sort of a planted spy, I could keep more of a level head about the whole thing.


Mario: Bah. I hated Kamiya. You guys ruined my twist!


Mike: Well even though I was a spy, I really did think I was going to Sato alone, and was going to be voted out. So that was horrifying. But it got better when I found out I would be picking tribes, so I felt great once again. I quickly embraced my new role because I loved the way I could control the destiny of the rest of the game.


Mario: And control it you did. There was nobody who had more impact on the game than you did during that Tea Ceremony. The whole game started and ended with you, my friend.


Mike: I definitely felt it was a shining moment for me in the story. I was able to maneuver the players into what was the most beneficial position for me. Everything worked out exactly as I had hoped.


Mario: I thought you did a fantastic job with the twist. You managed to keep all your allies (Ryan/Emma), while simultaneously dumping all the players you didn't want over to Sato (Murtz/Joni). And through it all you somehow made Henry think that he got the better deal!


Mike: Well that certainly was my intention. *smiles*


Mario: So what did you think of Henry and the choices he made at the twist?


Mike: Here's one thing about Henry, I thought he was a great guy. He was true to his word, and cool to talk to.


Mario: You probably had the most natural conversation with him out of anybody in the game. And I know he thought you were a great guy too. That was actually a really nice scene to watch develop, it was one of the more respectful conversations between people during the game. The two of you made a good pair.


Mike: I never saw any bad side to Henry, personally. But as for his picks, I was able to steer him the way I wanted and he picked the exact people I thought he would. I really didn't want to lose Murtz at the time, but I knew there was not much I could do to stop it.


Mario: I remember you liked Murtz as an ally but he was awfully hard to deal with in a tribal setting. So your rationale was basically "He's a great guy, but if you want to deal with him, Henry, have fun."


Mike: Henry actually did make three solid picks. Chris, Joni and Murtz were three people who could have helped him, and they were all actually in his best interest at the time. So despite the way it looks, it's not like I screwed him.


Mario: That's a good point.


Mike: It didn't work out for him but if he had chosen differently, the power would have shifted even worse. Think about it, Ryan and Murtz could have been together on Sato... or Michelle, Chris and Joni or Emma. Henry broke up the alliances the best for both of us and he actually got a pretty good deal out of the process.


Mario: So why did you choose the people from Sato that you did?


Mike: Well we made fun of Matt and David a lot on Kamiya, so we wanted them on our side just to vote them off.


Mario: Yep, I could see those choices coming back on day two. Matt and David were essentially doomed the very first time Kamiya got a look at their luxury items.


Mike: As for Beth, I was intrigued by her, being the older one on Sato and I wanted to be on her side. I also knew that at least two of them (David/Matt/Beth) were part of Amy's power core and I wanted to break that up. I got lucky and got all three.


Mario: But if you knew Amy was the center of the Sato tribe, if Henry so much as told you this... why not just take Amy instead?


Mike: Two reasons. First, that was part of the deal I made with Henry, and I wanted to honor that commitment. He wanted to deal with Amy himself.


Mario: I loved how Henry turned into a James Bond villain of a sudden. Leave her to meeeeeee, I'l deal with her myseeeeeelf. Muhahahaha.


Mike: The second reason I spared Amy was that I was somewhat apprehensive to have her around. If what I thought of her was correct (and it was) I could tell she could be very persuasive and very dangerous. So I thought it was better to let Henry and the former Kamiyas remove the threat for me. Let them do the dirty work. I figured the result would be the same in the end, and I wouldn't have to be the one worrying about it.


Mario: So the net result was to get rid of Amy, in a passive manner more than an active one.


Mike: Yes, I figured I had weakened her to the point where she really didn't have any more allies, so I thought she was done.


Mario: I thought the same thing. There's no way she should have been able to survive that twist.


Mike: But she did. She rebounded nicely and in many ways got even stronger. That alone shows what kind of a player she was.


Mario: So speaking of twists, we know the Tea Ceremony worked out for you pretty well... but what about the second twist, the Wheel of Fortune? How did the Wheel affect your game?


Mike: I loved it, especially since I felt I could finish in the top two or three in most immunity challenges. It didn't really work out that way, but I liked the Wheel because you had to try and base strategy around it. It made the game interesting.


Mario: Did the Wheel ultimately help you or hurt you in the game? Was it good for you in the end?


Mike: It never really helped me-- in fact I think it made it harder for me to win overall. Trying to work around the wheel is a big reason why I feel I was deserving of my win.


Mario: So during the game you had a pretty solid strategy. You used the gnome to confuse people, you did all the manual labor around camp, and you were the big strong weight-bearer during the challenges. But was there any point in the game you actually had to change your strategy?


Mike: The only time I changed my strategy was when we hit the merge. I knew I had to be the good guy and redeem myself in order not to be voted out.


Mario: Redeem yourself how?


Mike: Well throughout the game I was always on the bubble, playing both sides, so I just continued with that. My main goal was trying to distance myself from evil Kamiya, partially because I was feeling bad, and partially because I felt that honor, rather than deception, would win the game.


Mario: So in other words, you weren't doing it just to be a nice guy. You actually predicted that "the new nice Mike" would be somebody that jurors would want to vote for.


Mike: My change was mainly out a sense of honor but yes, I softened partially for strategy reasons as well.


Mario: You know, one thing I always wanted to ask you was about the age discrepancy among the players. This actually came up at times between you and Joni, but in your mind was this ever much of an issue? What was it like being the oldest player on Kamiya around so many younger players?


Mike: I never felt like age was much of an issue with most of the players. Most were very mature, so that of course helped. That and the fact that I am a young 40 year old.


Mario: So what exactly happened between you and Joni then?


Mike: Joni was the one exception. And to be honest, she was actually the one I was most upset with when the episodes starting airing because of all her comments about me and how she perceived me to be discriminating against her. This upset me because I felt the distance between us was mainly her fault.


Mario: In certain ways, it probably was. But she had a lot of help coming to that viewpoint, too. Joni may not have liked you but she definitely had some enablers in that sense.


Mike: She did. Early on she listened to Chris's accusation that I was sexist and that I didn't like her because she was young. I think it all pretty much started from there because from then on, she used that as a reason to have nothing to do with me. She took Chris's word as gospel and even though I made every attempt, her wall kept us from getting close. We never much had a chance to be friends after that.

Mario: But you were pretty upset at her, weren't you?


Mike: I really was, moreso than just about anyone during the story. I was annoyed by her accusations about me when I felt she had started the rift in the first place.


Mario: Well in all fairness that was hardly the only time that the Angels (especially Chris) "assassinated" someone during the game. It just happened to work particularly well in your case.


Mike: And that was probably the most disheartening revelation I faced when I saw the episodes. Not only did I not know about the Angels, I was amazed at how how deceptive, and almost nasty they were. I was actually hurt, because I felt that I had genuine bonds with Michelle and Emma and Chris, and to find that I was being used and played, did bother me-- especially when I was loyal and had their backs without question. It was too bad that they saw me as one of the "Three Musketeers," since I was loyal to all my orginal Kamiyan tribe.


Mario: So obviously Chris and Joni weren't your best allies in Okinawa, but who would you say was? Was there anybody who had your back all along?

Mike: Ryan was my best ally-- or so I thought at the time.


Mario: Heh. Yeah, it was probably best for you that he left when he did. It was pretty obvious afterwards that he wasn't going to let you win this game.


Mike: That surprised me when I read it. But after his elimination, easily my best ally was Michelle. Because even though she tried to betray me many times, ultimately she showed that she was a real ally in the end.


Mario: She was, definitely. Taking a dagger for somebody is pretty hardcore in terms of loyalty. In fact, I don't think you'll ever see something like that again in a game of online Survivor. It was the closest thing to a "real life" Ian/Colby Survivor moment you're ever going to read in a story.


Mike: Very true. Michelle's move has been analyzed a lot since it happened, and I do think it was a combination of things that factored into her decision. First, Michelle was just stubborn; second, the loyalty I showed to her that she wanted to repay; and third, Michelle's need to stop Isabella. And you say that we'll probably never see that again in online Survivor, but had Michelle been the target for the tie, I would have, without question, stood by her and risked the purple rock. I would have done the exact same thing for her and I think she realized that.


Mario: I think she did.


Mike: Plus another way Michelle helped me was to help fire me up at the final Tribal Council-- she tried to get me mad, figuring it would help me win the final vote. That was another way she helped me win the game.


Mario: So if Michelle was your greatest ally, who would you say was your biggest nemesis? Did you have an arch rival during the game?


Mike: I really don't think I had a real nemesis, though I had some short term enemies at times. In the big picture it would probably be Bella, since obviously we went head to head in the end. In the short term though my nemesis was Matt with our gnome wars. Those got pretty heated at times even though they, for me, were mostly for the drama.


Mario: No kidding. Those were some scary moments in the game.


Mike: And like I mentioned earlier, my emotional nemesis was Joni since we could never connect. That and we both tried to get each other out on several occasions.


Mario: So you're cruising along in Okinawa, doing well, doing all the hard work... but were there any mistakes you made along the way? I know you ended up winning but was there anything you did wrong that could have had fatal consequences for you in the game?


Mike: The biggest mistake I made in Okinawa was trusting Michelle too much.


Mario: Wow. Even worse than trusting Ryan?


Mike: Trusting Michelle was much more dangerous because she knew more about me than Ryan. I told Michelle everything, and it ended up biting me in the ass when she went and told Bella how much will I was putting into the challenge at the final four. That was the closest thing to a fatal mistake that I made during the entire game. Because if I had been silent, Bella would never have known, I would have won immunity, and she never would have forced the tie.


Mario: Interesting. So in other words your mistake got Michelle voted off when it probably should have been you.


Mike: Quite possibly, yes. But there are so many factors if you play the "what if" game. Bella may have taken Michelle out then-- who knows. Or if Michelle hadn't gone and the three of us had taken out Amy, Bella and Michelle probably would have taken each other to the final two-- especially if I hadn't won the final immunity. Because don't forget that Michelle knew everything about people. Had she been around at the end she could have very well have won the final Fallen Comrades challenge.


Mario: So in other words, one could make a good argument that Michelle's mistake at the final four was even worse than yours. Because had she not told Isabella about your willpoints, you would have won immunity and Amy would have been voted out 3-1. Or maybe Isabella would have been voted out.


Mike: Quite true. Michelle and I had had enough of Isabella at that point. If Michelle would have suggested voting for her at the final four, I would have said "...okay." And that would have made me even more points with Amy, because I would have taken credit for saving her. So in that case, both Michelle and Amy might have taken me to the finals.


Mario: So looking back, did you have any favorite moments during the game?


Mike: I loved my garden, and I loved my shelter. Those were my two proudest creations. I also loved all the times that I pulled through for my team.


Mario: It's true. You had a lot of clutch performances during challenges. My favorite was your win in the statue hold, the very first individual immunity challenge. Your choice to go for the win almost single-handedly screwed up my Wheel twist!


Mike: I was actually so worried about the "punishment" Kamiya was to recieve that I felt I had to win. That's why I tried so hard to win immunity that night.


Mario: If Matt had received immunity instead of you, Kamiya would have been shit out of luck and would have had to turn on themselves. That was what I was hoping would happen. Oh well.


Mike: Oh and as for other things I liked, there was winning Okinawa, of course. That was definitely a favorite moment.


Mario: Were there any moments in the game that you didn't like so much?


Mike: I couldn't stand throwing the challenges on Kamiya. I hated losing on purpose, especially the strength challenge with the baskets right before Beth went home. That challenge was mine to win, yet we threw it.


Mario: Tell me about it. I specifically designed that challenge so the strong guys could strut their stuff. It was more or less a favor to you and Hogan. And then look what happened!


Mike: I can't believe I let Emma carry the basket. Urgh.


Mario: Speaking of that challenge, I'd like to ask about Kamiya's treatment of Beth... but I'll start off with her kid sidekick, Matt. What was the deal between you and Matt in Okinawa? You guys had a very complex relationship during this game. What was up with the luxury item wars between you two?


Mike: That was pure strategy. From the start I saw that Matt was using his luxury item (hockey mask) to his advantage, and I didn't like it because that's what I was doing on Kamiya with the gnome. So once I saw he was using my strategy I had to make sure he was gone.


Mario: Oh wow. So none of it was real then?


Mike: It was much like Emma wanting Danielle gone. I had to eliminate the competition. And I never hated him, nor did I think he was a bad guy. Matt was a little odd, but he wasn't a bad guy.


Mario: But you two ended up getting along afterwards too, that was the strangest thing. Once he came to Kamiya you guys were pretty good buddies. Even after all that went down with the gnome and the mask, you guys ended up being friends.


Mike: He actually grew on me, and I could see good points in his character. He was one of the people--like Beth, Lance, and Amy, that I wish I could have started with. They were people I could geniunely get along with. But because they started on the other tribe, they sort of became the enemy to me. In Okinawa I always made a point of being loyal to my own tribe, so when I had to choose I was always loyal to the Kamiyans over the Satos. Even if the Satos were much nicer people.


Mario: Yet even after the bond between you and Matt, the guy ended up voting for Isabella to win in the end. Were you surprised that he voted against you in the final TC?


Mike: Actually, I was. Especially after learning about his hatred of Emma. But then again, Bigfoot would never beat Mr. T in a fight. When will I learn?


Mario: Matt mentioned later that he never would have voted for you to win, especially because of the way you treated Beth on Kamiya. How did you respond when you heard that?


Mike: I didn't blame him one bit. I deserved to lose at least one vote for that. But then again Emma had as much to do with it as I did-- so that argument doesn't really hold up.


Mario: But then again Emma didn't torture Matt over the gnome earlier in the game. You did.


Mike: That's true, and I understand where Matt was coming from. After all, I did try and play fair with Danielle, and I always treated the Satos with respect, so I can see why people often called me a hypocrite. Because yes, during the game I actually got the closest to Beth on a personal level out of anyone. Yet in the end I ended up treating her the worst.


Mario: Why?


Mike: I still can't figure that out-- other than I felt betrayed by her at the time. I listened to my "team" and they assassinated her character, and I bought into it. Like them, I felt we needed to take revenge yet I'm not really clear on what the reasons were. But nowdays Beth is probably my closest friend from Okinawa, and we are even working on a project together, so things have definitely improved.


Mario: So tell me what went down with the Beth situation, from what you remember. Why exactly did things happen the way they happened with her on Kamiya?


Mike: Like I said before, my team convinced me that she was up to no good and trying to target me. It may have had a ring of truth, but my fellow Kamiyans were always great at manipulating my emotions. So when I heard that Beth was out to get me, I was hurt, and then I was angry. And after that it was just a matter of bad timing. We won the paper tower challenge, which we were supposed to have thrown, and Chris got voted out on Sato.


Mario: Which was on day 18.


Mike: Yes. So after Chris left, I convinced everyone that we needed to lose the next challenge convincingly, just to send a message. We did that--and then Beth lost it and made herself the target. The bottom line is, those events happened and they were awful. But the good news is that because of Beth I changed my playing style for the entire rest of the game. The Beth vote and my hypocritical guilt over it ended up changing me for the better.


Mario: I agree. Out of all the people in the game, I felt that you definitely did change along the way. Watching you was the most like watching an actual Survivor player. You were just about as real as it got.


Mike: Thank you.


Mario: So after all your ups and down in Okinawa, do you think you would ever do a game like this again?


Mike: No, I'm done. I've tried, but they just weren't the same. Nothing could ever compare with Okinawa.


Mario: Plus you'd have a hard time trying to top a victory!


Mike: That too.


Mario: By the way, I haven't asked it yet... but what did you think of the final Tribal Council? I've always been curious to hear your take on the whole "Emma revelation" and what you thought of it at the time.


Mike: Well, even though I won the vote, the final TC was definitely the low point for me in Okinawa. Bella's revelation cheapened it for me, plus I was upset that we had been deceived.


Mario: Sorry about that. Still, you have to admit it was a memorable moment in the story.


Mike: It was, but it really took a lot of the excitement out of the whole ending, since we were no longer compared to Okinawan players. All of a sudden I was now up against Bella, the star of the show, the one familiar to the audience. And I didn't like it.


Mario: But honestly, wasn't it a little bit satisfying to beat her at her own game? I mean, sure you were deceived, but you still won the vote.


Mike: In a way, yes it was more satisfying to beat the "master." But I probably would have been happier just beating plain Emma, who really did not deserve to win.


Mario: That pretty much was the mood in the game at the time. There really wasn't one "Emma" fan left in the game, especially after what she did to Joni and Michelle.


Mike: I think Bella had to pull that stunt to even come close, and in the end it didn't do her any good. Throwing her name in the mix just made it 5-2 instead of 6-1 or 7-0.


Mario: So aside from that "minor" detail, did you enjoy the rest of the final Tribal Council?


Mike: Not really. The questions, betrayals, and accusations from the jury really bothered me. I guess I just wasn't prepared for the bitterness.


Mario: I imagine it will be that way in any online Survivor game. You have to remember that every juror wants to be remembered as "the memorable angry one." And I know this firsthand from my Tonga experience.


Mike: I figured as much. But I still didn't like hearing all of it.


Mario: So the final TC was a painful experience for you all around?


Mike: Well not all around. I did love the outcome. *laughs*


Mario: Speaking of the outcome, what do you think ultimately got you the win in Okinawa?


Mike: You know, along with the final Tribal Council, the other thing that bothered me about the ending was that a lot of fans were Bella fans and they said I was an undeserving winner. I don't agree. I played well throughout the game. I used a totally original strategy, I never coasted, I earned every jury vote, and I had the right amount of luck, skill and intelligence to pull it off.


Mario: But can you identify one factor that allowed you to pull it off?


Mike: Mainly it was because I kept myself in favor on both sides of every vote-- a risky strategy that only I was able to pull off.


Mario: That's a good point.


Mike: But no matter what people say, I was proud of the way I played, and was proud of the way I won. I deserved it.


Mario: Do you feel you were you the most deserving winner in the cast?


Mike: Everyone says Bella was deserving but the only reason she was even there was because she won immunity every time. And yes, it takes skill to do that and it was impressive, but it took little strategy to pull that off. So yes I firmly believe I played a better game than Bella.


Mario: So you feel you were the most deserving winner?


Mike: The only ones that were possibly more deserving of the win than me were Michelle and Amy. But somehow, I managed to outlast them too, so I still firmly feel that I was deserving.


Mario: Okay Mike, we're just about to the end of the questions, but I know a lot of readers are curious about what you've been up to since Okinawa. You've been kind of laying low and nobody's heard much from you lately. What have you been up to the past year since Okinawa ended?


Mike: Well not coincidentally my experience in Okinawa led me to pursue a career in reality TV, but on the production end instead of the player side. After Okinawa, I developed an Amazing Race: All-Star online game, similar to Okinawa in the quality and style and type of episode. And I've loved being behind the scenes working alongside my assistant Beth.


Mario: Oh wow, I've never seen an Amazing Race game. How did that work out?


Mike: Well we used many of the players from Tonga and Okinawa, each one teamed with a fan from the show, so it was pretty unique. It's been a lot of fun watching the players race around the world, and the story is fantastic. The episodes are currently airing at http://amazingraceas.proboards28.com and I invite everybody to stop by and join us.


Mario: Which Okinawans, specifically, are in the cast?


Mike: Michelle, Ryan, Elisabeth, Chris, Danielle, Matt, and Joni.


Mario: Okay Mike, I'm sure people will want to check it out.


Mike: It's a great story!


Mario: Now as for the interview, I've just about run out of questions to ask but I know there's one thing you wanted to end the interview with. You wanted to clear something up before we were done, is that correct?


Mike: Yes, I want to say something that has never really been cleared up since the episodes aired. I want to set the record straight about who I really am as a person. Most of this is stuff I've already written down.


Mario: The floor is yours. Go for it.


Mike: It has been said many times that people weren't sure who the real Mike Ruff was, or what his motives were. You wrote that no one really got to know me since I went from being cruel to honorable, ignorant to strategic, leader to follower, and so on.


Mario: Which is pretty much true.


Mike: The one thing I have to clear up is that yes I am all of those things and that is why I was so hard to figure out and pin down to any specific characteristic. All of those extremes are genuine and that's why it was so hard to stereotype me into an easily digestible character. You got to see the real Mike Ruff in Okinawa, from the ass-kissing, to the extreme loyalty, to the craftiness, to the naivete. And when I applied for Okinawa, I tried to make sure people knew that about me. I swing from one extreme to the other. A prime example is that I am a gay Republican.


Mario: You know, that's an angle I wanted so hard to work into the story, but I just never could. I couldn't find a way to bring it up without making it seemed forced in the story.


Mike: As for the game itself I wanted to address a few certain instances to show people who I really am. First, the ass-kissing perception.


Mario: Ah yes. Probably the single most-used word people used to describe Mike Ruff during the game. You knew that at the time, didn't you?


Mike: Yes, I did suck up to the Satos and yes I knew what they said. But most of that was genuine, and only a little bit was done for jury votes.


Mario: Interesting. In the story I made it seem like it was the other way around.


Mike: I'd be lying if I said that influencing jurors wasn't a factor, but the truth is that the Sato players were nice and I liked them and liked talking to them.


Mario: Well that's kind of why they were cast as Satos. :)


Mike: Amy was great to talk with and so sweet, Lance had the same kind of values that I respected and the ideals I strived to have, and Hogan was a good kid too. My relationships with Lance and Amy were real. I liked them and wished I could have been on their side, but my extreme loyalty kept me from doing so.


Mario: And Matt, of course.


Mike: Yes, my increasing respect for Matt was also genuine. He grew on me and I wanted him to know that. And as for the Fallen Comrades Garden, that started out as a 100% tribute. I wanted to remember the people who had left before me. In the episodes it only showed my tribute to the jury people, but on the island it went back as far as Danielle and Elisabeth.


Mario: Well I'll flat out admit I made that look like a jury move, mainly because I wanted people to embrace your win when it came. It was sweet and all but I made it look more devious and manipulative than it probably was at the time.


Mike: I realized it was a good jury move later down the road, after I had thought of it and started it. That wasn't the intent but later I did embrace the strategic aspects of the garden.


Mario: Interesting.


Mike: As for me being hypocritical, sure definitely I was in the game, and definitely I am in life. It's a flaw that I try to work on. But to say I jumped from being cruel to honorable without growth or remorse would be wrong. I did learn, and did mentally change after my actions early in the game.


Mario: I was really hoping that the growth would come out well in the story. Ultimately I don't think it really did, but I was well aware that was the key to you coming off as a good character. In what ways did you attempt to change?


Mike: I started the game with a power hungry, somewhat mean streak, and by the end of the game I think I was one of the most honorable players out there. I grew a lot, and learned a lot about myself during that game, so in that respect, I had already won.


Mario: So do you think you had a softer side by the end of the game?


Mike: Well I always had a softer side, going back to the start when I was trying to defend Danielle. I was the only Kamiyan who would ever stick up for her.


Mario: That's right. And it almost got Murtz to turn against you too. Your nicer side almost got you in hot water.


Mike: So my nicer side was always there. But after what I did to David, Matt, and especially Beth, I knew that my softer side was what I wanted to embrace the rest of the game. My competitive side needed to take a backseat to my sensitive side from there on out. And that's why I started warning people as they were on their way out.


Mario: So you feel like you were one of the most honorable players by the end?


Mike: I feel I was always one of the most honorable. I played with honor through the entire game. I was the most loyal player in Okinawa by far-- so much so that I was blind to what they were doing. It never crossed my mind that my own allies could be trying to set me up, that wasn't the kind of thing I would have done to them.


Mario: That's true. Among the Kamiyans, you and Murtz were definitely the most "tribe loyal." You two were Kamiyan through and through.


Mike: And like Murtz, I never turned my back on my day one alliance. I never wavered against Ryan (my key alliance) or later down the road with Emma and Michelle. I never tried to go against them. Even after Ryan set me up multiple times, and even after Emma voted Ryan out, and even after Michelle undermined me and tried to get me out, I stuck with them to the end.


Mario: Did you ever feel like that was a mistake?


Mike: Loyalty is never a mistake. And it was probably naive on my part, but my trust and honor was important to me in a Lance sort of way. My Kamiya bond was so strong, that I passed up better offers (Matt, David, Beth & Amy, Lance, Hogan) more than once to stay loyal, even when I was openly being trashed by my own team.


Mario: So do you think your Kamiyan loyalty helped earn you the win?


Mike: Look at it this way. I credit that loyalty for Michelle's taking the dagger for me, as I would have done for her. So yes I feel it helped win the game for me in the end.


Mario: And what would you say to critics who accused you of being played? Or like I wrote in my notes, how it seemed you rarely knew what was really going on behind your back?


Mike: Well, was I being played during Okinawa? Yes, I was! I was cocky throughout the game and really had no right to be. So in some repects I was the innocent little player in way over my head. I had no idea about the Angels, and I had no idea how close I came to being booted, on more than one occasion.


Mario: I was surprised when the first episode came out and most of the cast had no idea that the Angels existed. It was so weird to me having seen the Angels dominate most of this game from day one. So you weren't alone in not knowing they had been a foursome. The Angels hid their tracks very well during the game.


Mike: As far as being out of the loop otherwise, I think I knew pretty much what was going on around camp. I had Emma's strategy figured out, and I knew what made Amy tick, so I wasn't that dense. But as for the Angels...like you said, I had no idea about them until the episodes aired.


Mario: How could you possibly get to the final two without even knowing about the most powerful alliance in Okinawa? I've never really been able to understand that.


Mike: Okay, here is what I did in the game in a nutshell and why I got to where I did. I'll start with the Gnome Strategy.


Mario: Good. I think a lot of people would like that finally explained.


Mike: I've focused on the Gnome Strategy many times, but as often as I explain it, no one seems to understand. The Gnome was just a distraction, much like Matt's hockey mask, and that is why the Luxury item wars got started. Matt was trying to use my strategy! But the gnome was designed to make me eccentric, and make me less of a threat-- kind of dumbing me down so they would forget about me.


Mario: Kind of like Big Tom Buchanan in a way.


Mike: I deliberately put myself in the spotlight with my leadership role and Gnome, and I knew this would confuse people. They wouldn't know what the heck I was trying to do. I also wanted to work on the fact on showing my extreme sides, nice and cruel, strong and tender, smart and stupid. All these attempts at confusion helped in not allowing people to figure me out.


Mario: Heck, I never figured you out either.


Mike: All you have to do is go back and watch the first few episodes to see how people reacted to me. Some, like Ryan, thought I was a genius. Others thought I was a dolt. Many thought I was nuts. So in every case, my Gnome Strategy worked. There was always a bigger, better-defined threat, and nobody knew quite what to make of me.


Mario: Yeah and you made my job as episode writer a hell of a lot harder. Thanks. :-P


Mike: The other key strategy I used was to be hated and liked, strong and weak, smart and stupid. Lots of extremes. For example, in challenges I was the guy you wanted around to help the team, BUT I was so weak in some categories that I wasn't the guy that had to leave because he was a challenge threat. I tried to be dominating in only specific areas.


Mario: Were you the same way (with extremes) in dealing with the social aspect of the game? Was that intentional?


Mike: Yes, I actually toned down my likeability at times for the same reason. There were some things I did (like starting the gnome fights) specifically to make me less likeable. And I did other things (like being honorable towards the end, and making the garden), to endear myself more and more. Because the key to winning Survivor is to always be in the middle. Whether voting somebody out or dealing with the tribe, you always want to be the guy in the middle.


Mario: As in terms of likeability?


Mike: Yes. You will never be taken to the finals if you are extremely likeable like Amy, and you will never win if you are hated like Bella. You have to find the middle ground, and that's why I ended up winning Survivor: Okinawa.


Mario: Okay Mike, we're running out of time so that's just about all the time we have for the interview today. I appreciate you dropping in and finally giving us your take on all things Okinawan. It's been a blast getting a chance to talk game with you. Thanks for stopping by.


Mike: Thanks for having me and thank you so much for including me in the story. I had the time of my life.


Mario: Well that's it for my interview with the Okinawan champion. Hope you enjoyed finally hearing his side of what went down, and seeing the steps he took to win Survivor: Okinawa. Stay tuned for my upcoming interview With David McDaniel, the only player I think flat-out got screwed. He was the only Okinawan player never to make a mistake, yet somehow he finished in lowly 13th place. How did that happen? Was it solely the fault of the Tea Ceremony twist? Stay tuned for the David McDaniel interview, coming soon!

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