NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- He may now rank among the legendary captains—and we don’t mean Captain America and Cap’n Crunch.
Of course, they were not the seafarer kind of adventurer that Captain Sig Hansen is. Blessed with rugged Scandinavian looks and a seaman’s vocabulary—much of which expands on late comedian George Carlin’s seven dirty words—Hansen is the kind of stage presenter that does not require dress rehearsals, verbal handcuffs or an editor’s script.
He is unfiltered, authentic and real, a perfect protagonist that has enabled his program, Deadliest Catch, to sail without capsizing on the Discovery Channel for 11 years and soon to wade through a 12th season.
The world’s most famous fisherman is the son and grandson of fishermen. He is watched in 180 countries, his book is a New York Times bestseller, he has a clothing line and an incipient coffee brew called Northwestern Grind—named after his fishing vessel. He has appeared on Celebrity Apprentice, his voice starred in Pixar’s movie Cars 2, and he was a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
And yet when asked whether he was more a reality star than fisherman, the 49-year-old Seattle native didn’t pause. “What kind of knuckleheaded question is that?”
A fisherman, of course.
His presence during the second day of FARE 2015, CSP Business Media’s foodservice conference, is one that if monitored by the FCC would contain many “bleeps.”
Yet, there are a few things we can share:
- Family Life. Hansen is married to June, and the couple has two daughters and two female Pomeranians. When he’s away from his sea crew, Hansen aims to dial down his water-battered lexicon but occasionally slips, He shared how when his now grownup daughter was in first grade she used the f-word in class when asking for a #@#$# pencil. The extra six letters earned both her—and Sig—a visit with the teacher.
- TV Success. What makes Deadliest Catch a catch with viewers? “It’s not a reality show. It’s real,” he said. “It’s not B.S. It’s not like the (Real) Housewives show.”
- Dangers at Sea. Hansen has navigated the swells and surfs with sagacity. His crew has incurred no fatalities. Yet, Hansen remains sensitive to the risks. When he was 11, he shared, he jumped over the rail of a boat and sprained his ankle. The captain had the lad fly home while the boat went fishing without him. The boat disappeared, never to be seen again.
- Favorite Seafood to Eat. “King crab. It’s very sweet.”
Watch for more insight from the FARE Conference on CSPnet.com, and follow CSP’s coverage on Twitter at #FAREconference.
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