Interview: Michael Steiner
Photos: Chris Van Vliet
When not winning Emmy Awards, Chris Van Vliet is out on the water
Chris Van Vliet is a 4-time Emmy Award Winner who is known to many for his fun personality and adventurous ways on television and via his YouTube channel show. But when Chris, who now lives in Los Angeles, California (but was born and raised in Ontario, Canada) isn’t on TV or red carpets, he’s out kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding or fishing!
Beyond his claim to fame on TV and social media, Chris is also the COO and co-founder of WOO! Tungsten, an outdoors brand focused on making tungsten weights for bass fishing. The company is so large and successful, it recently landed on the Inc. 500 list as one of the fastest growing companies in America.
We sat down and spoke exclusively to Chris about his love of paddling and what he’s up to now!
Why is being out on the water so important to you and your mindset as a person?
There is something that is so calming and peaceful about being out on the water. We all live pretty busy lives, but time seems to slow right down when you’re floating out there with a paddle in your hand. It really helps to make you feel centred and reminds you of what’s really important.
You kayak, canoe and SUP… which is your favourite and why?
I love them all, but canoeing has a really special place in my heart. Growing up just outside of Toronto, our family would spend a lot of weekends in the summer at a cottage just north of the city that our neighbours owned. My dad and I would wake up early and get out in the canoe as the sun was rising and I would bring my fishing rod to get in a few casts. Those are some of my favourite memories.
For red carpets you have to look your best… do you love when you get to just kick it back when going on an adventure?
It’s pretty amazing to think of how juxtaposed those two worlds are: the red carpet and being out on the water. One is loud and incredibly fast-paced, and the other is the exact polar opposite. I really love how the two balance each other out. There’s no better way to unwind that by spending some time in nature.
Where have been some of your favourite places to be out on the water?
I lived in Miami for five years and spent a lot of my free time either floating around the Everglades or paddle boarding in the Intracoastal. One is freshwater and the other is saltwater, and they feel like two completely different worlds even though they are less than an hour away from each other.
Where are some places you want to travel to and explore in the future?
After this last year we’ve had with Covid, I honestly just want to travel anywhere! Travel has always been a huge part of my life and I can’t wait to get on a plane and start exploring again. Iceland, Bali and New Zealand are at the top of my bucket list.
On your YouTube show you have done some wild adventures and stunts. Any other bucket-list stunts you want to try in the future?
I had a trip booked to swim with Great White sharks off the coast of Guadalupe Island in Mexico at the end of last year, but it got cancelled at the last minute because of Covid. If you’ve ever watched Shark Week, Guadalupe Island is the main location that they film at because of the huge number of Great Whites that migrate through that area in the fall. Nothing is standing in the way of that trip happening this year. I’m getting excited just talking about it!
You are a big investor and partner in a massive fishing gear company. Tell us about when your love of fishing began?
Fishing was one of my first passions. I caught my first fish when I was four-years old and, pardon the pun, I was hooked. I started fishing in competitive bass tournaments when I was 14 and in 2016, I co-founded the brand WOO! Tungsten with my fishing partner and college friend, Aaron Anders. We make tungsten weights for bass fishing that are environmentally friendly.
Where have you caught some of your biggest fish?
The biggest fish I have ever caught was a 480-pound Goliath Grouper in Boca Grande, Florida with Captain James Marko. This thing was MASSIVE! It was seriously like the size of the front door on your house. Goliath Grouper are a protected species in Florida and you are not allowed to take them out of the water, so I jumped in the ocean with it to get a photo next to it.
TV host, YouTube star and fishing businessman… how do you balance it all?
While I am incredibly grateful that I love what I do for work every day, I think it’s crucial to balance it out by spending time with friends and family. I also love to read, and you’ll find me starting every day by reading a chapter or two.
