Travel show host from Naperville embraces 'Epic Attractions'
Chris Perry rides the world's fastest roller coasters, flies down the scariest water slides and jumps into all sorts of other adrenaline-fueled adventures as host of the Travel Channel's new show, "Epic Attractions."
Just don't ask him to go on the tea cup ride or the Tilt-o-Whirl at the neighborhood carnival.
"I am open to anything, but I do not do spinning. My stomach doesn't do well. I have my limits," he said, laughing.
Perry, 42, grew up in Naperville and is the son of the late Dick Perry, a teacher, coach and longtime manager of Centennial Beach. Like his dad, who went sky diving in his 60s, Perry loves people and adventure.
His current job is to travel the globe and do things most of us would never dream of trying, like "blobbing" on Austria's Area 47. That involves sitting on a large inflatable in water. One person (or two or three) jumps off a diving board and lands on the opposite end of the inflatable, catapulting whoever is seated there into the air before landing in the water.
"There's nothing you can do to prepare yourself for this. You're totally out of control when you're in the air, and you're hoping you don't land on your back," he said. "It's so fun."
Perry also filmed episodes flyboarding in the Wisconsin Dells, wrestling reptiles in Gatorland in Florida and riding the 150 mph Formula Rossa roller coaster in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
And that's just Season 1.
He's already coming up with ideas for Season 2.
"I'd love to get into a shark tank and do a shark experience. Or (sit on the edge of a waterfall) in Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls Devil's Pool. Google it," he said.
No wonder he lists his job title as "amusement professional."
The only thing that scares him, he says, is getting hurt. But he said these attractions aren't dangerous.
"As you get older, you start to fear pain and then guard against things that could hurt you," he said. "But amusement rides are not designed to hurt you. You can ride them thousands of times and nothing's going to hit you. It's the rides and attractions that are more free form, where it's up to you to control yourself, that are scary to me. Like blobbing (at Area 47) or on Flow Riders (the surfing simulators)."
A longtime executive in the water park industry, Perry was "discovered" a few years ago at an international conference where he was a speaker. The Travel Channel had been scouting for someone to host a makeover show for struggling water parks, much like the Food Network does with restaurants on "Restaurant Impossible." Perry was recommended for the job.
After a few test episodes, the focus of the show changed. Instead of visiting some of the worst places, Perry was asked to check out some of the best attractions in the world. He left his corporate job and shot six episodes last summer.
"I enjoy it. I don't mind being in airports. I'm a huge people person. But (this job) certainly is not as glamorous as everyone has it made out to be," he said, noting hassles with travel, management and repeating lines of a script countless times. "For me, it suits me quite well. I don't know if it'd suit everybody. ... I feel comfortable on camera, and I pride myself on doing the absolute best I can. I want people to walk away and say what a fun shoot that was."
Perry laughs thinking about the "bucket list" page he created on Pinterest a few years ago of things he wanted to do before he dies. One of the pins was "Having my own travel show."
"Sometimes, when you throw something out into the universe, good things can happen if you're positive. You put yourself in positions to make this happen," he said.
Perry will find out this fall whether "Epic Attractions" will be renewed for a second season. In the meantime, he's doing private consulting in the amusement park industry.
Now living in Dubai with his wife and two children, Perry visits his family every summer. He did this interview last week while with his kids at Centennial Beach in Naperville.
"It's one of my all-time favorite attractions in the world," he said. "It's nostalgic."
- Jamie Sotonoff
• Dann Gire and Jamie Sotonoff are always looking for people from the suburbs who are now working in showbiz. If you know of someone who would make a good feature, email them at dgire@dailyherald.com and jsotonoff@dailyherald.com.
“Epic Attractions”
Airs on Sunday night on the Travel Channel. Episode times vary, but they are usually at 10 or 10:30 p.m. Follow Chris Perry on Twitter at @christoperry.