Karen Chávez

kchavez@gannett.com

MARS HILL - Steve Fisher is the Evil Knievel of the paddling world, his name synonymous with epic whitewater adventure.

Fisher, who has paddled some of the wildest rivers in the world and was named by National Geographic magazine as Adventurer of the Year in 2013, and now lives in Asheville, will share his outdoor exploits as well as his entrepreneurial expertise Oct. 17 at Mars Hill University.

His talk, "Thriving Outdoors: A vision for following an unconventional path," will be a multimedia presentation starting at 7 p.m. in Moore Auditorium. It is part of the university's Presidential Lecture and Performance Series. It's open to the public and admission is free.

Fisher began kayaking on rivers near his home in rural South Africa. He turned pro in 1999 and several times has been named by his peers as the best all-around kayaker in the world. He's logged dozens of first descents, including the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet, the Irrawaddy in Myanmar, the Inga Rapids of the Congo, and the Merced River in Yosemite National Park.

John Grace, an Asheville extreme kayaker and director of the infamous Green River Race (Nov. 5), has known Fisher for 15 years and has worked with him on scouting expeditions and films in the Congo.

“Steve has definitely pushed the envelope of what’s possible in a kayak, as an athlete and an explorer and more recently as a filmmaker,” Grace said. “He’s an all-in kind of guy. Whatever he puts his focus on, he makes it happen.”

Fisher has also been able to make a living out of his passion for outdoor adventure into business and humanitarian efforts. He runs Flowstate Narratives, which produces outdoor and action sports specialty cinematography.

He is sponsored by brands including Jeep, Red Bull, and Jackson Kayak. He describes his latest project, Dreamline, as "a fresh spin on kayak instruction." Fisher's travels around the world have also exposed him to humanitarian and environmental needs which he tries to address through his work.

Adriene Levknecht, a world-class freestyle kayaker and six-time winner of the Green Race, worked with Fisher on his Dreamline instructional videos filmed around the country. Formerly of Asheville, she lives in Greenville, S.C.

“It’s really cool for him to live in Asheville now,” Levknecht said. “Steve’s a pioneer. He invented a lot of kayaking moves, a lot of freestyle moves, and he was right there in beginning of kayaking progression. Without people like him, we probably wouldn’t have the sport we have today.”

The Presidential Lecture and Performance Series complements Mars Hill University’s emphasis on the liberal arts by bringing distinguished and knowledgeable individuals to lecture on a wide range of topics and to provide high quality performances in the cultural arts. For more information, visit www.mhu.edu.