‘Deadliest Catch’ Star Sig Hansen Has No Plans to Retire: ‘Kind of an Ego Thing’
Captain Sig Hansen has no intention of putting down permanent roots on dry land.
In recent years, the Deadliest Catch star, 60, has faced various health problems, including multiple heart attacks. But he remains committed to a life at sea, despite speculation to the contrary.
Sign Hansen shuts down retirement rumors
“I keep hearing those rumors myself. The more I hear that, the more I kind of want to rebel and not do that,” Hansen recently told People.
“I don’t see retiring anytime soon,” he continued. “Obviously, I want to see my daughter [Deadliest Catch’s Captain Mandy Hansen] move in and partake more, but she had her children, our grandchildren, so that didn’t happen right away. My son-in-law Clark [Pederson] has been stepping up more and more, and he’s perfectly capable. But for me, that’s still kind of an ego thing and I don’t want to retire just yet.”
Hansen’s father and grandfather were both crab fishermen, and he followed in their footsteps at the helm of the F/V Northwestern. He’s built his life around the industry, which makes walking away difficult. And even though he realizes that his “time is limited,” that just makes him more determined to keep doing what he loves.
“I want to keep doing it while I can,” he said. “I think there’s a little ego involved. And I don’t want anybody knocking me off my throne just yet.”
‘Deadliest Catch’ success is ‘flattering,’ Hansen says
A born-and-bred fisherman, Hansen never expected he’d also be a reality TV star. But he’s been a fixture on Discovery Channel since Deadliest Catch premiered in 2005. The show’s impressive, two-decade run is “pretty flattering,” he admitted.
Even if he does eventually stop fishing, Hansen said he expects to remain tied to the industry.
“I don’t think I could ever fully retire,” he shared. “Even if someone else was running the boat, your mind is still active. You’re thinking about the weather, where they’re at. You can never turn it off. I don’t think I’d respect myself if I could just walk away from it completely.”
While the Deadliest Catch star shows no signs of slowing down, he is making plans for his next steps. In 2020, he and his wife, June Hansen, purchased Mortholmen, a historic herring processing plant in Norway that now functions as an event venue and tourist attraction, with tours led by Hansen himself.
Deadliest Catch airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery Channel. Episodes also stream on HBO Max.
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