Rich Hopkins, affectionately known as the "King of Extreme," was born with a taste for adrenaline. As a toddler, his first "stunt" was when his dad would throw him up in the air and catch him, with one memorable occasion resulting in a crash into the headboard.
Growing up, Rich never fit into a "mainstream" sport mentality, often feeling like he was on the losing team. However, he didn't let that discourage him, and instead, he decided to focus on individualized sports where he could be accountable for his own success.
As the son of an airline pilot, Rich traveled extensively throughout his childhood, adapting quickly to meeting new people. After settling back in his birthplace of San Diego in the mid-1970s, he felt at home.
Rich attended Torrey Pines High School in Del Mar, California, where he had a great experience, cool atmosphere, and fun friends. He even had the opportunity to surf for Phys Ed class, which he loved. Although his theater production teacher failed him, telling him he would never be in the entertainment business, Rich proved him wrong.
In 1984, Rich's dreams of becoming a professional surfer were shattered after a serious car collision left him with a broken neck. However, while in the hospital, he was diagnosed with an ASD/Arterial Septal Defect (hole in the heart) and underwent precision surgery.
After recovering, Rich had the good fortune of working with motivational pioneer Anthony Robbins, working his way up from the mail room to become one of his assistants. Rich would often visit Tony's "Del Mar Castle" and even took his kids surfing. When Rich told Tony that his dream was to be in the film and TV industry, Tony wished him luck, and Rich left to pursue his dream in Los Angeles.
In 1991, Rich moved to Las Vegas and began booking gigs as a struggling actor. Realizing he could utilize his action sports knowledge to segue into stunts, he started his Stunt and Action Sports Company, Thrillseekers Unlimited, in 1992.
Throughout his career, Rich has been a driving force behind the extreme sports industry, coining the phrase "Extreme Sports" in the early 1990s, before the X-Games or Action Sports existed. He has worked with numerous brands, including Ironclad Gloves, Skechers, Powerbar, and Outback Mountainboards, and has received accolades for performing the world's first pyrotechnic bungy jump and other record-breaking stunts.
Rich has also worked closely with celebrities, including Virgin Chairman Sir Richard Branson, Ben Affleck, Mariah Carey, and many others. He has been featured and interviewed by various media outlets, including TV shows, magazines, newspapers, and radio stations.
Throughout his career, Rich has excelled in a wide variety of stunts, including fire burns, high falls, zip-lines, air rams, ratchets, wire work, weapons, bullet hits, car transfers, stunt driving, and stunt fighting. He has also specialized in extreme sports and stunts, such as ATV's, rock climbing, skiing, surfing, jet-skiing, cliff/bridge jumping, firewalking, windsurfing, snowboarding, in-line skating, bungy jumping, paragliding, skydiving, sand surfing, skydiving wind tunnel, mountainboarding, kayaking, moto SK8 racing, and hovercrafts.
Rich has contributed to numerous charities, including Adam Bergen's "87 Plays Foundation," MADD, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Make a Wish, DARE, Candelighters Foundation, and Spread the Word Nevada. He has produced, stunt coordinated, performed, and hosted for all of these charities.
As one of the "Extreme Pioneers" in Action/Adventure/Adrenaline Sports, Rich Hopkins continues to guide the industry into the future, spreading his thirst for "The Rush" and catapulting the action sports industry into the future.
