Chris Smith: East Texas Stuntman Returns to Theme Park Action

From The East Texas Journal, January 1998

By HUDSON OLD, Journal Publisher

Chris Smith Stuntman Career Begins on East Texas Water

For most of the year, Chris Smith can be found at Rychlik’s Shell. However, when spring arrives, he trades the service station uniform for a stuntman’s role in a high-energy theme park action show.

The 1993 Mt. Pleasant High School graduate has built an unusual career. During the summer months, he performs in action-packed productions featuring explosions, fight scene, and high-speed watercraft.

As one scene unfolds, fellow performer Jim Baker races out of sight. Meanwhile, Smith’s watercraft charges through a turn toward a dock.

An explosion shakes the air. Flames burst from a building on the waterfront set.

Just before reaching a wall marked with a “Keep Out” sign, Smith banks sharply. A curtain of spray rises behind him. Above, another rider launches from a ramp and flies overhead before disappearing into the lake.

“It’s safer than it looks,” Smith said.

Although known today as a stunt performer, Smith’s journey started on the lakes of East Texas.

He also played saxophone in school. In addition, he represented his adopted hometown’s Going Gold High School Band in state solo and ensemble competition.

The summer he graduated, he received his first personal watercraft.

Chris Smith Stuntman Skills Developed on Lake Bob Sandlin

Long before performing for thousands of spectators, Smith spent countless hours on Lake Bob Sandlin.

His father, Lonnie Smith, helped shape his mechanical skills. At age 13, the pair began rebuilding a 1964 Ford Mustang.

By graduation, Smith had become a capable mechanic. He was already repairing engines and modifying watercraft.

“I’d had a couple of carburetors blow up on me,” he recalled.

After long days on the water, he often spent evenings in the garage making adjustments to improve performance.

A major turning point came when he met rider Kevin Hunnicutt.

“We started riding together,” Smith said. “He pushed me to the limits of what I could do, always showing me different stunts.”

On weekends, the two attended races. At first, Hunnicutt competed while Smith watched from the sidelines.

Soon, Smith entered races himself.

His first competition remains one of his most memorable experiences.

“I think it may be the most challenging race course there is, because it’s fluid,” Smith explained. “The waves are always changing. No turn’s ever the same the next time you come around.”

When the checkered flag finally appeared, Smith had finished third.

“I was hooked,” he said.

Chris Smith Stuntman Finds a Path to Theme Park Action

In 1995, Smith and Hunnicutt heard about an audition seeking skilled riders.

“It was right after the movie Waterworld came out and a guy named Gary Thompson was putting together a stunt show based on the movie,” Smith said.

After impressing producers, Smith received a job offer. Unfortunately, the realities of Southern California quickly intervened.

“I had the chance,” he said, “but I found out in a hurry that rent in Hollywood’s a killer. The cost of living was too much.”

As a result, he returned home and continued working while attending community college.

Still, producers remembered him.

In 1996, Thompson called again and arranged work at a water park in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Then, another opportunity arrived.

Last January, Thompson presented several choices for the coming season. Among the options were shows in Germany, Holland, and New Jersey.

Smith selected the action-packed production at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey.

“There’s so much action, so much involved in the Lethal Weapon show it sounded best for me,” Smith said. “We had to learn to do fight scenes and I get a charge out of the explosions and fires and everything.”

Chris Smith Stuntman Performs Before Thousands

The show’s seven-member cast portrays characters inspired by the popular Lethal Weapon films.

Smith plays one of four commandos attempting to steal weapons from a warehouse. The storyline includes gunfights, pyrotechnics, hand-to-hand combat, and high-speed water chases.

“Being the bad guys, we always lose, but I get to do a good fight scene,” Smith said.

One of his signature moments occurs near the show’s climax.

“The fight starts when I transfer to his waverunner,” Smith explained. “I deliver a couple of punches, he punches me, then I get in one more lick before he kicks me off the back.”

Timing is critical.

Every jump, fall, explosion, and chase sequence must happen precisely as planned.

Training began in April when New Jersey water temperatures hovered around 45 degrees.

The show opened May 10 and quickly drew large crowds.

Nearly 4,000 people packed the arena four times each day.

“You get a kick during the show when it goes exactly as scripted and all of the sudden you hear the crowd,” Smith said.

Despite the excitement, safety remains the top priority.

“At any time anybody feels unsafe for any reason, any of us can stop the show,” he said.

After each performance, cast members meet the audience.

“It’s cool when kids tell you it’s the neatest thing they’ve ever seen,” Smith said with a smile.

Chris Smith Stuntman Returns Home Each Winter

When the summer season ends, Smith returns to East Texas.

The excitement of theme park entertainment gives way to daily responsibilities at Rychlik’s Shell.

Now in his third season there, Smith oversees many day-to-day operations.

Owners Wes and Jan Rychlik value his dependability.

“We can’t wait for him to get back so we can take a day off, have a chance to travel some,” Jan Rychlik said.

Although he enjoys mechanical work and customer service, Smith admits life away from the action can feel routine.

“Luckily, I’m in a position that I get to deal with people, which for me’s a plus,” he said.

What’s Next for Chris Smith Stuntman?

Producer Gary Thompson has already presented Smith with several opportunities for the coming summer.

Meanwhile, Smith is assembling a video résumé that highlights his stunt work.

One sequence includes a dramatic “fire ride,” a stunt in which the performer races across the water while engulfed in controlled flames.

Although he looks forward to another season, Smith believes his long-term future may lie elsewhere.

After years of balancing mechanical work, performance, and travel, he has begun thinking about the next chapter.

“I want to study wildlife management,” he said.

For now, however, customers at Rychlik’s Shell know exactly where to find him. Yet when warmer weather returns, Chris Smith will once again trade East Texas for the roar of engines, the cheers of crowds, and the thrill of life as a stuntman.