Jeff Styles wears many hats.
There is his radio talk show hat, his adventure sports hat, his movie-making hat and his well-worn cowboy hat, which he wears during all his activities – except mountain-boarding and paragliding, when he wears a helmet.
Styles spends his workday as the host of “Fred the Show” on Chattanooga’s Talk Radio, but when not behind the mic, the 56-year-old displays the same wide-eyed wonder for the outdoors as a child exploring beyond his backyard for the first time.
“There is still so much to discover,” Styles says. “Most people develop an aversion to briers and steep climbs. But I’m constantly fascinated by what you can find around one more corner.”
From his home atop Lewis Chapel Mountain, Styles often goes on old-fashioned adventures. He chases water snakes, discovers new caves and paddles gar-filled lakes, always recording his escapades on his GoPro camera. Later, he splices the clips together and adds a soundtrack.