• Edward 'Chip' Hailstone is a 50 year old reality TV star best known for appearing on 'Life Below Zero'
• He and his family rely on hunting and trapping for survival
• Chip is married to Agnes and they have five daughters together
• In 2011, Chip was the subject of a controversy and faced prison time for perjury in 2012
• 'Life Below Zero' is a documentary series following six families in Alaska which has received multiple awards and nominations
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Chip Hailstone Short Bio
Edward ‘Chip’ Hailstone was born on 8 March 1969, in Kalispell, Montana USA, which means that his zodiac sign is Pisces, and he’s 50 years old in 2019. He is best known by his nickname, as a reality TV star who appears in “Life Below Zero”. Chip and his large family rely on hunting and trapping, which is displayed in the mentioned series. The story of how he ended up in Alaska was intiguing to many – reportedly, while visiting Alaska with his friends, Hailstone fell in love with nature, and promised that he would return.
Hunting from the hill by the tent, rivers flowing over the ice, breakup is fairly eminent, Geese keep tasting delicious, to whom with my shotgun I remain ever malicious….. pic.twitter.com/x7pDngOMmD
— Chip Hailstone (@HailstoneChip) May 4, 2019
Chip is the son of Daniel and Mary Hailstone, and his father reportedly taught him some basic skills that he would later on use while in Alaska. Chip has an estimated net worth of over $100,000, and reputedly makes $45,000 annually; his wife makes the same amount of money. Despite achieving considerable success, the show has also been criticized, as it depicts that Alaska is not as dangerous as one might think – some parts actually have WiFi and roads!
Relationship Status
Chip hasn’t spoken about his previous relationships.
He has been married to Agnes since 1990, who is a series regular as well, and they have five daughters together. Prior to marrying him, Agnes had already been married, and had two sons from that relationship. His wife was born in 1972, which makes her 47 years old, and she is Alaskan. Despite living in below zero conditions, their daughters Tinmiaq, Iriqtaq, Mary, Caroline and Qutan pursue education – Iriqtaq is a college student and was active in sports during high school. Chip is a grandfather, as Iriqtaq has one child.
Chip and his family aren’t active on social media, nonetheless, they can be followed on Life Below Zero’s official page on Twitter. He was featured in the video entitled “Life Below Zero – Setting up Traps with Chip”, which depicted him doing his everyday activities. He can also be seen in the video “Life Below Zero – Rabbit Hunting”, teaching his grandson Wade hunting.
Scandal
In 2011, Hailstone was the subject of a controversy, when he claimed that a state trooper took advantage of his daughter, and held her in a submissive hold after she stretched her arm towards him in a conversation.
As the result of that, Chip stated, his family lived in “deep fear for their lives”. However, a second trooper witnessed the whole ordeal, and claimed that Hailstones’ allegations were false. Subsequently in 2012, Chip had to face prison, where he ultimately spent one year and three months convicted of perjury. In 2016 he had a retrial, but was found guilty once again and had to serve out his sentence in Correctional Prison in Alaska.
Some fans were also concerned about how he apparently enjoys killing and hunting “too much”, and about the way that he treats his kids and wife. “He likes to delegate and tell everyone what to do, but then he is lacking in action”, one person concluded. Other scandals on the show include Chip’s co-star, Andy Bassich, reportedly being abusive towards his wife.
Life Below Zero
Produced by the BBC and airing on National Geographic Channel, “Life Below Zero” is a documentary series that follows the lives of six families who reside in Alaska, as they survive in the harsh environment.
Most of them are hunters and subsistence ‘farmers’, who only rely on themselves and the resources they have. “Life Below Zero” also features Glenn Villeneuve – a Burlington-born who relocated to the north in 1999 and lives alone in Chandalar, and Jessie Holmer, a hunter and fisherman. Catching the attention of the media, the series received a few nominations and awards, most prominently 68th, 69th and 70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Why Did Sue Aikens Leave?
Fans were sad and disappointed when one of their favorites, Sue Aikens left Kavik river camp. Sue has stated numerous times that she loves Alaska, but as she put it, she’s getting older and has less capacity to do some chores. However, she stated that she craves time where she’s not bound by societal rules that she doesn’t understand, which is why Alaska was the right match for her, at a time.
“In my world I get to have snacks and naps and run around and play so I like my world”, she concluded.
YouTube
Clips of behind the scenes footage from “Life Below Zero” can be found on YouTube. The videos such as “Surviving Alone in Alaska”, “Crew vs. Cold – Behind the Scenes | Life Below Zero” and “Getting to Location – Behind the Scenes | Life Below Zero” have been watched several million times.
