SLV alum in Santa Cruz Oct. 16

Former SLV resident Ian Harris believes in absolute scientific fact. Everything else is simply grist for the comedy mill. Want proof? Check out his one-man show, ExtraOrdinary, a fascinating and funny mix of spot-on impressions, skepticism and critical thinking,
Harris, 45, brings his act to the Rio Theater Oct. 16 for a live, high-production TV taping. The performance closes this year’s Santa Cruz Comedy Festival. Interest in the comedy special has already been demonstrated at Amazon, Netflix and Starz.
“Every comedian wants to perform in their home town,” said Harris, who last played to a packed house at the Rio two years ago. “It’s so cool. My friends and family come out of the woodwork.”
 After graduating from SLV High School in 1989, long-time surfer Harris briefly attended Cabrillo College before migrating to Los Angeles in 1992. Once there, he and a friend shopped a film script he’d written.. While that didn’t work out, it served as a springboard for Harris becoming an award-wining stand-up comedian touring the United States.
“I’ve wanted to do comedy since I was a little kid,” said Harris, adding that he began with an impression of Howard Cosell at 5. “Depending on the situation I always had a different character.”
Except for the two years he stopped performing to spend time with his new daughter, Bella, Harris has plenty of work in Los Angeles doing stand-up comedy, voice over, producing, directing and acting in almost 30 sketches on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Despite his busy career, he still finds time for his other main professional interest.
A martial arts enthusiast since age 6 when he began boxing at the SLV rec center, Harris developed a philosophy known as Fight Science. Fight Science combines all styles of fighting and self-defense. He has traveled the world training Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters.
In 2009, he began training at PKG, LA’s premier Fitness Training Center for MMA. Very quickly his team became considered as one of the top MMA teams in the world. Since relocating the team to Systems Training Center in Hawthorne, Harris has trained more than 100 MMA fighters and boasts an 80 percent win record through 150 lightweight (155 pounds) fights.
So what’s MMA have to do with comedy? “If there’s a heckler (in the audience) it’s a great combination of skills to have,” deadpanned Harris.
All proceeds from the concert will be given to Camp Quest, a nationwide organization that directs its summer programs toward free-thinking families. The organization plans to open a camp in Santa Cruz in 2018.