George Kourounis

We break the bounds of earth, looking up in the sky and high into space, and examining the difficulties of exploring this most challenging environment. George experiences extremes of aviation and space training–aboard a Czech-built Albatross fighter jet, on a tiny hang glider, inside the Zero-G plane, simulating zero gravity by diving from 30,000 feet in giant parabolas, and in stomach-churning spinning centrifuges producing 6 G's of force.

Italy is the only country in Europe that is threatened by four kinds of natural disasters: volcanoes, avalanches, earthquakes, and floods. George tours through the Dolomite mountains, seeing the avalanches that crash down into alpine villages, and meeting Italians with new ways of dealing with these winter dangers. He then heads for Venice, where rising water levels are flooding this unique Renaissance city. He meets the engineers who are involved...

George embarks on his annual pilgrimage to the "Tornado Alley" area of the central U.S. to guide groups of people who want to witness the brute force of tornadoes in action. Along the way he faces giant hailstones, dust storms and quirky American roadside attractions.

2005 seemed to be the year that Earth went wild. Follow George as he brings us back to the site of his hairiest adventures from that year. Whether it's descending into a volcano in the most remote corner of Ethiopia, almost driving into a tornado in Texas or facing down hurricane Katrina, George was right there at ground zero and lived to tell the tale.

Linking up with legendary storm chaser Jim Leonard, George tracks Hurricane Dean as it makes it's way across the Caribbean – eventually building to Category 5 strength. The pair fly to Jamaica to intercept the storm, and get right into the action as witness its power as it pounds the shoreline of the island. George then travels to Nova Scotia to experience the even bigger turmoil of Hurricane Noel as it sends huge waves into the iconic Maritime...

George explores the wild side of Hawaii – diving with Galapagos sharks, ascending to the snow covered blizzard conditions at the top of Mauna Kea, descending to 85 feet under the water to have his teeth cleaned by Peppermint Cleaner Shrimp, witnessing Banzai Pipeline – the biggest, toughest surfing beach in the world – and getting his boots lit on fire by Kilauea, one of the world's most active and spectacular volcanoes.

It ain't worth a thing if it ain't got that spin. The whirling winds of Tornado Alley draw George back like a moth to a flame. This season the tornadoes begin early - in February. Through the season, George follows the big weather from Missouri west to the Dakotas, and dodges the huge, destructive Greensburg tornado in southern Kansas.

Although he admits to not being much of a sailor, George climbs aboard a sailing vessel to explore the extreme southern tip of South America (Fin Del Mundo aka the "End of the World"). The waters here are famous for being some of the most treacherous in the world and the entire area is a graveyard of shipwrecks. It's also home to numerous receding glaciers along the edge of the Antarctic ozone hole where the effects of climate change are more & more...

Methane gas rising from the huge Catatumbo swamps of Venezuela mixing with cold air from the Andes creates an almost perpetual lightning storm over South America's largest lake. George explores this unique phenomenon, takes an 84 km ride in a dugout canoe to visit the world's highest waterfall, swims with piranhas and pulls a 5 meter long Anaconda from the jungle.

In 2000, a remarkable find was made in Chihuahua, Mexico, of a spectacular cave filled with giant crystals, some over 12 meters long. But it is a intensely difficult spot to explore – with temperatures over 50 degrees C and humidity approaching 100%. George leads an Explorers Club Flag Expedition into the cave, wearing special refrigerated suits and respirators to battle the extreme environment.