Hammock-Camping Hero: Shug Emery
Like Pronto Pups and the largest boar, Sean Emery is a Minnesota State Fair staple. For 27 years, Emery has taken the stage twice a day at the Fair, and some families make sure to see his show ever year. It’s a quirky combination of expert juggling, gentle insults of the stoic Midwestern audience, and pratfalls off a unicycle that result in him spitting out busted teeth (actually Tic Tacs).
But the thousands of Minnesotans who’ve enjoyed his comedy-juggling act pale in comparison to the 13.8 million views he has racked up on his YouTube channel. There, using his alter-ego “Shug,” Emery posts videos that highlight another one of passions: hammock camping.
“I’m 60, and I’m still after a little Zen,” Emery told a visitor to his home in Roseville.
To understand the origin of his divergent passions, one must understand Sean Emery.