Shane Onufer spends his summers a little different.

While most of his peers are enjoying the time off from school, relaxing and enjoying the warm weather, Onufer works the icy waters of Alaska as a commercial salmon fisherman.

Onufer was a freshman in high school when he was first offered a chance to fish with family friend Geoff Stevens.

“He wrestled at Clover Park High School, and my dad (Craig Onufer) wrestled at Lakes,” Onufer said. “They were buddies and rivals. He started commercial fishing out of high school and asked my dad if I wanted a job. I decided to go up one summer, and I’ve been doing it ever since. I make a pretty good living doing that, so I’ll keep up with that.”

Now a deck boss for Stevens, Onufer said salmon fishing was similar but not quite as dangerous as the crab fishing exploits featured on the popular TV show “The Deadliest Catch.”

“It’s different because they do all their fishing in the winter time, and they’re farther out in the ocean,” he said. “Ours isn’t as dangerous because we do it in the summer time, which is the best time to be up there for weather and ocean conditions. But it still has its dangers, there are still plenty of storms and nasty weather. You have to be on your toes. You have to be alert because anything can happen.”