Home Body

Before he was a professional wrestler and the Governor of Minnesota, Jesse "The Body" Ventura was just a boy growing up in the Twin Cities.

Not many people can claim to have a resume that includes stints as a Navy SEAL, professional wrestler, actor, author, Harvard instructor, TV show host and state governor-let alone boast high levels of success in each career. But Jesse Ventura can. And through his every iteration, he remains opinionated, outspoken, provocative and cerebral. His latest job is head truth seeker in the new TruTV series "Conspiracy Theories," which debuts this month.

Born in Minneapolis as James Janos, Ventura grew up just two blocks from the Mississippi River, fishing for carp and staying out late on summer nights. Aft er professionally wrestling in the 1970s and '80s, he entered the world of politics in 1990 when he was elected mayor of Brooklyn Park, MN. In 1998, he surprised the nation when he was elected Minnesota's governor.

While Ventura spends a lot of time surfing in Mexico, he's back home in a suburb of the Twin Cities for much of the year-although he doesn't stay out so late anymore.

How do you spend most of your time in the Twin Cities?
"I train. You can only ride waves when they're available, so I work out on the elliptical machine, run a marathon a week, lift light weights and do a balance workout. And I play golf. Golf is like surfing in that you play against the course, and ultimately, against yourself. And there's a flow, like surfing, where you're relaxed but focused."

What are some of your favorite memories of growing up here?
"Hanging out by the river all day. My father introduced me to the river; it's a piece of wild country in the center of the city. And Lake Street has always been a slice of life in Minneapolis. It's 11 miles long, straight and flat with a stoplight every three blocks or so. [I remember] cruising up and down in the '60s."

Growing up, how did the people in each city of the Twin Cities compare?
"The difference was night and day between Minneapolis and St. Paul. We were baldies, they were greasers. We shaved our heads and wore wing tips and shopped at Dayton's Northbriar Shop. What changed all that and brought us together-and the whole world together-was The Beatles. After February of 1964, everyone wanted to dress like them and wear our hair like them. I remember kids were sent home from school the very next day for wearing their bangs combed straight down like The Beatles. I think their music was the single greatest force for change in the world."

What is it like being such a well-known public figure?
"As governor, you tend to make a stir when you go out, so I had chefs make whatever we wanted in privacy. And when I came back from Harvard in the summer of '05, I brought [the salon] Hairpolice (www.hairpolice.com) at Lyn-Lake a picture of Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow and they gave me dreads and a braided beard. I rode my chopper all over the Twin Cities and no one knew who I was. That gave me complete freedom and anonymity."

If you wanted to take someone on an eating and drinking tour of the Twin Cities, where would you take them?
"Keys Café (www.keyscafe.com; 612-339-6399) for breakfast. For lunch, Matt's Bar (www.mattsbar.com; 612-722-7072) on Cedar Avenue has the best Juicy Lucys (a cheeseburger with the cheese inside the meat patty). Jax Café (www.jaxcafe.com; 612-789-7297) up in Northeast and The St. Paul Grill (www.stpaulgrill.com; 651-224-7455) are great for dinner. The Minneapolis warehouse district has always been the place for nightlife. But my favorite bar, hands down, is Schooner Tavern (www.schoonertavern.com) at 27th and Lake, right across from the police precinct. Guys have been known to come in standing up and leave lying down. I took my wife there on our first date."

What would surprise visitors about Minnesota?
"How golf-crazy we are. Every little town and municipality has a golf course. When Tiger Woods came to Hazeltine National Golf Club (in Chaska, southwest of the Twin Cities; www.hngc.com), he was getting 30,000 fans at a practice round. I went out and played that day at TPC Twin Cities (www.tpctwincities.com) in Blaine and had the course to myself."

Switching gears, are there any conspiracy theories in Minnesota?
"We've shot some footage here, but no, nothing based in Minnesota. Yet."