By Lyonel Doherty

Wayne Skuhala doesn’t profess to know it all, but his brain cells are definitely being tested on national television.

The 38-year-old carpenter from Oliver is one of 10 participants in the Discovery Channel’s reality show “Canada’s Greatest Know-It-All.”

The show premiered on Monday when Skuhala entered the ultimate battle of brains and brawn. The eight-part series tests the country’s greatest minds in various challenges. For example, the first episode saw teams build a four-walled structure able to withstand the wind power of tropical storm and protect its inhabitant – a stuffed pig. The other challenge was to determine the “kill zone,” an area in which a human being would not survive around the explosive destruction of a nine-metre trailer.

With a degree in physics, Skuhala is using his book smarts and practical skills to hammer the competition.

“It’s a challenge in that you only get one chance to do anything. You have little time to prepare, just a pen, piece of paper and a watch.”

Although excited about being on the show, Skuhala admitted to feeling a little trepidation. He didn’t want the program to be a soap opera “survivor” show where people screw each other over for a million dollars. That’s why he doesn’t watch reality TV shows.

“In reality it’s scripted reality and I get turned off by that.”

But Skuhala soon learned that the producer and director of Canada’s Greatest Know-It-All tried to create something different. “We (the cast) agreed that there was nothing personal; we would just do our best to compete and not go to the lowest common denominator.”

Being picked for the show was quite a thrill for Skuhala, who filled out an application after seeing an ad on the Discovery Channel. His buddy actually prompted him to give it a shot, so he did. Skuhala had to make a video  demonstrating why he thought he was a know-it-all. The producers liked it.

He humbly acknowledged that being a know-it-all has a negative connotation to it, and it’s something he doesn’t feel comfortable with. But he thought the experience would be fun, and he was right.

“None of us (participants) are fame seekers,” he assured.

Growing up in Oliver, Skuhala didn’t see much fame or glory. But he had the whole Lakeside Resort beach to himself because his parents (Frank and Nora Skuhala) owned it for 23 years.

When other kids were off on summer vacation, he worked at the resort cutting grass and performing other maintenance jobs.

He graduated from SOSS in 1991 and attended UBC after that. He now has a passion for carpentry and is a ski and snowboard instructor.

Skuhala has also dabbled in music theatre, participating in four stage productions in Penticton.

For Skuhala, problem solving and carpentry go hand in hand. He once completed a clay tile roof without using grout or mortar – it all fit like a jigsaw puzzle.

During the show, he befriended cast member Dave Spencer, who shared some of his tinkering knowledge. “He got me back into the spirit of playing with things.”