Born in Fort Myers, Florida, Chris 51's dad was a plumber, brother a pain, and mother an angel. At the age of 6 he had enough of the unemployed beach-bumb lifestyle and headed to Oregon. After tiring of the rain, he then packed up his family at age 8, and moved them to Alaska to work with his dad plumbing the great pipelines.

Seeking adventure again, the young 51 told the family it was time to reunite with their Oregon ties, so at age 10 he carried the family on a fearless trek by giant dog sled (named Dodgevan) back to the great Northwest.

Bored with college and responsibility, Chris ventured solo back to Florida at age 19. By 20 he bought a house and experimented with all new kinds of chocolate and sugary treats. In and out of metal bands, Chris put music on hold to write and publish his first book of poetry. BY 22 he was unfortunately married, and the next few years were a blur of suburbian monotony.

After helping run his fathers plumbing company for years, it was time for Mr. 51 to start exploring his own, more artistic passions. By age 26 he began his own sports photography business. Taking pictures for baseball card companies and several minor-league baseball teams was fun for him, but it didn't pay enough bills. At 27 years old he decided to re-live his youth and play semi-pro football for the Florida Stingrays for two seasons.

When he turned 28, Chris decided to follow another passion, so he opened his first record store, called Mayhem Music. The success of the store brought him plenty of Hooters girls (located behind a Hooters), but there was something still missing. He still longed for the great Northwest.

Once back in Eugene, Chris opened a record store on the U of O campus with his best friend, it was fun, but not lucrative. The rise of Napster forced Chris to seek other methods of keeping his door open. He looked into having a tattoo artist set up shop in the back of the store, but couldn't find anyone reliable. Mr. 51 then realized that it was time to pursue his other passion. If he couldn't make it in the music bizz, he was going to succeed in art, or die trying.

After one year of vigorous training with his ninja tattoo master deep in the tropical rain forests of the Himalayas, Chris Rohaley was reinvented into Chris 51. Mr. 51 and his lovely wife Bobbi Jo opened their first shop, Area 51, in Portland, but they missed the logging mill smog of home. One year later they moved back to the valley and opened Area 51 Tattoo in Springfield, OR. Another calender passed and a bigger studio was needed, so the new and improved Area 51 Tattoo was opened, this time complete with tanning beds. Not even another year passed and it was time to buy their own location and expand their universe yet again. Area 51 Tattoo & Salon was opened and included amenities such as hair styling, massage, tanning, waxing, nails, and of coarse room for more tattoo artists.

With continued requests to share his knowledge, of not only Star Trek wisdom, but the art of the tattoo as well, Chris 51 became an instructor of tattooing, licensed with the Oregon Dept. of Education. Over two years later, his first four students are licensed and still tattooing at Area 51.

Today, Chris 51 works along side his wife and closest friends in the world."In this environment, with these people around me, and having the greatest clientele imaginable, i feel like the luckiest dude ever!"