Captain John Christopher “Topknot” Roberts was once a simple ship’s cooper who spent most of his life at sea. As a young man he was captured by Barbary pirates off the coast of Turkey, and having no family to ransom him, he avoided being thrown overboard by offering his services to his captors and adapted his signature hairstyle as a result of his captivity by the Barbary pirates. Eventually, Topknot was freed, Topknot was granted a ship and crew of his own. Topknot re-christened his ship Outrageous Fortune. Topknot currently pirates all over the Pacific northwest and works with local crews such as Pirates of Portlandia, Rifle Loot and Salvage Companie, and PDXYar. He leads The Outrageous Fortune, an unruly band of scurvy malcontents who perform with cannons and small arms at festivals, pirate events, and parades. He is also the founding partner of Swashbuckler Productions, LLC, and promotes Portland’s Swashbuckler’s Ball.