Park City, Utah – At 66 years old, Flavor Flav has clocked 67 miles per hour. That was all it took to get him hooked on sliding.
Meet our newest fans United States sled The Skeleton: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, founding member of Public Enemy, reality show star, and now aspiring slider. USA Bobsled and Skeleton announced Flav as its new official hype man on Monday, shortly after he spent a few days around the team at the 2002 Olympic track in Utah.
He plans to be with the team at Milan-Cortina Olympics In February.
“The partnership is a blessing,” Flav said. “It’s more amazing than a great run. It’s the most amazing run.”
Flav, 66 – whose legal name is William Jonathan Drayton Jr – spent time with the bobsled and skeleton teams last week. He went down the Park City track in a bobsled, then also wanted to try skeletonizing, the premier sliding sport where elite athletes can reach speeds exceeding 80 mph.
Team officials wanted Flav to start from a low point on the track, as with all first-timers, for safety reasons. Flav didn’t necessarily like that; He wanted to start from the top, raising the difficulty level significantly. Eventually, he got his chance and reached 67 mph in his second outing.
For an ordinary person trying this sport, this is extraordinary. There is no information on whether he used the phrase “Yes, Boyeeeeee.”
“Oh my God, he’s one of the coolest, most adventurous guys I’ve ever met,” Dan Barefoot, an American skeleton athlete, told The Associated Press. “He was upset because he couldn’t get from top to top on the track. … I was kind of upset at how good he was. It’s a sport that requires a lot of skill, but he made it look obvious.”
Flav and sports often go hand in hand.
He was a celebrity pourer of mayonnaise — yes, there is such a job — at Duke’s May Bowl last year, where he helped douse Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck with five gallons of the celebratory condiment after the Golden Gophers won that game. He can be found performing during Super Bowl weeks. He was there to show support when Billie Jean King received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has been a huge supporter of Olympic athletes in the past, including discus thrower Veronica Fraley.
And at the Paris Olympics, it was Flav The official hype man for US women’s water polo a team.
“We were all thrilled to have him with us,” Barefoot said. “Apart from the fact that Flav is one of the greatest hype men of all time, and the energy in the room… you had people who often weren’t talking to each other hugging because of the experience of being around him. There’s a lot of energy and a lot of confidence around us now.”
Many of the team members obtained Flav’s personal cell phone number, and some were also able to join him at a Maroon 5 concert over the weekend. When the Olympics are over, Flav plans to return to Park City to participate in a skater camp.
“We are thrilled to welcome Flavor Flav as an official sponsor and hype man for USA Bobsled/Skeleton,” said Aaron McGuire, CEO of USA Bobsled and Skeleton. “He clearly has a true passion for the sport and a true love for Team USA. Flavor Flav embodies the same determination, dedication and pride that defines our athletes, and we are excited to have him bring that excitement to our team and fans across the country.”
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AP Olympiad: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics