Flavor Flav just traded his clock necklace for a bobsled helmet—the Hip-Hop legend is now officially the hype man for Team USA’s bobsled and skeleton squad.
The 66-year-old Public Enemy member made his sliding debut at the Olympic track in Park City, Utah this week, hitting an impressive 66 miles per hour on his second skeleton run. USA Bobsled and Skeleton announced Monday that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has joined as their official hype man for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.
“The partnership is a blessing,” Flav told the Associated Press. “It’s cooler than Cool Runnings. It’s Coolest Runnings.”
Flav, whose legal name is William Jonathan Drayton Jr., wasn’t content with the beginner’s starting position on the track. Team officials wanted him to start low for safety reasons, but Flav pushed to start higher up the track, significantly raising the difficulty level.
“Oh my gosh, he’s one of the coolest, most adventurous men that I’ve ever met,” U.S. skeleton athlete Dan Barefoot told The Associated Press. “He was upset that he couldn’t go from higher up on the track. I was kind of upset at how good he was. It’s a sport that takes a lot of skill, but he made it look straightforward.”
This isn’t Flav’s first rodeo with Olympic sports. At the Paris Olympics, he served as the official hype man for the U.S. women’s water polo team. He’s also been spotted at various sporting events, including serving as a celebrity mayo-pourer at the Duke’s Mayo Bowl last year, where he helped douse Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck with 5 gallons of celebratory condiment.
“We have all been so hyped to have him with us,” Barefoot said. “Put aside the fact that Flav is one of the greatest hype men of all time, the energy in the room… you had people who often aren’t talking to each other high-fiving and hugging because of the experience of being around him.”
Many team members scored Flav’s personal cell phone number and even joined him at a Maroon 5 concert over the weekend. The Hip-Hop icon plans to return to Park City after the Olympics to participate in a sliding camp.
“We are thrilled to welcome Flavor Flav as an official sponsor and hype man for USA Bobsled/Skeleton,” USA Bobsled and Skeleton CEO Aron McGuire said. “Flavor Flav embodies the same grit, dedication, and pride that define our athletes, and we’re excited to have him bring that excitement to our team and fans across the country.”
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