The Ontarion’s Sports & Health Editor goes undercover as U of G mascot
As I suited up as Gryph for the women’s and men’s basketball games against Lakehead on Feb. 11, I truly had no clue what I was getting myself into.
I couldn’t tell you exactly why, but for some reason I have always wanted to try being a mascot. Even as a kid, I was always fascinated by these masked characters—watching how they engaged with the crowd and energized the athletes made it look like a dream job.
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The first time I wanted to be a mascot was watching Winger, the original mascot of the Vancouver Whitecaps, run around the stadium and pump up the audience. Little did I know it is not nearly as fun as it looks.
I arrived at the Athletics Centre at 5:30 p.m., pumped up and ready to go for the 6:00 p.m. game. I went to get suited up only to find out that the costume had been temporarily misplaced. This allowed more time for my nerves to grow. I was given very little instruction as to what my duties would be once in the costume, except for the golden rule of being Gryph: to never show the person beneath the costume.
Part way through the women’s game, I was delivered a large blue sack of red and black fur.
I pulled out the costume and nothing could have truly prepared me for what I found.
Imagine hockey gear—sweaty, stinky, sticky hockey gear. Now imagine wearing that on your head for four hours. It’s not the sweetest of smells.
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When you get past the sweltering hot costume, the experience itself had its redeeming features.
I learned quickly that even though 99 per cent of people know there is a human behind the mask, there is still something magical about not knowing who is under there for everyone who interacts with Gryph.
I walked out into the events centre, still figuring out how to navigate the costume, and was immediately swarmed by children.
They were pulling on my costume, giving me high-fives, and asking if I could talk.
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I couldn’t believe how much these kids wanted to be near me considering how much I stank. Nevertheless, I was hugged and prodded constantly over the next few hours.
There was a certain spark in their eyes and I discovered that, by acknowledging them when they called out to me, I had the ability to make their night.
During breaks in the action, I had the opportunity to let loose and dance on the court. This meant truly dancing like no one was watching since no one knew who I was behind the mask.
Although I’m not the best dancer, I got to make my big screen debut on the jumbotron for all to see.
It felt rewarding to engage with the crowd, but the more I danced, the more the head of the costume started to weigh on me. It was one of the most physically exhausting experiences of my life.
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Despite my exhaustion and dehydration, each time I went out into the crowd, I would get a rush of adrenaline.
When the women’s team won their game by one final buzzer shot, I truly felt like I was a part of the victory.
After the first game finished, I had already spent two hours in the costume. I was mentally exhausted, but the men’s game was going to require even more effort as it was a “Jam the Gym” event for students in residences.
The event brought out over 1000 fans, as well as the mascots for each residence. There were opportunities for the residences to win points, with competitions taking place during breaks in the game.
Included in these competitions was a mascot challenge and although I was exhausted, I had to dig deep and find the energy to get back out there.
In between the first and second quarters of the men’s game, the mascots gathered in the middle of the court for mascot musical chairs.
There were nine mascots and only six chairs to begin with. When the music stopped, I remember diving head first onto a chair to which the announcer said, “Gryph, I think you’re supposed to be facing the other direction.”
Unfortunately, after making it to the last round, I lost the coveted mascot challenge title and was forced to roll away in shame.
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In the end, I was in the costume for a total of four hours. Four gruelling hours.
The only thing that kept me from burning out was the endless amount of breaks that I was able to take in the storage closet. I had to take a break nearly every 10 minutes to keep my energy at a manageable level.
Engaging with the kids was amazing, but my favourite part of this experience was getting a smile out of the students and adults in the audience.
As Gryph, I had the ability to bring out the inner child in everyone. I made it my mission to make as many people smile as I could over the course of the evening, and each time I did, the satisfaction outweighed the exhaustion I was feeling.
At the end of the evening, all I wanted was some fresh air and my bed. All the sweatiness and the weight of the costume exhausted me, so finally getting to take it off felt like coming out of the womb for the first time.
As tiring as my evening as Gryph was, engaging with the crowd and the kids, pumping up the team, and dancing like no one was watching was incredibly rewarding.
I am thrilled to have had this oppurtunity, but I wouldn’t do it again.
It really was a once in a lifetime experience.
Feature image by Dana Bellamy/The Ontarion.