The last Island team and venue Krazy George Henderson was hired for — the Victoria Cougars of the WHL and old Memorial Arena — are both gone. But he’s still here.
And he will be in your ear drums tonight, with his legendary drum, for the Victoria HarbourCats’ West Coast League baseball opener at Royal Athletic Park.
Not that certain-vintage Island football fans of the B.C. Lions have ever forgotten his unruly shock of blond hair and the jean cut-off shorts from Empire Stadium and B.C. Place. In his own way, Krazy George may be up there with Joe Kapp, Willie Fleming and Mervyn Fernandez as an all-time Leos icon.
“That was 11 years, and the Lions were a special time, especially some of the entrances I made,” said Krazy George.
Krazy George is as amiable as he is energetic. He hasn’t lost any of his spark or vibrancy at age 72: “I’m a professional cheerleader. It’s what I do.”
So who’s going to argue when Krazy George said he invented the Wave. He can even pinpoint the date: “Yankees at Oakland A’s baseball playoff game on Oct. 15, 1981.”
The stories, of course, are voluminous by now. He remembers the time Wayne Gretzky invited him out for a post-game dinner because the Great One loved the way Krazy George got the Oilers hockey fans jacked up and Krazy loud in Edmonton.
But it isn’t just the big leagues he remembers best. Some of his fondest moments are of performing in minor- or collegiate-league parks, such as Royal Athletic tonight for the HarbourCats, or junior hockey rinks. There is no venue too small to enliven with some Krazy.
“It’s been a fun career,” he said.
He is here for the week and Wednesday will be Krazy George bobblehead night at Royal Athletic. The book Krazy George: Still Krazy After All These Cheers will also be for sale at the park during the three-game set between the HarbourCats and Wenatchee.
Meanwhile, the HarbourCats will unveil their 44 new field-level seats tonight. They wrap around the front of the main grandstand behind home plate.
“We could have easily sold them all as season tickets but held back 12 for per-game sales [$25] because we wanted to get more people to experience them,” said HarbourCats GM Brad Norris-Jones.
Also, the old chain-link fencing that protected fans from lined foul balls has been replaced by the HarbourCats with hockey netting.
“[The old chain link] was from 1967 . . . we want to do 2016,” said Norris-Jones.
And prior to the start of tonight’s game, the Victoria Shamrocks will be honoured for their Mann Cup national championship season last year.
Shamrocks players and coaches — and the Mann Cup — will be on hand for a special pre-game video presentation.
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