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The Official Entertainer of the Professional Bull Riders Association (PBR), Flint Rasmussen
201 Plays3 years ago
Get ready for a wild rodeo ride as we welcome Flint Rasmussen, the legendary rodeo entertainer, for an exclusive interview in honor of his retirement showcasing the electrifying world of professional rodeo, Professional Bull Riding (PBR), exploring Flint's remarkable journey, unforgettable moments, comedy, and the thrilling world of rodeo, from his early days as a bullfighter to his current role as a beloved rodeo clown. From heart-stopping close calls to uproarious laughter, discover the captivating magic that keeps rodeo enthusiasts on the edge of their seats. Saddle up and tune in for an unforgettable conversation with Flint Rasmussen. For a full episode transcript, visit our website at https://www.justinboots.com/en/kick-your-boots-up.html
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Transcript
Welcome to the Podcast
00:00:03
Speaker
You're listening to the Kick Your Boots Up podcast, where we swap stories of the West. Whether you're just waking up or getting in for the day, come on in and kick your boots up.
Meet Flint Rasmussen: Father and Entertainer
00:00:12
Speaker
Joining us on the Kick Your Boots Up podcast today is the legendary Flint Rasmussen. Flint, it's so good to have you on the podcast. A lot of people know you as the entertainer of the PBR and super public, but what's really cool is your two daughters get to call you dad.
00:00:28
Speaker
Shelby and page page, just graduated college. So shout out to her Montana state university. That's awesome. And Shelby was a former national high school rodeo president, youth president, as well as she's doing big things as a rodeo coach today as
Proud Dad Moments and Family Values
00:00:41
Speaker
well. He's an eight time Wrangler national finals, rodeo barrel, man, a seven time course man in the can, and just an all around cowboy from buildings, Montana, Flint. Thank you for taking the time on your day off from entertaining to be on the kick your boots up podcast.
00:00:57
Speaker
Yeah, it is. I have a little day here. I'm here at PBR world finals and we get kind of a little, we go three days, have a little break and then finish off with four days. So my body appreciates sitting in this chair, just talking to you. And, but I'm glad, you know, you bring up my girls that there's a public thing, you know, anybody who's kind of in the public eye, but
00:01:24
Speaker
Uh, I've said it a lot. If, if people look at me and say, I think that's Paige and Shelby's dad and that's all I'm good with that. And so they're my, they're my favorite subject for sure. Those two. Well, and I have to commend you too. You've done an incredible job raising them knowing personally and respecting Shelby back in high school for high school rodeo at the national finals. And then seeing them both continue to go on and do big things today. That's got to make you feel good as a dad, right? It does. Um,
00:01:53
Speaker
I always say people know me and know them as my girls, but their mom probably did more. My job took us into the rodeo industry and brought awareness by complete immersion into the lifestyle. It was me making a living at it, but took him there. But somebody had to be there to
00:02:21
Speaker
Get them to school, get them on their horses and their mom, Katie, who was, she was a circuit finals barrel racer and really great horse trainer. She's kind of the one that got them performing as well as they do. Um, you know, and hopefully I chipped in there here and there, but I told it, we told them at a very young age, a couple of things, you know, with rodeo, first of all,
00:02:46
Speaker
you know win with grace lose with grace you better learn to lose the right way cuz you're gonna lose in rodeo way more than you're gonna win. And the other thing we've tried to teach him from day one is you can be successful you can win all the gold buckles you want or whatever saddles but what people will remember is how you are to them outside of the arena and a lot of people talk about that but it is
00:03:12
Speaker
It's so true. And I tell them all the time, your life and your success in life is about relationships and connections. And a lot of people don't like that. Like there's this saying, well, Oh yeah, well they know they knew this person to get them in here. Yep. That exactly. Um, but the great thing about rodeo and you know, this, and a lot of the people watching know this, you can have all the ins you want. You can know all the people you want in, in this rodeo world.
00:03:42
Speaker
but you still got to win. Like there's no, it's not like getting a part in a movie. It's not like getting a record. You can enter, but you got to win. So they have done well. Paige recently won the all the goat tie, her fourth region goat tying title, the big sky region and her second all around title. So, and now Shelby is her coach at Montana state. So.
00:04:08
Speaker
We get to spend a week at the college national finals rodeo and I love it. Cause all I get to do is be a dad and get nervous and pace up and down. And that's my week there. So it's great.
00:04:20
Speaker
What a cool outlook on that. Thank you for sharing. And I can tell you're so passionate about your daughters, a proud dad we have right here. That's very, very incredible.
Flint's Rodeo Roots and Career Journey
00:04:28
Speaker
And I can't wait to learn more about them, but I want to kind of back up just a little bit and learn more about you personally. And more specifically, how did you get started in the industry? I know it's, it's kind of taken its wild turns. And so share your story with us for everyone out there that doesn't know it. Yeah. I too, you know, I talked about my girls by immersion, just,
00:04:49
Speaker
uh, assimilation of the sport. I was a little bit the same way, but maybe on a smaller scale, my dad was a rodeo announcer and he really just stayed around Montana. You know, he had all of us, he had a family too. So our summers were loading up in a camper on a pickup. My mom timed the rodeos. My dad announced the rodeos and we got to go to little rodeos around Montana. That was our childhood. I mean, that was.
00:05:19
Speaker
That was how we spent our summers. We never went camping. Camping to us was camping in the, in our camper on the pickup, but it was in the infield of a, at a fairgrounds somewhere. And that was good with us. That was okay. Um, but my mom always says we learned the sport from the steps of an announcer Stan. So I grew up watching rodeo from the back, you know, the back of the shoots, just watching.
00:05:48
Speaker
And I'm that kid. I'm still that guy. I watch football that way. I watch everything that way where I, as a little kid, I just sit and watch everything that was going on. And I really didn't. Rodeo wasn't my thing. I, and now I have a brother. My brother Will is a great rodeo announcer. He was a little the same way. We have another brother, Pete, who really is a cowboy. Uh,
00:06:13
Speaker
I just didn't, I was a football player, basketball, football, basketball track. I did a lot of music and, uh, stage stuff, but rodeo was not really on my radar to ever make a living at it. But I always performed. I was always pretty funny as a kid. And really it stemmed from a conversation when I was about 19 years old and thought rodeo clowns that I had seen my brother and dad work with.
00:06:41
Speaker
I thought I could do better. And I opened my big mouth about that and they dared me to do it once. And it turned into my summer job through college. Had no expectations. I had no goals. I didn't do one summer of this and go, hey, I'm going to be at the NFR someday. It was just a fun thing while my other friends were doing actual real jobs.
00:07:09
Speaker
This was my summer job and got a teaching job after college and kind of thought I was done with it. And I just kept getting more and more phone calls. And, you know, low and behold these five, six years that I was doing little rodeos in Montana, Northern Rodeo Association rodeos, I was really getting pretty good. And I had patience. I didn't, I see, you know,
00:07:34
Speaker
But with all due respect, and if the shoe fits somebody out there, I see young guys come in and go, well, I want to do what he does. So I'm going to do one year of scraping up rodeos or bull riding. And then if shoot, I'm ready for the Pendleton Roundup. You know, I did a lot of years of small stuff. And then when I joined the PRCA, I worked my way up. And, and so it kind of took off, you know, my, my rodeo.
00:07:59
Speaker
Career took off, the PBR, I was kind of on the ground floor of a lot of production through guys like a guy named David Allen and Jerome, the late Jerome Robinson. I fit the PBR style, so I spent a lot of years doing rodeo and PBR. And then 06, I just went strictly PBR and it has, I guess it's gone okay. I quit teaching school in 1993 to see if maybe it would work for a couple of years. And here we are a couple of years later.
00:08:29
Speaker
It seems to still be working a little bit. Oh yeah. I'd say what you're doing is exactly right. And I think I want to back up to whenever you made the comment about becoming a teacher, my father-in-law mentioned that you're a teacher and I was like, no, Flint wasn't a teacher. How cool is it now for those students that you taught to look back at you now on this stage and with such a following and such a big important job being a clown, you know, entertaining the crowd. What do you think it's like for those kids? Well, it's funny because when I was there, they knew what I did.
00:08:58
Speaker
in the summers and they knew when I quit teaching what I was going to try and do. Those kids that I taught, I mean that's 30 years ago, I run into them and or I get messages
00:09:14
Speaker
And some of them still call me Mr. Rasp. Um, coach, some of them call me coach, which to me is the second greatest title behind dad. Uh, Hey, Rasp, they'll call me Rasp, but they're doctors and teachers. And you know, those kids, I ran into a kid not long ago, fastest kid I ever coached in track. He had the state record in the hundred for awhile and.
00:09:38
Speaker
and ran into him at a basketball tournament. I'm like, how old are you now? I'm 48. Oh my God.
00:09:46
Speaker
So it's great. Guys I coached with, it's been really, honestly, that's a great point because it's cool to see them. I see they were on Facebook the other day. The last class I taught was advertising to get them all together for their 30th high school reunion. And I chimed in and said, looks like I got to go. And it just blew up, you know? So that's a good point. That's really fun for me, actually.
00:10:11
Speaker
Yeah, that's so cool. And for them to even be able to follow your journey so easily with social media and technology today, that's so, so awesome. But before we kind of move on to the next segment, I want to touch really briefly on your first memory or favorite memory of working your first PBR, what it was like versus now, obviously the nerves are way different. You prepare
Engaging Audiences: Techniques and Inspirations
00:10:31
Speaker
way different. You do your makeup way different, I'm sure. So talk to us about those first few memories.
00:10:35
Speaker
Well, PBR was in a different place when I first came around. I'm thinking 1996-ish when I first got hired, really run and structured more like a rodeo, but just with bull riding. We were all independent contractors. They were hiring different people. So it was a real different experience. But for me in 1996, I'm 28 years old or whatever I was, 27 years old.
00:11:04
Speaker
And I go, I remember going to like Portland and Kansas city. Here's tough Hiedemann, Jim Sharp, Ted news, Aaron Seamus, Michael Gaffney, Adriana Marias. And I'm like, what the hell am I doing here? Like it was crazy. And I had so much energy back then, of course, but.
00:11:24
Speaker
It was such a thrill and, and the great thing was it allowed me to fill a schedule in the winter, which is hard in the rodeo world. So I jumped in and was really able to stay busy and get better and better. But that, my first memory is I was a little star struck for sure.
00:11:42
Speaker
And I love that you mentioned that too, because you're a walking proof of not only do you encourage your girls to work from the bottom and start there and work their way to the top and still win. That's exactly what you did. You walked in as a young buck and made the most of it. And now you're the legend that you are today. And there's a lot of kids out there and you might realize this or you might not, but there's a lot of kids out there that want to be you, you know, for Halloween, for school dress up days, for rodeo themed weekends, whatever it is. Um, that's got to feel so cool too, right?
00:12:11
Speaker
Yeah. Uh, people forget the, uh, starting at the bottom. Uh, you know, I got married, I sold cars, I substitute taught my wife at the time, got a teaching job. She was a great teacher, had been a teacher. She kind of supported us while this took off. That's forgotten everybody. All they see is what's happening now. And there's a lot goes into it. And yeah, for young people, you got to be ready for that. You got to accept it and embrace it.
00:12:40
Speaker
And just run with it a little bit. Oh yeah. And you do that so gracefully, maybe not running gracefully, but I used to be way more graceful running forster. No, I love watching you in the arena, entertain the crowd. It's just so, there's a way, a professional way about you that you just own the room. And what's so crazy to me is it's such a large room wherever you go and stadiums. I'm talking, you know, this is places where like Carrie Underwood performs in these same places that you get to step into.
00:13:08
Speaker
Um, so talk to us a little bit about that. What's it like entertaining the person on the front row, the lowest to all the way up in the nose blades. I know that's kind of what I was used to as a rodeo queen. You kind of had to get the hearts and the attention of everyone, but on a different level for you being a rodeo clown, what's that like? Yeah, you got to pull everybody in. I think you got to make everybody feel like they're part of the invited to the party. And I remember a year, 30 years ago, the first Garth Brooks special on TV, it was on NBC. I'll never forget.
00:13:39
Speaker
And he did this deal where he went up and sat, he said, every show he does, he goes up and sits way at the top and looks and says, how do I make this person feel like they're a part of what's going on? And I have that same mentality. And, you know, I, you know, differences, I sometimes even go up in the crowd. I've been known to go in the top level if I can get up there. And that's a big thing. I just think.
00:14:04
Speaker
What I've always tried to do is, you know, people may not believe this. It's never about this. It's about this. It's about everything going on from the announcers to now music, such a big part of what we do. And now PBR, we're lucky to have amazing lighting and concert sound. And so it makes it a little easier, but it's fun. It's, you know, it's a dangerous sport, but I'm supposed to bring levity to it and.
00:14:28
Speaker
fun and there's a little truth to, hey, we're going to have a little party here and you need to come to the party. And by the end of the night, it's your party and we're invited to your party. I watch different performers that I relate to in their energy in bringing joy to the crowd because their show is such a joy. Garth Brooks was always that guy. I finally got to meet Garth Brooks up very long ago, but I didn't get to tell him
00:14:57
Speaker
It was, I'm not very good at that. I don't want to bother anybody, but I wanted to tell him you rodeo clowns weren't my inspiration. People like you are my inspiration. I recently, not to give somebody a plug, but recently was a part of a concert by Ian Muncieck. He's now big in the country music world. He brings joy. Everything he does is saying to the crowd, we're having fun. Let's go. That's why I think he's another big thing and lucky enough to kind of know him and
00:15:25
Speaker
was part of his show the other night. And so I watched that stuff. What makes me happy? And that's what I tried to do. So I don't know. I, I think people have fun at our shows. That's the point, right? We're not curing cancer. We're not stopping terrorism. It's freaking bull riding. It's rodeo. It's fun. Let's just have some fun. So yeah.
00:15:50
Speaker
I couldn't agree more. Anytime I go, I'm looking around, I'm thinking you're going to start like flying from the ceiling at some point. I'm always wondering, where's Flint going to end up? Where's he going to be? I love that you get to do the fan of the night on occasions. Just fun things like that, that gets the crowd looking forward to something else other than the event that they spent their hard earned money to go to that they want to go to, of course. But I've got to ask you, this is a personal question of mine that I'm so curious about. Whenever you have your full face of makeup, are there any kids that maybe start crying when they see your face?
00:16:20
Speaker
Yeah, it's funny because parents pretend that their kids are excited to see me when a lot of times it's the parents that are excited to see me. Oh my God. Will you sign this shirt? It's for my daughter. She loves you. Yeah, you do too, mom, but whatever. But they'll, they'll grab their kid who knows no better, a two year old kid who really
00:16:43
Speaker
you know, doesn't know. And they just stick the kid in my face and he's screaming here, hold my kid and take a picture. I'm like, listen, no, there's a reason now they're going to be freaked out the rest of their life. So yeah, there's, there's a lot of people, Hey, it's funny. There's adults out there that they're just like, I'm sorry. I can't, I, I'm freaked out by clowns. And I always say, I'm not a clown. I'm just a guy with some stuff on my face. And, uh, I have had people tell me,
00:17:14
Speaker
I had a phobia of clowns as a kid growing up and you with you, it's different. I don't mind it. It's just different. And I, I agree, but I've got a lot of that too. So, so that's kind of an honor, you know, break somebody's phobia of clowns. What a deal, you know? And you're not afraid of clowns, right? Uh, no, but I don't, I'm not a fan of clowns. Does that make sense? Um,
00:17:41
Speaker
As a kid, of course, being in rodeo, a little enthralled with rodeo clowns, there's been ones through my life that I just never, I don't know, I never pictured myself as it, but I can say through rodeo, there's certain ones I watched.
00:17:58
Speaker
maybe a name you're not familiar with, but rodeo people, people. I really watched butch limb cooler. I thought was a, an underrated legendary rodeo clown. He was the original guy on the trampoline. He helped me very physical expressions. Of course, Lisa Harris and I, the late Lisa Harris, we got along very well. He, I never really got to watch him work because I was always somewhere, but we'd get together in Vegas. And I think he knew what I was going for. Lisa was a brilliant guy.
00:18:27
Speaker
And we had some really good conversations about how to navigate things. I mean, there's a lot of them out there, but I remember Butch really helping me. And I just thought he was deep. And I don't know that he's kind of an intellectual. I dug that. That was cool. So, uh, but circus clowns and stuff, they're kind of creepy.
Behind the Scenes at PBR
00:18:48
Speaker
I don't know. Yeah. Weird. I know.
00:18:51
Speaker
I agree with you, which is so funny because your job is to entertain and be funny and a lot of tough people are using clowns nowadays and haunted houses and stuff because there is a fear like that. So way to go for not doing the whole super scary thing and just trying to be funny, but I'm kind of going along the same lines of the behind the scenes. I am so curious to know your behind the scenes day to day life. I know right now you're
00:19:12
Speaker
at the biggest show, essentially, you know, you're at the world finals. It's busy. Talk to us about your day to day life. Like I'm so serious. Break it down to like production meetings. What time you put your makeup on? Because by now you're about to retire and you have it down to a science. So tell us about the behind the scenes. I'll give you a little insight into what we do here at PBR world finals. Now this isn't, you know, they've gone back to two weekends. So this is, we have some off days, but you know, when I start air coming up,
00:19:40
Speaker
I'm helping with our telecast a little bit for a little transition in my career. So I'm doing the CBS pre-show, which two segments we tape in the morning, Matt West to amazing PBR announcer and TV guy, which is a hard balance. We do a couple segments in the morning. So I get up and we're there by 10 o'clock in the stockyards. There was a set there. We do some of that. We go over it all. I finished there.
00:20:08
Speaker
do some other things. And then our first production meeting at Nicky's Arena is at three o'clock for a 745 start. So we go three o'clock, we go through every element of the show because when you're live TV, we work in conjunction and are controlled by TV. And that isn't always the case in the rodeo world. There's this
00:20:32
Speaker
Well, TV can wait on us. We don't get to do that. We're live TV. That pays the bills. So we do a lot there. We finish that meeting. They feed us. We get a catered meal. Then we go do some of the elements of the openings. And I go to all of that. I think a big difference between maybe just the rodeo clown world and what I do, I am a member of the production team with PBR. So I go to all those meetings. When we're going through the opening, I can go, Hey, you know, I think that's,
00:21:01
Speaker
I think you should bring them out of here instead. Not that they always listen to me, but I can say it. And then go get ready for a 7 45 start. Um, you know, if I need something with sports medicine, we walk around, we have a great locker room atmosphere. It's kind of our own space. Seven o'clock is kind of my deadline to put the makeup on and it doesn't take very long. It's a necessary evil of my job. It's not some, I go, honestly, when it's time to put my makeup on, I go,
00:21:31
Speaker
Oh God, I forgot to put my makeup on. I got to put my makeup on. You know, and so I do that, um, get everything ready. There's things I wear microphones and an earpiece on tape and stuff on. There's just a lot of little things, but we all, we all need that time for everybody to just leave us alone. When I go out in the arena, I don't necessarily have things prepared. I prepare my mind to just open up and take it all in.
00:22:00
Speaker
because I feel that's when I'm at my best. I think one reason I'm tired in my career is I've never walked out in the arena and recited, okay, I'm going to do this joke here and this joke here. It's all been, all right, mind, look around, what can we do with what we've been dealt here? And it's kind of exhausting mentally as well. And my physical, the way I've done my job physically. So,
00:22:25
Speaker
You know, then it's a, we finished by 10 15, 10 30 and wind everything down. But when it's all said and done, I'm at the arena eight hours and that's without the stuff in the morning. It's, it's a great job, but it is, it is a job. Uh, and there's a lot of little things people don't see balancing when you eat. So physically you're okay. And who you talk to it's.
00:22:51
Speaker
Yeah, which I thrive on it. It's great, but there's a lot. So I hope that helped.
00:22:57
Speaker
Oh, that helps so much. And that immediately made me want to have a million more questions that I know we don't have time for, but I am curious to know what's it like knowing that there's a bunch of younger people in the organization and even people, guys that have been there forever, part of the production team. I love that you had, you'd said you're part of that. I know they hold, I'll hold on to every word you say, especially now more than ever. So what's it like for you knowing that you're the experienced one in the room and you can provide some very valuable insight. Cause you have those memories of the finals in the past or the PBR events in the past.
00:23:25
Speaker
That's a good question because I don't always know if there's turnover as far as structure of PBR and who's got a new title and people come and go. That's just a natural way.
00:23:41
Speaker
And I don't know if they do always take in the guys I work with do, I've heard every announcer and every, you know, so yeah, they, that's cool. I think to be able to have a little say in things now, structurally, you know, PBR, I sometimes get a, well, what do you know? Well, I've been here longer than you. So I, you know, every once in a while, I got to throw that out. Listen, I've seen more of these than any of you. I don't very often, but.
00:24:11
Speaker
every once in a while, but I appreciate, we have an amazing team. A lot of, it brings up a good point.
00:24:21
Speaker
In rodeo, you know, when you get to a rodeo, you, okay, who's the announcer? You might be working with Wayne Brooks one week and Randy Corley and Will Rasmussen and Bob Talman. So you get that, hey, let's, you know, be sure and watch for this. Who's the music guy? Who's doing the sound? Where am I going to park my trailer? You do all these things. When I walk into a PBR, for the most part,
00:24:45
Speaker
Matt West and Clint Atkins announcing. It's Richard Jones on music or Brad Norducci, those guys I work with. It's Jared runs all the lighting structure that we use. Mike's on sound, the same guy on the out gate, the same. It's a concert tour. When you walk in, everybody's in the same place. A lot of rodeo people think, well, that'd get boring. With us, we have created a seamless production and there's a reward in that.
00:25:12
Speaker
There's a reward when you finish a show and go, yeah, we kicked its butt tonight because we know where everybody's going. To me, that's not boring. To me, that's painting a beautiful picture and being proud of what you've produced.
Flint's Unique Style and Industry Contributions
00:25:27
Speaker
So I think I'm pretty lucky to have that. And it's kind of my gig. And when I transitioned to PBR, I just thought I could do everything I did in rodeo.
00:25:38
Speaker
PBR kind of seemed like my kind of gig for a while, so it has turned out to be.
00:25:43
Speaker
And Flint, it's so cool to hear your perspective on the business side of things. That's not a lot of people get to see you in that light. And so I kind of want to humble you a little bit more though. And, um, remember or refer back to a social media post I saw just the other day for the first night of the world finals, when you were with Kid Rock wearing a furry coat, a lot of people were so jealous. What was that like? So I, years ago, I rewrote the song all summer long to all season long. And I kind of, there's a middle of verse.
00:26:13
Speaker
And the end of the song where every year I always rewrote it to fit, uh, who was doing what that year. So I had a fur coat. I used to have a red fedora like his and the sunglasses. And I sing the kid rock song all season long. Well, kid rock was there on night. Number one of the PBR finals and went up and got introduced to him. He was great. He's, he has wanted to come to a PBR. It's not like we paid him to, he just wanted to come.
00:26:44
Speaker
And he had a ball cap on and his hair tucked up, you know, you wouldn't have known it was him. Well, Sean Gleason, our CEO said, sing Kid Rock, kind of wants you to sing your song. I'm like, you're full of crap. You know, no, well, we have a mutual friend, Kid Rock and I, who was with him and he said, yeah, Bob wants you, he thinks it'd be cool for you to sing the song. Bob. His name is Bob. Of course, his name is Bob. Of course. Yeah. So about the time I'm putting the fur coat on, getting ready to go, I look over, I'm telling you the whole story here.
00:27:13
Speaker
Kid Rocks got his hair down and the hat and the sunglasses, I'm like, he's suited up. Like what's going on? And I did this to our boss, Sean Gleason. I said, what am I doing? Do I sing just my all season long song? Yeah, just sing your song. He's going to come out the gate when you're done and yada, yada. And I'm like, you're lying, but whatever.
00:27:36
Speaker
go out, I start the song and I keep looking over my shoulder because I'm thinking there's something going on. Sure enough, I'm in the second verse through the gate Kid Rock walks the length of the arena and I can hear the crowd just going crazy because they didn't know he was there.
00:27:54
Speaker
And at that point in my mind, I said, I don't care what I'm singing, what I'm saying, because it doesn't matter because freaking Kid Rock gets here and he climbed up on stage and was there and shook my hand and thanked me. And that's it. I can die now. Right. I sang on, technically I sang on stage with Kid Rock. It was my stage, but I still was on stage with Kid Rock. Yeah.
00:28:18
Speaker
What a way to end your career and your retirement right there. It's like mic drop. You're finished, right? Like that's it. You know, I have a fun idea for you. So you always do life outside the barrel, especially during the NFR. That's a big thing on the cowboy channel. I love watching, but now since it's your retirement, what about life after the barrel? That could be a fun new thing for you. Yeah. Well, except that C we always call it OTB outside the barrel. What about OTB?
00:28:48
Speaker
You know, uh, I'll tell you that name came from a guy, legendary broadcaster and rodeo announcer from South Dakota named Jim Thompson. He had a show for a great radio. Um, he had a show called on the road again with Jim Thompson. He had this cool voice and he had been doing segments years and years ago, late nineties on his radio show. I'd call in from the rodeos. I was at and just talk about things in general. And he came up with, I'm not thinking outside the box. I'm thinking outside the barrel.
00:29:17
Speaker
And I took that and ran with it. And the point of the show is introducing cowboys and me, not as a clown in a barrel, but outside the barrel. And we, we have taken that and run with it. So that's where that name came from. I forget that sometime, but Jim reminded me of that not too long ago. So yeah.
00:29:37
Speaker
Yeah, he's probably ready to pay up for the loyalties on that name. Yeah, he wants some money or something. Yeah. No, I really do love that. I love getting to see the Cowboys from your perspective as their friends and you work alongside them, but then also, yeah, the fact that you shed light on their personal lives and stuff too. But the more we want to talk about life after the barrel for you, I'm sure there's a lot of tears, joy, laughter. I'm sure you've felt it all throughout your career. And I kind of want to take this time to do one last final look back at
00:30:07
Speaker
your whole entire career, PRCA, even before then, you know, when you were still a teacher just trying to scrape by for the summers and then PBR, what do you think is, if you could sum it up in one, you know, answer one statement, what would you say about your entire career? Maybe some fun memories, funny memories, whatever. Um, I think big picture. I mean, specific, specific memories are, are hard. Sometimes I go on YouTube and watch myself. So I remember what I did, but, um,
00:30:37
Speaker
I'll give you a kind of a big picture. I was a few years into this and I realized this is going pretty well. You know, it's in the PRCA, 94, 95, 96, and I started to feel momentum. And I finally did set a goal. I said, I want people to, I want to get people's attention who normally wouldn't pay attention to a rodeo.
00:31:06
Speaker
I want to be recognized for what I'm doing outside the barrel, outside the arena in a different market than would be normal for a rodeo clown. And so that turned into my goal. I don't want to be just another one.
00:31:24
Speaker
I want to take this somewhere different. I think I have. Then it turned into, okay, now that I realize I found this niche of a style and things that I'm doing, now I want to set the bar and the expectations a little higher for these guys. For the job when people come to a rodeo or a PBR, that's the expectations they have. I think I've done that. Not always consciously, but
00:31:52
Speaker
Um, you know, and I don't know if it necessarily answers your question, but that's the big picture part of when I look back on my career now, I've reflected a little, although I've been pretty immersed in the job still. It's like, man, I was doing some pretty cool stuff. Like not everybody likes it and that's okay. Uh, they like the traditional, I like traditional rodeo clowns, but I don't know. I just think now.
00:32:20
Speaker
you know, when somebody hires someone else for that position, hey, this is what we expect. And that's
Future of Rodeo Entertainment
00:32:27
Speaker
what we're all about. If we don't raise each other up, you know, what is the point? Rodeo has to move and shake and change as much as some people don't like it. There's a lot to do in this world. And there's a lot of access to everything in this world right here. I'm on my phone right now.
00:32:44
Speaker
And with that, we have to create something that makes people want to go and pay attention because everything else they have is right in their hand, especially young people. So we can get young people to go, we're accomplishing something. And the only way that's going to be accomplished is to provide them something that sparks their brain. And that might be a little different than it used to be, but that's okay. As long as we,
00:33:10
Speaker
stay true to our roots and who we are and where we came from, we can still present a product that interests those people as well. So I don't know if it answers your question, but I think a lot about it. Every time I step in the arena, I say, what can I do tonight to spark somebody, to inspire somebody? Sincerely, that is my nightly goal. What am I going to do here tonight to make these people feel better when they leave than when they got here?
00:33:38
Speaker
I love that so much.
Balancing Career Milestones and Family
00:33:40
Speaker
And, you know, I'm starting to think about the timeline here and, um, your daughter Paige just graduated high school. And so this is your retirement year. Oh, I'm sorry, college. I totally knew that. Totally wrong. Um, no, but, but essentially, um, she finished college. You're finishing your career and I can't help, but thank you're good at sitting on your hands and doing much, you know, doing nothing in the retirement life. Do you have any future plans? Yeah. Um, I'm calling it more of a transition because I can't retire.
00:34:07
Speaker
I am 55, but here, honestly, financially, no, I can't retire. I got to keep working. I've said that to a lot of people. Well, I got to keep working. Well, I know that is. Boy, I'd go crazy. Oh, no, I'd be fine with that. I just got to keep working. But I've dipped my toe in some TV stuff for a long time with my Outside the Barrel show. I've hosted things. I have a podcast, according to Flint. I do some weekly stuff, active,
00:34:38
Speaker
there and that's going well. I enjoy that doing the CBS pre shows here. I am on the broadcast team for the PBR team series late summer into the fall. I'm going to be doing some color commentating there. Then I got to decide moving on into the new year, what exactly my role will be. I think I have things to offer in the production world behind the scenes, some evaluation of young talent to help young guys to point them in a direction with what rodeos and PBR needs.
00:35:08
Speaker
I think I have things to say. I think there's things I have to offer. Whether it's TV or behind the scenes, I'm working on all that. I'll put it out there. I'll give you my number. If anybody needs anything, let me know.
00:35:25
Speaker
That's awesome. Yes, I'm wishing you the best already. I know it's going to be such a bright future for you. You're very driven and always have been, it seems. So I know without a doubt, you're going to find something and be something. And it's going to be so awesome to see you behind the scenes, not so much in the limelight. That's going to be really cool. And I can already see the auditions going now for the new clown. You know, I've just got to say like, you've got to be in there and you've got to be tough on them and make sure that they know what they're getting into. Yeah.
00:35:54
Speaker
Yeah, we'll see the PBR. I think there's a plan there. You know, there's been some guys working the lower level tours, but you know I. If I could say something to whoever takes my job or out there. You gotta be proud of what you're presenting as an individual, a style that your own and stick with that. Yes, imitation is the biggest form of flattery. Whatever the saying is, but you gotta be your own.
00:36:24
Speaker
person. You can't just get this job because you fit the uniform. It's got to be bring your own style, your own what's in here. It takes thought. I hope to see some young guys. I think I had an advantage coming up as a young guy because I just always wanted to be a performer. It was not like I was a cowboy that decided to move into it. All I ever wanted to be was a performer and this was
00:36:50
Speaker
You know, looking back now, thankfully my avenue to do it because of my family connections and I just remained a performer. And hopefully there's some performers out there that can come and inspire some more young people.
00:37:05
Speaker
Without a doubt, and your, your stage background in the very beginning has helped you so much for that. And again, I commend you on, on all aspects of life. You're a role model to so many in a legend and even more, you know, people's eyes. That's so incredible. And I'm sure people want to keep up with you. They're probably going to want to reach out with job opportunities, things like that.
Connecting with Fans and Legacy
00:37:21
Speaker
So I know you have a website. So tell us where, where can we find you your social media website? All of it.
00:37:25
Speaker
Yeah, there I have a flint Rasmussen calm and people can message you there I'm on Facebook I have a public page on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, all of it, you know, find me at Flint Rasmussen and I'm out there, and we try I try to stay active social media.
00:37:43
Speaker
Social media can be such a great thing. You mentioned staying connected with kids I taught. I mean, that's wonderful. And it's a necessary evil in our industry, as you know, to stay, that's how we stay connected to the fans and let them know this is what we're up to. Everything's okay. Look what we got to do. It's just part of what we do now. And if we do it right and the right way, it's, it can be a very good thing.
00:38:09
Speaker
I couldn't agree more. And I'm so glad that you're not going to be hanging up your hat forever. We'll still see you around the PBR scene, you know, here, there, and everywhere. And that's so exciting to see. But Flint, I just want to wish you the very best and say thank you so much for spending your day off talking to us here at the Kick Your Boots Up Corner.
00:38:24
Speaker
I've learned a lot about you and I know there's a lot of people, including myself, that are big fans and they respect you so much. So thank you for everything you've done for your many, many, many years of service in the rodeo industry, bull riding industry, all of it.
Reflecting on Retirement and Legacy
00:38:37
Speaker
I just got to ask one final question. You can leave us whenever we go. What's it going to be like to hang up your hat for the final time? Are you going to cry? I haven't, I've tried to compartmentalize it all. So.
00:38:50
Speaker
I can't predict yet. I'm tired. My knees hurt, which has helped. I don't know if it'll be relief or heartbreak. I'll let you know on that. Luckily, we'll find out after this podcast will already be out, so we'll get to see it, right? We'll see.
00:39:13
Speaker
Well, it'll be bittersweet. How's that? Yes. That's a great, great two words to say for it because it really will for everyone. We'll be, we'll be crying with you, laughing with you, smiling with you. So again, congratulations on such an awesome career. We wish you the very best and thank you for being a part of team Justin for all those years as well. All those years, all these years, it's good to see you again, by the way. Yes. Yes, absolutely. Well, Flint, thank you so much again. Thank you.
00:39:41
Speaker
Thanks for joining us on Kick Your Boots Up. I'm your host, Taylor McAdams, and we can't wait to share the next story of the West. Until then, feel free to like, subscribe, and leave us a review. Follow us on social media at Justin Boots to keep up with our next episode, and we'll see you the next time you kick your boots up.