Cheering, drumming, dancing: How Crazy P fires up Canucks fans
You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in Vancouver who has more passion for their job than Crazy P. A fixture at Vancouver Canucks games since 2019, Crazy P has been upping the atmosphere for local sports teams at stadiums and arenas for close to two decades.
Cheering, chanting, drumming, dancing; they’re all in the 56-year-old hype man’s job description.
After whooping up the crowd on the plaza outside of Rogers Arena, Crazy P works his tail off during Canucks games. He goes section-by-section, engaging with fans.
And wherever he goes, noise follows.
“After that first period, I’m exhausted,” Crazy P told Daily Hive. “You go from zero to a million miles an hour.”
“It’s a lot of energy. The sweat. I gotta change all my clothing. My wristbands, my socks, and T-shirts — I’m drenched in between each period!”
Crazy P’s between-period routine rivals that of a long-distance runner.
“I go downstairs, I’ve got oranges cut for myself. I’ve got chewables that runners use. I’ve got gels. I’ve got different powder mixes that marathoners use. I’ve got coffee and my own Gatorade that I make… I’m fuelling up and getting all that stuff in me. Eating oranges as I’m changing my clothes and everything.”
Arriving at the rink three hours early for a 7 pm puck drop, Crazy P has an elaborate pre-game routine. Before the madness begins, he has some quiet time to himself.
“I like to meditate. I want to get focused… and just clear my mind. There’s a lot of stimulus coming my way… I’ll do a little bit of yoga if I can. Most days I try, right there in my little change room.”
So yeah, he takes this seriously.
“It’s a whole day event, just to get Crazy P ready.”
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How it started
The P stands for Patrick.
Raised by a single mother in Victoria, they couldn’t afford to go to many sporting events when he was growing up.
But that didn’t stop young Patrick from becoming the hype man of his youth football team at 12 years old. When he began attending games as an adult, Patrick brought energy to the crowd.
He received plenty of positive feedback, which gave him the idea to pitch the BC Lions, who used to employ Crazy George.
“I went in and said, ‘I love sports, I love my family. I’m a comedian, I’ve been on stage doing improv. I love football. I think I can do this, like that old guy Crazy George used to do!'”
He got the job.
“I went to a pawn shop and got a drum.”
Crazy P later became a fixture at UBC Thunderbirds games and was even hired to hype up the crowd at hockey games during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
Man of the people
There’s nothing Crazy P loves more than putting a smile on people’s faces.
“That’s the way I roll. I’m about kindness. Life is tough. And we’re a little kinder to each other, it’d be easier… If you just send out a little kindness, it’s gonna come back to you.”
He says he’ll greet everyone before a game, including the staff. He’ll say hi to beer vendors, chefs, janitors — everyone.
“I know these people. And I hug… This is my community, these are my people!”
He’s also involved in a number of charities, noting Pathfinders, F.U.B.A.R., Make-A-Wish, Kids Play, and Kids Up Front.
“That’s where my heart is. This is all about giving for me.”
Canucks playoff debut coming soon
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Crazy P has performed at a number of big games, but we’ve never seen him during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It’s been nine long years since Rogers Arena last hosted a playoff game, and the Canucks’ hype man is ready.
“I’m so excited. This town deserves it, needs it, been waiting for it. The Canucks organization has been working its butt off.”
He wants fans to be ready too.
“I want Rogers Arena to be a tough place to come in [for the opposition],” he said. “I want to turn it up. I think these Canucks deserve it.”
If they do that, he believes it could help influence the outcome of the game.
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that our energy and positive influence sends energy down there… home ice advantage… that helps influence a game.”
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