The man behind the mutt: Hinds enjoys role as X's mascot
By Dominic Genetti Journal intern | Posted: Saturday, June 02, 2007
As fans enter Lewis and Clark Park to watch the Explorers and Lincoln Saltdogs, he prepares and literally gets into character inside a small storage room beneath the stands.
While players dress in red and white polyester uniforms, Adam Hinds is cloaked in a solid black wool costume equipped with a giant head and paws turning him into Slider, the fan-friendly K-9 mascot of the Sioux City Explorers.
"It's just a blast being able to interact with all the little kids or the older people," Hinds said. "No one knows you so you just do whatever you want."
Portraying the role of Slider at every home game, Hinds' evening is filled with entertaining fans, dancing on the dugouts and creating fun. On occasion Explorers players get in on the excitement keeping fans supportive of the hometown team, even if the team isn't winning.
"I think it's kind of necessary to act like that," Hinds said. "Even if the team is winning or losing, you have to have fun with it because if you're down, you're not going to bring the fans up."
Standing tall with dark blond hair and a thick build, the Hy-Vee cold foods stocker by day, brings his charismatic and witty personality to Slider's character.
"I try to keep a good personality going with me; happy, fun to be around," Hinds said. "I think that's just a natural thing with me in life."
The type to paint his face and to start up the crowd at college and high school games, Hinds insists Slider is more him being himself.
"I'm a pretty goofy guy around my friends and my family so it just naturally comes to me once I put the costume on," Hinds said. "It's easy for me to go out there, act silly and do whatever."
Hinds got the interest to be a mascot after traveling to Kansas City baseball games as a kid watching Royals' mascot Slugger interact with fans. Getting the job in Sioux City, however, is a rather different story.
"Tryouts were on a Saturday, so I came back from college and I was expecting more than a couple people to be here," Hinds said. "I get here and I'm the only one."
A quick dance audition with a fitting of the costume and Hinds was hired.
Despite not saying much to people on his identity, there are a few who get the secret out on Hinds' night job.
"Thanks to my friends, many people know, and my family, so it's not a secret to anybody," he said. "To the majority of the people here at the stadium, it's a definite secret to them."
Finding his job fairly easy, Hinds had his nerves running high on opening day when he greeted fans for the first time.
"I was extremely nervous, especially when they called me in the middle of the first inning to come out," Hinds said.
Adding to his first day jitters, Hinds had a close call with a foul ball early in the game.
"I was interacting with some people just behind the elevator and a foul ball kicked off the press box and landed a couple of inches from my face," Hinds said.
Other than trying to convince young children he's not scary, Hinds said there are no difficulties in his job. There are, however, many things to deal with.
"The first night I got a big hole in the back of my suit by the tail," Hinds said. "Kids keep yanking on that, some kids think it's fun to punch me where I don't want to be punched."
Hinds called Slider sensitive, but some kids don't see it that way.
Another battle being in costume is the intense summer heat. Dressed in only a T-shirt and shorts, Hinds said he will take time to rest and hydrate himself in order to cope with the high temperatures and humidity throughout many games. Before arriving to the ballpark, Hinds makes sure to have plenty of water.
"Just having a lot of fluids in me always helps," Hinds said.
Nonetheless, Hinds is a big fan of his job. Of his many antics to keep the crowd alive, Hinds enjoys seeing the fans excited during an Explorers comeback rally.
"We were down, seven runs I believe, and we scored eight in the seventh inning," Hinds said. "You never know what's going to happen in the game, but you just try to keep the fans supportive of the team. You just try to keep their hopes up, keep everyone excited in the stadium."
Even though it's only a part-time summer job, Hinds says there is more to it than that.
"The satisfaction of coming out here and having fun with everybody not for the paycheck or anything that you get every couple of weeks, but just to get out here, have fun and interact with people," Hinds said. "I've had fun doing it the whole time so far."
While players dress in red and white polyester uniforms, Adam Hinds is cloaked in a solid black wool costume equipped with a giant head and paws turning him into Slider, the fan-friendly K-9 mascot of the Sioux City Explorers.
"It's just a blast being able to interact with all the little kids or the older people," Hinds said. "No one knows you so you just do whatever you want."
Portraying the role of Slider at every home game, Hinds' evening is filled with entertaining fans, dancing on the dugouts and creating fun. On occasion Explorers players get in on the excitement keeping fans supportive of the hometown team, even if the team isn't winning.
"I think it's kind of necessary to act like that," Hinds said. "Even if the team is winning or losing, you have to have fun with it because if you're down, you're not going to bring the fans up."
Standing tall with dark blond hair and a thick build, the Hy-Vee cold foods stocker by day, brings his charismatic and witty personality to Slider's character.
"I try to keep a good personality going with me; happy, fun to be around," Hinds said. "I think that's just a natural thing with me in life."
The type to paint his face and to start up the crowd at college and high school games, Hinds insists Slider is more him being himself.
"I'm a pretty goofy guy around my friends and my family so it just naturally comes to me once I put the costume on," Hinds said. "It's easy for me to go out there, act silly and do whatever."
Hinds got the interest to be a mascot after traveling to Kansas City baseball games as a kid watching Royals' mascot Slugger interact with fans. Getting the job in Sioux City, however, is a rather different story.
"Tryouts were on a Saturday, so I came back from college and I was expecting more than a couple people to be here," Hinds said. "I get here and I'm the only one."
A quick dance audition with a fitting of the costume and Hinds was hired.
Despite not saying much to people on his identity, there are a few who get the secret out on Hinds' night job.
"Thanks to my friends, many people know, and my family, so it's not a secret to anybody," he said. "To the majority of the people here at the stadium, it's a definite secret to them."
Finding his job fairly easy, Hinds had his nerves running high on opening day when he greeted fans for the first time.
"I was extremely nervous, especially when they called me in the middle of the first inning to come out," Hinds said.
Adding to his first day jitters, Hinds had a close call with a foul ball early in the game.
"I was interacting with some people just behind the elevator and a foul ball kicked off the press box and landed a couple of inches from my face," Hinds said.
Other than trying to convince young children he's not scary, Hinds said there are no difficulties in his job. There are, however, many things to deal with.
"The first night I got a big hole in the back of my suit by the tail," Hinds said. "Kids keep yanking on that, some kids think it's fun to punch me where I don't want to be punched."
Hinds called Slider sensitive, but some kids don't see it that way.
Another battle being in costume is the intense summer heat. Dressed in only a T-shirt and shorts, Hinds said he will take time to rest and hydrate himself in order to cope with the high temperatures and humidity throughout many games. Before arriving to the ballpark, Hinds makes sure to have plenty of water.
"Just having a lot of fluids in me always helps," Hinds said.
Nonetheless, Hinds is a big fan of his job. Of his many antics to keep the crowd alive, Hinds enjoys seeing the fans excited during an Explorers comeback rally.
"We were down, seven runs I believe, and we scored eight in the seventh inning," Hinds said. "You never know what's going to happen in the game, but you just try to keep the fans supportive of the team. You just try to keep their hopes up, keep everyone excited in the stadium."
Even though it's only a part-time summer job, Hinds says there is more to it than that.
"The satisfaction of coming out here and having fun with everybody not for the paycheck or anything that you get every couple of weeks, but just to get out here, have fun and interact with people," Hinds said. "I've had fun doing it the whole time so far."
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