THE MAN AND THE MASK FEATURED OUTLAW FLINT RAMUSSEN:

BY BAILEY J. BELTRAMO

This story was originally published in the summer 2020 issue of Mountain Outlaw magazine.

It’s about consistency and attention to detail: White goes around his right eye first, always. His mouth is next, left eye after that.

Muscle memory then kicks in, developed from decades of performing. Red fills in between islands of white outlined in blue. Black wrinkles and freckles. With every finger stroke of makeup, his features become more accentuated, the excitement builds and a stage persona rises. The final touch before facing a crowd of thousands is writing a small “F.R.” in red just below his right cheekbone.

The transformation is complete: Flint Rasmussen steps into the arena.

Ask fans of bull riding to name the greats in their sport and a list will form. J.B. Mauney and Jess Lockwood are household names. Chris Shivers, Ty Murray and Justin McBride have secured seats in bull riding history. Even some bulls have risen to stardom such as SweetPro’s Bruiser, Pearl Harbor and Bones. Flint Rasmussen is not a bull nor rider. But he has earned his place in the history books and is beloved by many— newcomers, seasoned fans and cowboys alike.

Flint is the exclusive entertainer for the Professional Bull Riders tour, better known as the PBR. Part stand-up comic, part dancer, 100 percent rodeo expert, his upbringing and natural talents have allowed him to revolutionize the role of rodeo clown and carve out a unique position for himself in the western sports world

Growing up, his talents ran the gamut from natural athleticism on the field and court to musical inclination to a flair for the performing arts. And he was gifted a consistent behindthe-scenes view of rodeos as he followed his father’s announcing career from arena to arena across Montana, learning through osmosis. “The production, the timing of the announcer, knowing when my dad as the announcer needed to talk about something and needed to sell somebody, when he didn’t—that was just ingrained in us, it wasn’t like we set out to learn,” Flint explains.

Eventually, his talents coalesced into a foundation upon which Flint built a rodeo clown role during college summers. Even then, he stuck to the traditional mold of baggyoveralls and scripted skits with props to carry the bulk of his act. But it didn’t take long for his humor and knack for unscripted comedy to rise to the top.

“He took the rodeo world by storm,” says brother Will Rasmussen, an acclaimed rodeo announcer in his own right. “He was the most sought-after clown and entertainer there was.”

Three years after stepping into the arena fulltime—an unplanned career change from his post-college job as a high school math teacher— Flint performed at his first National Finals Rodeo. Eight Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association Clown of the Year awards later, he signed on exclusively with the PBR.

It was then that Flint really began to break away from the old school acts and pioneer his style of “walk and talk” that’s become popular. As long-time friend and PBR photographer Andy Watson explains: “Flint took the job position of rodeo clown and turned it into rodeo entertainer.” It’s safe to say the transition has been well received.