What It’s Like to Be the Other Famous Freddy Krueger
This Freddy will murder you on the professional water-skiing circuit, rather than in your dreams
Like the murderous, disfigured monster who shares his name, pro water-skier Freddy Krueger is an unbeatable, unstoppable force of nature with total dominion over his chosen environment. Fortunately, any similarities end there. While the Freddy who became the iconic antagonist of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise is best remembered for being a child-murdering psychopath, this Freddy is a decorated veteran of the world of water ski flying. It’s an extremely dangerous sport that features water-skiers hurtling themselves from ramps at high speeds and — in the case of Freddy’s world-record-breaking jump — flying more than 300 feet before smacking back down into the water.
MEL Radio recently spoke to the five-time world champ about his death-defying feats on the water as well as that other nagging bit of infamy — living life as the second most famous Freddy Krueger.
The Secret Origins of Freddy Krueger
So when did Krueger first discover the “other” Freddy? “It’s a fairly vivid memory,” he says. “I was just 9 years old so I’d never heard of the movie. We were at a water ski tournament in Illinois; it was getting late and my parents sent me to get my sister, Laurie, from a family friend’s motorhome. Some of the teenagers had gathered there and they were watching Nightmare on Elm Street. I knocked on the door, and all of a sudden, there were 15 teenagers screaming their heads off and running in every direction. I’m just standing there thinking, ‘What’s going on!?!?’ As we walked back to the campground, Laurie explained to me who Freddy Krueger was. It didn’t really catch on, however, until the third or fourth movie came out when I was about to enter high school. That’s when it became a bigger part of my life.”
A Nightmarish Coincidence
“It’s not so much the jokes,” says Krueger, when asked what irks him most about sharing this particular name. “Early in my career, when I would call Delta to get a ticket to go on a pro tour, I would get hung up on if I didn’t make a conscious effort to say that I have a funny name. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to pick up a pizza and it wasn’t cooked because they thought it was a joke.”
This, of course, raises the question: Why not go with Fred? Or Frederick? “I’m Frederick August IV,” Krueger explains. “In my house, my dad was Fred and I was Freddy so that we could differentiate between the two of us. That was just the world I knew. My parents weren’t mean to me; it wasn’t a cruel joke — it was just a coincidence.”
Even an Unfortunate Shared Name Has Its Advantages
“I’m always amazed when I go overseas how much attention I get just because of my name — whether it’s China, Australia or Russia. The fact that I’m one of the better athletes in our sport helps as well, but it’s crazy how many doors have opened from this weird coincidence.
“It took a while for me to appreciate it, though. At first, I wanted to stand on my own; I didn’t want to be known as the guy with the funny name. It was one of the announcers on the pro tour who started playing it up. Every time I went out on the water, he introduced me as Freddy Krueger, ‘The Nightmare on Jump Street.’ At that point we were on ESPN and ESPN2 so there was no escaping it. But I still have my limits. For instance, it never ceases to amaze me that every time I do a photo shoot, there’s always someone who wants to do something with the claws. I very respectfully ask them, ‘Can we not do that? That’s him. I’m just trying to be me.’”
Being Indestructible Is Harder Than It Looks
The Freddy Krueger of the movies is impossible to kill, but the Freddy of our world doesn’t have the same luxury. His skill is considerable — he currently has nine National Tournaments, five World Championships and 11 Masters Tournaments to his name — but for his world record-shattering jump of 312 feet in 2015, Krueger was required to leave the ramp at a nerve-shredding 80 m.p.h. With each performance bringing the very real risk of injury or even death, Krueger relies on sheer guts to get him through. “If you look back over the course of my career, there are two things I’m known for besides my name,” he says. “One is my records. But early on in my career, the second was for crashing all the time. I didn’t always have the best technique, but I had heart. The thing about ski flying is that when you hit the water, even if you’re only going about 15–20 m.p.h., it feels like you’ve landed on concrete. And you’ve got these huge, 90-inch skis on that create an enormous amount of force on your ankles, knees, hips and spine. So it’s not a question of if you’re going to get hurt, it’s a question of how bad.”
A Bad Crash, However, Makes for Great TV
“By far the worst crash I’ve ever had was at a pro event around 1999 in Orlando,” says Krueger. “It knocked me out cold. Thankfully, when you’re in the water, your body has an amazing ability to regain consciousness quickly so you don’t drown. I came out of it; they brought me back to the doctor, and I walked away. I had sore ribs, but nothing else. Three weeks later we had a pro tour. We were standing on the dock and an ESPN cameraman said, ‘You gave the best interview I’ve ever seen after that crash in Orlando.’ I said, ‘No, I didn’t give any interviews because I was out of it.’ The guy started laughing and told me, ‘You need to see the show. You gave us an interview!’ And sure enough I had; I just had no recollection of doing so.”
Even Freddy Krueger Has a Sweet Tooth on Halloween
“As a dad, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays,” Krueger says. It wasn’t always this way, however. “When I was in college, I got so sick of it. If I went to a bar or a club, they wouldn’t let me in with my license — they thought I was being a prankster and didn’t have a legitimate ID. I went home, and I was like, ‘That’s it, I’m never going out again on Halloween.’ So I always just went inside, turned the lights off and let it be. But now, I enjoy taking my sons out to trick-or-treat. We walk around, and I don’t have to tell anybody my name.”
