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Hot Springs St. Patrick's Day parade names Ric Flair as official starter

Posted: Aug 17th 2016 By: Austin Cannon - ArkansasOnline.com

A trademarked exclamation will likely be heard frequently on Bridge Street come St. Patrick's Day in Hot Springs.

Ric Flair, the flamboyant pro-wrestling champion, will be the official starter for the First Ever 14th Annual World's Shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade, the Hot Springs visitors bureau said in a news release.

A professional wrestler who started in the 1970s, "The Nature Boy" was world heavyweight champion 16 times in his career and has been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice, the release said. He's best known for breaking the rules, wearing sequined robes and the word he's trademarked: "Wooooo!"

“Ric Flair’s flamboyantly outrageous personality and his reputation for having a fun-loving great time fit perfectly with our little parade’s guiding spirit,” said Steve Arrison, Visit Hot Springs' CEO, in the release.

The short parade began in 2003 and is held on Bridge Street, which is 98 feet long. The release estimated that 30,000 people attend annually.

Past celebrity starters include Mark Martin (NASCAR driver), Jim Belushi (actor and comedian), Bo Derek (actress) and Mario Lopez (TV host).