Same mascot, new look; performers remain anonymous

Cape Henlopen High School is forming an anonymous mascot program, with several students eager to jump into Thor’s suit.

After several years of students borrowing the costume for Cape-sanctioned events, a group of four to five anonymous students is now receiving professional training to become qualified mascots.

At the beginning of the academic year, Principal Kristin DeGregory and Cape Athletic Administrator Dave Frederick sought out a group of students they thought would be interested in taking up the role. 

“We went with people that we thought would have the skills needed to be energetic,” DeGregory said. 

Without any training, one of the five students performed as Thor the Viking at Cape’s Homecoming events in late September. Their favorite thing about being a mascot is anonymity.

“It makes it so much more invigorating to get into the suit and interact with people I know so well, yet they have no idea it is me,” said one performer. 

These students are now being trained by Dave Raymond, the man who was inside the furry green costume of the Phillie Phanatic for 16 years. He created an online course called Mascot Boot Camp that helps mascots update and expand their skills.

Not only are there new student mascots, but there is also a new and improved costume as well. Cape’s Class of 2024 purchased a new Thor the Viking costume as its senior gift. This took an incredibly long time to design, from finding the best company to confirming the appearance of the costume through every step of the process. This new suit paired nicely with the new sound system at Legends Stadium that was gifted by the Class of 2025; both class gifts were put into action at this year’s Homecoming football game.

DeGregory and Frederick hope to grow this new program over the next year by increasing involvement in order to keep the tradition of Thor the Viking alive.