PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The man who spent decades flipping through the air, donning a gorilla suit in front of thousands of Phoenix Suns fans, is heading to the hall of fame.
Bob Woolf, who adopted the “Go the Gorilla” persona for over 30 years, will be inducted into the World Acrobatics Society Hall of Fame this weekend in Las Vegas.
Woolf was the second man to wear the iconic suit and turned the gorilla into a mascot staple of not only Arizona, but the NBA.
Before he was the man in the mask, Woolf competed for Arizona State’s men’s gymnastics team from 1985 to 1987. Then, in 1988, the Suns held open auditions to replace the original gorilla, Henry Rojas. What started as a short-term gig became decades of trampoline dunks and daredevil stunts.
Phoenix Suns mascot “The Gorilla” in the first half during a preseason NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)(Rick Scuteri | AP)
During his 33-year tenure, Woolf also encouraged other former collegiate gymnasts to become mascots. He was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2005 and retired the suit in 2021.
He joins fellow Arizona gymnasts in the Hall of Fame, including his college coach Don Robinson, current ASU men’s gymnastics coach Scott Barclay, and Dr. Joseph Schabacker, who served as ASU vice president and president of the U.S. Sports Acrobatics Federation.
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