Meet wrestling's fur-clad, beer-swilling 'King of the Yukon'

Classic rock blasts from the speakers asDaveyElmhurst enters the ring, wearing a fur vest with fringe.He's got long hair and amustache. He barks like a dog, howls,beats his chest, then cracksopena beer.

The crowd goes crazy.

Meet the "King of the Yukon."

'Quintessentially Canadian'

Elmhurst is a Nanaimo, B.C.-based wrestlerwithElite Canadian Championship Wrestling (ECCW). It's a touring company that plays torowdy crowds invenues like Vancouver's Rickshaw Theatre or the 300-seat Commodore Ballroom.

It's a niche market:Youtubepromos for ECCW eventsmight get a few thousandviews, at most.

Elmhurst has played at least four different wrestlingcharacters over the years, and the "King of the Yukon" is just the latest.Hehas no personal connection to Yukon, but says it makes a good story.

"I was trying to think of a good-guy character," he said."I wanted something that would be quintessentially Canadian."

The story is that his fur vest is polar bear, but "actually it's just faux-fur I got in Vancouver," hesays.

His signature finishing move is the "Gold Rush,"where he runs across the ring to slam an opponent's head in the turnbuckle.

Elmhurst says Canadian crowds seem to like the "beer-drinking party animal"who'll threatento have you seeing northern lights. Some nights, the crowd chants "Yu-Kondo it!"

In the U.S., where he sometimes performs, it's a different story.

"People in America might not necessarily get it. I was in L.A. and people were asking 'what is Yukon?' he said.

"Nobody knew."

Coast Guard by day

By day,Elmhurstworkswith the Canadian Coast Guard.He'sferriedscientists who do climate change research on sea ice, andeven took part in research onthe Franklin Expedition.

But when he's on shore,he says, he "travels on the road in a van, going to wrestling shows."

Hegets some proceeds from ticket sales, but says small-league wrestlers make moremoneybysellingmerchandise, such as T-shirts (Elmhurst's shirts picture him standing on a mountain of crushed beer cans,howling at the moon).

"The independents are in it because they love doing it," hesaid,of wrestling'sminor leagues.

Asked for any wise words for the people of Yukon who may not realise they have a King hisvoice gets more macho.He's in character.

"I want to tell the people of the Yukon: be proud of your land, always crack a beer on a Friday, and long live the King!"