Yes he runs, but it’s not with the devil. He also jumps, but you won’t find his back against a record machine. Instead, Aric Van Halen uses those abilities to compete among USA’s best in track & field.
The 27-year old Aric, son of Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen, made headlines for various news outlets including The New York Times, The Arizona Daily Star, and Ultimate Classic Rock, over the weekend after he competed in the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, California.
According to the Associated Press, Aric did start out on a musical path as he learned how to play violin, piano, drums, saxophone and guitar as a kid but it was athletics that eventually became his calling. He started out as a middle infielder in baseball as a youngster before turning his attention to track in the seventh grade. He went on to compete in the steeplechase event while attending the University of Colorado.
Aric said his rocker dad has been supportive of his son’s career path.
“He’s proud that I found something I’m good at and I love to do,” said Aric. “It didn’t matter what it was.”
At this past weekend’s event Aric didn’t fare as well as he had hoped but it didn’t seem to faze him. Doing what he loves is the priority, the rest is just icing on the cake.
“It didn’t matter what it was. Making it to the Olympic trials last year was a huge accomplishment for me and for [my dad] to say, ‘My son went to the Olympic trials.’”
This was a way of carving out his niche. His father has one of the most famous last names in rock history. It trails Aric wherever he goes. He embraces it. He even has a clever turn of phrase on his Twitter account – ”Exercising with the Devil.”
”I like (having this name). It’s cool,” he said. ”And I don’t think it’s anything, because I don’t know any different.”
”My dad occasionally tells me stories, but I really don’t ask because when he wants to tell me, he can tell me,” Aric said. ”He likes to play his cards close to his chest.”
Aric added that “Hot For Teacher” is his favorite song while “Panama” is always his top choice whenever it comes time to sing karaoke.
“I can’t sing a lick, but every time I go I do ‘Panama,’ it’s so much fun,” he said.
This article is by VHND contributing writer, Eric Senich.