Dialect star in St. Moritz
Florian Ast completely through the wind after hell ride
Nervousness is actually a foreign word for the dialect singer. As one of the greatest dialect singers, Florian Ast performs in countless places in front of thousands. But before his ride through the ice channel, he suddenly doesn’t seem so cool anymore.
Published: 4 minutes ago
Actually, this man with stage fright knows his way around. Florian Ast (47) rocks the stages as one of the most well-known Swiss musicians and inspires thousands at his concerts. But now Ast is standing in the starting area of the legendary bobsleigh track in St. Moritz and says: “Before a performance I’m less nervous than now, I don’t have any sleepless nights.”
What gave Ast a night without sleep? A bobsleigh ride awaits the dialect star. A rapid adrenaline kick in the ice channel. The man from Bern performs on the stage in the finish area in Celerina GR at the Bobsleigh World Championships. He is the biggest name in the musical supporting program of the two-week World Championships (January 22nd to February 5th).
That’s why “Flöru” even gets into a sled himself. Also because he has a family relationship with the Engadine natural ice canal. «My grandfather on my mother’s side used to help here on the track with the ice preparation. That’s why I used to play bobsleigh races with cardboard boxes in the living room when I was a kid,” says Ast.
For the first time, squeezing behind the taxi driver and bobsleigh Olympian Christian Meili (60) in a real sled makes him rather taciturn: “I’m happy, but I’m really nervous.”
The words of ex-skeleton star Gregor Stähli (54) are not really reassuring. The managing director of the St. Moritz bob run tells Ast that there are over 2000 guest bob runs every winter, but that due to the weather he might only be able to do 130 km/h instead of 135 km/h that day. “In the Horseshoe it will probably be about 95 km/h,” says Stähli, whereupon Ast turns away in disbelief.
You can see the ride and Ast’s reaction in the video above. By the way: the performance of the dialect singer in St. Moritz is on January 27th. But then again on the stage instead of in the ice channel. (md)
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More nervous than before a concert: hit parade striker Florian Ast (r.) before his bobsleigh ride with Olympic pilot Christian Meili.