Funner. According to the TV commercials you might have seen on local networks, “it’s not a word, it’s a place.” That place, specifically, is the 40-something acre lot that’s home to Harrah’s Resort SoCal in Valley Center. As part of a big rebranding campaign by the resort, its location was renamed Funner by the Rincon Band of Luiseño Mission Indians last year, and is now official with road signs, a GPS destination — and a new mayor.
This week, former Baywatch star David Hasselhoff was inaugurated as the first-ever mayor of Funner, California. “I won because nobody was running against me,” he joked in a quick interview before the inauguration ceremony. We sat down with “The Hoff” in the newly decked-out Mayoral Suite at Harrah’s, covered in Hasselhoff memorabilia from different stages of his career. The man himself was casually dressed in his vacation finest: white pants, a loosely buttoned shirt, and a blue blazer.
Being mayor of Funner is a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it. “My official responsibilities are to make sure that when you come to Funner, California, you have fun,” says Hasselhoff. Having fun, according to “The Hoff,” is the solution to most of the world’s problems. “I’ve learned to laugh at all my mistakes, laugh at everything. It’s really helped me a lot,” he says.
David Hasselhoff Puts the Fun in Funner, California
Actor, singer, and entertainer David Hasselhoff has been named the first-ever mayor of Funner, CA.
Actor, singer, and entertainer David Hasselhoff has been named the first-ever mayor of Funner, CA.
Since he doesn’t seem to take life too seriously, being appointed mayor of Funner is not necessarily the first step toward a career in politics. Although, there is one position he would consider.
“Somebody asked me the other day — because Dwayne Johnson said he’s going to run for president — they asked me if I would be on his staff. And I said I probably would,” Hasselhoff says and laughs. “I would be on his staff. I’d want to be Entertainment Director, and make sure that everybody gets along.”
As for his mayoral duties in Funner, Hasselhoff will be checking in at Harrah’s at least “four to five times a year, making sure that everything’s cool.” He also says he comes down to San Diego a lot, calling it “an untouched, secret paradise.”
“San Diego to me is just perfect. It’s just so nice and so much fun and people are so friendly,” he says, adding: “I’m sorry you lost your football team.”
David Hasselhoff Puts the Fun in Funner, California
“The Hoff” was inaugurated as mayor of Funner at Harrah’s Resort this week. | Photo: Sanna Boman Coates
