Paul Teutel Sr., the founder of Orange County Choppers and the star of the reality television series “American Chopper,” is pulling up stakes from current Orange County Chopper headquarters in New York state and moving to Florida. When asked why, Teutel Sr. replied, “There’s more of a sense of freedom down there than in New York, that’s for sure.”
“He also said that he thinks Florida is more prepared and poised to get past the devastating blow the COVID-19 pandemic has caused than New York,” WKRG reported, adding that Teutel concluded, ‘The whole thing makes sense.”
Teutel acknowledged, “I think I have more of a fan base down there in Florida, and the riding season is nine months maybe even ten. In New York, you have a short season, maybe only three months or so.”
American Chopper, which originally aired on Discovery Channel in 2003, focused on Teutel Sr. and his son Paul Jr. The men produced custom chopper-style motorcycles; the show moved to TLC in 2007. The show triggered two spin-off series: “Senior vs. Junior,” which aired from 2010 to 2012, and “Orange County Choppers,” which ran in 2013-14.
American Chopper inspired two video game titles: American Chopper and American Chopper 2: Full Throttle.
In an interview on the Dr. Christopher Hall Show earlier this year, Teutel spoke of the coronavirus, asserting that he believed people should honor mask guidelines in order to protect others but also arguing that shops should not be closed, saying, “Keep the six-foot rule and keep the mask on. And, you know, that also means you could do that in a work shop. So things should not really stop because of that, you know what I’m saying?”
Asked about the virus, Teutel replied:
As far as it affects us, for me I feel a little bit separate, because New York City has been hit the worst out of anywhere in the world, and we’re like an hour and fifteen minutes north. So I feel a little bit more protected; people are not on top of each other like they are in New York City. But, you know, on the other hand, too, life goes on, regardless whether there’s an epidemic or not. I just think it’s important for people to pay attention. Keep the six-foot rule and keep the mask on.
And, you know, that also means you could do that in a work shop. So things should not really stop because of that, you know what I’m saying?
Teutel cautioned, “I think it’s more about other people than myself. You know what I mean? You need to respect. If that’s the rules, that’s the rules. I don’t know about wearing a mask all the time but when you’re out in public and they ask you to do that and people out there are in a situation where they want to be protected, then you need to allow them to have that right. So it’s not just about yourself; it’s about the people around you.”