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CHILL THRILL
I’m a shark-diving Hooters girl – I’ve worked there for 20 years & am one of the oldest, my customers wouldn’t know
AGE is nothing but a number, and it certainly isn't slowing one Hooters girl down.
Florida native Casey Luckey, 37, has been working at the restaurant chain for two decades, and when she's not swimming in tips, she's swimming with sharks — literally.
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Despite the danger she faces when she sheds her iconic orange shorts and Hooters tee to go for a dive, Casey isn't worried.
In fact, she describes sharks as "big water puppies" and insists it's not so scary after all.
She certainly shows her bravery in more ways than one: Even at Hooters she steps out from the pack, competing in pageants and posing for calendars.
Her career began in 2004 when a fellow server strolled into the shopping mall store where she worked and tried to recruit her.
Casey recalled: "She said: 'I work at Hooters. You should come to work with me. It's so much fun. It's good money.'
"I did take some time to think about it," Casey added. "There were a lot of things that appealed to me about working at Hooters."
Like many other wide-eyed students, she wanted a supportive job while she pursued her degree in mass communication.
"It was really good money, and they're really good about being flexible working with your schedule," she said.
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Since then, the blond beauty has worked in multiple locations in Florida and been in orange shorts for almost twenty years, almost down to the same size.
She admitted that she wore XXXS-size shorts when she started and has only gone up one size during her time due to a healthy fitness regimen and lifestyle.
Casey isn't new to questions about her age when dealing with customers and instead chooses to skillfully dodge them.
"They ask me questions like: 'How long have you been with Hooters?' And then they realize how long then that comes up," she admitted.
"I'm like: 'Okay, that's your change, guys,' but everybody's pretty cool about it."
Casey explained that there is so much more to Hooters girls than being a pretty face.
This server is also a serious adventure seeker.
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She began taking scuba diving classes four years ago and got her shark diving certification two years after that.
The first shark dive she did was in Jupiter, Florida with "lemon sharks everywhere."
"I know that probably sounds crazy but relax. You feel like you're in a dream world and most of the sharks are all into the guy that's feeding them down there," Casey said.
"They're literally like big water puppies that are just private because they're all into this food," she added.
The blonde bombshell is aware of the risks associated but thinks it's all worth it.
"I think driving a car every day is dangerous too. We take chances every day doing that."
"Anything could go wrong, potentially, but you just want to make sure that you have all the knowledge you can and be a safe diver. Always have a dive buddy," she advised.
"Luckily, I've never had any dangerous encounters yet. Knock on wood," she joked. "Honestly, alligators scare me a lot more than sharks do."
Casey divulged that she thinks divers are safer from shark attacks than surfers.
"Normally surfers are more because they're on the surface and they look like a seal or something," she said. "The shark attacks scared me when it came to surfing, but I feel safer being under there."
To minimize distractions, divers are advised not to wear flashy colors or jewelry and instead all black with their hair covered and pulled back.
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For someone who spends so much time in the water, she manages to keep her hair and skin luminous with specific products.
Not only does she drink a ton of water, but she wears sunscreen, regularly does hair masks, and rubs coconut oil on her body and hair.
One of the skincare products she swears by is , $10.90.
"I love that stuff. I think it keeps your skin so smooth and with the salt water, you definitely need hydration for sure," she added.
She's competed in the Miss Hooters International pageant several times and recently competed this year in Las Vegas, Nevada.
At the competition, she connected with a few contestants who were around the same age as her or "in the over ten-year club."
"We all kind of got up and we're telling a little bit about ourselves. I think there are a few girls that might have been around almost as long as I have," she said.
As a long-term Hooters girl, she's risen through the ranks and become an influential face within the food franchise.
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"Because of Hooters, I was able to be in a movie. I still can't believe I got to do that, but it was Blended with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore," Casey gushed.
"There's so many things I've gotten to do. That's why I've stuck around. It's such an incredible company to work for. It really is."
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