By Paul Brett, Gleaner WriterWINNER OF the Ultimate Man of Hedonism competition 2005-2006, Ray Hernandez, a bodyguard from North America, wowed judges and the audience recently with his raw sex appeal, warm personality and sculptured physique.
Hernandez beat 12 other hopefuls and took home US$2,000, an all-expense paid vacation package for six days and five nights at Hedonism, and the coveted opportunity to be on the cover of the Hedonism 2005-2006 calendar in which the other contestants will be featured.
The runner-up winners, also from North America, included first runner-up stuntman Adam Horwitz, who won a paid vacation for five days and four nights, and second runner-up hairstylist, Matthew Schiermeier, who received a package for four days and three nights. "Contestants were judged based on personality, movements, stage appearance and physique," explained Richard Pile, chief judge and director of Great Vacations in the New Kingston Shopping Centre.
"The finalists were submitted by a number of travel agencies in North America from which a panel of SuperClubs CEOs selected 12 who best suited the criteria for the competition. I am pleased with the outcome and also with the creative team, which helped to make the competition a success. Every year the competition gets more exciting and in future lots of other interesting features will be added by the SuperClubs CEOs in keeping with their desire to create high quality entertainment for guests."
Among the outstanding highlights were the opening act, overall quality of the talent pieces by the contestants and the bathroom-inspired set that formed part of the stage. In the opening act, two beautiful women (one in the nude under a live shower while the other, wrapped in a towel, checked her mascara in a mirror) oozed sex appeal and showed off their buff bodies when suddenly the scene was interrupted by a knock on the door by one of the twelve contestants.
TOILET PLUNGERS
"Who's there?" the woman applying mascara asked.
"'The Ultimate Man of Hedonism'," one of the contestants replied. The women allowed them in, then mysteriously disappeared. Thereafter, all 12 contestants flooded the stage wearing white overalls and wielded toilet plungers while the beats of Missy Elliot's song Pass That Dutch filled the air. Later on, a predominantly female audience screamed and roared as each of the men ripped their overalls off revealing chiseled bodies in closely fitted white underwear.
A quick introduction of the contestants gave way to the talent section, arguably the most entertaining feature of the show. Skits ranged from burlesque re-enactment of movie scenes to saucy lap dances; from Broadway movements to acrobatic somersaults; from comical interpretations of Britney Spears videography to re-hashed love scenes and a satirical mime of a nerd's sex life.
