Hot Guys – Page 8 – VEGAS UNFILTERED

Mr. Olympia Fitness Fans Flood Sin City

Annual event makes Vegas the world capital of hot bodies once more…

The 53rd Mr. Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend has come and gone, as have the enthusiasts who swarm Las Vegas each year. Physique, fitness and bodybuilding fans from around the world made the journey to Sin City, which is essentially the unofficial Mecca of Muscle.

The four-day event, taking place at Orleans Hotel Casino and Las Vegas Convention Center, was a hotbed of hot bodies, products and photo ops. Celebs, sponsors, news crews and supplement manufactures swarmed both venues, out-muscling one another for the chance to promote the latest in products, clothing and workout tips.

The big news was Phil Heath‘s seventh Mr. Olympia win, tying the record of Arnold Schwarzenegger. For those who couldn’t attend (or afford the pricey tickets), sponsor Amazon.com live-streamed the competition. Last year, surprise guest Dwayne Johnson had announced that CBS Sports would air the 2017 event in cooperation with his Seven Bucks Productions, but that seemed to be an unfulfilled promise.

Instead, Johnson returned to present this year’s trophy. Heath, a seven-time champion, will most likely return with hopes of an eighth win. That would tie him with Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman for the most Sandow statuettes.

If all that “competition talk” bores you, fear not. The daytime events at the Convention Center were much more freewheeling…with music, dancing, posing and twerking in the aisles. See for yourself in the video below:

Video highlights from the Olympia Fitness Expo…

Ageless physique pro Tobias Young showed me around Optimum Nutrition‘s mobile Gold Standard Zone, an interactive outdoor exhibit. Guests were invited to use computer technology to analyze their diets and map their macros. A “magic mirror” utilized artificial-intelligence cameras to study workout form and correct movements.

Tobias Young (left) at the Lift Yourself – Lift Others chin-up station…

Best yet, a pull-up station allowed attendees to challenge themselves for charity. Sponsored by the wonderful Amazon Smile, “Lift Yourself – Lift Others” arranges for donations to your charity of choice (this writer directs Amazon Smile donations towards Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary).

Inside, Optimum Nutrition was one of dozens of vendors unveiling new products, services and experiences. Recording star Flo Rida made his first appearance as CELSIUS HEAT Elite, Chief Ambassador. Celsius Heat is a new healthy alternative to conventional pre-workout drinks. Flo greeted fans with photo ops, autographs and full-size product giveaways.

In every direction, people were jumping, pumping, hopping and climbing. Experts were there to analyze technique, assess conditioning and offer advice. Several vendor booths awarded prizes for push-ups, power punches and other physical challenges.

On both sides of the massive South Hall, informative lectures vied with group classes and various sports for attendees’ attention. The large rear stage was home to scheduled competitions such as Flex Magazine‘s Bikini and Male Model Search, Classic Physique judging and Men’s/Women’s Physique Olympia.

Tt was the cameras that got the most intense workouts. Vendor reps were eager to show what their products could do. Of course that required a lot of shirt-lifting and flexing, right?

Scott Mathison (center) and the athletes of Performix…

Tim McComsey (center) and the BANG Energy crew…

Big Brother star Mr. PEC-Tacular Jessie Godderz for Vitargo…

IFBB Pro David Paterik strikes a double-bicep….

One of my personal favorites, IFBB Pro Matt Christianer, hammed it up with me for a pic and autograph. Matt can be seen on Netflix in the moving documentary The Perfect Physique. In it, Matt details his emotional journey of recovery from a traumatic auto accident. The newly-engaged Christianer underwent a hip replacement last year but is back in amazing form.

Matt and fiance Heather Schneider at last year’s Expo…

On a side note, while the Olympia press conference was taking place in its new larger home at the Orleans Arena, director Kandice King was across town at City Athletic Club on West Sahara, shooting footage for The Perfect Physique 2: The Road to Pro. Like I said at the lead-in…Vegas is the Mecca of Muscle.

Vegas resident and former Chippendale Kris Davis at the MET-Rx booth…

Doing his best “Robert Irvine” at the FIT Crunch booth…

Mr. Olympia and the Fitness Expo both return to Las Vegas in 2018. Hotels fill up early, especially The Orleans and Westgate Las Vegas, so check out this planner to get up-to-date recommendations and rates.

Plenty of hopefuls will be eyeing the stage, yearning to take the title from Phil Heath and enter into the history books. If you don’t want to miss the showdown, mark your calendar now for the 54th Annual Mr. Olympia Fitness and Performance Weekend Sept. 13th through the 16th. I’ll see you there.

Photos by Sammasseur

IMAGINARIUM Is Pure, Epic Magic

David Goldrake’s grandiose production at Tropicana will touch your senses and soul…

Something mysterious is going on at the intersection of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. The entertainment gods have seen fit to grace that location with three epic magic shows. One performer is legendary, the second is flashy, and the newest is a challenger of major proportions. His name is David Goldrake, and his new show David Goldrake: IMAGINARIUM at Tropicana is an entertainment gold mine.

Goldrake (center) with fellow magicians Jarrett and Raja at the media premiere…

Following on the heels of Jan Rouven‘s shocking abrupt closure and the short-lived Band of Magicians, one might question the wisdom of opening yet another illusion-based production inside the troubled, beautiful Tropicana Showroom. But the third time is clearly a charm, as David Goldrake’s gorgeous presentation is worthy of the space. It’s also deserving of the opportunity to take on David Copperfield and the far-inferior Criss Angel.

Say what you will about the relevance of magic shows in 2017 Las Vegas, but IMAGINARIUM is much more than hokey top hats and sexy assistants. With an ethereal introduction of smokey morphing shapes and lush music, IMAGINARIUM sets up a surrealistic mood that the Luxemborg-born Goldrake maintains throughout.

After an opening illusion, Goldrake comes out to introduce himself and explain IMAGINARIUM, the circus sideshow that he visited as a child for a fifty-cent admission price. The experience of growing up as a fascinated young man in Europe permeates the production, enhanced by the host’s unique accent and magnetic presence.

David Goldrake, while known in several countries as an “International Man of Mystery”, has yet to make a mark on U.S. pop culture. When you’re a somewhat unknown quantity in Las Vegas, it helps to have charisma and good looks…both of which Goldrake has in abundance.

David moves with the grace and elegance of a dancer, yet his massive muscular frame fills the grand Tropicana stage. So do the lush sets and immersive backdrops that pull you into each illusion. Expensive-looking video content from Drop The Spoon (Le Reve/Franco Dragone), steampunk-style design by EDT and costumes from Erin “Topaz” Lareau rival anything that the Cirque-financed Criss Angel has presented at Luxor.

All of those bells and whistles don’t mean anything if the star performer can’t capture your imagination. IMAGINARIUM does so in spades. Large-scale stunts like a human-sized hourglass disappearance and passing through a sheet of solid metal will have you scratching your head.

A particularly memorable moment comes when Goldrake collects rings from the hands of three volunteers. Placing them on a spindle while in constant view of the audience, he agitates the rings until they’re suddenly linked together into a small chain. And before you can say “audience plants”, one participant of that illusion was my companion for the evening…there was no collusion.

David’s assistants, two women and two men, are skilled performers in their own right. The gorgeous dancers, contortionists, acrobats and aerialists get their own well-deserved sequence, an old-tyme European-styled sideshow sequence highlighting individual talents that come together for a rousing mini-finale.

My favorite set piece, by far, is a salute to Houdini’s underwater straitjacket escape. A shirtless (and ab-tastic) Goldrake is chained and suspended upside-down in a glass chamber filled filled with water before your eyes. Never once is the clear tank out of sight…the gasping, bubbles and struggles are real. So were the accelerated beats of my heart.

It’s always exciting when a new name bursts on the Vegas scene and raises the bar for a everyone…audiences and performers alike. We saw it happen when Spiegelworld (Absinthe and Cosmo’s Vegas Nocture) challenged Cirque du Soleil, Matt Goss shook up the lounge scene and BAZ: A Musical Mashup redefined musical theater. We’re seeing it once more with David Goldrake: IMAGINARIUM.

There’s a hot new illusionist in town and he’s not to be missed. If you see only one large-scale magic show on your trip to Sin City, make it David Goldrake: IMAGINARIUM. You will be thrilled, mystified…and your heart will soar skyward.

David Goldrake: IMAGINARIUM performs Tuesday through Sunday at 7pm. Suitable for all ages. Tickets start at $39.90 plus taxes/fees and can be ordered here. Groupon is currently offering discount seats starting at $28 with no additional fees by clicking here.

Photos: Sammasseur, IMAGINARIUM via Facebook

Hot Guys of Vegas: Bodybuilder Edition

First in a series. Bringing you the most dazzling heart breakers from the entertainment and service industries…

Whatever your vision, it’s crystal clear that lovely people flock to Vegas. They come in all makes and models, so no matter your taste, somebody is bound to turn your head.

Many gorgeous specimens settle here to make their fortunes and share their skills. Models, athletes, performers and bartenders are in top demand…as are the gyms, tanning salons and stylists that keep them showroom-new.

While other sites lavish praise on the female form, Vegas Unfiltered has no problem with saluting the hot guys of Vegas. And in honor of this week’s Mr. Olympia Competition and Fitness Expo, I’m launching this series with the timely “Bodybuilder Edition”. Enjoy!

A.J. Trunk – Emcee/producer/choreographer/dancer

A.J. Trunk

Where you’ve seen him – Men of Sapphire, David Goldrake’s IMAGINARIUM

Multi-hyphenate A.J. Trunk (banner man above) is as busy behind the scenes as he is onstage. The eye-catching host of Men of Sapphire performs as well as being the show’s producer and choreographer. Born in 1980, this New York native takes “chiseled” and amplifies it to the max. Aside from being the front man for his own production, you can see him Tuesday through Sunday in the new David Goldrake’s IMAGINARIUM at Tropicana.

Noteworthy traits – Electric blue eyes, concrete abs

Carl Matthews – cocktail server/actor/bodybuilder

Carl Matthews

Where you’ve seen him – Chippendales at the Rio Hotel Casino

Tough and tender are perfect descriptions for Carl Matthews. This soft-spoken mountain of muscle is just as eager to lift someone’s spirits as the stacks of iron in his favorite gym. He charms the ladies every night while serving cocktails in the audience for Chippendales. Somehow, Carl still finds time to bust some heads in grindhouse action flicks and feed his obsession with futuristic technology.

Carl’s positive attitude and refreshingly honest view of the world make him a rare find in Sin City. If you ask him about his nickname (The Blessing) he’ll tell you this: “It’s not my name, it’s my mission…to be a blessing to someone every day”.

Noteworthy traits – bulging shoulders, gentle demeanor, makes 50 look like 35

Alex O’Connor – world’s hardest-working bartender

Alex O’Connor

Where you’ve seen him – any place an expert bartender is required

Another gentle giant, mixologist Alex O’Conner is passionate about his craft. Driven to giving the best service possible and pleasing his guests with amazing cocktails, this tall hunk of New England beef is in demand at the hottest bars and nightclubs around Sin City.

Powered by adrenaline from intense workouts, Alex dashes from shift to shift carrying prepared meals and protein bars between short sleep cycles. His hot body attracts attention whenever he works shirtless, but Alex looks just as great in formal attire (for catered functions) or a simple polo shirt (at venues like O’Shea’s).

Be sure to stop by Hard Rock Hotel‘s Center Bar on your way out of Magic Mike Live. Better yet, skip the show and just hang out with Alex. You can also see him at Aria‘s Jewel Nightclub.

Notable traits – perfect smooth skin, man-rack of death…and those biceps…

Carlos Maurizio Martinez Trejo – model/dancer/internet celeb

Maurizio Trejo

Where you’ve seen him – Gold Diggers “Sexy Firemen” troupe at Golden Nugget

It’s hard to tell you very much about this fella, as he changes his name and social media pages more often than some folks change their socks. Currently going by Martinez Carlos on Facebook, he’s also been known on Instagram as Maurizio Trejo.

We first met when he was in the male revue Men of Steele. Since then, Maurizio has been the frontman for a Sexy Firemen modeling group on Fremont Street and is a frequent visitor to fitness competitions.

The two of us at last year’s Mr. Olympia press conference…

I hung out with this elusive 20-something bodybuilder for a bit last year at the Mr. Olympia Fitness Expo. Chances are that he’ll be attending once again this weekend. If you’re reading this Carlos/Maurizio….what name shall I call you this year?

Notable traits – mysterious personality, allergic to shirts

Photos: Carl Matthews, Alex O’Connor, Martinez Carlos, A.J. Trunk via Facebook, Sammasseur