Ivan Rusilko, a 24-year old professional model, champion bodybuilder and a fourth-year
medical student from Meadville, Pennsylvania, was crowned as the new Mister USA last August 23rd at the Lenox Hotel ballroom
in Boston. He bested seven other contestants who flew in as far as Texas to compete in the first-ever Mister USA pageant. As soon as
photos of Ivan's victory hit the press, people started comparing him to hunky Spanish tennis superstar Rafael ("Rafa") Nadal.
I do see the facial similarity between the two men, but I doubt if Rafa Nadal can beat Ivan the Great in a fitness competition! LOL!
Some people have also compared Ivan to Spanish pop singer Julio Iglesias, Jr., but I doubt if Julio, Jr. could identify
every part of the human body as well as doctor-to-be Ivan can!
I am very happy with the results. There's no doubt in my mind that Ivan will make a strong impact in Taiwan as he competes
in the Mister International 2008 pageant in November. Not only is he drop-dead handsome, but he also has the physique, the
personality, the charisma, the education and the intelligence that embodies the ideal Mister International.
I am proud of every contestant who competed in my first Mister USA pageant. You have made history,
and I am sure you will make even bigger history as you move on with your lives. I am also very proud of the entire Critical
Beauty staff for making the event a successful and unforgettable one!
RAFA-LICIOUS!
I have mentioned in my previous blog that it took me at least 11 months to prepare for my first
Mister USA pageant. I had spent all that time recruiting potential candidates, writing and calling potential sponsors, soliciting
advice from people who have actually produced pageants, sending press releases, and organizing a reliable staff to help me run
the show. Initially, I had doubts as far as coordinating the pageant by myself; I had considered hiring a professional events
coordinator to take care of everything, but then I realized that if I worked really hard - and if I had very good time management -
that I would be able to handle it myself. And by the grace of God I did it! For that, I am proud of myself! :)
Now, let me share with you some of the "highlights" that led to the coronation moment:
Friday, August 22, 7 p.m. - I checked in at the Lenox Hotel with my friend and make-up artist Alvin Matium. Alvin had flown
in from Florida the day before with two suitcases filled with make-up products! As soon as we settled in our room, we went down to
the ballroom to check out the place. We were both impressed by the way the stage had been set up, and how the seats had been neatly
arranged! Then we returned to our room to freshen up. My cellphone rang. It was Marcus Boutte who called to say that he was
staying in a hotel close to the airport. He said that he was unable to find a swimwear, so I told him not
to worry and that I would find him one tonight. Alvin and I walked all over the neighborhood to look for any store that sold swimwear,
and finally we stumbled upon City Sports on Boylston Avenue, a few blocks from the hotel. I picked a blue Speedo for Marcus.
By this time, Alvin and I were both famished, so we had dinner in a charming Asian bistro right across the hotel. The place was
nice, but it hardly had any good vegetarian dishes! Damn! LOL! Anyway, after dinner we headed back to our room to have a good night sleep.
We were both exhausted!
Saturday, August 23 - The day of the event! Alvin and I had a quick breakfast at Starbucks across the hotel. Around 10:15 AM, I
called my choreographer David Liberge (photo) to see if he had been able to select the music for the opening number, the swimwear
and the evening wear segments. David said yes. I was relieved! A few days earlier, we had been debating whether it would be
appropriate to use commercial music for the show, but first we had to make sure that we were not infringing on anyone's copyrights.
To prevent any potential lawsuit (LOL!), we decided to use music that we could download from a royalty-free site, for a small fee.
The music that David had selected suited the pageant very well; it was all instrumental and had a very modern beat to it. Around 10:30 AM,
my photographer Becca Bousquet called and said that she would be running late. I told Becca to take her time and that I
would see her at the ballroom.
By 10:40 AM, Alvin and I headed back to the ballroom, but we realized that doors were locked, so we
had to notify the hotel staff to unlock them. The contestants were supposed to convene at the ballroom at 11 AM. The first one to
arrive was Markus Ricci. While waiting for a hotel personnel to open the ballroom doors, Markus chatted briefly with Alvin.
A few minutes later, Calisto Harvalias arrived with his luggage. Calisto looked exactly the same in his photos, but more handsome
in person, and he is tall! He and Markus introduced themselves to each other. As soon as the ballroom doors were opened, we immediately
set up our stuff - the poster, the banner, forms to be filled out, care packages for the contestants, their badges, etc. And then one by
one, the remaining contestants arrived - Ivan Rusilko (who was wearing sunglasses and a muscle T-shirt); Nicholas Ferrara, looking
timid and tall; Marcus Boutte, looking cool in some funky t-shirt; Rob Tannozzini, all smiles; Shafik Bahou, looking
dapper; and GBadebo Williams who had just flown in from New York City. A photographer from The Boston Globe took photos
of the behind-the-scene activities and also interviewed the boys.
The first group of the CB staff was already there, led by Coco Alinsug, who served
as my assistant and the head of the contestant supervisors. Coco delegated tasks to the supervisors who also served as backstage
assistants, and I must say that Coco did a fabulous job! Around 11:30 AM, Becca arrived with her assistant. Backstage, the contestants
took turns in being made up by Alvin before their photoshoot with Becca. This time, I was already panicking because the package containing
the swimwear had not yet arrived from the sponsor. Around 2:30 PM, I got a call from Daniel Higgins, my business affairs director,
who said that a package from Singapore arrived. So I asked Daniel to deliver the package immediately to the hotel. Once I received the
package, I laid out the swimsuits (of varying sizes) on the long table backstage and I summoned the boys to try on their size.
(Photo left: Critical Beauty Crew proudly showing their CBC badges! Coco [standing], with Alvin, Erwin and Patrick.)
We were supposed to have a lunch break around 1:30 PM, but we realized that we were already
running behind schedule. The photoshoot was taking longer than expected. Around 2:30 PM, I led the my staff and the candidates to Solas, the
Irish restaurant located at the hotel, for a late lunch. We were supposed to have lunch for only half an hour, but service took a while
and we didn't get to finish until almost 3:15 PM. I noticed that Markus Ricci and Rob Tannozzini had ordered
two big plates of steak with French fries and onion rings! Yuck! LOL! After lunch, we rushed back to the ballroom where David started
training the boys for the opening number. They only had two hours to remember their steps!
Around 6:00 PM, the judges arrived. By this time, the backstage was very chaotic! The backstage assistants
were busy ironing the contestants' wardrobe, Alvin and Erwin were grooming the boys and also Miss Boston Alida D'Angona,
Mister USA 2007 Jacob Hill, emcee Monique Jones, and trophy girl Tina Sylvia, cameras were flashing, and I was flying all over the place to make
sure everything was under control. To top it all off, the hotel concierge Anna Sharkova had to step down as judge because her
boss decided at the last minute that she had to work! I was pissed! So I had to make a quick executive decision by replacing Anna with
Alvin!
Alvin had to return to our room to freshen up. As soon as he returned backstage, it was my turn to freshen up. I took a quick shower, changed, and
rushed back to the ballroom. It was already 6:45 PM and we were scheduled to open the doors to the public at 7 PM, but I knew that we were going
to be half an hour late because a few important things had still to be done. Finally, the doors opened at exactly 7:30 PM!
The boys - despite only two hours of rehearsals - amazingly got their act together! I was so proud of them!
The audience enjoyed their little dance number and they all looked very handsome. Marcus Boutte of Texas was placed in front because
David thought he was the best dancer! Emcee Monique Jones looked fabulous in her gown provided by the Crowning Touch (she changed three times, and
she looked beautiful in all times!) I have to say that Monique did a great job hosting the pageant, considering that it was her first
time hosting anything! In the photo on the right, Monique interviews Shafik Bahou who would later show Monique how to dance the salsa!
The audience gave Shafik a big round of applause for his spontaneity and talent!
While the swimwear competition was going on, my eyes were cruising the entire ballroom to check for
any oddities. There was none! Well, maybe just a little! LOL! I noticed that a few of the paid attendees were standing against the
wall with drinks in their hands instead of sitting down. A group of young women near the judges's area were giggling everyime a contestant
in a skimpy bikini would come out. And one photographer was obsessed with Shafik! LOL! I had positioned myself behind a column right behind the judges's table, though I had a good
view of the stage. The worst mishap, if you could call it one - was when trophy girl Tina Sylvia mistakenly handed a trophy
to Calisto after Monique had announced him as the second finalist! Tina saw me nodding my head and giving her a "No! Not yet!"
signal before she took the trophy away from Calisto and headed backstage. Although it was an embarrassing moment, I thought Tina
handed the situation with poise and coolness! Way to go, trophy girl!
The boys display their well-sculpted bodies during the swimwear event.
