Our cavalcade of Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders/P-R-O Convention honorees continues with a six year member of the MVC…introducing Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader Karen, our next 2015 P-R-O Convention All Star.
Only a couple more left before we conclude our coverage of the 2015 P-R-O Convention in Atlanta…see who is next!
They say that honey bees are in decline to colony collapse syndrome, but that is certainly not the case in Charlotte! I can report that the Honey Bees are alive and doing well in the Tar Heel state…at least the two legged kind. Our next honoree is a second year veteran and another one of those amazing Charlotte Honey Bees…introducing Katie, our next 2015 P-R-O Convention All Star.
We are down to our last All Star for 2015…I simply ran out of time in Atlanta…see who is our final honoree.
Whew! We have finally reached the end of a long journey to identify and highlight those special girls who attended the 2015 P-R-O Convention. To be sure there were many more girls that I would have liked to feature, but scheduling and time constraints prevented me from visiting each squad as much as I would have liked to, but you can snag only so many girls during the brief breaks in the action.
Our final honoree of 2015 hails from the Minnesota Vikings and she is in her first year with the team, according to their web page…introducing Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader Hannah, our 28th and final 2015 P-R-O Convention All Star.
Well, this concludes UltimateCheerleaders.com’s coverage of the 2015 P-R-O Convention from Atlanta. If you are a professional cheerleader, you may wanted to consider attending this convention next year. It is the premier professional cheerleading and dance convention in the world and the opportunity to meet your peers and learn from the best choreographers in professional sports is truly inspiring. Plus, you may get to meet a couple of old geezers and get singled out for some special attention…Wink! Wink!
The Ladies of Fury uphold a high standard of quality dance performance and community involvement to represent the Ontario Fury with professionalism on and off the field. During the audition process, applicants will be judged on dance ability, showmanship, physical fitness, crowd appeal, and individual applications. Finalists will participate in a group interview and display their own choreography highlighting strengths and specialties (music will be provided).
Date: Saturday, August 22, 2015
Time: Registration Starts at 9am (Auditions begin promptly at 9:30am)
Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont (555 W. Foothill Blvd, Claremont CA 91711)
Requirements
What to wear
For further information, contact Dance Team Director, Lynae de Leon at Ldeleon@ontariofury.com.
NFL football is back! And its better than ever…okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration…okay, that’s more than a bit of exaggeration. But hey, it’s football…preseason football…but football nonetheless. And if you are like me, tired of watching the glacial paced Major League Baseball, preseason NFL football is a god send. Why? Because MLB doesn’t have cheerleaders…at least not like the NFL.
I do like watching preseason football. Not because it is good, per se, but because I play fantasy football and I am always trying to glean some tidbit of information on up and coming players or some sort of intelligence on new coaches with new schemes in new places. For example, many years ago, I was intrigued at the prospects of a young and talented running back from the University of Tennessee, named Arian Foster. He was an undrafted free agent and definitely under the radar, but after watching a preseason game in which he rushed for a touchdown and had another one called back, he was a player to watch. And when draft day came around, I selected him and rode him to a fantasy football championship. He has been a productive player for several years, before injuries ravaged his hamstrings and groin.
So what did I learn this past weekend when the Dallas Cowboys came to visit the San Diego Chargers…not a damn thing. There wasn’t much passing. There wasn’t much rushing. There wasn’t much quality football played. And what did I learn about Tony Romo or Joseph Randle? Nothing because they didn’t play. Or what about highly touted Charger rookie Melvin Gordon? Not much from his six carry, eleven yard performance.
The starters played only one or two series, if they played at all, and the rest of the game was relegated to scrubs and guys who won’t even make the 53 man roster. Heck the Cowboys even played Lache Seastrunk…Lache Seastrunk? The last time I read about him was when he left the University of Oregon in a cloud of mystery surrounding his recruitment. That’s how bad it was.
But quality football was not the reason why I drove 120 miles to San Diego. No. It was to scout out a different sort of fantasy football team…the Charger Girls. And they did not disappoint. So let’s take our first look at the 2015 Charger Girls and we begin with the Captains: Tawnie, Kayla, Katelyn, Tina.
This year many of my favorite Charger Girls from years past retired, but there was one special girl who returned for her third year and she happens to be our first Charger Girl of the Day for 2015…introducing Shelbi.
Little known fact about Shelbi – she was crowned third runner up in this year’s Miss California USA pageant!
I am sure most of you are waiting to see the new girls on the squad, so let’s introduce the Charger Girl rookies: Allie, Aussie Angie (Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oy! Oy! Oy!), Beatrix, Collette, Hailey, Jenna, Rebecca, Roxi, Taylor, Teran, and Tyler.
Wow! That’s a lot of rookies.
And we have a returning veteran after a few years absence…Lauren.
And let’s take a look at the returning veterans from 2014: Angelica, Bridget J., Brittney, Delani, Devin, Elizabeth, Gabrielle, Jayme, Karissa, CGOTD Shelbi, and Whitney.
Well, the first preseason football game is in the books and while the football is not very good, at least the NFL has good sense to jack up the entertainment value of the event by mandating cheerleaders. And we did get our money’s worth here…for me, as a season ticket holder…full regular season price!
(You didn’t actually think I would forget to include my traditional rant against the ridiculous pricing of NFL preseason tickets, did you? No!)
The Ladies of Ontario Fury held their auditions for the 2015 dance team this past Saturday and I was very interested in the outcome. You see, the Ladies of Ontario Fury have become one of my most beloved squads to shoot and under the direction of Lynae de Leon, they always seem to have some girls that are “next level” cheerleaders. This past season, two girls made NBA squads (the Laker Girls and the Golden State Warriors) and another Fury dancer was a finalist for the Phoenix Suns.
So every year, I eagerly await auditions to see who are the returning veterans and who are the potential newcomers to this squad. And this year, there are several openings for newcomers as only nine veterans were trying out again. With nearly 50 girls trying out, the competition for one of the 16 spots would be the most competitive in the three year history of the team
Lynae kicked of the auditions by welcoming all the attendees and then team owner Bernie Lilavois provided some insight into the role, responsibility and value that the Ladies of Ontario Fury bring to the organization. They are an invaluable asset in the marketing and representation of the team withing the community and this being their third year of existence, the Fury still are challenged with building the brand.
After the introductory comments, former Ladies of Ontario Fury dancers Kaitlyn and Michelle led the candidates in a perfunctory warm up and stretching session.
Lynae is former Clippers Spirit dancer and her connection to that organization was evident when she introduced 2007-2015 Clipper Spirit dancer Brittany Williams to demonstrate the audition routine…a nice challenging number choreographed to the Britney Spears song, “Toxic”.
I lost track of time, not something that I normally do at these events, but it must have been about 45 minutes or so for the girls to learn the routine. It seemed to go very quickly to me, but I was concentrating on getting some great shots of the hopefuls and this portion of the audition passed quickly. Before I new it, it was time for the first round of judging. The girls were gathered off to the side of the room by former Fury dancer Jolene and then they were called up in groups of two to perform in front of the judges.
There was a brief break while the judges conferred and within a few minutes the first cuts were announced. I am not sure how many girls were eliminated at this phase, but it didn’t seem like many. I suppose that is a testament to the fact that this year, there were many qualified candidates in attendance.
After the eliminated girls exited the room, Brittany began adding to the audition routine and over the course of the next 45 minutes, she taught a routine that spanned a full minute and a half.
When it was time for the second round of judging, the girls were once again called up in pairs and asked to perform the full audition routine.
After the last grouping of candidates had performed, the judges retired for lunch and deliberations. The staff, photographers, and media also retired for lunch, which was provided by the Ontario Fury. I must admit that in all the years that I have covered the Ontario Fury’s dance team auditions, Bernie and the Fury have treated me very well.
When the judges and the candidates reconvened after lunch, Lynae announced the results of the second round and approximately twenty or so girls remained. They were gathered together in a semi-circle and asked to perform a brief freestyle dance. This was another opportunity for the candidates to showcase their talents and create a lasting and positive image for the judges.
The next segment of the auditions was the interview portion. The candidates were escorted into the room in groups of five to answer questions posed by the judges. The questions were of the standard fare, not too difficult or challenging…mostly of the type to ascertain the girls’ conversational skills in a setting that they might experience out in the community.
I think the most humorous answer I heard was in response to the question, “if you were stuck on a lonely island, what one item would you bring?” And if I recall correctly, it was Nikki who responded, “an El Pollo Loco Restaurant”, so that she would always have her favorite food to eat. Now…since the vagueness of the question offered the possibility of a complex, thoughtful and humorous answer, I thought Nikki’s response, which included multiple items within the larger definition of an “item”, e.g. restaurant, was hilarious…and quite sensible.
I don’t think one candidate answered a question in an awkward or unseemly manner, which is a testament to the type of women that want to be a Ladies on Ontario Fury dance team member. Me, I like my cheerleaders to be a little more risque, snappy, and sarcastic…but I guess that’s why I am behind a camera not not running a dance team.
After the interviews, the judges wanted to see individual dancers paired up with girls of the same look and other different combinations. I suppose they wanted to see how girls with the same look danced against each other and to see how other girls meshed together as a unit.
At the conclusion of the small group dance, the judges took a few minutes to deliberate over what they had seen and when they came back, Lynae had indicated that no one would be cut and all 22 girls would make it into the finals.
There was a little bit of drama before Lynae made her surprise announcement…she started calling of numbers in random order without letting the girls know that they were not in ascending order. One girl became a little emotional, thinking that she had been cut. But Lynae quickly rectified that notion…and then they were happy when they realized that they all made it to finals.
22 finalists…8 returning veterans…16 open spots. The opportunity is there, now we just need to know who impressed enough to make the final roster. We will find out soon!
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I would like to thank Bernie Lilavois, Lynae de Leon and the Ontario Fury for the opportunity to cover their 2015 dance team auditions. I had a wonderful time and look forward to seeing the 2015 Ladies of Ontario Fury when the season starts.
Week 3 of the preseason saw the Seattle Seahawks fly into San Diego to play the Chargers in a titanic battle of…okay…it was just another preseason game. The defending Super Bowl Champions…uh…Super Bowl runner ups survived the unseasonably hot weather to prevail in the last minute on a 60 yard field goal by Steven Hauschka, 16-15.
If you like kicks, this was a game for you as three kickers combined to score six field goals. Yawn. Me? I like kicks of a different sort.
The San Diego Chargers honored the men and women in uniform at this past Saturday’s game, holding their 27th annual Salute to the Military celebration. The Charger Girls were adorned in military themed uniforms to cheer on the boys in blue, but it was to no avail as the Chargers succumbed to the defending Super Bowl Champion Seahawks.
Side note: I never played a down of football in my life, but I am smart enough to know that if you are on the opponent’s one yard line in the Super Bowl with seconds left in the game and you have a player nicknamed “Beastmode”, you feed him the ball…on second down…on third down…and on fourth down.
I am a proud San Diego Chargers season ticket holder and a Charger Girl fan…like most of you reading this article. So let’s kick off this week’s coverage of the Charger Girls with the captains: Tawnie, Katelyn, Kayla, and Tina.
This week’s Charger Girl of the Day is a second year veteran who really caught my eye this year…introducing Delani!
Okay, let’s begin our regular coverage by introducing the girls by military service. First up, Tawnie’s Army: Tyler, Gabrielle, Elizabeth and Devin.
We continue with Katelyn’s Marine Corps: Colette, CGOTD Delani, Jenna, Allie, Jayme, and Taylor.
Up next…Kayla’s Air Force: Rebecca, Bridget J., Teran, Brittney, Roxi, and Angelica.
And how can we forget Tina’s Navy: Karissa, Shelbi, Hailey, Aussie Angie, Lauren, and Whitney.
And here’s a few photos of the Charger Girls performing during a quarter break.
There’s only one preseason game left before we kick it off for real. Thank goodness. No more fumbling, bumbling, stumbling football for me. Give me the real stuff.
Oh and one last thought…if the Seahawks find themselves in the Super Bowl again…with the ball on the one yard line…in the fourth quarter with minutes left to go…GIVE IT TO BEASTMODE AND RIDE HIM ALL THE WAY INTO THE ENDZONE! You listening Pete Carroll? You listening Darrell Bevell?
An old proverb says that it is better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life. Well if that day was Sunday, it might have been better if the Lions were sheep because at least the Rams won.
The NFC North division Lions made a rare appearance in Southern California and many of us fantasy football players were excited to see how a couple of rookie running backs would play. Lion Ameer Abdullah played like…a lion and had himself 129 all purpose yards and a touchdown, while his Charger counterpart, Melvin Gordon, had 51 rushing yards and a costly fumble. Well at least the Chargers had Danny Woodhead to bail them out. He scored two clutch touchdowns. Quarterback Philip Rivers passed for 404 yards and threw two second half touchdowns to rally the Chargers to victory.
Final Score: Chargers – 33, Lions – 28.
Well Philip Rivers wasn’t the only one having a good day, so was The Hottest Dance Team in the NFL, your Charger Girls.
It was another hot and sunny day in San Diego…I can’t wait for cooler weather because I really hate being all hot and sweaty…but that’s how it usually is for me when I photograph the Charger Girls. And speaking of hot things, let’s begin this week’s coverage of the Charger Girls with the Captains: Tawnie, Katelyn, Kayla, and Tina.
This week’s Charger Girl of the Day is a former Arizona Cardinals Cheerleader who found her way back home to California…introducing Laguna Niguel’s own Roxi.
We begin this week’s coverage of the Absolutely Fabulous Charger Girls with the rookies in alphabetical order: Allie, Aussie Angie, Beatrix, Colette, Hailey, Jenna, Rebecca, CGOTD Roxi, Taylor, Teran, and Tyler.
We continue with the veterans: Angelica, Bridget C. (welcome back), Bridget J., Brittney, Delani, Devin, Elizabeth, Gabrielle, Jayme, Karissa, Lauren, Shelbi, and Whitney.
Well that was a nice beginning to the 2015 NFL season…oh, and the Chargers didn’t do too shabby either.
This past weekend, I made a road trip to visit the Phoenix area and to see the 2015 Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders in person. I have covered their auditions over the past several years, but this year I was not able to attend and I was very interested in seeing the new squad in person. They have a new director, Kristina Ferdig who was a Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader and I was looking forward to seeing the changes she brought to the sidelines being that it has been a couple of years since I last attended a game here.
And I was very pleasantly surprised. The girls are gorgeous and there are more opportunities to photograph the girls interacting with the crowd, which for me was the reason why I came to Phoenix.
If you read my Charger Girl game day reports, you know that I recognize the one cheerleader who has stood out above all others. And in this article, I would like to recognize one special cheerleader who was the highlight of my photographic endeavors. I met her a couple years ago at auditions and she stood out then as well. She was one of three former Utah Jazz dancers who journeyed south to tryout for the Cardinals Cheerleaders. Well, she and her friends made it and it is no surprise that she would be selected as Cheerleader of the Day on this occasion….introducing Alexandria.
So, let’s take a look at the 2015 Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders, up close and personal.
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
I always enjoy coming out to UOP stadium….its a great venue. Its a relatively new stadium with wonderful amenities and sight lines. The Cardinals have been one of the best teams in the NFC West over the past few years. And the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders are one of the hottest squads in the NFL. Its all good…except for the weather. I always seem to come here when its 108 degrees or hotter!
Hot weather. Hot team. Very hot cheerleaders.
Monday Night Football is always a big deal and a game with the Pittsburgh Steelers is a big, big deal. Their fans always travel well and for a Monday Night Football game, there were Steeler fans coming out of the woodwork. Every where you turned, they were people wearing black and yellow. In fact there were hundreds of Steeler fans at the Bud Light Power Party, most of them lined up in front of the Charger Girls booth. Heck, it was like they never had seen NFL cheerleaders before…that’s right, they don’t have them!
Well as it would turn out, Steeler fans were doubly lucky. They pulled out a close win on the last play of the game AND they got to see the hottest dance team in the NFL, your Charger Girls. Psst! Between you and me, if I had to choose between a win or the Charger Girls…I choose the Charger Girls.
Night games are always tricky to shoot because…its at night and there’s not a lot of light…okay not a lot of good light, just that sickly yellow green tinted mercury vapor illumination. And for a Monday Night Game there were double the amount of people on the sidelines…you know, ESPN vested guys, NFL vested guys, Media vested guys…all of them conspiring to get in the way of my shot of the Charger Girls. And the Chargers, in their infinite wisdom, brought back a huge stage in front of my seats. Its a wonder, I got the images I got.
Let’s begin with the Charger Girl Captains: Tawnie, Katelyn, Kayla, Tina.
Our Charger Girl of the Day is a rookie who calls Mission Viejo her hometown, introducing…Rebecca.
We begin our regular coverage in reverse alphabetical order, starting with Whitney, Tyler, Teran, Taylor, Shelbi, Roxi, CGOTD Rebecca, and Lauren.
We continue with Karissa, Jenna, Jayme, Hailey, Gabrielle, Elizabeth, Devin, and Delani.
We conclude this week’s coverage with Colette, Bridget J., Bridget C., Beatrix, Aussie Angie, Angelica, and Allie.
Hey it was a bad loss. To allow the Michael Vick quarterbacked “Pittsbuuurgh Stilers” drive the length of the field during the last two minutes is unforgivable. Bad loss, man. Bad loss.
We may not have a terrible towel or a Primanti Bros. “sangwich”, but we do have the Charger Girls…and that is that.
Halloween came early to San Diego. Hordes of Raider fans with painted faces and wildly bizarre costumes, descended upon the friendly confines of Qualcomm Stadium. Friendly in that the host Chargers displayed the kind of points scoring generosity to the Raiders as one would give handfuls of candy to costumed kids on Halloween. To say that Raiders kicked the Charger’s ass was an understatement and somewhat of an unexpected surprise. I guess all those years of finishing last in the AFC West is paying out handsomely in a bevy of young draft talent, namely quarterback Derek Carr and future all pro wide receiver Amari Cooper, who combined to scare the heck out of Charger defenders. And if the final score seemed close, it was only because the Raiders defense decided to take it off in the fourth quarter, well after the outcome was decided. After all, the Raiders scored all the points they needed in the first half.
Final Score: Scary Pirates – 37, Hapless Chargers – 29.
Well if the game play was a trick, the Charger Girls were a treat!
Its the end of October and its still hot out here in Southern California! Hey, I like warm weather as much as anyone, but c’mon man. 85 degrees and humid? Its autumn. In a month and half it should be winter. But I am not complaining (okay, I am) because good weather means, good shooting! However, a cool and crisp fall Sunday would be a nice change of pace.
The Charger Girls changed things up a bit and mixed the order in which their lines showed up in my part of Qualcomm, so let’s begin this week’s coverage with the Line Captains as they appeared before my section: Kayla, Tina, Tawnie, and Katelyn.
This week’s Charger Girl of the Day is one of three former Arizona Pommies on the CGs…introducing first year Charger Girl Allie!
Let’s begin our regular coverage of the absolutely fabulous Charger Girls with Kayla’s line: Rebecca, Bridget J., Teran, Roxi, Natalie*, and Angelica.
Natalie, a former Line Captain, has agreed to come out of retirement and take over the spot of Charger Girl Brittney, who has left the team to deal with some issues back home in Texas. We wish her well and hope to see Brittney back in the uniform in the near future.
We continue with Tina’s line: Karissa, Shelbi, Hailey, Aussie Angie…who’s from…Australia, Lauren, and our second former Arizona Pommie Whitney.
Up next, Tawnie’s line: Tyler, Gabrielle, our third former Arizona Pommie Devin, Bridget C., Elizabeth and Beatrix.
We conclude this week’s cavalcade of Charger Girls with Katelyn’s line: Colette, Delani, Jenna, CGOTD Allie, Jayme, and Taylor.
Halloween came early to San Diego as the Raiders came to town, metaphorically snatching candy from babies and smashing delicately carved pumpkins. Someone should tell the Chargers that next time…turn off the porch lights and lock the doors.
Now that the NBA season is upon us, I can officially offer congratulations to former Ladies of Ontario Fury Dancer Kaylee U. for being selected to the 2015 – 2016 Golden State Warrior Girls.
Kaylee was a member of the Anaheim Bolts Dance Team and the Ladies of Ontario Fury Dance Team. Both squads were under the direction of Lynae de Leon, who has a history of developing local dance talent that have gone on to greater challenges with such squads as the Clippers Spirit, Charger Girls, Laker Girls and now the Warrior Girls.
I was fortunate to be able to photograph her for three years before she made the jump to the NBA.
Congratulations Kaylee!
Da Chicago Bears came to town and brought some fall like weather with them for another titanic Monday Night Football clash. With this game, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler renewed a long standing rivalry with Charger quarterback Philip Rivers, a rivalry that goes back to 2006 when Cutler played for the Denver Broncos. Those games were marked by competitive play and a noticeable amount of animus between the two signal callers. And this game was no different. The Chargers took an early 13 point lead, but Da Bears countered with a one yard Jay Cutler touchdown pass to tight end Martellus Bennett to narrow the score. The teams traded scoring opportunities until the fourth quarter when Da Bears scored the go ahead touchdown on a circus catch from Cutler to Zach Miller with 3.19 to go, dashing the hopes of the Chargers.
Final Score: Da Bears – 22, Da Chargers – 19
With the loss, the San Diego Chargers drop to 2-7 on the year, further depressing the enthusiasm of those local fans who have yet to give up on the team. You may recall that the San Diego Chargers have announced their intention to move the franchise to Los Angeles and that intent has been an albatross on the team, leading to a decrease in Charger fan attendance. And Monday was no exception. It almost seemed like a Bears home game with all those fans wearing blue and orange.
But alas, it was not a Bears home game. It was in fact, a Chargers home game. And how could you tell…Da Bears don’t have cheerleaders and Da Chargers do!
It was the annual Salute to Service game and the Charger Girls donned special military themed uniforms to honor our servicemen and servicewomen. Hmmmm. I wonder if the Department of Defense paid the Charger Girls to wear these special uniforms. Well done if they did!
Enough chit chat. Let’s begin this week’s coverage by recognizing the Captains: Kayla, Tina, Tawnie, and Katelyn.
This week’s Charger Girl of the Day is a second year veteran and native San Diegan…introducing Elizabeth.
Let’s begin our regular coverage of the Charger Girls in alphabetical order: Allie, Angelica, Angie, Beatrix, Bridget C., Bridget J., Colette and Delani.
We continue our Salute to Service Charger Girls with Devin, CGOTD Elizabeth, Gabrielle, Hailey, Jayme, Jenna, Karissa, and Lauren.
We conclude this week’s coverage of the Charger Girls with Natalie, Rebecca, Roxi, Shelbi, Taylor, Teran, Tyler and Whitney.
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I think the Chargers should try to avoid playing on Monday nights because they’ve lost the last two and I don’t think it’s a good idea to lose on national TV. It doesn’t leave a positive impression in the minds of the viewers and you don’t want to give a bad impression to the folks in Los Angeles…you know, the people whom you will be trying to attract as season ticket holders next year.
This past Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs came to town to battle the San Diego Chargers. The game was originally scheduled to be a prime time affair, but it was “flexed” to a 1:05 pm kickoff to reflect the won loss records of both teams.
How was the contest? It was a one sided affair with the visiting Chiefs dominating the host Chargers in all phases of the game. It was perhaps, a wise choice for the NFL decision makers to move this game from a national prime time telecast to a more modest viewing audience as this game was a stinker through and through.
Final Score: Chiefs – 33, Chargers – 3
With the loss, the Chargers moved into a tie with the Tennessee Titans and the Cleveland Browns for the honor of being the worst team in the NFL. At least the Chargers will get a high draft pick for this season’s efforts.
The only consolation for the die hard Charger fans in attendance…the hottest dance team in the NFL, your Charger Girls!
With the flexing of this game, a night game became a day game and the late November date posed some problems with the lighting. As the game started, there was some direct sunlight which gave way to a mix of shade and spotty sunlight which was succeeded by direct shade with strong back lighting in the fourth quarter…all of which led to some inconsistent and challenging shooting conditions. Geez, I would have preferred the consistent dim light of a prime time game to this and who knows, perhaps the Chargers would have played better at night.
Okay, enough misery. Let’s get on with the fun stuff and begin this week’s coverage with the Captains: Kayla, Tina, Tawnie, and Katelyn.
The Charger Girl of the Day honor goes to the cheerleader who game me the most memorable photos and it is somewhat of a rarity that a girl wins this award more than once in a season, but indeed we have a two time winner this week…introducing Delani…a two time Charger Girl of the Day.
Delani…she’s special.
We begin this week’s coverage with Kayla’s line: Rebecca, Bridget J., Teran, Natalie, Roxi, and Angelica.
Up next, Tina’s line: Karissa, Shelbi, Hailey, Angie, Lauren, and Whitney.
We continue with Tawnie’s line: Tyler, Gabrielle, Devin, Elizabeth, Bridget C., and Beatrix.
We close out this week’s cavalcade of absolutely fabulous Charger Girls with Katelyn’s line: Colette, CGOTD Delani, Jenna, Allie, Jayme and Taylor.
As this season progresses, its beginning to feel like a lame duck season for two reasons. First, because this team is bad and there are a myriad of problems that some feel, can only be fixed with a new coaching staff, a new front office and a new organizational attitude. Second, because the Chargers have made quite it clear that their future is in Los Angeles and that has damped the spirits and support of the fan base in San Diego.
I don’t know if the Chargers will be playing in Los Angeles anytime soon, but by staking out a claim in the second biggest market in the nation, the Chargers have kind of made San Diegans feel like jilted lovers. And if the NFL doesn’t grant the Chargers’ relocation plans, then what is left?
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For more cheerleader articles, please visit my personal blog: thehottestdanceteam.wordpress.com.
Legendary coach Vince Lombardi once said, “winning is a habit. ” It is a part of a process of doing the right things repeatedly. He also said, “so is losing”. It may also be said, that losing is a part of a process of doing the wrong things repeatedly. And this past Sunday, both facts were in evidence.
The Broncos continued their winning ways by doing the things that they have been doing right all season long, mainly playing solid defense and running an offense efficiently, if unspectacularly. In contrast, the Chargers continued their losing ways by turning the ball over, playing inconsistently and showing a general lack of toughness that elite teams seem to exude.
So the outcome was not unexpected and the Chargers lost their ninth game of season, while the Broncos won their tenth. The Broncos are playing for home field advantage. The Chargers are playing for the first pick in the 2016 NFL draft.
Final Score: Manning-less Broncos – 17, Chargers – 3
I think Coach Lombardi said it the best:
“Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.”
Me? I just hope the Chargers select Alabama running back Derrick Henry with the first pick in the draft next year.
Well, here’s something that will cheer up some Charger fans…
Let’s start off our week 13 coverage of the Charger Girls with the Captains: Kayla, Tina, Tawnie and Katelyn.
This week’s Charger Girl of the Day is a rookie from Ladera Ranch, California…introducing Taylor.
We begin our regular coverage of the Charger Girls with Allie, Whitney, Angelica, Tyler, Angie, Teran, Beatrix and CGOTD Taylor.
We continue with Bridget C., Shelbi, Bridget J., Roxie, Colette, Rebecca, Delani, and Natalie.
We conclude with Devin, Lauren, Elizabeth, Karissa, Gabrielle, Jenna, Hailey, and Jayme.
Losing is overrated. Let me explain. Losing = low points scoring = little or no celebratory dancing = little or no celebratory dancing photos of the Charger Girls. So, if I may make a suggestion to the Chargers…more winning = more scoring = more celebratory dancing = more celebratory dancing photos of the Charger Girls, which as we all know equals more happy readers!
Next time…the Charger Girls in their sexy blue velvet Christmas uniforms! Yeah!
He will be checking his list to see if the Charger Girls were naughty or nice. And this Santa prefers his Charger Girls to be a little naughty, but that’s beside the point.
On a serious note, I will be handing out disks of the images that I took throughout the season, for each and every Charger Girl. This is my way of thanking each and every one of you for giving me so much pleasure in photographing your performances throughout this season.
If your line is not appearing in the Bud Light Power Party this Sunday, please note that I will give your disks to one of the Captains in attendance (the last one to make an appearance there). So make sure you check with them, to get yours.
Merry Christmas, Charger Girls!
I’ve been going to Charger games in San Diego since 1995 and I have been a season ticket holder since 1999. That’s a long time. And the guys that sit next to me have been going to games for 25 years, but I only seem to remember sitting next to them for about eight of them. It could have been more, but I don’t remember. And over the years, I’ve gotten to know some game management people, who are always in my area…the first few years blocking my view of the Charger Girls with an EMT cart or some portable stages for guest performers, but I’ve gotten to know them by asking them to help me out by moving their stuff to the side and they did do their best. And I’ve meet some security folks that staff the gate I go in every week and other people like the video board camera man and his cable puller.
These are some of the relationships that I have made over the years…people you see at every game…people who are working for the organization or other Chargers fans, season ticket holders such as myself. And even though these are just people, who like myself, enjoy watching the Chargers play, we share a bond. One that I didn’t quite understand until this past Sunday.
You see this game felt like it was the last Charger game played in San Diego. For those of you that may not know, the Chargers are one of three teams that have let it be known that they would like to relocate to Los Angeles. I didn’t believe it and as recently as that morning, I felt that the Chargers would be playing in San Diego at least until next year because…there is no stadium in Los Angeles and won’t be until 2018 at the earliest. I couldn’t believe that any team would be playing in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum or the Rose Bowl for two years until the new one was ready. Maybe one year and that would give the NFL enough time, another twelve months or more to come up with a consensus as to which team or teams would win the relocation lottery.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the NFL owner’s meeting in January. This game was different than all the others I have attended and it left me with the feeling that this was the end. There was a different vibe and the San Diego fans in attendance were very loud and vociferous, cheering on the Chargers to victory. Midway through the fourth quarter, the video board played a retrospective of some the the great Charger players of the past. They even pulled Philip Rivers, Malcom Floyd and Antonio Gates from the game so that the crowd could applaud them one last time. Some of the Charger Girls became a bit teary eyed as the game came to a conclusion, perhaps thinking this was the end of something special. And when the game was over, a few thousand fans gathered near field and just stood there, taking in the atmosphere as the Charger Girls danced for what seemed like an unusually long time. The security people who normally try to shoo you out of the seating area in the time it takes me to put away my camera equipment, they let us stay and enjoy the moment. They just stood there, along with the rest of us. And the sound people played songs of remembrance, like “Auld Lang Syne” and Green Day’s, “Time of your life”.
It was surreal and it did feel like this was the last time that the Chargers would be playing in San Diego. I mean if the stadium staff and Chargers management were sending us a message, it was loud and clear. This was an end of an era. Heck, a guy wearing a game management badge came up to me and introduced himself, saying that he enjoyed my Charger Girl photos…I thought that this was one of those instances where you come by and pay your respects when you know things will never be the same. I had never met him before, but he wanted to say “hi” or was it “goodbye”.
And then it dawned upon me that this may have been my last game in San Diego…the last time I will shoot the Charger Girls here at Qualcomm. I became a little sad and felt a loss, if this was in fact the end of the Chargers in San Diego. It was something that I really didn’t believe possible…until that very moment.
It was my time to leave, so I said my goodbyes to my game day friends and as I hugged my seat mates, something I’ve never done before, I got the sense that in doing so, this was the last time that I would ever see them.
* * * * *
I understand why the NFL wants to relocate a team to Los Angeles, the second largest market in the nation. But I don’t understand why they want two to move. Perhaps its because they want to collect an additional $500 million relocation fee or perhaps the era of the NFL dangling the L.A. market out as bait to extort other localities has run its course. I don’t know.
It makes sense to me why the Rams would want to move to Los Angeles. By changing their address, owner Stan Kroenke can triple or quadruple the value of his team. And I get why the Chargers and Raiders want to explore the Los Angeles market…they have crappy stadiums and why should they have to do with out what other owners get to reap, the financial rewards of a modern venue.
But something deep inside of me says that the Chargers belong in San Diego. San Diegans deserve the Chargers, heck they’ve only supported them for 54 years. And if the Chargers do relocate to Los Angeles, it just won’t be the same. Even though I live in L.A., I enjoy going to Chargers games in San Diego. I enjoy the laid back vibe of city. I enjoy the people I meet at the games. I enjoy photographing my San Diego Charger Girls. I enjoy the long drive home, where I get to relax my mind as I listen to audio books on CDs. These are all a part of my game day experience.
Yes, if the Chargers do come to L.A., I probably will buy season tickets…but it won’t be the same. And if this was the last Chargers game in San Diego, it was the end of an era…and you won’t ever see this again.
Let’s begin our special holiday coverage of the Charger Girls wearing their blue velvet uniforms with the Captains: Kayla, Tawnie, Tina, and Katelyn.
Our Charger Girl of the Day is one of many CGs that call Yorba Linda home…introducing Bridget J.!
Okay, let’s begin our final curtain call of the 2015 San Diego Charger Girls in alphabetical order with Allie, Angelica, Aussie Angie…she’s from Australia, Beatrix, Bridget C., CGOTD Bridget J., Colette and Delani.
We continue our special holiday coverage with Devin, Elizabeth, Gabrielle, Hailey, Jayme, Jenna, Karissa, and Lauren. FYI, Lauren was announced as the Charger Girls 2016 Pro Bowl Representative. Congratulations, Lauren!
We conclude this week’s parade of Absolutely Fabulous San Diego Charger Girls with Natalie, Rebecca, Roxi, Shelbi..oooh!, Taylor, Teran, Tyler, and Whitney.
The Chargers won the game, 30-14, as if that really mattered. I don’t know where the Chargers will be playing next year. I hope it is in San Diego, but who knows for certain. And if this was the last home game the Chargers will play in San Diego, then I want to thank all the women who have worn the uniform of the San Diego Charger Girls.
It’s been a helluva ride!
My good friend Mad Max the road warrior was in town…or I should say in the region to shoot a variety of sporting events over the holidays. As is our custom anytime he is in the area, we get together to shoot a pep rally or two and catch up on old times. You may remember, we’ve photographed the Wisconsin Pep Rallies in Southern California for the past two NCAA basketball tournaments. And since the Badgers were in San Diego to play (and beat!) the USC Trojans in the 2015 Holiday Bowl, we decided to meet up at Wisconsin’s Pep Rally on December 29th.
The Badgers brought their entire spirit squad, but from my vantage point at the venue, I was only able to shoot the first line because the dance team was performing on a small platform that the girls had to stand in four or five lines deep. They didn’t swap out the lines, so basically I only got shots of a few girls…but here’s what I got.
I enjoy covering these pep rallies…they remind me of the time that I was in college going to these events. And I get a chance to touch base with a friend and catch up on current events…it’s all good. As long as there are these pep rallies in Southern California and I’ve got some free time…count me in!
Another year has come and gone and as we look back at 2015, we feature our top 10 favorite cheerleader photos from the past year.
10. Charlotte Honey Bee Kat at the 2015 P.R.O. Convention
I have been going to the annual P.R.O. Convention in Atlanta for the past several years. The P.R.O. Convention is the premiere professional cheerleading and dance convention in the world. And every year, I get to photograph some of the most beautiful cheerleaders in professional sport and 2015 was no different.
This year, I was treated to a bevy of absolutely gorgeous Charlotte Honey Bees and one of them was a girl named Kat who looked stunning while doing something as mundane as learning a new dance routine. Stunning….absolutely stunning.
9. Ladies of Ontario Fury Dancer Sativa-Skye
The next image on this list is more about the girl than the photo. To me, the real reason why this photo is compelling is because the girl, Ladies of Ontario Fury Dancer Sativa-Skye, is an amazing dancer and a beautiful girl. I first saw her at last year’s Ladies of Ontario Fury auditions and I knew she would make the squad…she was that memorable. In my opinion, she is a next level talent and she was a finalist for this year’s Phoenix Suns Dancers, barely missing the cut. It is only a matter of time before she makes it big. Comparing photos from last year to this year, you can see a beautiful and talented girl blossoming into womanhood.
Sativa-Skye is special and she’ll make it onto an NBA dance team soon, but for now we can enjoy her talents as a Ladies of Ontario Fury Dance Team member.
8. Los Angeles Laker Girl Jessie
Last year I made it out to a LA D’fenders game to photograph the world renowned Laker Girls. Los Angeles NBA D-League team is nothing special, but their cheerleaders are and whenever you get a chance to photograph one of the most iconic dance teams in professional sports, you should avail yourself of that opportunity. And I did and I snapped this shot of Laker Girl Jessie, who is one of the most gorgeous girls on the squad.
Coincidentally, I photographed Jessie a few years ago at the PAC 10 Basketball Tournament at the Staples Center…she was cheering for the Arizona Wildcats at the time.
7. Jets flight Crew Cheerleader Tara at the 2015 P.R.O. Convention
One of my favorite events to cover is the annual P.R.O. Convention in Atlanta. It is the premier professional cheerleading and dance convention in the world…no lie…there are literally hundreds of gorgeous cheerleaders in attendance…and I pretty much get to shoot them all! Now I’ve got to be honest and fess up that I had my eye on one particular girl, a pretty blonde Jets Flight Crew cheerleader named Tara. And I made it a point to put her on my shoot list.
When I think of Tara, I think of the girl next door that you grew up with playing catch football and trapping polliwogs in the creek out back. Then one day, perhaps when you come back from college for the holidays, you suddenly realize that this girl next door has grown up into the hot girl next door…who happens to be a professional cheerleader.
That who Tara is. She’s a dream girl…a girl who loves to play and watch sports (hockey and football in her case) and is a professional cheerleader for the New York Jets! What’s not to love.
Well, I got my chance to shoot her up close and personal…coincidentally, she was the last cheerleader I shot at P.R.O that year and we had a blast. And this is my favorite shoot from that series, which you can see here!
6. St. Louis Rams Cheerleader Finalist
Another one of my favorite events to shoot is the St. Louis Rams Cheerleaders Final Auditions. Its unique for me in that it is a pageant style audition with three distinct phases to cover: an interview portion, an swimsuit portion and a dance portion. So it makes for some interesting photographs and every year, the Rams seem to attract the hottest girls from the Midwest for their auditions. And this year was no exception.
To me, the hottest girl at the audition was this girl, but unfortunately she didn’t make the cut. Ironic, since she was exceptionally good looking and a pretty good dancer.
I hope there will another audition for the St. Louis Rams next year but I think the odds are that they will be the first NFL team to relocate to Los Angeles. Whether that’s in 2016 or 2017, who knows.
5. Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader Blair at the 2015 P.R.O. Convention
The Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders are one hot squad…one of my favorites to shoot at P.R.O. And the hottest Minnesota Vikings Cheerleader is Blair. I first saw her a few years ago at P.R.O. and she left a lasting impression with her drop dead gorgeous looks and amazing dance ability.
Its been a while since I last saw her and so I made it a priority to snap a few shots of this amazing cheerleader. She has a lot of personality that shows when she dances and combined with her gorgeous looks, she’s has become one of my favorite cheerleaders to shoot. It’s too bad I live in Los Angeles…Minneapolis is so far away. But the Vikings have a new stadium next year, so a road trip might be in order!
4. Tennessee Titans Cheerleader Elizabeth at the 2015 P.R.O. Convention
It has been my opinion that for the past several years, the Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders have one of the hottest squads in the NFL. They have some of the most beautiful girls in the NFL and this year they got some super sexy new uniforms made by The Line Up…the leader in create performance apparel. I have always believed that there are two things that make a hot squad: 1) hot girls and 2) sexy uniforms. The Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders have both. And the hottest Tennessee Titans Cheerleader is a second year veteran named Elizabeth. I guess I have a soft spot in my heart for tall, leggy blondes that have pretty faces…so sue me.
Elizabeth is one of the most beautiful cheerleaders I have ever photographed and she is, like many of the other girls on this list, a great dancer. That in combination with a sexy uniform makes for some compelling photographs and that is why this photo of Elizabeth is one of my top photos of 2015.
3. Charlotte Honey Bee Sam at the 2015 P.R.O. Convention
The Charlotte Honey Bees have the hottest dance team in all of professional sports. They have the hottest girls and some of the sexiest uniforms, if in a sort of minimalist way. And I was fortunate to photograph most of them at the 2015 P.R.O. Convention in Atlanta.
One of the new girls at the convention that caught my eye was one named Sam and like the other girls on her squad, she is drop dead gorgeous and a great dancer. Sam is tall, leggy and rather statuesque…which makes for some impressive images. Another quality that she shares with her teammates is that she is very photogenic, particularly while performing. There were many beautiful girls at P.R.O. but not all of them were photogenic and Sam was one the most photogenic girls there.
You can see more photos of this amazingly beautiful cheerleader here.
2. Charlotte Honey Bee Victoria at the 2015 P.R.O. Convention
I said this before and I will say it again, the Charlotte Honey Bees are the hottest looking dance team in all of professional sports…bar none. And it’s no coincidence that I have featured two girls from that squad, but the hottest cheerleader at P.R.O. and perhaps the hottest cheerleader in the NBA is a Charlotte Honey Bee named Victoria Vesce.
Victoria is a second year member of the Charlotte Honey Bees and she’s a dancer, model, and beauty pageant winner. I have photographed many beautiful cheerleeaders over the years, but I cannot think of one that is more beautiful and photogenic than Victoria. She is, perhaps, the most beautiful cheerleader I have ever photographed. She is a rare beauty, indeed.
You can see more photos of her here and read more about her on her facebook page.
1. Charger Girl Shelbi Buchholz.
Shelbi is one of my favorite Charger Girls to photograph because she has this wonderful joie de vivre while she dances along the sidelines. I describe her as fun, sexy, flirty, joyful, exuberant, and playful. She has this wonderfully vampish look at times and sometimes she has this wonderful girl next door look…and I don’t know which look I like better (okay…its Shelbi as the vamp). Regardless, she always is pleasure to photograph because she rarely takes a bad or uninteresting photograph. And it doesn’t hurt that she is remarkably good looking with her blonde locks and piercing blue eyes.
Vamp. Temptress. Girl next door. All American girl. Shelbi is all of these and more. And for this, she makes the top of our list of favorite photographs of the year.
Here’s a bonus pic of our golden girl.
2015 was a good year…a very good year.
Well that’s all for now…I don’t know what is ahead in the coming year, but I will endeavor to do my best to photograph the most beautiful cheerleaders in all of professional sports.
Let’s get to know Erika, a third year member of the Ladies of Ontario Fury.
Why did you become a professional cheerleader?
I was given the opportunity to start cheering/dancing at the age of 9, and ever since then I have been fully captivated by the sport! Inspired by a former Clippers Spirit Dancer, it was my dream to perform in front of thousands of people someday & that someday finally is here!
What was your favorite experience as a professional cheerleader?
My favorite experience as a professional cheerleader was being selected to perform on a live television show in India called, “Extraaa Innings” for the Indian Premier Cricket League. It was incredible to be able to take my profession overseas and to perform in front of millions of viewers!
What is your favorite dance style?
I have many different dance styles, but it’s a close tie between hip hop and bachata.
What is your favorite dance move? What is your go to dance move?
When in doubt, Pop Lock & Drop it! The drop split is my go to dance move, and really gets the crowd pumped!
What are the three words that describe you?
Inspirational, Innovative, Adventurous
What is your favorite music genre? Who is your favorite musical artist?
Anything I can dance to is my favorite kind of music! Lately I have been listening to a lot of Bollywood & Bachata music. My favorite music artist is Jennifer Lopez, she is incredible!
What is your guilty pleasure?
Sweeeeeeeeeeeets! Cookies & Milk are my ultimate guilty pleasure snack.
Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? Or some other app.
I’m a very active instagram user, although I don’t like to be on my phone all the time. My favorite app has to be shazam because when I listen to a new song & want to save it to my phone I immediately press the button and SHAZAM the song is saved! It’s also great to see what kind of music is trending in other countries around the world!
Who is the one person that inspires you the most?
The one person who truly inspires me is my mother. My mom is hard working, determined and lets no one bring her down. I often catch myself doing things my mom would do and I am proud to say I am my mothers daughter.
What advice would you tell someone who aspires to become a professional cheerleader?
Keep focused. Especially when it comes down to audition day, go in with a positive attitude and show the judges everything you have worked for all year! There are hundreds of other girls who want that spot on the team, so make it known that you are hungry for it.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
10 years from now I see myself starting new goals, and helping others achieve theirs! I see my current business growing and would love to open more locations overseas in europe! With a great support system, I would love to start a family of my own & be a supermom! I plan on investing in a prestigious dance studio and prep future professional dancers/cheerleaders worldwide! I want to inspire and volunteer my time by hosting students abroad into our community. My ultimate goal is to receive the opportunity to be featured on Tedx or Forbes!
You can meet Erika and the rest of the Ladies of Ontario Fury at their next home game on February 13th at the Citizens Business Bank Arena. For more information about the Ontario Fury, please visit their website here.
[Ladies of Ontario Fury]
[Ladies of Ontario Fury Facebook Page]
