Sports Connection Trivia Update. . .

I just wanted to spread the word that Bright House Sports Network has decided to temporarily forgo taping new trivia segments for the Toyota Sports Connection. We are working on a totally new look and presence for the segment which we hope to launch by the end of the year. So, if you're used to seeing me on there every night and wonder where I ran off to, don't worry. . . I'll be back. . .

Rachel

NEW on TBOD's "Bars & Clubs" ~ Bellini's & O'Maddy's

If you've never hit up Gulfport for a night out, grab a cab and just do it. The whole downtown area of Beach and Shore Blvds is lined with super cool nightspots. One's like O'Maddy's, that you've probably heard of and one's like Bellini's, that are hidden gems. We decided to do two shoots in one night so you could get the real feel of Gulfport. If you wanna dress up? Cool. If not, well, that's cool too.

First off, O'Maddy's stole my heart. So much so, that my friends and I are heading there this weekend to celebrate my birthday. Yeah, it's that kind of place. I dig it big time. The atmosphere is laid back, the staff is cool, drinks are cheap (and stiff!), and the food is off the charts. . . "I'll have the Roast Beef on Kummelweck, please." Oh, and the view of Boca Ciega Bay isn't bad either. So many people have been telling me about this place for so long and yes, I WAS missing out. . . but, not anymore.

After having my fill of O'Maddy's fine grub, we headed a couple of blocks North to Bellini's Tapas y Mas for some of the best drinks in the Bay Area. Yeah, this was a GREAT night out! They're located right behind the La Fogata Churrascaria (same owners) and the Brazilian feel carries over into this hip little lounge. In fact, their specialty is the caipirinha, the national drink of Brazil, which I knew I just had to try. And yep, it was fantastic. Full of fruit and yummy cachaca (watch the show!). They also have out of this world mojitos, martinis, and a world class beer and wine selection. A perfect end to this night out!

Airing now on Tampa Bay On Demand, channel 340!

Until our next night out. . . Rachel

I'm Back in Fashion!!!

Well, kind of. . .

See, back in the day I used to do a little modeling here and there and one of my most favorite things in the world to do was fashion shows. Never anything crazy, just super fun local events here and there and mostly for the most rad fashion designer in the area, Paul Raymond.

For those of you that don't know Paul, you will. He designs one-of-a-kind dresses and status apparel, guaranteed head-turners! Because I love his dresses so much and enjoy being his living Barbie doll, I was honored to accept the invitation to walk for him once again.

So, now that I've plugged Paul and his stellar dresses, check 'em @ The Blue Martini for the "Culture Clash" event. . .

Me and the one and only, Paul Raymond!

NEW on TBOD's "Bars & Clubs" ~ Tommy Bahama Cafe

Tommy Bahama is no longer just about the clothing! The famous retailer is going foodie by opening up Tommy Bahama Cafes nationwide and we just happen to have one right here in our neighborhood! St. Armand's Circle, in Sarasota, houses this super chill bar and eatery with THE BEST MOJITO I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!!! It's called the "pineapple yuzu" and you MUST order it if you go (and if you like mojitos!). What's super cool is that Tommy Bahama has their own brand of rums that they use in their signature drinks, a silver called "White Sand" and a gold called "Golden Sunset." Definitely give them a shot. The food is also outstanding! I didn't have dinner there, but certainly drooled over the menu. I was lucky enough to sample some of the "island time" appetizers (Tommy's happy hour) and was blown away by the flavors, especially the goat cheese plate and the mango bbq chicken lollipops!

I could go on, but suffice it to say that the place was really cool and congrats to Tommy Bahama for a very successful new venture!

Airing now on Tampa Bay On Demand, channel 340!

Me and Mike Reeves, TBOD's "On Dining" host and sporting a sig TB shirt, doing a dual shoot @ Tommy's!

Until our next night out. . . Rachel

NEW on TBOD's "Bars & Clubs" ~ The Undertow

What would summer in St. Pete be without a visit to The Undertow? If you're a local, chances are you've taken in the many "sights" at this popular beachfront spot! The drinks are cheap, stiff, and delicious (just be careful not to lose yours in the "moat" circling the bar!) and they always have great live music. Oh, and the sunsets don't hurt either!

Airing now on Tampa Bay On Demand, channel 340!

Until our next night out. . . Rachel

Hooray!!! My first journalism award!!!

Yeah!!! Roger and I won!!!

The Florida Associated Press Award

"Best Photo Essay"

We didn't win first, but we came in second! We won for our "Dean Guitar Factory" segment and I couldn't be happier because we had so much fun filming and writing it, but at the same time, it was also A LOT of hard work. Here's a link to my Dean Guitar blog post.

They did spell my name wrong, but I'll get over it!

NEW on TBOD's "Big Boys' Toys" ~ Kiteboarding!!!

Last Fall, while I was enjoying a day at Pass-A-Grille beach, I saw two guys doing this in the water . . .

Needless to say, I was totally impressed! So much so in fact, that as soon as I got home, I started doing research to find out what this was all about. I quickly learned that "kiteboarding" or "kitesurfing" as it's called, is the newest & hottest watersport sweeping Florida's beaches. Sounded like a job for Big Boys' Toys to me!!!

So, we hooked up with Watersports West in Largo to get the lowdown on all things kiteboarding. . . the history, the lessons, and the gear. Steve "Steve-O" Visnage, kiteboarding instructor extraordinaire, took me under his wing taught me how to take flight (Aww. . . me so corny!). Although it was a little tough at first, once you get the hang of it, you know exactly why surfers and wakeboarders are diggin' it so much!

Airing now on Tampa Bay On Demand, channel 340!!!

Extra special thanks to Steve-O and Watersports West and for hooking me up with the rockin' board shorts harness!

NEW on TBOD's "Bars & Clubs" ~ The Fox Jazz Club

For decades, Tampa's Fox Jazz Club has been the only place to hear the area's best live jazz bands. Cool cats and sexy kittens gather nightly to dance the night away and sip some highly creative cocktails! In fact, the place just oozes sexiness, so much so that you almost expect James Bond or the Rat Pack to walk in and take a seat. It's just one of those special places that can take you back, even if for just one night, to a time of glitz and glamour. If you enjoy jazz, the music here is eargasmic and I won't get into the food, but oh my. . . the pork chop was otherworldly!

Airing now on Tampa Bay On Demand, channel 340!

Until our next night out. . . Rachel

NEW on TBOD's "Bars & Clubs" ~ Sam's On The Beach

Since the Tampa Bay On Demand viewing area encompasses 7 counties (oh, my!), we've set out to shoot Bars & Clubs in all of them. We know Pinellas and Hillsborough are loaded with options, but here comes Pasco sneaking one in on us! Sam's On the Beach, in Hudson Beach (yes, Hudson has a beach folks and it's mighty pretty too!), is a super cool, laid back beach bar with all the crazy drinks (ie: see the fish bowl beside me?) and live bands you can handle. The night we came, this place was PACKED to the rafters with people having a good time. If you are ever in their neck of the woods, check 'em out!

Now airing on Tampa Bay On Demand, channel 340!

Until our next night out. . . Rachel

NEW on TBOD's "Big Boys' Toys" ~ Hacker Craft Boats

Sometimes an opportunity for a shoot arises that you didn't even know existed. Take Hacker Craft Boats for instance. These handcrafted mahogany speedboats and runarounds were the pleasure boats of the rich and famous in the early 1900's, but went out of production shortly after the Great Depression. The only way to enjoy them as of late, was to restore an antique. But, we got a tip that the Hacker Boat is back in production and we have a proud owner right here in Tampa! They are keeping to tradition by building these boats with the original Hacker blueprints. The only difference??? Added modern technologies like nav and stereo surround systems, turbo engines and infrared devices!!!

I was sooooooo excited to take part in this shoot and even got to drive the boat around myself, which I have to say was the smoothest boat ride I've ever experienced. These boats are indescribably cool and I hope you all enjoy the bit of nostalgia that goes along with it as well. I must mention that Roger (photojournalist extraordinaire!) did a bang up job putting the piece together! Enjoy!!!

Now airing on Tampa Bay On Demand, channel 340!

Happy Memorial Day!

Rachel

NEW on TBOD's "Bars & Clubs" ~ Ferg's Sports Bar

When it came to chosing our first sports bar to feature, the answer was simple. Ferg's !!!

Where else can you be so close to all the Tampa Bay Rays action before, during and after a game??? We showed up to film just before an away game was about to get underway and the place was packed even then! In all honesty, I really just wanted to wear my Rays gear for a shoot and have an exuse to order Rays Punch. . . but beware, it turns your mouth blue!

Check out the full feature on Tampa Bay On Demand, channel 340!

Here are some candids of me and CJ doing our thang'. . .

Until our next night out. . . Rachel

Official Launch of NEW Tampa Bay On Demand "Bars/Clubs" !!!

Yep, it's official!!!

I'm now Tampa Bay On Demand's nightlife host! I'll be bringing you the lowdown on all the hottest nightspots in the area and I am super stoked to have been given this opportunity!

The new "Bars/Clubs" section can be found under the Bay Area Guide category on

Tampa Bay On Demand (channel 340 on Bright House Networks) and we will be adding new segments weekly. It's basically going to be a "library" of the coolest places to go, so we will only keep adding titles, not taking them down. . . unless the place closes for some reason!

These are the titles that are already up:

Jackson's

(Harbour Island, Tampa)

The Cider House

(Downtown St. Pete)

Coyote Ugly

(Ybor City)

The Venue

(St. Pete)

Howl at the Moon

(Tampa)

Molly McHugh's

(Lakeland)

Hurricane Alley

(Lakeland)

Shephard's

(Clearwater Beach)

And coming soon. . . PUSH Ultra Lounge and Sam's on the Beach!

Until our next night out. . . Rachel

P.S. I'm still doing "Big Boys' Toys" features as well! Next up? Hacker Craft Boats and KITEBOARDING!!!

My Birthday with the Stanton Warriors!!!

I've been told on several occasions that I'm absolutely nuts because I actually look forward to my birthday each year. And this year was no exception. In fact, it couldn't get here fast enough because one of my biggest dreams was going to come true. I was going to see Dominic B and Mark Yardley of the Stanton Warriors, my absolute favorite dj's in the world, play LIVE at Club Firestone in Orlando that very weekend.

Now, I know this doesn't really mean much to most people, but just understand that I live on their beats and music. In the car, at home, everyday, I listen to something with the "Stanton sound."

Stanton Warriors = a happy Rachel.

So, how was it??? Lookie here:

~Birthday weekend in Orlando to see the Stanton Warriors @ Club Firestone: $200

~Mackin' on Dominic B after the show: free!

~Being invited to sit on stage and hang with my favorite dj in the world: priceless!

~~~

My pics of Dom & Mark didn't turn out, but here's a couple of photos of them really setting Firestone on fire! Love you guys!!!

Photos taken from s1mg.com.

Listen to the STANTON SOUND!!!

TBOD's Big Boys' Toys "DEAN Guitars"

For a day, Rachel Erikson became Rachel E"rock"son.

Our shoot with the legendary DEAN Guitars in Tampa, let me unleash my inner groupie and revive that headbangin' rocker chick that's been hiding deep inside since the heydays of Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and Motley Crue. Now, if there's one thing I learned about DEAN guitars, it's that they rock. . . . hard!

Their artist list of metal and rock guitarists will make your head spin! Here's just a sample. . . Dimebag Darrell of Pantera, Dave Mustaine of Megadeath, Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains, John Connolly of Sevendust, Leslie West of Mountain and oh, don't forget the spinning white fur guitars of ZZTop!

We met up with Josh Maloney from DEAN Guitars at their factory/warehouse in Tampa to do a shoot focusing on how they make these bad boys from start to finish. It was such a cool process to watch and I think you'll dig it too! And don't miss Pat, DEAN's on-site guitar bad ass and me in our jam session finale. . . let's just say, it gets a little wild!

Here I am with the guitar I fell in love with, a DEAN Razorback 255 DIMESLIME!

I'm telling ya. . . don't miss the jam session!

The official photo of this unbelievable Razorback, click it to learn more!

Here's a pic of me and Josh Maloney. I gotta send out big thanks to him and all the guys at DEAN for treating us so awesome! You guys ROCK!

To visit DEAN's website or to find a dealer near you, click the banner below!

Airing now on Tampa Bay On Demand, channel 340!

Are you ready for some "Lingerie" Football???

With Tampa playing host to Super Bowl IVIII, along with it comes the world famous "alternative" half-time show, the Lingerie Bowl. Yep, hot bodies in sexy skivvies will once again invade the gridiron to play 7 on 7 tackle football for the enjoyment of red-blooded dudes everywhere (and maybe a few dudettes too!). The Lingerie Bowl will be held in downtown Tampa, LIVE during half-time.

The ladies of the Tampa Breeze (one of the 12 Lingerie Football League franchise teams competing to play in the Lingerie Bowl), just held their official kick-off party at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and I was there to cover the action. Hmmm. . . jealous? In fact, I've been designated to cover the ladies all season, so be on the lookout for more features, including practice sessions, leading all the way up to Bowl time!

Look for footage and interviews on Bright House Sports Network(ch. 47) and Tampa Bay On Demand(ch. 340). Click here to meet the team!

Happy viewing!

CJ's one lucky cameraman!!!

For more photos, visit my Flickr page here!

TBOD's Big Boys' Toys "ZENN Electric Car & Vespa Scooters"

With the onset of rising fuel and energy costs, Big Boys' Toys decided to go "GREEN" for the month of August! Our goal is to show you new methods of transportation that are super cool, eco-friendly, and easy on the wallet!

(my "Save The Earth" Meez cartoon!)

We visited the Transportation Station in Clearwater to test drive the 100% electric ZENN car and Vespa Tampa to check out the latest in ultra fuel efficient scooters!

The ZENN (Zero Emissons No Noise) car was super cool and so much fun to drive! It's hard to believe that with a vehicle of that size, all you have to do is plug it in, charge up, and go!

At Vespa Tampa (which is actually in downtown St. Pete), I met up with the owner Michael Wolf and he showed off three scooters that get between 60-90 mpg!!! Hard to believe, but true! He took me for a ride on the MP3 400, a bad to the bone, looks more like a motorcycle than a scooter, 3-wheeled, goes up to 90 mph. . . "scooter." You can tell from these photos that, number one, I'm a dork and two, that I had a good time. . .

Airing now on Tampa Bay On Demand, channel 340!

(video stills Copyright: Bay News 9)

TBOD's Big Boys' Toys "Home Gym Equipment"

Who would have thought that doing a shoot about home gym equipment could be so much fun! Maybe it was the super cool state-of-the-art machines, or the endorphine rush I got from actually working out on camera, or maybe it was gleefully watching Roger (our camera guru) do push-ups on the Power Plate. All in all, good times.

We decided to do the shoot at Gym Source in Tampa mainly because they specialize in the newest, hottest equipment on the market. Hey, the show is Big Boys' Toys. . . no free weights here! We featured the Power Plate, the Expresso Fitness Bike and the Cybex Arc Trainer. I must admit that of the three, the Power Plate absolutely kicked my butt! I vow to never again laugh at "vibration" workouts.

So, to see me break a sweat, head on over to Tampa Bay On Demand, channel 340!

Co-hosting Red Bull Flugtag 2008 for Catch 47

Tampa Bay, are you ready for an afternoon of absolute craziness???

Well, get your fix at the 2008 Red Bull Flugtag!!!

Glen Pla and I will be hosting the event LIVE on Catch 47, so don't miss it!!!

When: Saturday, July 19th 2008

Where: City Park @ the Tampa Convention Center

FREE to the public

Airing on: Catch 47 @12:30pm (channel 47 on Bright House Networks)

Come and watch teams launch their "human-powered" flying machines from a 30-foot platform right into Tampa Bay!

Visit the Red Bull Flugtag 2008 website for more details!

~*~*~*~

Updated: 7-20-08

Two words for Flugtag Tampa Bay. . . CRAZY AWESOME!!!

Despite the grueling heat and the exceptionally long day (4 hours of LIVE coverage!), Glen and I had an absolute blast! Fueled by nothing but Red Bull and Power Bars, we laughed, cracked corny jokes, and laughed some more. How could you not?! The crowd was great, the teams were hilarious, and overall, Tampa Bay's support of this event was just remarkable. Can you believe that over 100,000 people showed up to witness this crazy excuse for a good time! That is a record for Red Bull Flugtag events in the U. S. The most they ever had before was around 80,000. WOW!

Here are some photos of Glen and I in action!

TBOD'S Big Boys' Toys "Gator Paintball" segment

Fear this: Black and army green body armour, electronic marker spitting out 30 hard hitting balls per second, 1 hour of experience in open field combat and let's not forget. . . the blonde ponytail.

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm not fooling anyone. I didn't strike a single drop of fear in the hearts of any of the pros I was up against. But, that's fine by me. My first paintball experience was totally memorable and totally AWESOME!

The guys at Gator Paintball, in Hudson, FL, set me up with the latest baller gear, let me borrow the best marker $$$ can buy, gave me some important safety instructions (so I wouldn't "shoot my eye out"), and then sent me out to battle. They also invited some of their tournament paintballers to come and play a game for us. These guys (and gal!) were serious pros and a little more intimidating than I had expected. All I kept thinking was how they probably couldn't wait to unload those paintballs and blast me into next week.

But, alas, I survived. I hit several times and got hit several times. . . with green paint instead of pink or orange, so fortunately, my favorite camo pants that I wear everywhere will live to see another day. If you are looking for a great stress reliever, a cool day out with friends, or are just super competitive by nature, I highly recommend a joyous day of paint splattering, welt inducing debauchery.

Airing now on Tampa Bay On Demand!

(video stills courtesy of BayNews9.com)