The Mr Caribbean Barbados competition just keeps getting better.
At the Boatyard in The City on Sunday, ten chiselled men competed in challenges of fitness and physique and raised the bar of what could be expected in future shows.
In the fitness segment, contestants Damian Clarke, Jamar Clarke, Antonio France, Kenrick Haynes, Cary Holder, Jason Layne, Mario Mcalister, Mekey Pope, Kevin Smith and Corey Weithers battled in a kayak race, an obstacle course and a tractor tyre flip race.
The four competitors with the best times then faced off in the Hercules Hold challenge, where they took turns holding two pillars – approximately 15 feet tall and as thick and heavy as telephone poles – designed to fall outward and literally stretch the competitors to their limit.
In the physique portion, competitors went through a series of onstage poses where they were evaluated on muscle tone, symmetry, attitude and appearance by a panel of judges.
However, the biggest challenge was playing to the crowd, which largely comprised of women who were there to see a Chippendales-like show.
The men pulled out all the stops and did not disappoint. They put on themed performances and played roles such as those of a pharaoh, a construction worker, a soldier, and more. Their routines included kisses blown to the audience, flips, imaginative props and a healthy dose of crowd-pleasing wukkin up.
In the end, Corey Weithers emerged as the victor. Weithers gave an impressive display of strength and durability in the fitness category and lasted much longer than all others in the Hercules Hold.
In the physique category, Weithers’ muscular frame and kung fu themed performance – complete with high-flying kicks – earned him some well-deserved points and a strong crowd response.
Having also won the People’s Choice online poll, Weithers amassed enough points to secure the win.
“This feels great. I put in the hard work for the past three months and I came with a plan and everything went according to plan,” said Weithers.
He now gets an all-expenses paid trip to Jamaica where he will represent Barbados at the Mr Caribbean International competition.
By many accounts, the organization of the competition and the showmanship were the best seen in the show’s three-year existence. Franchise holder Evy Bentham said credit had to be given to the event’s management.
“Everything went off without a hitch. People may feel it’s Evy get all this do, but it’s all the volunteers.”
Bentham said he was also grateful for all the sponsors because “this competition is done on a shoestring budget and a beg and a prayer”.
Still, despite a very entertained audience, there was some minor controversy as spectators questioned some of the time placement results. But Bentham said that was to be expected.
“In every competition, people question things they don’t understand, So I always strive for transparency. If something goes wrong, I’ll correct it.”
“The men really stepped up their game and took the show to another level. They did it of their own initiative and the audience would’ve appreciated that,” he said. “The show is growing in popularity and it’s growing in favour.”
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