70°F
weather icon Windy
Boulder City, NV
Opinion

Potential for adventure in city gets real

More Stories
bcr default image
Not on my turf
bcr default image
I-11 is NOT the Autobahn
bcr default image
New law shapes golf course design
bcr default image
For some it’s like saying goodbye to an old friend
By Tanya Vece TBT with Tanya
January 17, 2018 - 3:13 pm
 

Reality TV and Boulder City are starting to become a common thing. Recently, the HGTV show “Flip or Flop Vegas” filmed in our quaint town, with an episode promised to air this upcoming summer. However, the likes of Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe) and Gear Duran aka Gear Boxxx (“Skin Wars”) have had Boulder City ties for sometime now.

Duran lives in Boulder City. I have the pleasure of exchanging Hollywood stories and realizing common connections with him often as we wait for our morning caffeine fix at the local Starbucks. Duran is an airbrush and digital artist with a background in digital illustration and computer art since the late 1990s. He spent a lot of time working in Hollywood for years before the tables turned and he became the center of attention for “Skin Wars,” which was hosted by Rebecca Romijn and RuPaul. Duran’s artwork has also been featured on the cover of a Las Vegas weekly magazine.

Duran told me he moved to Boulder City for a job related to art, but his renowned work is also popular within the Vegas convention scene. He utilizes his talents and eye for detail to build props and create body paint themes for service industry professionals. His artistic creations extend past normal convention services to help spice up nightclub events, private parties and commercial work.

If you ever see Duran in Starbucks, by all means stop him and say hi. He is always happy to chat about his time on “Skin Wars” and his latest art endeavors, as well as his favorite parts of living in Boulder City.

More notorious, and not so family-friendly, was the creation of one of the world’s most sought after XXX videos involving drummer Lee, actress-model Pam Anderson and Lake Mead.

This explicit video was distributed on the crest of reality television’s boom, and the then-married couple’s real honeymoon on Lake Mead gained an outstanding amount of international headlines. According to Entertainment Weekly, “Web entrepreneurs hawked a hard-core tape of the pair’s 1995 Lake Mead vacation (some called it a publicity stunt; the duo said it was stolen).” The intrigue and interest of the man-made, beautiful lake that sits in our own backyard was overshadowed by Lee and Anderson’s controversial antics.

On the positive side, his reality TV video on Lake Mead with Anderson wasn’t Lee’s first visit through Boulder City.

Lee has been coming through Boulder City to visit and wakeboard at Lake Mead for more than two decades. On WakeWorld.com there are photos, as well as an interesting interview, with Lee wakeboarding at Lake Mead. Further, the interview discusses how some of Lee’s music (outside of Mötley Crüe) is utilized in an early 2001 wakeboarding DVD titled “The Faction.”

Reality TV, regardless of the format, has become a major part of our society’s viewing life. And it only makes sense that Boulder City, like with major motion pictures, plays a starring role within this genre.

From artist contestants who live here to national exposure by way of HGTV focusing on our historic homes, to its ties to one of the most notorious rock ‘n’ roll bands on Earth having its members spend time here, reality TV is another vessel to help market all of the potential fun and adventure that come with living in or visiting Boulder City.

Tanya Vece is an entertainment and music writer who resides and volunteers in Boulder City. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @hollywoodwriter.

THE LATEST
bcr default image
Not on my turf
By Rod Woodbury

In early April, the City Council heard a presentation by Lage Design about staff’s recommended option to remove 35% of the turf at the Boulder City Municipal Golf Course.

bcr default image
I-11 is NOT the Autobahn
By Boulder City Police Department

When the I-11 highway opened almost six years ago, it alleviated much of the heavy traffic congestion through Boulder City. But this beautiful expanse of open road brought with it a sense that “opening up” and putting the pedal to the metal is OK. It’s not.

bcr default image
New law shapes golf course design

I like golf. While I was in college, I decided to take a class in golf – you could call it a “golf course” course. I figured it would be a great way to relax, enjoy nature, and (maybe) boost my grade point average at the same time! For a semester, I learned the basics: how to drive, chip, putt. It was enjoyable. Many of my classmates that semester had been golfing for years. They were better than me, but I was determined to get a good grade out of the class.

bcr default image
The art of communication in consciousness

For Memorial Day I am exploring human consciousness with you. Many misunderstandings have been fought over the lack of a mutual perspective among the parties involved. What better gift is there than one that assists in the art of communication? My work in formulating the discipline of Aquarian Theosophy has led me to the following understanding of humanities’ reality; consciousness is the basis of understanding.

bcr default image
Alumni events, marriage and a real Nazi
By Bill Evans Boulder City Review

Ron’s column from a few weeks ago inspired me to tell a story about a weird event from my past. Mine is not as exciting as his in that there is no wrestler named Silo Sam. But there is at least one Nazi. And, no, not the current “I disagree with your politics so you are a Nazi” version. An actual card-carrying member of the party.

bcr default image
Las Vegas Veterans’ Memorial to Boulder City?

Veterans’ memorials can be found all over the Silver State. They are well deserved. They honor individuals who served the nation, and also commemorate battles and events regarding the many military anniversaries in Nevada.

bcr default image
City manager bids fond farewell
By Ron Eland Boulder City Review

I may be leaving Boulder City, but it was not an easy decision. From the first time I came in and met the staff and community leaders, I saw a city filled with people who truly care about where they live and work. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to work with some incredible people.

bcr default image
Is the grass always greener?
Eric Lundgaard

Many people in the past played a golf game to cement a business deal, didn’t they? They also played golf to socialize. Has Boulder City recognized lessening play on golf courses? Or, from another perspective, what happens when million-dollar homes are placed around our open space golf course with views of the McCullough Mountains? Do fewer people play golf on the Boulder Creek golf course?