LED Daytime Running Lights
The distinctive LED daytime running lights* aren’t just an aesthetic choice. The exceptionally bright bulbs are designed to last for the entire life of the vehicle, and draw much less power, thus improving fuel efficiency.
Full-Length Panorama Sunroof
The Audi Q5’s unique Panorama Sunroof * extends across the full length of the vehicle, giving everyone inside a beautiful view, no matter where they’re sitting. Efficient FSI V6 Engine
The FSI V6 engine features the Audi valvelift timing system for truly impressive fuel economy. Yet with 270 hp and the traction of quattro® permanent all-wheel drive, it also has the ability to launch you from 0 -100 in a mere 7.1 seconds.‡
Audi Drive Select
With Audi Drive Select,† you can change the driving dynamics of your vehicle, at the push of a button, to one of three settings: Auto, Comfort, or Dynamic. A fourth Individual settingΔ allows you to completely tailor your vehicle’s driving characteristics.
Bang & Olufsen® Sound System†
The incredibly powerful 505-watt, 14-speaker system includes a centre speaker, subwoofer, and amplifier. Combined with the ability to connect your iPod® or USB device through the Audi Music Interface,* and you have every audiophile’s dream.
© 2009 Audi Canada. *Optional equipment on standard model, standard equipment on Premium model. †Optional equipment only available on Premium model. ‡Please drive safely and obey speed limits. ΔIndividual setting on Audi Drive Select only available in conjunction with Navigation Plus Package. Navigation Plus Package only available on Premium model. European model 2009 Audi Q5 quattro shown with optional equipment. Audi Q5 3.2 FSI quattro, base MSRP of a new 2009 base model Audi Q5 with 6-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission is $43,400. Excludes up to $800 freight, up to $2,345 PDI, license, insurance, registration, any dealer or other charges, options and other applicable taxes are extra. “Audi”, “Audi Q5”, “Audi Drive Select”, “FSI”, “quattro”, “Vorsprung durch Technik”, and the four rings emblem are registered trademarks of AUDI AG. “Bang & Olufsen” is a registered trademark of Bang & Olufsen A/S. “iPod” is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. To find out more about Audi, visit your dealer or call 1-800-FOR-AUDI.
Just because it holds a lot, doesn’t mean it should resemble a box. Introducing the Audi Q5.
LED Daytime Running Lights
The distinctive LED daytime running lights* aren’t just an aesthetic choice. The exceptionally bright bulbs are designed to last for the entire life of the vehicle, and draw much less power, thus improving fuel efficiency.
Full-Length Panorama Sunroof
The Audi Q5’s unique Panorama Sunroof * extends across the full length of the vehicle, giving everyone inside a beautiful view, no matter where they’re sitting. Efficient FSI V6 Engine
The FSI V6 engine features the Audi valvelift timing system for truly impressive fuel economy. Yet with 270 hp and the traction of quattro® permanent all-wheel drive, it also has the ability to launch you from 0 -100 in a mere 7.1 seconds.‡
Audi Drive Select
With Audi Drive Select,† you can change the driving dynamics of your vehicle, at the push of a button, to one of three settings: Auto, Comfort, or Dynamic. A fourth Individual settingΔ allows you to completely tailor your vehicle’s driving characteristics.
Bang & Olufsen® Sound System†
The incredibly powerful 505-watt, 14-speaker system includes a centre speaker, subwoofer, and amplifier. Combined with the ability to connect your iPod® or USB device through the Audi Music Interface,* and you have every audiophile’s dream.
© 2009 Audi Canada. *Optional equipment on standard model, standard equipment on Premium model. †Optional equipment only available on Premium model. ‡Please drive safely and obey speed limits. ΔIndividual setting on Audi Drive Select only available in conjunction with Navigation Plus Package. Navigation Plus Package only available on Premium model. European model 2009 Audi Q5 quattro shown with optional equipment. Audi Q5 3.2 FSI quattro, base MSRP of a new 2009 base model Audi Q5 with 6-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission is $43,400. Excludes up to $800 freight, up to $2,345 PDI, license, insurance, registration, any dealer or other charges, options and other applicable taxes are extra. “Audi”, “Audi Q5”, “Audi Drive Select”, “FSI”, “quattro”, “Vorsprung durch Technik”, and the four rings emblem are registered trademarks of AUDI AG. “Bang & Olufsen” is a registered trademark of Bang & Olufsen A/S. “iPod” is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. To find out more about Audi, visit your dealer or call 1-800-FOR-AUDI.
Just because it holds a lot, doesn’t mean it should resemble a box. Introducing the Audi Q5.
o n d i s c e r n i n g ta s t e
OYSTERS B e s t o r d e r e d i n m o n t h s that contain the letter ‘R’ and always best when local,
bracingly fresh and shared with the table. Sauces and garnish are a matter of personal preference but are best used sparingly. When accompanied by an icy shot, straight up, oysters are a wildly delicious way to satisfy the cocktail hour.
o n d i s c e r n i n g ta s t e
OYSTERS B e s t o r d e r e d i n m o n t h s that contain the letter ‘R’ and always best when local,
bracingly fresh and shared with the table. Sauces and garnish are a matter of personal preference but are best used sparingly. When accompanied by an icy shot, straight up, oysters are a wildly delicious way to satisfy the cocktail hour.
COOL EFFEC T BLAZER
COOL EFFEC T BLAZER
APRIL/MAY 2009 letter from the editor
Old-School Arthur La Fave’s life wasn’t so much defined by The Great
MICHAEL LA FAVE Editorial and Creative Director letters@contempomedia.ca
Depression as guided by it. Suffice it to say my grandfather was cheap. Not because he valued material possessions or money in themselves, rather it was because he had faced the prospect of not being able to afford the most basic of necessities. Like food. Even at 87, the hardships of his youth were never far from his mind. He also worked a lot harder to make a living than most anyone these days has to. That’s not to say that we don’t all work hard, it’s just not hard work. Not in the way sifting for gold is hard work, logging camps are hard work or working in manufacturing before any meaningful labour reform was hard work. He built his own house at night while working a day job and lived in the basement with his wife and infant son, my father, until the first and second floors were finished. If there was a mortgage, there certainly wasn’t much of one and definitely nothing like the debt load that has turned into a global economic apocalypse. Managed debt? Hardly. I’ve been thinking about how to balance my own expectations and ambitions with what I can actually, realistically, afford and/or accomplish. I wonder if my grandfather ever did the same. I don’t think so. He was rightfully proud of what he accomplished in life, but didn’t appear to yearn for material wealth. I have a photograph of my grandparents that I think best captures their spirit and the values of a bygone era. It was taken in their backyard and they, along with another couple, were enjoying a picnic. They were dressed to the nines. So proper, so dignified. They were all dolled up for what so few would even put a pair of pants on for these days. They felt fortunate to be with friends and to be able to enjoy a comfortable if not opulent life. Our recent brush with the mere concept of depression has heightened my awareness of the things that matter most but has also cut the bullshit concerning products that are more faddish than enduring. Though there’s far more to Sharp and living well than stuff, we put together our Guide to Classic Living to highlight some things that rely on quality and craftsmanship rather than marketing spin. They are all things that my grandfather and his generation would have respected even if they couldn’t afford them.
© 2009 Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. Porsche recommends seatbelt usage and observance of all traffic laws at all times.
editor’s selection
“I could tell you more but I’d have to kill you.” Rose Byrne, page 24
"People hated the word ten years ago, but my food really is a “fusion.” The world is a “fusion” place." Chef Jean-George Vongerichten, page 30
"Let’s be honest, I struggled for five years on the Canadian Tour and the Asian Tour. I struggled all over the world." Mike Weir, page 46
"Ever pet a manta ray before?"
Don’t forget to breathe.
The Island Way, page 68
"The unlikeliness of his ascendancy has found resonance well beyond the confines of any single ethnic group or national boundary." The Obama Effect, page 90
10 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
For more information visit www.porsche.ca
It’s a product of open-minded thinking: Porsche’s Direct Fuel Injection system (DFI) injects gasoline directly into the combustion chamber with pinpoint precision. This controlled combustion generates more power and higher torque, while simultaneously reducing fuel consumption. So we can all breathe a little easier. Breathe life into your own Boxster at Porsche.ca.
The new Boxster S is here.
APRIL/MAY 2009 letter from the editor
Old-School Arthur La Fave’s life wasn’t so much defined by The Great
MICHAEL LA FAVE Editorial and Creative Director letters@contempomedia.ca
Depression as guided by it. Suffice it to say my grandfather was cheap. Not because he valued material possessions or money in themselves, rather it was because he had faced the prospect of not being able to afford the most basic of necessities. Like food. Even at 87, the hardships of his youth were never far from his mind. He also worked a lot harder to make a living than most anyone these days has to. That’s not to say that we don’t all work hard, it’s just not hard work. Not in the way sifting for gold is hard work, logging camps are hard work or working in manufacturing before any meaningful labour reform was hard work. He built his own house at night while working a day job and lived in the basement with his wife and infant son, my father, until the first and second floors were finished. If there was a mortgage, there certainly wasn’t much of one and definitely nothing like the debt load that has turned into a global economic apocalypse. Managed debt? Hardly. I’ve been thinking about how to balance my own expectations and ambitions with what I can actually, realistically, afford and/or accomplish. I wonder if my grandfather ever did the same. I don’t think so. He was rightfully proud of what he accomplished in life, but didn’t appear to yearn for material wealth. I have a photograph of my grandparents that I think best captures their spirit and the values of a bygone era. It was taken in their backyard and they, along with another couple, were enjoying a picnic. They were dressed to the nines. So proper, so dignified. They were all dolled up for what so few would even put a pair of pants on for these days. They felt fortunate to be with friends and to be able to enjoy a comfortable if not opulent life. Our recent brush with the mere concept of depression has heightened my awareness of the things that matter most but has also cut the bullshit concerning products that are more faddish than enduring. Though there’s far more to Sharp and living well than stuff, we put together our Guide to Classic Living to highlight some things that rely on quality and craftsmanship rather than marketing spin. They are all things that my grandfather and his generation would have respected even if they couldn’t afford them.
© 2009 Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. Porsche recommends seatbelt usage and observance of all traffic laws at all times.
editor’s selection
“I could tell you more but I’d have to kill you.” Rose Byrne, page 24
"People hated the word ten years ago, but my food really is a “fusion.” The world is a “fusion” place." Chef Jean-George Vongerichten, page 30
"Let’s be honest, I struggled for five years on the Canadian Tour and the Asian Tour. I struggled all over the world." Mike Weir, page 46
"Ever pet a manta ray before?"
Don’t forget to breathe.
The Island Way, page 68
"The unlikeliness of his ascendancy has found resonance well beyond the confines of any single ethnic group or national boundary." The Obama Effect, page 90
10 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
For more information visit www.porsche.ca
It’s a product of open-minded thinking: Porsche’s Direct Fuel Injection system (DFI) injects gasoline directly into the combustion chamber with pinpoint precision. This controlled combustion generates more power and higher torque, while simultaneously reducing fuel consumption. So we can all breathe a little easier. Breathe life into your own Boxster at Porsche.ca.
The new Boxster S is here.
TOC
APRIL/MAY 2009
Features
Elegance is an attitude Andre Agassi
46
50
68
78
84
35
46
50
68
Peak Performance
Mike Weir
Classic Living
Bahamas
74
78
84
Mel Ramos
Hey Mr. Rain
Automotive
Ramos has spent his career painting nude women riding hippos. Words of wisdom from a true pop idol.
Becoming the most successful golfer in Canadian history might be enough for some, but Mike Weir has bigger plans.
Equal parts Lou Reed and Fred Astaire, these spring raincoats are classics with a hint of danger.
12 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
Inspired by a time when quallity, durability and craftsmanship were paramount: Sharp's guide to living a classic life.
Spectacular beaches and lavish casinos make this archipelago a tourist's paradise.The only problem is coming home.
Drop your top! This crop of new convertibles make us wonder why anyone wanted a roof on a car in the first place.
Longines supports the Andre Agassi Foundation
The Longines Master Collection
www.longines.com
We all do the best we can. But we can all do better. Sharp's MANual to peak performance in body, mind and soul.
TOC
APRIL/MAY 2009
Features
Elegance is an attitude Andre Agassi
46
50
68
78
84
35
46
50
68
Peak Performance
Mike Weir
Classic Living
Bahamas
74
78
84
Mel Ramos
Hey Mr. Rain
Automotive
Ramos has spent his career painting nude women riding hippos. Words of wisdom from a true pop idol.
Becoming the most successful golfer in Canadian history might be enough for some, but Mike Weir has bigger plans.
Equal parts Lou Reed and Fred Astaire, these spring raincoats are classics with a hint of danger.
12 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
Inspired by a time when quallity, durability and craftsmanship were paramount: Sharp's guide to living a classic life.
Spectacular beaches and lavish casinos make this archipelago a tourist's paradise.The only problem is coming home.
Drop your top! This crop of new convertibles make us wonder why anyone wanted a roof on a car in the first place.
Longines supports the Andre Agassi Foundation
The Longines Master Collection
www.longines.com
We all do the best we can. But we can all do better. Sharp's MANual to peak performance in body, mind and soul.
cadillac.gm.ca
*4 years or 80,000 km, whichever comes first. See dealer for conditions and details.
Regulars
EDITORIAL
Michael La Fave editorial and creative director Paul Koziorowski art director
26
30
32
Jeremy Freed managing editor Leo Petaccia associate editor
24
34
44
90
Brigitte Foisy style editor Roslyn Costanzo associate style editor Theresa Quick associate style editor Mark Teo editorial intern Contributing writers Barry Barnett, Carol Besler Steven Bochenek, Rod Cleaver, Todd Coyne, Mike Dojc, Carson Edwards, Alex Hughes, Paul Johnston, Dylan Young
18
22
24
People & Places
The Guide
Rose Byrne
We like a good party as much as the next fellow.
The Bluetooth headset that won’t make you look like a sci-fi extra.
The sexy psycho from Damages talks about her new film, Knowing.
Contributing photographers Darryl Augustine, Jimmy Hamelin, Shane Mahood, Mario Miotti, Richard Phibbs, Robert Watson, Eric Williams Letters to the editor We crave third-party validation, so write us at letters@contempomedia.ca.
26
28
30
48 hours: Paris
Music
Food
We spend the weekend eating, drinking, shopping, and avoiding the Louvre.
Five new Canadian albums that you need to hear.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten introduces us to his new Vancouver eatery.
31
32
33
Health
Style
Grooming
The skinny on omega-3s, your new favourite fats.
What to look for in the perfect suit, plus how to dress like Obama.
Aftershaves. Yes you do need them. Here’s why.
ADVERTISING John McGouran sales director 416-258-8538 john.mcgouran@contempomedia.ca Carlos Herranz senior account manager 416-854-3619 carlos@contempomedia.ca
Membership Applied for March 2009
media inc
34
43
44
Sex
Books
Cameras
Foreplay: do women need it, or just want it?
Modern classics you may not have read (but really ought to).
Four prime lens cameras to put your point-andshoot to shame.
45
90
Slim Tech
Informer
Here’s the bad news: your old tech is fat. Slim toys for your next upgrade.
Has Obamamania gone too far? Dylan Young on why hope has balls.
14 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
Sharp is published six times per year by Contempo Media Inc. No part of this publication may be copied or reprinted without the written consent of the publisher. Annual subscription rate: $20 Canadian plus applicable taxes. To subscribe, visit www.Sharpformen.com. Sharp welcomes pitches and submissions from writers: submissions@contempomedia.ca. We have 3-month internship opportunities in editorial and marketing. These are unpaid positions. Please send your resume to resumes@contempomedia.ca. Contempo Media Inc. 370 Queen’s Quay West, Suite 203 Toronto, ON M5V 3J3 416-591-0093 Volume 2, Issue 1, April/May 2009
IT SAYS ‘YOU’VE ARRIVED’ BUT WE DON’T EXPECT THAT YOU’LL STAY IN ONE PLACE TOO LONG.
John McGouran publisher
Tested and ‘tuned’ at the world-renowned Nürburgring in Germany. Car and Driver 2009 10Best, 2 years running. Ward’s AutoWorld 2009 10 Best Engines. Available with Cadillac’s advanced AWD system. Standard Cadillac Owner Privileges with No Charge Scheduled Maintenance.*
TOC
APRIL/MAY 2009
cadillac.gm.ca
*4 years or 80,000 km, whichever comes first. See dealer for conditions and details.
Regulars
EDITORIAL
Michael La Fave editorial and creative director Paul Koziorowski art director
26
30
32
Jeremy Freed managing editor Leo Petaccia associate editor
24
34
44
90
Brigitte Foisy style editor Roslyn Costanzo associate style editor Theresa Quick associate style editor Mark Teo editorial intern Contributing writers Barry Barnett, Carol Besler Steven Bochenek, Rod Cleaver, Todd Coyne, Mike Dojc, Carson Edwards, Alex Hughes, Paul Johnston, Dylan Young
18
22
24
People & Places
The Guide
Rose Byrne
We like a good party as much as the next fellow.
The Bluetooth headset that won’t make you look like a sci-fi extra.
The sexy psycho from Damages talks about her new film, Knowing.
Contributing photographers Darryl Augustine, Jimmy Hamelin, Shane Mahood, Mario Miotti, Richard Phibbs, Robert Watson, Eric Williams Letters to the editor We crave third-party validation, so write us at letters@contempomedia.ca.
26
28
30
48 hours: Paris
Music
Food
We spend the weekend eating, drinking, shopping, and avoiding the Louvre.
Five new Canadian albums that you need to hear.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten introduces us to his new Vancouver eatery.
31
32
33
Health
Style
Grooming
The skinny on omega-3s, your new favourite fats.
What to look for in the perfect suit, plus how to dress like Obama.
Aftershaves. Yes you do need them. Here’s why.
ADVERTISING John McGouran sales director 416-258-8538 john.mcgouran@contempomedia.ca Carlos Herranz senior account manager 416-854-3619 carlos@contempomedia.ca
Membership Applied for March 2009
media inc
34
43
44
Sex
Books
Cameras
Foreplay: do women need it, or just want it?
Modern classics you may not have read (but really ought to).
Four prime lens cameras to put your point-andshoot to shame.
45
90
Slim Tech
Informer
Here’s the bad news: your old tech is fat. Slim toys for your next upgrade.
Has Obamamania gone too far? Dylan Young on why hope has balls.
14 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
Sharp is published six times per year by Contempo Media Inc. No part of this publication may be copied or reprinted without the written consent of the publisher. Annual subscription rate: $20 Canadian plus applicable taxes. To subscribe, visit www.Sharpformen.com. Sharp welcomes pitches and submissions from writers: submissions@contempomedia.ca. We have 3-month internship opportunities in editorial and marketing. These are unpaid positions. Please send your resume to resumes@contempomedia.ca. Contempo Media Inc. 370 Queen’s Quay West, Suite 203 Toronto, ON M5V 3J3 416-591-0093 Volume 2, Issue 1, April/May 2009
IT SAYS ‘YOU’VE ARRIVED’ BUT WE DON’T EXPECT THAT YOU’LL STAY IN ONE PLACE TOO LONG.
John McGouran publisher
Tested and ‘tuned’ at the world-renowned Nürburgring in Germany. Car and Driver 2009 10Best, 2 years running. Ward’s AutoWorld 2009 10 Best Engines. Available with Cadillac’s advanced AWD system. Standard Cadillac Owner Privileges with No Charge Scheduled Maintenance.*
TOC
APRIL/MAY 2009
ONLINE
SHARPFORMEN.COM Mel Ramos "Pamela Anderson showed up in a stretch limo in front of my house, with her hairdresser and makeup artist. That’s not usual for the models that I use, but she showed up and she spent about 20 minutes getting her face all made up and then she whipped into these poses..." More of Mel’s legendary nudes plus video of the interview online.
WIN
$2500 in
ZEGNA SPORT SUMMER ATTIRE Sign up to be a Sharp Insider At sharpformen.com for your chance to win
Wes Williams While Maestro Fresh Wes may have retired from his backbone-sliding ways sometime in the early 90s, Wes Williams hasn’t missed a beat. Sharp catches up with Williams, Canadian rap icon-turned actor, to discuss his new series, The Line, his forthcoming autobiography and the music industry.
Sharp Woman: Sprague Grayden While you may have seen her on Weeds and Sons of Anarchy, Sprague Grayden hits the big big time this year with her role on the new season of 24. Grayden talks to Sharp about sharing the screen with Jack Bauer, the delicacies of dying on camera, and the correct way to pronounce her name (Hint: you’re doing it wrong).
I NT RO DU C IN G BL A C K † BR OW N 18 2 6
CF 150: The Pirate Hunters Somewhere in the Gulf of Aden, colloquially known as “Pirate’s Alley,” an elite group of international commandos patrols the sea. Their task: find and disarm the modern-day buccaneers who have turned the Gulf into one of the deadliest places in the world. Sharp talks to the soldiers of CF 150 and their Canadian commander about the perils of battling international piracy.
Look sharp this summer with the Zegna Sport collection - a fusion of sport-inspired design, urban style and advanced materials. Hidden features and cutting edge innovations improve the functionality and appearance of this season’s exciting new line. High-tech meets high-fashion for the man that balances a sporty and refined lifestyle.
Special Thanks to Graydon Hall Manor “Graydon House” was built in 1936 as the home of prominent Ontario industrialist H.R. Bain. The 29-room Georgian manor, with its heavy fieldstone walls and dark wood panels, was the perfect setting for this month’s classic fashion shoot. Graydon Hall Manor now operates as a reception facility, hosting corporate meetings, product launches, galas, fundraisers and private parties. For more information, visit www.graydonhall.com. 16 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
www.Sharpformen.com No purchase necessary. Contest valid from April 14, 2009 to June 7, 2009. There are two prizes available to be won with a total approximate retail value of $3,100.00 CAD. Odds of winning a prize depend upon the number of eligible entries received for each prize. Potential winners must correctly answer a time-limited, skill-testing question. Open to all legal residents of Canada, excluding Quebec, who have reached the age of majority. Limit one entry per person for each prize. For complete contest rules, visit www.sharpformen.com.
EXC LUSIV ELY AT THE BAY
ONLINE
SHARPFORMEN.COM Mel Ramos "Pamela Anderson showed up in a stretch limo in front of my house, with her hairdresser and makeup artist. That’s not usual for the models that I use, but she showed up and she spent about 20 minutes getting her face all made up and then she whipped into these poses..." More of Mel’s legendary nudes plus video of the interview online.
WIN
$2500 in
ZEGNA SPORT SUMMER ATTIRE Sign up to be a Sharp Insider At sharpformen.com for your chance to win
Wes Williams While Maestro Fresh Wes may have retired from his backbone-sliding ways sometime in the early 90s, Wes Williams hasn’t missed a beat. Sharp catches up with Williams, Canadian rap icon-turned actor, to discuss his new series, The Line, his forthcoming autobiography and the music industry.
Sharp Woman: Sprague Grayden While you may have seen her on Weeds and Sons of Anarchy, Sprague Grayden hits the big big time this year with her role on the new season of 24. Grayden talks to Sharp about sharing the screen with Jack Bauer, the delicacies of dying on camera, and the correct way to pronounce her name (Hint: you’re doing it wrong).
I NT RO DU C IN G BL A C K † BR OW N 18 2 6
CF 150: The Pirate Hunters Somewhere in the Gulf of Aden, colloquially known as “Pirate’s Alley,” an elite group of international commandos patrols the sea. Their task: find and disarm the modern-day buccaneers who have turned the Gulf into one of the deadliest places in the world. Sharp talks to the soldiers of CF 150 and their Canadian commander about the perils of battling international piracy.
Look sharp this summer with the Zegna Sport collection - a fusion of sport-inspired design, urban style and advanced materials. Hidden features and cutting edge innovations improve the functionality and appearance of this season’s exciting new line. High-tech meets high-fashion for the man that balances a sporty and refined lifestyle.
Special Thanks to Graydon Hall Manor “Graydon House” was built in 1936 as the home of prominent Ontario industrialist H.R. Bain. The 29-room Georgian manor, with its heavy fieldstone walls and dark wood panels, was the perfect setting for this month’s classic fashion shoot. Graydon Hall Manor now operates as a reception facility, hosting corporate meetings, product launches, galas, fundraisers and private parties. For more information, visit www.graydonhall.com. 16 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
www.Sharpformen.com No purchase necessary. Contest valid from April 14, 2009 to June 7, 2009. There are two prizes available to be won with a total approximate retail value of $3,100.00 CAD. Odds of winning a prize depend upon the number of eligible entries received for each prize. Potential winners must correctly answer a time-limited, skill-testing question. Open to all legal residents of Canada, excluding Quebec, who have reached the age of majority. Limit one entry per person for each prize. For complete contest rules, visit www.sharpformen.com.
EXC LUSIV ELY AT THE BAY
PEOPLE & PLACES visit
www.sharpformen.com
for
online
event
coverage
We like a good party as much as the next fellow. Here are a few of the places we’ve been in the last few months, and some of the people we met there.
Raptors party for a cause
New Roller revealed in N.Y.
The Toronto Raptors players, coaches and management teamed up for a great cause in March at their annual Raptors Foundation for Kids' Red Party, presented this year by Rogers. The occasion allowed basketball fans the unique opportunity to meet and mingle with the Raptors team, while raising money for the Raptors Foundation to refurbish a basketball court in Regent Park, provide post-secondary scholarships and contribute to hundreds of Ontario charities that benefit at-risk youth. Attendees had a chance to participate in the Red Party’s raffle for exclusive items, including a framed, team-signed Raptors black jersey and a dinner for 20 with celebrity guests, including Raptors player Andrea Bargnani and Raptors Senior Vice-President of basketball operations Maurizio Gherardini at Grano Restaurant. Since the team’s inception in 1995, the Raptors Foundation for Kids has raised over $17 million and supported over 5,500 children’s charities.
Sharp was part of a select group of media invited to Manhattan for the North American premiere of the Rolls-Royce 200EX. The 200EX is officially an experimental vehicle that previews a production model expected in early 2010. Don’t let the "experimental" moniker fool you, however, as the 200EX is 99.9% accurate to the final production car. Smaller in every dimension than the megabuck Phantom, the 200EX is still a stately car with commanding presence. As Rolls-Royce Motorcars chief executive Tom Purves told Sharp, “You can’t help but arrive in a Rolls-Royce,” and the 200EX is no exception. Rolls figures that this more manageable offering is likely to be the equivalent to a business suit, versus the Phantom’s role as a tuxedo. It turns out that Rolls-Royce owners have, on average, seven cars, and they like to use them for different activities and occasions— the 200EX being more ideally suited to a daily driver than the range-topping Phantom.
A special raffle for one of 20 Limited Edition Concord C1 Toronto Black Worldtimer watches, designed by Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo in collaboration with Concord, also took place. With a retail value of $21,000, the watch made its debut at the Red Party. The remaining 19 watches are available for sale at Classic Creations (www.classiccreations.ca). A percentage of each watch sold will benefit the Raptors Foundation for Kids.
Given that the 200EX is the Rolls that you’re most likely to be driving yourself around in, it’s a good thing that it has more than adequate power under its long hood. The new 6.6-litre, twin-turbocharged V12 promises over 500-hp, but more important will be its prodigious low-end torque, delivering classic Rolls-Royce “waftability.” Equipped with an 8-speed automatic gearbox, it even promises class-leading fuel efficiency.
CONTROL POWER
From left to right: Daniel Freiberg, Vincent Perriard, Sam Freiberg, Chris Bosh, Shari Freiberg, Ami Freiberg, Jordan Freiberg.
The most powerful Acura ever built. The all-new 2009 Acura TL with SH-AWD.® Introducing the all-new 2009 SH-AWD Acura TL. The revolutionary Super Handling All-Wheel DriveTM system produces unparalleled control of the V-6 engine’s formidable 305 horsepower, giving you exceptional handling and unwavering confidence in any condition. Using advanced sensors, the system even accelerates For full details and more images of the Concord C1 Worldtimer, visit Sharpformen.com
18 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
Be the first to see video footage of the new 200EX, plus an interview with its designer at Sharpformen.com
photos: ron turenne (raptors party)
the outside rear wheel through tight curves, resulting in exhilarating, razor-sharp cornering. The 2009 SH-AWD Acura TL. Stirring performance plus advanced technology. Visit acura.ca for more information.
PEOPLE & PLACES visit
www.sharpformen.com
for
online
event
coverage
We like a good party as much as the next fellow. Here are a few of the places we’ve been in the last few months, and some of the people we met there.
Raptors party for a cause
New Roller revealed in N.Y.
The Toronto Raptors players, coaches and management teamed up for a great cause in March at their annual Raptors Foundation for Kids' Red Party, presented this year by Rogers. The occasion allowed basketball fans the unique opportunity to meet and mingle with the Raptors team, while raising money for the Raptors Foundation to refurbish a basketball court in Regent Park, provide post-secondary scholarships and contribute to hundreds of Ontario charities that benefit at-risk youth. Attendees had a chance to participate in the Red Party’s raffle for exclusive items, including a framed, team-signed Raptors black jersey and a dinner for 20 with celebrity guests, including Raptors player Andrea Bargnani and Raptors Senior Vice-President of basketball operations Maurizio Gherardini at Grano Restaurant. Since the team’s inception in 1995, the Raptors Foundation for Kids has raised over $17 million and supported over 5,500 children’s charities.
Sharp was part of a select group of media invited to Manhattan for the North American premiere of the Rolls-Royce 200EX. The 200EX is officially an experimental vehicle that previews a production model expected in early 2010. Don’t let the "experimental" moniker fool you, however, as the 200EX is 99.9% accurate to the final production car. Smaller in every dimension than the megabuck Phantom, the 200EX is still a stately car with commanding presence. As Rolls-Royce Motorcars chief executive Tom Purves told Sharp, “You can’t help but arrive in a Rolls-Royce,” and the 200EX is no exception. Rolls figures that this more manageable offering is likely to be the equivalent to a business suit, versus the Phantom’s role as a tuxedo. It turns out that Rolls-Royce owners have, on average, seven cars, and they like to use them for different activities and occasions— the 200EX being more ideally suited to a daily driver than the range-topping Phantom.
A special raffle for one of 20 Limited Edition Concord C1 Toronto Black Worldtimer watches, designed by Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo in collaboration with Concord, also took place. With a retail value of $21,000, the watch made its debut at the Red Party. The remaining 19 watches are available for sale at Classic Creations (www.classiccreations.ca). A percentage of each watch sold will benefit the Raptors Foundation for Kids.
Given that the 200EX is the Rolls that you’re most likely to be driving yourself around in, it’s a good thing that it has more than adequate power under its long hood. The new 6.6-litre, twin-turbocharged V12 promises over 500-hp, but more important will be its prodigious low-end torque, delivering classic Rolls-Royce “waftability.” Equipped with an 8-speed automatic gearbox, it even promises class-leading fuel efficiency.
CONTROL POWER
From left to right: Daniel Freiberg, Vincent Perriard, Sam Freiberg, Chris Bosh, Shari Freiberg, Ami Freiberg, Jordan Freiberg.
The most powerful Acura ever built. The all-new 2009 Acura TL with SH-AWD.® Introducing the all-new 2009 SH-AWD Acura TL. The revolutionary Super Handling All-Wheel DriveTM system produces unparalleled control of the V-6 engine’s formidable 305 horsepower, giving you exceptional handling and unwavering confidence in any condition. Using advanced sensors, the system even accelerates For full details and more images of the Concord C1 Worldtimer, visit Sharpformen.com
18 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
Be the first to see video footage of the new 200EX, plus an interview with its designer at Sharpformen.com
photos: ron turenne (raptors party)
the outside rear wheel through tight curves, resulting in exhilarating, razor-sharp cornering. The 2009 SH-AWD Acura TL. Stirring performance plus advanced technology. Visit acura.ca for more information.
PEOPLE & PLACES visit
www.sharpformen.com
The DX Black and White Gala Horror was in the air on Bay Street, but for once, the economy wasn’t to blame. Rather, it was The Design Exchange’s Halloween-themed Black and White Gala. Five hundred guests revelled late into the night at the institution’s headquarters, the former Toronto Stock Exchange, in support of Canadian design and DX’s youth education programs.
Benjamin Bixby at Holt Renfrew Toronto’s Bloor Street Holt Renfrew was packed with fashionable sorts for the appearance of Andre “3000” Benjamin, who was in town to launch the S/S09 collection of his menswear line, Benjamin Bixby. The collection, which takes “Colonial India” for its theme, is Benjamin’s first fashion foray into Canada, and will be available exclusively at Holt Renfrew.
for
online
event
coverage
Opening Night at the IDS 09 The opening night festivities of the 11th annual Interior Design Show was befitting of Canada’s premiere gathering of design tastemakers. Among the attractions on display was Crystal Clear, six glittering installations incorporating Crystallized Swarovski Elements, designed by Brothers Dressler, Full Scale + Partners and several other luminaries of Canadian design.
The Glenfiddich Wake The invitation billed the evening as, “a Glenfiddich wake to mourn our fallen stocks.” Dark-suited Bay-streeters filled The Duke of Devon, at the foot of Toronto’s TD Tower, to commiserate about the decline of their portfolios while enjoying fine scotch. The message was clear: unlike the economy, the whisky was good and only getting better.
For a video tutorial on tasting scotch, visit Sharpformen.com
20 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
PEOPLE & PLACES visit
www.sharpformen.com
The DX Black and White Gala Horror was in the air on Bay Street, but for once, the economy wasn’t to blame. Rather, it was The Design Exchange’s Halloween-themed Black and White Gala. Five hundred guests revelled late into the night at the institution’s headquarters, the former Toronto Stock Exchange, in support of Canadian design and DX’s youth education programs.
Benjamin Bixby at Holt Renfrew Toronto’s Bloor Street Holt Renfrew was packed with fashionable sorts for the appearance of Andre “3000” Benjamin, who was in town to launch the S/S09 collection of his menswear line, Benjamin Bixby. The collection, which takes “Colonial India” for its theme, is Benjamin’s first fashion foray into Canada, and will be available exclusively at Holt Renfrew.
for
online
event
coverage
Opening Night at the IDS 09 The opening night festivities of the 11th annual Interior Design Show was befitting of Canada’s premiere gathering of design tastemakers. Among the attractions on display was Crystal Clear, six glittering installations incorporating Crystallized Swarovski Elements, designed by Brothers Dressler, Full Scale + Partners and several other luminaries of Canadian design.
The Glenfiddich Wake The invitation billed the evening as, “a Glenfiddich wake to mourn our fallen stocks.” Dark-suited Bay-streeters filled The Duke of Devon, at the foot of Toronto’s TD Tower, to commiserate about the decline of their portfolios while enjoying fine scotch. The message was clear: unlike the economy, the whisky was good and only getting better.
For a video tutorial on tasting scotch, visit Sharpformen.com
20 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
women • music • film • travel • food • drink • tech • grooming • watches • sex • style • home • health • books
Is there a Bluetooth headset that won’t make me look like a sci-fi movie extra? Let’s be clear about this, once and for all: the only occasion any man has to wear a Bluetooth headset is when he is actively engaged in an activity that requires both of his hands. Driving, typing, chopping onions, any of these things are fine. If you are, however, walking down the street, shopping for produce, or waiting in line at the movies, you have absolutely no excuse for having a blinking blue light in your ear. Unless, of course, you’re Levar Burton, in which case we have no objections. Now that we’ve gently guided you away from such devices, we’d like to heartily endorse Aliph’s sleek and comfortable new Jawbone 2. It’s not only the most attractive Bluetooth headset we’ve seen, it’s also remarkably effective. Aliph’s Noise Assassin technology kills ambient noise, making teleconferencing while piloting a jet, driving an earth mover, or jumping up and down at rock concerts a no-hassle affair. Although, if you are at a rock concert, you have no reason to be wearing a headset. Aliph Jawbone 2, $100 www.jawbone.com
Ask Sharp your style or tech questions at Sharpformen.com
22 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
women • music • film • travel • food • drink • tech • grooming • watches • sex • style • home • health • books
Is there a Bluetooth headset that won’t make me look like a sci-fi movie extra? Let’s be clear about this, once and for all: the only occasion any man has to wear a Bluetooth headset is when he is actively engaged in an activity that requires both of his hands. Driving, typing, chopping onions, any of these things are fine. If you are, however, walking down the street, shopping for produce, or waiting in line at the movies, you have absolutely no excuse for having a blinking blue light in your ear. Unless, of course, you’re Levar Burton, in which case we have no objections. Now that we’ve gently guided you away from such devices, we’d like to heartily endorse Aliph’s sleek and comfortable new Jawbone 2. It’s not only the most attractive Bluetooth headset we’ve seen, it’s also remarkably effective. Aliph’s Noise Assassin technology kills ambient noise, making teleconferencing while piloting a jet, driving an earth mover, or jumping up and down at rock concerts a no-hassle affair. Although, if you are at a rock concert, you have no reason to be wearing a headset. Aliph Jawbone 2, $100 www.jawbone.com
Ask Sharp your style or tech questions at Sharpformen.com
22 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
vw.ca LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
Rose Byrne Since running pants-less and bloodied through Manhattan in the first episode of Damages, Rose Byrne’s not-at-all unpleasant face has become an increasingly familiar one in Hollywood. Among the things you may not know about her: she’s Australian. She’s also quite lovely, but we suspect you already knew that.
For more Sharp women visit Sharpformen.com
The first thing that gets you about Rose Byrne is the accent. Anyone who has seen her tear up the small screen as cub-lawyer Ellen Parsons on Damages would never doubt her corn-fed Midwest provenance. But chatting with her on a lazy Los Angeles afternoon, it’s the soft lyrical Strine of New South Wales that comes through. That's because Byrne didn’t grow up in the bread basket of America, she was reared in a calm bedroom community on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, the youngest daughter of a statistician and a grammar school administrator. So, how did this child of Oz develop such a practiced Ameri-speak? “There’s really no great secret to it,” Byrne says. “It’s just that we have a distinct advantage over Americans actors—we grow up watching their films and television shows. Let’s face it, for every thousand hours of American content that we watch, Americans probably watch one or two that come from Australia or Britain. We’re bound to find it a bit easier.” And Byrne does make it look easy. On Damages she’s made the most of her screen real estate, easily sharing it with powerhouses like Glenn Close and William Hurt. At times, her naturalness has almost made their seasoned acting seem too present, verging on the hackneyed. It’s a testament to just how talented she is. In the show’s two seasons, she has taken Ellen Parsons from doe-eyed pawn/protégé to avenging crusader without failing to make every step of that transition achingly believable. “Sometimes it’s quite a strain,” she admits. “The show basically begins with my character running down the street half-naked and covered in her fiancé’s blood. If you can believe it, that’s not the worst thing she ends up having to deal with." “Working on something like that day after day is extremely challenging. In that way, it’s a lot harder than film. A film you can leave behind after a month or two. On television, if you’re lucky, you could be a working on a project for three to seven years. ” 24 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
With Damages being renewed for a third season, she’s well on her way to making that seven year itch a reality. But Byrne hasn’t let the series stop her from stretching herself to other roles. In the two years since she began working on the series, she’s played a spaceship pilot in Danny Boyle’s psycho-thriller Sunshine, a crack medical officer in the grizzled zombie flick 28 Weeks Later, the center of a turn-of-thecentury love triangle in The Tender Hook, a mortician/femme fatale in the funereal comedy Just Buried and, now, the skeptical counterpoint to Nicolas Cage’s number-drunk doomsayer in Knowing. The film places the young actress at the heart of a numerological puzzle that may or may not herald the end of all that we know. Byrne makes an attractive foil to Cage’s mathematician-on-tilt, though there may be more to her involvement than he suspects at first. “She’s definitely entangled in the mystery,” Byrne confesses. “The message that sparks the whole intrigue was placed in the time capsule by her grandmother fifty years earlier.” “I could tell you more but I’d have to kill you,” she adds with a laugh. Given how comfortably she weathers the moody and paranoiac nature of her work, one might suspect Byrne is sympathetically inclined to the melodrama. Not so. If anything, her demeanour betrays only a relaxed and down-to-earth approach to life. She couldn’t be further from a drama queen. “I don’t have complicated needs,” she says. “After we’ve done talking, I’ll probably just sit in the sun and read a book.” “I don’t have a secret past and I’m not harbouring an inner darkness,” she adds with a bit of chuckle. “The worst thing I suffer from— though admittedly it can be quite bad at times— is home sickness.” Damages airs Sundays at 10 ET/PT on Showcase. Knowing hit screens nationally on March 20th. dylan young
Did you notice the leopard? The all-new Passat CC. Once you’ve seen it, you’ll see nothing else. The Passat CC combines the attitude of a sports car with the comfort of a sedan. This unique 4-door coupe has sleek lines and a German-engineered 2.0L TSI engine powered by 200 horses, while still delivering impressive fuel economy of only 6.6 L/100 km*. So even if you’re running late, just sit back in your ergonomic sport seat and relax. You’ll get there fashionably early. The all-new 2009 Passat CC. The affordable 4-door coupe, starting from only $31,975**.
2009 Passat CC Best New Family Car over $30,000 Automobile Journalists Association of Canada
*6.6 L/100 km highway and 10.0 L/100 km city. Based on Government of Canada’s estimated fuel consumption rating for the base 2009 Passat CC equipped with manual transmission. Actual fuel consumption may vary based on driving conditions, driver habits and vehicle’s additional equipment. **MSRP of $31,975 for base 2009 Passat CC with 6-speed manual transmission. Prices exclude freight and PDI of $1,360, license, insurance, registration, dealer charges, options and applicable federal and provincial taxes. European model shown. Certain options and characteristics may not be available in Canada. Dealer may sell for less. See dealer or visit vw.ca for details. “Volkswagen” and the Volkswagen logo are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG. “Passat CC” is a trademark of Volkswagen AG. © 2009 Volkswagen Canada.
vw.ca LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
Rose Byrne Since running pants-less and bloodied through Manhattan in the first episode of Damages, Rose Byrne’s not-at-all unpleasant face has become an increasingly familiar one in Hollywood. Among the things you may not know about her: she’s Australian. She’s also quite lovely, but we suspect you already knew that.
For more Sharp women visit Sharpformen.com
The first thing that gets you about Rose Byrne is the accent. Anyone who has seen her tear up the small screen as cub-lawyer Ellen Parsons on Damages would never doubt her corn-fed Midwest provenance. But chatting with her on a lazy Los Angeles afternoon, it’s the soft lyrical Strine of New South Wales that comes through. That's because Byrne didn’t grow up in the bread basket of America, she was reared in a calm bedroom community on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, the youngest daughter of a statistician and a grammar school administrator. So, how did this child of Oz develop such a practiced Ameri-speak? “There’s really no great secret to it,” Byrne says. “It’s just that we have a distinct advantage over Americans actors—we grow up watching their films and television shows. Let’s face it, for every thousand hours of American content that we watch, Americans probably watch one or two that come from Australia or Britain. We’re bound to find it a bit easier.” And Byrne does make it look easy. On Damages she’s made the most of her screen real estate, easily sharing it with powerhouses like Glenn Close and William Hurt. At times, her naturalness has almost made their seasoned acting seem too present, verging on the hackneyed. It’s a testament to just how talented she is. In the show’s two seasons, she has taken Ellen Parsons from doe-eyed pawn/protégé to avenging crusader without failing to make every step of that transition achingly believable. “Sometimes it’s quite a strain,” she admits. “The show basically begins with my character running down the street half-naked and covered in her fiancé’s blood. If you can believe it, that’s not the worst thing she ends up having to deal with." “Working on something like that day after day is extremely challenging. In that way, it’s a lot harder than film. A film you can leave behind after a month or two. On television, if you’re lucky, you could be a working on a project for three to seven years. ” 24 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
With Damages being renewed for a third season, she’s well on her way to making that seven year itch a reality. But Byrne hasn’t let the series stop her from stretching herself to other roles. In the two years since she began working on the series, she’s played a spaceship pilot in Danny Boyle’s psycho-thriller Sunshine, a crack medical officer in the grizzled zombie flick 28 Weeks Later, the center of a turn-of-thecentury love triangle in The Tender Hook, a mortician/femme fatale in the funereal comedy Just Buried and, now, the skeptical counterpoint to Nicolas Cage’s number-drunk doomsayer in Knowing. The film places the young actress at the heart of a numerological puzzle that may or may not herald the end of all that we know. Byrne makes an attractive foil to Cage’s mathematician-on-tilt, though there may be more to her involvement than he suspects at first. “She’s definitely entangled in the mystery,” Byrne confesses. “The message that sparks the whole intrigue was placed in the time capsule by her grandmother fifty years earlier.” “I could tell you more but I’d have to kill you,” she adds with a laugh. Given how comfortably she weathers the moody and paranoiac nature of her work, one might suspect Byrne is sympathetically inclined to the melodrama. Not so. If anything, her demeanour betrays only a relaxed and down-to-earth approach to life. She couldn’t be further from a drama queen. “I don’t have complicated needs,” she says. “After we’ve done talking, I’ll probably just sit in the sun and read a book.” “I don’t have a secret past and I’m not harbouring an inner darkness,” she adds with a bit of chuckle. “The worst thing I suffer from— though admittedly it can be quite bad at times— is home sickness.” Damages airs Sundays at 10 ET/PT on Showcase. Knowing hit screens nationally on March 20th. dylan young
Did you notice the leopard? The all-new Passat CC. Once you’ve seen it, you’ll see nothing else. The Passat CC combines the attitude of a sports car with the comfort of a sedan. This unique 4-door coupe has sleek lines and a German-engineered 2.0L TSI engine powered by 200 horses, while still delivering impressive fuel economy of only 6.6 L/100 km*. So even if you’re running late, just sit back in your ergonomic sport seat and relax. You’ll get there fashionably early. The all-new 2009 Passat CC. The affordable 4-door coupe, starting from only $31,975**.
2009 Passat CC Best New Family Car over $30,000 Automobile Journalists Association of Canada
*6.6 L/100 km highway and 10.0 L/100 km city. Based on Government of Canada’s estimated fuel consumption rating for the base 2009 Passat CC equipped with manual transmission. Actual fuel consumption may vary based on driving conditions, driver habits and vehicle’s additional equipment. **MSRP of $31,975 for base 2009 Passat CC with 6-speed manual transmission. Prices exclude freight and PDI of $1,360, license, insurance, registration, dealer charges, options and applicable federal and provincial taxes. European model shown. Certain options and characteristics may not be available in Canada. Dealer may sell for less. See dealer or visit vw.ca for details. “Volkswagen” and the Volkswagen logo are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG. “Passat CC” is a trademark of Volkswagen AG. © 2009 Volkswagen Canada.
Trim: 10.75"
©2008 P&G
Safety: .5"
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
Paris Ah, Paris. City of Lights, romance capital of the world, birthplace of cultivated surliness; a city seemingly built for tourists. In order to get the most out of your time in the French capital, consider adopting a Parisian mindset (as defined by the romantic poet Charles Baudelaire) and become a flâneur, “a person who walks the city in order to experience it.” With 90,000 famous landmarks (give or take a couple thousand), there’s more to see in Paris than can be fit into an average lifetime, let alone a weekend. Consider the following a preliminary taste (an amuse-bouche, if you will) of the delights to be discovered.
10h* Check-in A foreign concept until recently, small, luxury hotels are opening up across the city. Hotel Thérèse is an elegant 43-room establishment located in the heart of the Right Bank, walking distance from the Louvre, Palais Royal and the Opéra. Hotel Thérèse, 5-7 rue Thérèse, 1st **
11h Stroll in the Faubourg St. Honoré After a Parisian breakfast of croissant and café crème at a nearby cafe, you’re now ready to begin your leisurely walk through the Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the heart of Parisian design and fashion. International designers like Versace, Hermès, and Yves Saint Laurent are all there, but be sure to stop by Colette, which is considered one of the hippest stores in the city. Colette, 213 rue Saint-Honoré, 1st
13h Lunch in the Park
The Marché des Enfants Rouge is the oldest covered market in the city; it is teeming with fresh produce, cheeses, charcuterie and prepared foods. We’re fans of the Japanese fare at Chez Taeko, or try the tagine from the Moroccan stand. Once you’ve decided on a meal, head over to the park across the street and witness the Parisian lunch break at its finest. Le Marché des Enfants Rouges, 39 rue de Bretagne, 3rd
14h Discover the Marais The Marais is the quintessential Parisian neighbourhood. It is composed of tiny streets leading to the Grand Bouvelards, surrounded by the most breathtaking scenery in the city. Enjoy a glass of wine and the view from the
Café Hugo located in the arcades at the Place de Vosges, the oldest square in the city. Afterwards seek out one of the nearby museums. We’re particularly fond of the Hunting Museum, which is both a showcase for beautiful antique weaponry and a veritable Noah’s Ark of taxidermy. Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, 60 rue des Archives, 3rd
18h Wine and dine
Le Baron Rouge is a wine bar beloved by patrons for its eclectic assortment of vintages. Indulge in some oysters or a small plate of terrine here before heading off to dinner at the Bistro Paul-Bert, famous for its superb seasonal cuisine. Le Baron Rouge, 1 rue Théophile Roussel, 12th Bistro Paul-Bert, 18 rue Paul-Bert, 11th
10h Morning in Montmartre French crooner Charles Aznavour’s song, La Bohème, famously describes Bohemian love in Montmartre. Start with a coffee on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur, which has one of the best views in the city, and get an idea of what inspired him. Sacré-Cœur, 35 rue du Chevalier-de-la-Barre, 18th
13h Make Zola proud After you’ve grown weary of the Bohemian lifestyle, snap yourself out of it by visiting one of the most luxurious department stores in the world: Les Galeries Lafayette. Then, have lunch at the Chêne Vert, or a drink at the champagne bar on the first floor. Galeries Lafayette, 40 boul. Haussmann, 9th
17h Contemporary Art Fix Instead of elbowing your way through hordes of Japanese tourists for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, visit the Palais de Tokyo, which has some of the best contemporary art in the city. When you’ve seen enough, walk outside and enjoy a postcardperfect view of the Eiffel Tower. Palais de Tokyo, 13 ave. du Président Wilson, 16th
20h Steak dinner No trip to Paris is complete without a nice entrecôte. Finish off your weekend in style at Au Bœuf Couronné where the steaks are big enough for two, and unlike many restaurants in the city, it’s open until midnight every day of the week. Au Bœuf Couronné, 188 ave. Jean-Jaurès, 19th
ALEX HUGHES *The French being the French, they have their own quirky way of telling time. All times here in 24h format. **Paris is divided into 20 sectors called “arrondissements,” which Parisians use both to navigate the city and discern whose neighbourhood is more “chic.” Safety: .5"
26 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
WANT TWO THINGS IN ONE THING?
INTRODUCING LIVE WIRE. Body wash wash. Moisturizer Moisturizer. Striped together together. It’s two products in one awesome product. BODY WASH MOISTURIZER
Trim: 10.75"
©2008 P&G
Safety: .5"
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
Paris Ah, Paris. City of Lights, romance capital of the world, birthplace of cultivated surliness; a city seemingly built for tourists. In order to get the most out of your time in the French capital, consider adopting a Parisian mindset (as defined by the romantic poet Charles Baudelaire) and become a flâneur, “a person who walks the city in order to experience it.” With 90,000 famous landmarks (give or take a couple thousand), there’s more to see in Paris than can be fit into an average lifetime, let alone a weekend. Consider the following a preliminary taste (an amuse-bouche, if you will) of the delights to be discovered.
10h* Check-in A foreign concept until recently, small, luxury hotels are opening up across the city. Hotel Thérèse is an elegant 43-room establishment located in the heart of the Right Bank, walking distance from the Louvre, Palais Royal and the Opéra. Hotel Thérèse, 5-7 rue Thérèse, 1st **
11h Stroll in the Faubourg St. Honoré After a Parisian breakfast of croissant and café crème at a nearby cafe, you’re now ready to begin your leisurely walk through the Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the heart of Parisian design and fashion. International designers like Versace, Hermès, and Yves Saint Laurent are all there, but be sure to stop by Colette, which is considered one of the hippest stores in the city. Colette, 213 rue Saint-Honoré, 1st
13h Lunch in the Park
The Marché des Enfants Rouge is the oldest covered market in the city; it is teeming with fresh produce, cheeses, charcuterie and prepared foods. We’re fans of the Japanese fare at Chez Taeko, or try the tagine from the Moroccan stand. Once you’ve decided on a meal, head over to the park across the street and witness the Parisian lunch break at its finest. Le Marché des Enfants Rouges, 39 rue de Bretagne, 3rd
14h Discover the Marais The Marais is the quintessential Parisian neighbourhood. It is composed of tiny streets leading to the Grand Bouvelards, surrounded by the most breathtaking scenery in the city. Enjoy a glass of wine and the view from the
Café Hugo located in the arcades at the Place de Vosges, the oldest square in the city. Afterwards seek out one of the nearby museums. We’re particularly fond of the Hunting Museum, which is both a showcase for beautiful antique weaponry and a veritable Noah’s Ark of taxidermy. Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, 60 rue des Archives, 3rd
18h Wine and dine
Le Baron Rouge is a wine bar beloved by patrons for its eclectic assortment of vintages. Indulge in some oysters or a small plate of terrine here before heading off to dinner at the Bistro Paul-Bert, famous for its superb seasonal cuisine. Le Baron Rouge, 1 rue Théophile Roussel, 12th Bistro Paul-Bert, 18 rue Paul-Bert, 11th
10h Morning in Montmartre French crooner Charles Aznavour’s song, La Bohème, famously describes Bohemian love in Montmartre. Start with a coffee on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur, which has one of the best views in the city, and get an idea of what inspired him. Sacré-Cœur, 35 rue du Chevalier-de-la-Barre, 18th
13h Make Zola proud After you’ve grown weary of the Bohemian lifestyle, snap yourself out of it by visiting one of the most luxurious department stores in the world: Les Galeries Lafayette. Then, have lunch at the Chêne Vert, or a drink at the champagne bar on the first floor. Galeries Lafayette, 40 boul. Haussmann, 9th
17h Contemporary Art Fix Instead of elbowing your way through hordes of Japanese tourists for a glimpse of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, visit the Palais de Tokyo, which has some of the best contemporary art in the city. When you’ve seen enough, walk outside and enjoy a postcardperfect view of the Eiffel Tower. Palais de Tokyo, 13 ave. du Président Wilson, 16th
20h Steak dinner No trip to Paris is complete without a nice entrecôte. Finish off your weekend in style at Au Bœuf Couronné where the steaks are big enough for two, and unlike many restaurants in the city, it’s open until midnight every day of the week. Au Bœuf Couronné, 188 ave. Jean-Jaurès, 19th
ALEX HUGHES *The French being the French, they have their own quirky way of telling time. All times here in 24h format. **Paris is divided into 20 sectors called “arrondissements,” which Parisians use both to navigate the city and discern whose neighbourhood is more “chic.” Safety: .5"
26 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
WANT TWO THINGS IN ONE THING?
INTRODUCING LIVE WIRE. Body wash wash. Moisturizer Moisturizer. Striped together together. It’s two products in one awesome product. BODY WASH MOISTURIZER
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
Our Home and Native Bands New Canadian music that rocks as hard as Randy Bachman used to. The inimitable Neko Case
For some, Canadian music is an institution as revered as Icelandic beach volleyball. It’s a forgivable notion, considering that our nation has produced such musical luminaries as (ahem) Roch Voisine, Celine Dion, and Nickelback. However, alongside names like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Gordon Lightfoot, recent contenders like Joel Plaskett, the Arcade Fire, and Broken Social Scene have made colossal strides for Canada’s
Bring your family to see ours.
music community. There are others, too, plenty of them, struggling harder than Rodney Dangerfield for recognition. In the interest, then, of making this new music as accessible as possible, we’ve matched the following five Canadian artists with five classic Canadian albums, the idea being that if you enjoyed one, you’ll like the other. And no, Roch Voisine didn’t make the list. MARK TEO
Gordon Lightfoot If You Could Read My Mind = Great Lake Swimmers Ongiara =
If you’re a Lightfoot fan you’re probably attracted to all things woodsy and down-tempo. And for good reason: the plucking of his guitar immediately evokes memories of campfires, halfwarm Moosehead, and otter shit floating in Lake Erie. So, if pensive, literate folk is your cup of tea, then the Toronto-based Great Lake Swimmers might be your new favourite band. Like Gord, the music of the Swimmers relies upon economical instrumentation, wieldy lyricism and minimal instrumentation. And, thankfully, they’ve left Lightfoot’s iconic moustache in the 70s.
Stompin’ Tom Connors Bud the Spud = Corb Lund Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! =
There is a timeless charm to Connors’ howlin’ Northern-themed ballads, and if his Canadacentric country is your thing, check out Calgary’s Corb Lund. A former member of The Smalls, Lund’s traditional country album, Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! takes influences from some of the best of insurgent country, like Hank Williams, Kris Kristofferson and, of course, Stompin’ Tom. As an added bonus, the boy can go toe to toe with Dave Mustaine in a shredding contest any day of the week.
Neil Young Harvest = Attack in Black Years (By a Thousand Fingertips) =
While few musicians can match Young’s abilities, Welland, Ont.'s Attack in Black are certainly trying their hardest. Debuting as a lightning-paced political punk band, they’ve toned down their manic energy in favour of rootsy folk-rock without losing their bite. Their third full-length album, Years (By a Thousand Fingertips), smoulders with the quiet intensity of a cold-sweating, coked out Neil Young performance. The only thing they’re missing are castrato vocal harmonies.
Joni Mitchell Clouds = Neko Case Middle Cyclone =
While there’s no shortage of honey-voiced alt-country nerds crying into their beers, few can compare to Mitchell’s catalogue, conviction or vocal range. But if there’s a singer who’s up to the task, it’s Vancouver-via-Virginia singer Neko Case. The auburn-tressed chanteuse refined her craft with girl-punk group Maow and pop superpowers The New Pornographers, but her real abilities lie in her solo work. And based on Middle Cyclone, released earlier this year, she’s only getting better with age.
Welcome to Honda Powerhouse, an exciting and revolutionary experience for the whole family that is uniquely Honda. Where you’ll find the complete line of Honda products – from motorcycles and ATVs to snowblowers and generators – to power your family fun. Whether you’re a new or returning rider, our high level of expertise will help you find the Honda that’s right for you. And with a wide range of Hondas available for test ride, this is the place to experience the benefits of a Honda for yourself. So visit your local Honda Powerhouse and bring your family to meet ours. To learn more, visit www.powerhouse.honda.ca.
the Guess Who American Woman = The Constantines Kensington Heights =
If Bachman and Turner’s memorable guitar tones strike a chord, you’ll be happy to know that Toronto favourites, The Constantines, play with the very same amps. Not just the same brand mind you, in an unmatched example of guitar hero-worship, they actually bought their gear from Randy Bachman. Kensington Heights, their latest album, displays mastery of the muscular stadium riffs perfected by the Guess Who, paired with a touch of art-rock sensibility. Also, don’t miss their live shows: The Constantines’ crowds know the lyrics like their own social insurance numbers, and the band plays with an intensity that could make an igloo’s walls sweat.
Motorcycles
Lawn Equipment
Outboards
Side-by-Side
Personal Watercraft
Generators
ATVs
Always wear the proper safety gear while operating your Honda product. Always be safe and abide by all local laws and read your owner’s manual thoroughly. Never ride beyond your own or your Honda motorized vehicle’s capabilities.
28 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com HON7489A.indd 1
3/13/09 6:10:52 PM
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Our Home and Native Bands New Canadian music that rocks as hard as Randy Bachman used to. The inimitable Neko Case
For some, Canadian music is an institution as revered as Icelandic beach volleyball. It’s a forgivable notion, considering that our nation has produced such musical luminaries as (ahem) Roch Voisine, Celine Dion, and Nickelback. However, alongside names like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Gordon Lightfoot, recent contenders like Joel Plaskett, the Arcade Fire, and Broken Social Scene have made colossal strides for Canada’s
Bring your family to see ours.
music community. There are others, too, plenty of them, struggling harder than Rodney Dangerfield for recognition. In the interest, then, of making this new music as accessible as possible, we’ve matched the following five Canadian artists with five classic Canadian albums, the idea being that if you enjoyed one, you’ll like the other. And no, Roch Voisine didn’t make the list. MARK TEO
Gordon Lightfoot If You Could Read My Mind = Great Lake Swimmers Ongiara =
If you’re a Lightfoot fan you’re probably attracted to all things woodsy and down-tempo. And for good reason: the plucking of his guitar immediately evokes memories of campfires, halfwarm Moosehead, and otter shit floating in Lake Erie. So, if pensive, literate folk is your cup of tea, then the Toronto-based Great Lake Swimmers might be your new favourite band. Like Gord, the music of the Swimmers relies upon economical instrumentation, wieldy lyricism and minimal instrumentation. And, thankfully, they’ve left Lightfoot’s iconic moustache in the 70s.
Stompin’ Tom Connors Bud the Spud = Corb Lund Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! =
There is a timeless charm to Connors’ howlin’ Northern-themed ballads, and if his Canadacentric country is your thing, check out Calgary’s Corb Lund. A former member of The Smalls, Lund’s traditional country album, Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! takes influences from some of the best of insurgent country, like Hank Williams, Kris Kristofferson and, of course, Stompin’ Tom. As an added bonus, the boy can go toe to toe with Dave Mustaine in a shredding contest any day of the week.
Neil Young Harvest = Attack in Black Years (By a Thousand Fingertips) =
While few musicians can match Young’s abilities, Welland, Ont.'s Attack in Black are certainly trying their hardest. Debuting as a lightning-paced political punk band, they’ve toned down their manic energy in favour of rootsy folk-rock without losing their bite. Their third full-length album, Years (By a Thousand Fingertips), smoulders with the quiet intensity of a cold-sweating, coked out Neil Young performance. The only thing they’re missing are castrato vocal harmonies.
Joni Mitchell Clouds = Neko Case Middle Cyclone =
While there’s no shortage of honey-voiced alt-country nerds crying into their beers, few can compare to Mitchell’s catalogue, conviction or vocal range. But if there’s a singer who’s up to the task, it’s Vancouver-via-Virginia singer Neko Case. The auburn-tressed chanteuse refined her craft with girl-punk group Maow and pop superpowers The New Pornographers, but her real abilities lie in her solo work. And based on Middle Cyclone, released earlier this year, she’s only getting better with age.
Welcome to Honda Powerhouse, an exciting and revolutionary experience for the whole family that is uniquely Honda. Where you’ll find the complete line of Honda products – from motorcycles and ATVs to snowblowers and generators – to power your family fun. Whether you’re a new or returning rider, our high level of expertise will help you find the Honda that’s right for you. And with a wide range of Hondas available for test ride, this is the place to experience the benefits of a Honda for yourself. So visit your local Honda Powerhouse and bring your family to meet ours. To learn more, visit www.powerhouse.honda.ca.
the Guess Who American Woman = The Constantines Kensington Heights =
If Bachman and Turner’s memorable guitar tones strike a chord, you’ll be happy to know that Toronto favourites, The Constantines, play with the very same amps. Not just the same brand mind you, in an unmatched example of guitar hero-worship, they actually bought their gear from Randy Bachman. Kensington Heights, their latest album, displays mastery of the muscular stadium riffs perfected by the Guess Who, paired with a touch of art-rock sensibility. Also, don’t miss their live shows: The Constantines’ crowds know the lyrics like their own social insurance numbers, and the band plays with an intensity that could make an igloo’s walls sweat.
Motorcycles
Lawn Equipment
Outboards
Side-by-Side
Personal Watercraft
Generators
ATVs
Always wear the proper safety gear while operating your Honda product. Always be safe and abide by all local laws and read your owner’s manual thoroughly. Never ride beyond your own or your Honda motorized vehicle’s capabilities.
28 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com HON7489A.indd 1
3/13/09 6:10:52 PM
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
West Eats East
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
The Omega Factor You’ve heard that omega-3 fats are good for your heart, but how much omega-3 fat do you need? And what are the best sources of it? Dr. Meschino explains everything you need to know about omega-3s. Recipe: Rice Cracker-Crusted Tuna with Spicy Citrus Sauce. One of the best things to happen to tuna since sushi, this Asian-inspired dish is a great, easy way to cook tuna steaks.
For the full recipe and a video demonstration of how to prepare it, visit Sharpformen.com.
With his combination of classical French training and years spent in Asia, Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is credited with pioneering Asian-fusion cuisine. Sharp talks to him about his first Canadian endeavour.
After descending onto New York City’s culinary scene with his now-definitive take on classic French cuisine, Jean-Georges Vongerichten was garnering unprecedented accolades and heading a global gastro-empire before his thirtieth birthday. Over two decades later, Vongerichten’s presence in the world of haute cuisine approaches mythology– his formidable figure traced across the globe in a veritable constellation of Michelin-starred restaurants. Vongerichten’s Asian-fusion revolution now has an outpost in every culinary capital from Paris to Chicago to Shanghai. His latest creation is Market, a combination of Asian bistro, fine dining and raw bar showcased in downtown Vancouver’s new Shangri-La Hotel. How does your cuisine at Market differ from what you offer in New York, Europe, or elsewhere?
Guests can expect some of the flavours we do in New York, but with local products. Our recipes are combinations of things and their sources are very precise. But we try to find the very best of what BC has to offer and combine these products with my flavours. I have eight restaurants in New York and I’d call Market the very best of what we do over there, but with local ingredients. Have you had any difficulties conjuring your famous blend of classic French and Asian cooking with western Canadian ingredients?
No. I’m classically trained but I spent five years of my life in Asia, so I really learned how to use all these Asian products. A lot of chefs use lemongrass but don’t know how to extract the flavour. Or ginger, et cetera. People hated the word ten years ago, but my food really is a “fusion.” The world is a “fusion” place. I grew up on the German border, so I grew up with French and German food. I grew up with “fusion” myself. With the Asian population here in Vancouver, people are very familiar with these flavours and their combinations. And once you try them with a bit of chili or some heat, it’s difficult to go back. Everything seems boring after that. 30 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
But for us, it’s all about bringing something different to the plate in Vancouver. Any BC wines on offer at Market, or strictly French?
Yes, in fact most of them are BC wines. I think so far we have 60% BC wines. For me it’s very important–especially with Market–to embrace the local market and the local flavours. What has been your overall appraisal of the Canadian culinary scene thus far?
This is my third time here and I’m very impressed with what’s going on. Places like Chambar, West, Lumière, there are so many interesting restaurants. I’m a good friend of Rob Feenie, the person who for me really put Vancouver on the map in terms of food.
What can we look forward to in the culinary world this spring?
With the economy the way it is, it looks like a different world happening now. I think people are going back to simpler flavours. Molecular gastronomy is off for the moment. The world is on hold and so is the avant-garde cooking. People want something a little more familiar like braised short-ribs or something a little more down to earth. On price, this is very important, too. I’ve always been known in New York to try to give value for people’s money. What has been your favourite meal of late?
I’m a big fan of Japanese food, and just partnered up with some chefs from Tokyo to open Soba restaurant in New York. I think once you try Asian flavours, it’s impossible to go back to “normal” fare. The balance of sweet and sour, there’s always a hint of heat, the acidity; the overall balance is perfect in Asian food. For me, food is all about balance. The first bite and the last bite have to be just as exciting. Asian food is so balanced that you can never have enough. As a chef, you have to create those cravings in a restaurant to make people come back. But one dish in particular is a lingcod we have just come up with here at Market. It has a crust made of sesame seeds, coriander, almonds, hazelnut and black pepper, and the broth is just a simple carmelized mushroom with honey, soy, and lemon juice. I’m going to bring it back to New York if I can. Todd Coyne
What Omega-3 Fats Do
Omega-3s are highly beneficial because our cells convert them into small hormones called prostaglandins (or eicosanoids). The prostaglandins made from omega-3 fats reduce risk of heart disease by opening up blood vessels and reducing the stickiness of our blood, so abnormal clots don’t form as easily. They also make our joints and tissues less prone to inflammation, a major benefit if you have arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease (like ulcerative colitis). In addition, prostoglandins have also been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, as they cause our cells to replicate themselves at a slower rate. Slower cell replication reduces the chances of genetic mutations that can lead to cancer. Prostoglandins also make your skin smooth and help counter eczema. Recent studies have shown that omega-3 fat consumption can also reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia as you age. So, all in all, it’s worth having a strategy to get enough omega-3 fats. Omega-3 Fats from Fish
Fish are naturally high in omega-3s and are a great source of these important fats. There is, however, the issue of mercury in fish to consider. Fish that contain more than 1,000 mg of omega-3 fats per 100 g serving, and are also low in mercury, include spiny dogfish, herring, sardines, pilchards, lake trout, Atlantic sturgeon, wild Pacific salmon, anchovies, sprats, bluefish, and mullet. Other good choices include canned “light” tuna (not albacore, or “white” tuna) pollock, catfish and shrimp. Fish and Mercury Contamination
Mercury exists naturally in the environment, but thousands of tons are also released into the air each year through pollution. Bacteria and natural processes can transform this mercury into the organic mercury compound methylmercury, which is poisonous. Methylmercury accumulates in streams and oceans, building up in the food chain as each fish absorbs all the mercury of the smaller fish it has eaten. That is why the oldest and largest fish, like shark or swordfish, have the highest levels of mercury. Studies show that methylmercury levels are higher in people who regularly eat fish. The effects of methylmercury toxicity include paraesthesia (a pricking, tingling or creeping sensation on the skin), depression and blurred vision. Research also suggests prenatal and infant exposure can affect attention span, language, visual-spatial skills, memory and
coordination. The National Academy of Sciences estimates that nearly 60,000 children each year are born at risk for neurological problems due to methylmercury exposure in the womb. Health Canada identifies fresh and frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy and escolar as species that are particularly high in mercury and suggests limiting consumption of these, or avoiding them altogether. What’s the Game Plan
To get the most out of the omega-3s in your diet, eat two fish servings per week, choosing fish that have the highest omega-3 fat content and the lowest mercury content. Second, take a supplement each day that contains: • 400 mg of fish oil • 400 mg of flaxseed oil • 400 mg of borage seed oil I take 2-3 capsules per day of a supplement with these exact ingredients and doses. The fish oil is high in omega-3 fats and is devoid of mercury and all other contaminants. The flaxseed oil is also a rich source of an omega-3 fat that the body can convert to the same kind you get from fish. The borage seed oil contains a unique essential fat that helps to suppress inflammation, improves skin softness and blocks the formation of prostaglandins that are associated with increased cancer risk. Dr James Meschino, DC, MS, ND Dr James Meschino, DC, MS, ND, is the author of The Meschino Optimal Living Program (Wiley Publishing) and writes wellness/anti-aging columns for a number of professional and consumer publications. Take his complimentary Nutrition/Lifestyle/ Anti-Aging Test at www.naturalhealthtest.com.
For a range of healthy, creative recipes check out www.broilkingbbq.com
Fish on Fire: Grilling Salmon Steaks are good, but (according to Dr. Killjoy) not particularly good for you. Salmon steaks and fillets are a good alternative, and with their high omega-3 content, will make your doctor happy. If you’ve got a few hours, marinate your salmon in soy sauce, garlic and rice vinegar. If not, rub it with salt, pepper, and lemon juice just before grilling. Because salmon tends to flake, oil your grill well or use a porcelain-coated grill-topper to prevent sticking. Grill on high heat, about five minutes per side for steaks, three minutes per side for fillets. Broil King Imperial XL, $1899. sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 31
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
West Eats East
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
The Omega Factor You’ve heard that omega-3 fats are good for your heart, but how much omega-3 fat do you need? And what are the best sources of it? Dr. Meschino explains everything you need to know about omega-3s. Recipe: Rice Cracker-Crusted Tuna with Spicy Citrus Sauce. One of the best things to happen to tuna since sushi, this Asian-inspired dish is a great, easy way to cook tuna steaks.
For the full recipe and a video demonstration of how to prepare it, visit Sharpformen.com.
With his combination of classical French training and years spent in Asia, Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is credited with pioneering Asian-fusion cuisine. Sharp talks to him about his first Canadian endeavour.
After descending onto New York City’s culinary scene with his now-definitive take on classic French cuisine, Jean-Georges Vongerichten was garnering unprecedented accolades and heading a global gastro-empire before his thirtieth birthday. Over two decades later, Vongerichten’s presence in the world of haute cuisine approaches mythology– his formidable figure traced across the globe in a veritable constellation of Michelin-starred restaurants. Vongerichten’s Asian-fusion revolution now has an outpost in every culinary capital from Paris to Chicago to Shanghai. His latest creation is Market, a combination of Asian bistro, fine dining and raw bar showcased in downtown Vancouver’s new Shangri-La Hotel. How does your cuisine at Market differ from what you offer in New York, Europe, or elsewhere?
Guests can expect some of the flavours we do in New York, but with local products. Our recipes are combinations of things and their sources are very precise. But we try to find the very best of what BC has to offer and combine these products with my flavours. I have eight restaurants in New York and I’d call Market the very best of what we do over there, but with local ingredients. Have you had any difficulties conjuring your famous blend of classic French and Asian cooking with western Canadian ingredients?
No. I’m classically trained but I spent five years of my life in Asia, so I really learned how to use all these Asian products. A lot of chefs use lemongrass but don’t know how to extract the flavour. Or ginger, et cetera. People hated the word ten years ago, but my food really is a “fusion.” The world is a “fusion” place. I grew up on the German border, so I grew up with French and German food. I grew up with “fusion” myself. With the Asian population here in Vancouver, people are very familiar with these flavours and their combinations. And once you try them with a bit of chili or some heat, it’s difficult to go back. Everything seems boring after that. 30 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
But for us, it’s all about bringing something different to the plate in Vancouver. Any BC wines on offer at Market, or strictly French?
Yes, in fact most of them are BC wines. I think so far we have 60% BC wines. For me it’s very important–especially with Market–to embrace the local market and the local flavours. What has been your overall appraisal of the Canadian culinary scene thus far?
This is my third time here and I’m very impressed with what’s going on. Places like Chambar, West, Lumière, there are so many interesting restaurants. I’m a good friend of Rob Feenie, the person who for me really put Vancouver on the map in terms of food.
What can we look forward to in the culinary world this spring?
With the economy the way it is, it looks like a different world happening now. I think people are going back to simpler flavours. Molecular gastronomy is off for the moment. The world is on hold and so is the avant-garde cooking. People want something a little more familiar like braised short-ribs or something a little more down to earth. On price, this is very important, too. I’ve always been known in New York to try to give value for people’s money. What has been your favourite meal of late?
I’m a big fan of Japanese food, and just partnered up with some chefs from Tokyo to open Soba restaurant in New York. I think once you try Asian flavours, it’s impossible to go back to “normal” fare. The balance of sweet and sour, there’s always a hint of heat, the acidity; the overall balance is perfect in Asian food. For me, food is all about balance. The first bite and the last bite have to be just as exciting. Asian food is so balanced that you can never have enough. As a chef, you have to create those cravings in a restaurant to make people come back. But one dish in particular is a lingcod we have just come up with here at Market. It has a crust made of sesame seeds, coriander, almonds, hazelnut and black pepper, and the broth is just a simple carmelized mushroom with honey, soy, and lemon juice. I’m going to bring it back to New York if I can. Todd Coyne
What Omega-3 Fats Do
Omega-3s are highly beneficial because our cells convert them into small hormones called prostaglandins (or eicosanoids). The prostaglandins made from omega-3 fats reduce risk of heart disease by opening up blood vessels and reducing the stickiness of our blood, so abnormal clots don’t form as easily. They also make our joints and tissues less prone to inflammation, a major benefit if you have arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease (like ulcerative colitis). In addition, prostoglandins have also been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, as they cause our cells to replicate themselves at a slower rate. Slower cell replication reduces the chances of genetic mutations that can lead to cancer. Prostoglandins also make your skin smooth and help counter eczema. Recent studies have shown that omega-3 fat consumption can also reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia as you age. So, all in all, it’s worth having a strategy to get enough omega-3 fats. Omega-3 Fats from Fish
Fish are naturally high in omega-3s and are a great source of these important fats. There is, however, the issue of mercury in fish to consider. Fish that contain more than 1,000 mg of omega-3 fats per 100 g serving, and are also low in mercury, include spiny dogfish, herring, sardines, pilchards, lake trout, Atlantic sturgeon, wild Pacific salmon, anchovies, sprats, bluefish, and mullet. Other good choices include canned “light” tuna (not albacore, or “white” tuna) pollock, catfish and shrimp. Fish and Mercury Contamination
Mercury exists naturally in the environment, but thousands of tons are also released into the air each year through pollution. Bacteria and natural processes can transform this mercury into the organic mercury compound methylmercury, which is poisonous. Methylmercury accumulates in streams and oceans, building up in the food chain as each fish absorbs all the mercury of the smaller fish it has eaten. That is why the oldest and largest fish, like shark or swordfish, have the highest levels of mercury. Studies show that methylmercury levels are higher in people who regularly eat fish. The effects of methylmercury toxicity include paraesthesia (a pricking, tingling or creeping sensation on the skin), depression and blurred vision. Research also suggests prenatal and infant exposure can affect attention span, language, visual-spatial skills, memory and
coordination. The National Academy of Sciences estimates that nearly 60,000 children each year are born at risk for neurological problems due to methylmercury exposure in the womb. Health Canada identifies fresh and frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy and escolar as species that are particularly high in mercury and suggests limiting consumption of these, or avoiding them altogether. What’s the Game Plan
To get the most out of the omega-3s in your diet, eat two fish servings per week, choosing fish that have the highest omega-3 fat content and the lowest mercury content. Second, take a supplement each day that contains: • 400 mg of fish oil • 400 mg of flaxseed oil • 400 mg of borage seed oil I take 2-3 capsules per day of a supplement with these exact ingredients and doses. The fish oil is high in omega-3 fats and is devoid of mercury and all other contaminants. The flaxseed oil is also a rich source of an omega-3 fat that the body can convert to the same kind you get from fish. The borage seed oil contains a unique essential fat that helps to suppress inflammation, improves skin softness and blocks the formation of prostaglandins that are associated with increased cancer risk. Dr James Meschino, DC, MS, ND Dr James Meschino, DC, MS, ND, is the author of The Meschino Optimal Living Program (Wiley Publishing) and writes wellness/anti-aging columns for a number of professional and consumer publications. Take his complimentary Nutrition/Lifestyle/ Anti-Aging Test at www.naturalhealthtest.com.
For a range of healthy, creative recipes check out www.broilkingbbq.com
Fish on Fire: Grilling Salmon Steaks are good, but (according to Dr. Killjoy) not particularly good for you. Salmon steaks and fillets are a good alternative, and with their high omega-3 content, will make your doctor happy. If you’ve got a few hours, marinate your salmon in soy sauce, garlic and rice vinegar. If not, rub it with salt, pepper, and lemon juice just before grilling. Because salmon tends to flake, oil your grill well or use a porcelain-coated grill-topper to prevent sticking. Grill on high heat, about five minutes per side for steaks, three minutes per side for fillets. Broil King Imperial XL, $1899. sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 31
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The Anatomy of the Perfect Suit Every man needs at least one good suit. Even if only worn to the requisite weddings and funerals, it’s worth investing in something classic and well-tailored that will serve you for years to come. Not only does a quality suit make any man look better, it also conveys power and confidence. Yes, it’s true (if there was any
doubt): the clothes really do make the man. The selection of said suit, however, can be daunting owing to the glut of available options. We consulted Chris Gamauf, menswear buyer at Holt Renfrew, for some tips to make buying your next suit a snap. Roslyn Costanzo
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Bon Visage If you’re gonna do it, do it right. It’s absolutely essential that you use a quality after-shave to finish the job. Shaving is an extremely rough way of exfoliating. After-shave removes contaminants and boosts collagen, helping your skin heal and stay healthy.
Fit: The fit is the most important aspect of any suit. Choose a suit that’s cut close to your body and that fits you in the shoulders. Armholes should sit high to prevent baggy-looking sleeves, and the material on the chest should lay flat, as should the fabric across the back, when the suit is buttoned. The waist should be slightly contoured to fit your body, and the pants should be flat-front, never pleated.
Floris No. 89 Legend has it that Floris No. 89 was a personal favourite of Ian Fleming, the man who breathed life into James Bond. It’s even been rumoured that Bond himself used it in Fleming’s novels. Either way, it’s been the classic choice of every trim Englishman since 1954. A splash or two and watch women throw themselves at you. Smells like sandalwood, rose, orris and oakmoss with a nice, fresh citrus top note. Leaves you feeling clean, invigorated and, sometimes, a bit dangerous. 100 ml, $95
Rolling lapels: The lapels in a quality suit are lined with canvas made from natural fibres, and stitched in a way that allows them to retain a slightly curved shape so that they elegantly roll back from the body as opposed to lying flat against it.
Buttons: Buttons that are made from natural materials like corozo nut, horn, metal and wood will last much longer than plastic buttons, which are more easily damaged with regular wear and tear. Buttons made from sustainable resources are also better for the environment.
Button holes: All well-made suits should have hand-sewn button holes that secure the button quite closely.
Pockets: A good suit should have functional pockets—yes, they’re
LUSH Cosmetic Lad
a marker of quality but you don’t really want to use them for anything more than the odd business card or valet stub. Stowed car keys can create an unsightly bulge that ruins the line of your suit.
Purveyors of all things organically derived, Lush's cachet comes from being one of the world’s hippest eco-conscious cosmetics lines; more Leo DiCaprio than PETA. This emulsion was handmade (like everything they sell) with lavender, honey water, calming chamomile and cold-pressed virgin almond oil, all of which staves off redness and itchiness. You’ll end up smelling like you just had your way with Mother Earth, but not in a pansy kind of way. 1.5 OZ, $20
Surgeon’s cuffs: On most suits, the cuff buttons are sewn on for show, but this wasn’t always the case. Historically, buttons were placed on the cuff of a suit to allow the wearer to roll up his sleeves (say, to wash his hands prior to surgery) and the detail has persisted as a hallmark of only the very best suits to this day. Fabric: For spring and summer, opt for breathable cottons, linens and pure light wools from Italian mills, with a 130-140 yarn count for maximum durability. For maximum versatility choose a sturdy cotton in navy blue or grey.
Construction: Select a full or half canvas suit rather than one Presidential Style Things are changing in the White House, not least of which is the stylishness of the President, and as a result, men everywhere have been asking for the Obama suit. The leader of the Free World wears $1,500 department store-bought and Americanmade Hart Schaffner Marx suits. Achieve a similar look by investing in a single-breasted suit that’s cut close to your body and pairing it with a crisp white shirt and a blue tie— Obama’s signature colour combination. Yes you can (and, yes, you should).
32 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
that is fused. Canvas garments allow the suit to mould to the wearer’s shape over time. They also withstand the rigour of dry cleaning much better than a fused garment, since they won’t come unglued.
Lining: The best linings are made of Bemberg, a delicate cotton fibre that is soft, durable and breathable.
Patterns: If your suit has an obvious pattern, make sure it matches up at the seams. A mismatched pattern is a sign of poor quality.
Colonia Intensa Aftershave Lotion by Acqua Di Parma So you’re the swarthy type, masculine in more of a Fellini way, maybe even game for a last-minute flight to Europe, in loafers, sans socks, because you just want an espresso or two and some friggin’ man spa time. No problem. “Colonia Intensa” is made by Acqua Di Parma, the Italian authority of bespoke barbering. It’s lightly scented and balances oily skin with a refreshing mix of myrtle water and rice protein. It might just turn your daily grooming into an art form. 100 ml, $63
Old Spice Classic Edition We’ll hazard a guess that your old man had a bottle of this stuff lying around when you were a kid. You know why? Because back then men didn’t need fancy oils and flowery extracts to smell good. Back then, men just wanted to smell like men. That’s why he used it, that’s why you trust it, and that’s why things like a nice, manly, musky bottle of Old Spice will never go out of style. And to think it started out as a ladies brand back in the 30s. 125 ml, $11
The Art of Shaving After-shave gel A Cut Above This limited-edition straight razor by Parisian luxury grooming experts Hommage is called The Damascene. Named for the steel swords used by soldiers in the crusades, it is hand-forged in Germany from 128 layers of Damascene steel in a rose and torsion pattern. This craftsmanship, plus the fabled history of Damascene steel begin to explain why it costs $30,000. In any case, we're willing to bet it can double as a formidable home defense weapon, especially since legend swears of its ability to cut through rock like butter. It even comes with a sleek platinum sheath. Just don’t use it in a hurry.If you’re operating on a real world budget and want to try a good old-fashioned non-disposable razor, visit Sharpformen.com for our selection of beard-busting blades.
The algae and herbal extracts blended in this slick gel see that oily skin stays hydrated, healthy and as smooth as a baby's ass. Best keep it handy during humid summer months. Have your pick from a variety of subtle scents, like lemon, lavender and sandalwood. Alcohol and antiseptic-free. 100 ml, $35
For the latest in grooming tips and products, read Sharp's Grooming Guide at Sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 33
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
The Anatomy of the Perfect Suit Every man needs at least one good suit. Even if only worn to the requisite weddings and funerals, it’s worth investing in something classic and well-tailored that will serve you for years to come. Not only does a quality suit make any man look better, it also conveys power and confidence. Yes, it’s true (if there was any
doubt): the clothes really do make the man. The selection of said suit, however, can be daunting owing to the glut of available options. We consulted Chris Gamauf, menswear buyer at Holt Renfrew, for some tips to make buying your next suit a snap. Roslyn Costanzo
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
Bon Visage If you’re gonna do it, do it right. It’s absolutely essential that you use a quality after-shave to finish the job. Shaving is an extremely rough way of exfoliating. After-shave removes contaminants and boosts collagen, helping your skin heal and stay healthy.
Fit: The fit is the most important aspect of any suit. Choose a suit that’s cut close to your body and that fits you in the shoulders. Armholes should sit high to prevent baggy-looking sleeves, and the material on the chest should lay flat, as should the fabric across the back, when the suit is buttoned. The waist should be slightly contoured to fit your body, and the pants should be flat-front, never pleated.
Floris No. 89 Legend has it that Floris No. 89 was a personal favourite of Ian Fleming, the man who breathed life into James Bond. It’s even been rumoured that Bond himself used it in Fleming’s novels. Either way, it’s been the classic choice of every trim Englishman since 1954. A splash or two and watch women throw themselves at you. Smells like sandalwood, rose, orris and oakmoss with a nice, fresh citrus top note. Leaves you feeling clean, invigorated and, sometimes, a bit dangerous. 100 ml, $95
Rolling lapels: The lapels in a quality suit are lined with canvas made from natural fibres, and stitched in a way that allows them to retain a slightly curved shape so that they elegantly roll back from the body as opposed to lying flat against it.
Buttons: Buttons that are made from natural materials like corozo nut, horn, metal and wood will last much longer than plastic buttons, which are more easily damaged with regular wear and tear. Buttons made from sustainable resources are also better for the environment.
Button holes: All well-made suits should have hand-sewn button holes that secure the button quite closely.
Pockets: A good suit should have functional pockets—yes, they’re
LUSH Cosmetic Lad
a marker of quality but you don’t really want to use them for anything more than the odd business card or valet stub. Stowed car keys can create an unsightly bulge that ruins the line of your suit.
Purveyors of all things organically derived, Lush's cachet comes from being one of the world’s hippest eco-conscious cosmetics lines; more Leo DiCaprio than PETA. This emulsion was handmade (like everything they sell) with lavender, honey water, calming chamomile and cold-pressed virgin almond oil, all of which staves off redness and itchiness. You’ll end up smelling like you just had your way with Mother Earth, but not in a pansy kind of way. 1.5 OZ, $20
Surgeon’s cuffs: On most suits, the cuff buttons are sewn on for show, but this wasn’t always the case. Historically, buttons were placed on the cuff of a suit to allow the wearer to roll up his sleeves (say, to wash his hands prior to surgery) and the detail has persisted as a hallmark of only the very best suits to this day. Fabric: For spring and summer, opt for breathable cottons, linens and pure light wools from Italian mills, with a 130-140 yarn count for maximum durability. For maximum versatility choose a sturdy cotton in navy blue or grey.
Construction: Select a full or half canvas suit rather than one Presidential Style Things are changing in the White House, not least of which is the stylishness of the President, and as a result, men everywhere have been asking for the Obama suit. The leader of the Free World wears $1,500 department store-bought and Americanmade Hart Schaffner Marx suits. Achieve a similar look by investing in a single-breasted suit that’s cut close to your body and pairing it with a crisp white shirt and a blue tie— Obama’s signature colour combination. Yes you can (and, yes, you should).
32 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
that is fused. Canvas garments allow the suit to mould to the wearer’s shape over time. They also withstand the rigour of dry cleaning much better than a fused garment, since they won’t come unglued.
Lining: The best linings are made of Bemberg, a delicate cotton fibre that is soft, durable and breathable.
Patterns: If your suit has an obvious pattern, make sure it matches up at the seams. A mismatched pattern is a sign of poor quality.
Colonia Intensa Aftershave Lotion by Acqua Di Parma So you’re the swarthy type, masculine in more of a Fellini way, maybe even game for a last-minute flight to Europe, in loafers, sans socks, because you just want an espresso or two and some friggin’ man spa time. No problem. “Colonia Intensa” is made by Acqua Di Parma, the Italian authority of bespoke barbering. It’s lightly scented and balances oily skin with a refreshing mix of myrtle water and rice protein. It might just turn your daily grooming into an art form. 100 ml, $63
Old Spice Classic Edition We’ll hazard a guess that your old man had a bottle of this stuff lying around when you were a kid. You know why? Because back then men didn’t need fancy oils and flowery extracts to smell good. Back then, men just wanted to smell like men. That’s why he used it, that’s why you trust it, and that’s why things like a nice, manly, musky bottle of Old Spice will never go out of style. And to think it started out as a ladies brand back in the 30s. 125 ml, $11
The Art of Shaving After-shave gel A Cut Above This limited-edition straight razor by Parisian luxury grooming experts Hommage is called The Damascene. Named for the steel swords used by soldiers in the crusades, it is hand-forged in Germany from 128 layers of Damascene steel in a rose and torsion pattern. This craftsmanship, plus the fabled history of Damascene steel begin to explain why it costs $30,000. In any case, we're willing to bet it can double as a formidable home defense weapon, especially since legend swears of its ability to cut through rock like butter. It even comes with a sleek platinum sheath. Just don’t use it in a hurry.If you’re operating on a real world budget and want to try a good old-fashioned non-disposable razor, visit Sharpformen.com for our selection of beard-busting blades.
The algae and herbal extracts blended in this slick gel see that oily skin stays hydrated, healthy and as smooth as a baby's ass. Best keep it handy during humid summer months. Have your pick from a variety of subtle scents, like lemon, lavender and sandalwood. Alcohol and antiseptic-free. 100 ml, $35
For the latest in grooming tips and products, read Sharp's Grooming Guide at Sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 33
Foreplay: Do Women Need it or Just Want it?
Charged ions gave T yle r lo ng
MANual
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
Sharp MANual to Peak Performance
49
ir. It doesn’t tak ea n ha lea s cie gc n t tin ist as t
l
HEY, SHANNA– Why is it that my partner always wants foreplay? Is this really necessary every single time? And I’ve noticed that the clock changes regularly– she’ll need more of it this time, less of it another time. Is she really just stringing me along to see how much she can get out of me? – READY AND WAITING
© 2009 The Gillette Company.
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
Yes, our clocks “change regularly,” but look in the mirror. I know you have days when it takes a lot longer to get the knob nosing north, depending on how tired you are, how you’re feeling, or any problems weighing on your mind. We’re no different. Depending on our hormones, our health, or an afternoon daydream about George Clooney, we’re liable to race the clock one day, and then time ourselves by the calendar the next. So how do you fix what you obviously see as a problem? Easy– throw the word “foreplay” out the window. It doesn’t exist. Sex isn’t a specific series of stages. It’s all sex, and it’s all good. A great meal isn’t just the entrée, and great sex isn’t just the Tab A into Slot B stuff. If you look at foreplay as part of the entire sexual experience, rather than something you need to get out of the way before the “real” fun begins, I guarantee you’ll both enjoy it a whole lot more. I just love it when my partner touches me everywhere but the naughty bits. I love foot rubs. I love to watch him slowly strip down– socks off before trousers, please– while I’m still dressed. Now, before you ask, yes, of course we want you to do that. Don’t be dumb enough to ask. Just get down there and make us proud. There’s one more thing: communication. Ask her what she wants, and then tell her what you want. Most of us would love to reciprocate, but we have no idea what you like. Want your back rubbed or your nipples nibbled? Tell us! Then lie back and see how much fun it is. Just remember– don’t ever use it as a way to string us along! Love, Shanna
Dear Ready, Let me check my calendar here… yup, it’s really 2009. You’ll have to forgive me for checking, because I thought we’d settled this a long time ago. The answer is that we all need foreplay. Believe me, sweetie, if we were just stringing you guys along, we’d be holding out for a hell of a lot more than just a backrub and some ear nibbling. Do you honestly think we’d take a foot massage over an all-expenses-paid trip to the Cartier boutique? We’re a lot smarter than that. The reason we want the sweet nothings is because the main sex organ isn’t between the legs– it’s between the ears. And that’s true of everybody, male or female, even if you’re not aware of it. You might not know this, but even the little blue pill won’t make that soldier stand at attention if you aren’t thinking the right thoughts. The difference is in how we’re wired, and that’s more than just our willingness to stop the car and ask for directions. There’s a huge discrepancy in how long it takes, and just what it takes, to get us in the mood. It’s a pretty direct route from the brain to the balls for you. Give you guys a kiss, or a touch, or even a glance across the room, and you’re immediately out of neutral and into sixth gear. You just don’t recognize that as foreplay. For us, it’s a longer and more roundabout Not exactly sure what your lady wants or needs? Head over to your local adult path, and unlike with a GPS unit, there’s seldomHigh an option to choose Gillette Performance videoShampoo. store for some instructional videos– yes, really. There are a quite a few out the shortest or quickest path. I’m guessing it’s someions evolutionary Charged power away dirt and for a clean lasts day.whose Guide to Foreplay there, but oil my favourites are by that porn star Nina all Hartley, includes step-by-step thing that got passed down over the centuries Cro-MagnonOF YOUR TAKEfrom CHARGE HAIR.instructions, along with some sizzling scenes to get both of you in the mood. It’s just one of an extensive series of how-to videos she’s days, when the best genes belonged to the guy who treated our released. Check out www.nina.com for more information. SHANNA ancient ancestor to a mammoth-steak dinner before he dragged her home by the hair.
ways to be a top performer in: body, mind & soul seems miraculous anyone manages to live a happy, healthy, balanced life at all. And yet, lots of people do. It is possible. The following is not just a Tony Robbins style list of 49 things you can do to maximize your potential. There will be no chanting here. We know you do the best you can. You work hard. But we also know you can do better. Who can’t? And here’s the thing: it doesn’t even have to be hard. Leo PeTAccIA
o
t. ha et se
gillette.com
We all do the best we can. We know that we should probably eat better, exercise more, be more compassionate, less jealous, more generous and on and on. So, why don’t we, why aren’t we, when we’re so sure that doing the right thing and all the satisfaction it brings is just a treadmill session, an organic salad and a cheque to Unicef away? The truth is, sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. The human mind, body and soul are prone to so many downfalls, pits and perils that it
34 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com sharp april 2009 35
Foreplay: Do Women Need it or Just Want it?
Charged ions gave T yle r lo ng
MANual
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
Sharp MANual to Peak Performance
49
ir. It doesn’t tak ea n ha lea s cie gc n t tin ist as t
l
HEY, SHANNA– Why is it that my partner always wants foreplay? Is this really necessary every single time? And I’ve noticed that the clock changes regularly– she’ll need more of it this time, less of it another time. Is she really just stringing me along to see how much she can get out of me? – READY AND WAITING
© 2009 The Gillette Company.
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
Yes, our clocks “change regularly,” but look in the mirror. I know you have days when it takes a lot longer to get the knob nosing north, depending on how tired you are, how you’re feeling, or any problems weighing on your mind. We’re no different. Depending on our hormones, our health, or an afternoon daydream about George Clooney, we’re liable to race the clock one day, and then time ourselves by the calendar the next. So how do you fix what you obviously see as a problem? Easy– throw the word “foreplay” out the window. It doesn’t exist. Sex isn’t a specific series of stages. It’s all sex, and it’s all good. A great meal isn’t just the entrée, and great sex isn’t just the Tab A into Slot B stuff. If you look at foreplay as part of the entire sexual experience, rather than something you need to get out of the way before the “real” fun begins, I guarantee you’ll both enjoy it a whole lot more. I just love it when my partner touches me everywhere but the naughty bits. I love foot rubs. I love to watch him slowly strip down– socks off before trousers, please– while I’m still dressed. Now, before you ask, yes, of course we want you to do that. Don’t be dumb enough to ask. Just get down there and make us proud. There’s one more thing: communication. Ask her what she wants, and then tell her what you want. Most of us would love to reciprocate, but we have no idea what you like. Want your back rubbed or your nipples nibbled? Tell us! Then lie back and see how much fun it is. Just remember– don’t ever use it as a way to string us along! Love, Shanna
Dear Ready, Let me check my calendar here… yup, it’s really 2009. You’ll have to forgive me for checking, because I thought we’d settled this a long time ago. The answer is that we all need foreplay. Believe me, sweetie, if we were just stringing you guys along, we’d be holding out for a hell of a lot more than just a backrub and some ear nibbling. Do you honestly think we’d take a foot massage over an all-expenses-paid trip to the Cartier boutique? We’re a lot smarter than that. The reason we want the sweet nothings is because the main sex organ isn’t between the legs– it’s between the ears. And that’s true of everybody, male or female, even if you’re not aware of it. You might not know this, but even the little blue pill won’t make that soldier stand at attention if you aren’t thinking the right thoughts. The difference is in how we’re wired, and that’s more than just our willingness to stop the car and ask for directions. There’s a huge discrepancy in how long it takes, and just what it takes, to get us in the mood. It’s a pretty direct route from the brain to the balls for you. Give you guys a kiss, or a touch, or even a glance across the room, and you’re immediately out of neutral and into sixth gear. You just don’t recognize that as foreplay. For us, it’s a longer and more roundabout Not exactly sure what your lady wants or needs? Head over to your local adult path, and unlike with a GPS unit, there’s seldomHigh an option to choose Gillette Performance videoShampoo. store for some instructional videos– yes, really. There are a quite a few out the shortest or quickest path. I’m guessing it’s someions evolutionary Charged power away dirt and for a clean lasts day.whose Guide to Foreplay there, but oil my favourites are by that porn star Nina all Hartley, includes step-by-step thing that got passed down over the centuries Cro-MagnonOF YOUR TAKEfrom CHARGE HAIR.instructions, along with some sizzling scenes to get both of you in the mood. It’s just one of an extensive series of how-to videos she’s days, when the best genes belonged to the guy who treated our released. Check out www.nina.com for more information. SHANNA ancient ancestor to a mammoth-steak dinner before he dragged her home by the hair.
ways to be a top performer in: body, mind & soul seems miraculous anyone manages to live a happy, healthy, balanced life at all. And yet, lots of people do. It is possible. The following is not just a Tony Robbins style list of 49 things you can do to maximize your potential. There will be no chanting here. We know you do the best you can. You work hard. But we also know you can do better. Who can’t? And here’s the thing: it doesn’t even have to be hard. Leo PeTAccIA
o
t. ha et se
gillette.com
We all do the best we can. We know that we should probably eat better, exercise more, be more compassionate, less jealous, more generous and on and on. So, why don’t we, why aren’t we, when we’re so sure that doing the right thing and all the satisfaction it brings is just a treadmill session, an organic salad and a cheque to Unicef away? The truth is, sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. The human mind, body and soul are prone to so many downfalls, pits and perils that it
34 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com sharp april 2009 35
MANual MANual MANual
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No lessNo than reason. lessseven than No hours seven less than ahours night. seven a No night. hours excuses. No a night. excuses. No excuses. 14. Drink 14. chocolate Drink14. chocolate Drink milk after chocolate milkanafter intense milk an intense after workout. anworkout. intense It has essentially Itworkout. has essentially Itthe hassame essentially the same the same 4. “We4.don’t “Wecare don’t 4. if“We care you’re don’t if you’re short, caretall, short, if you’re fat,tall, skinny, short, fat, skinny, ripped, tall, fat, ripped, bald skinny, orbald hairy. ripped, or hairy. bald or hairy. benefits as a protein as benefits a protein shake, as ashake, plus protein it plus replenishes shake, it replenishes plusyour it replenishes tired yourmuscle tiredyour muscle mass. tiredmass. muscle mass. A whiteA dress white shirt dress A white under shirtdress aunder tailored shirt a tailored under blazer ablazer with tailored dark withblazer jeans darkwill with jeans make dark will jeans make make 7. will “Most 7. “Most men 7. who men “Most exercise who men exercise regularly who regularly exercise report report regularly feelingfeeling more report alert more feeling and alertmore and alert andbenefits high content water Its high content also water replaces also content replaces fluids alsolost fluids replaces through lostfluids through sweating, lostsweating, through staving sweating, staving staving any man anylook mangood, look any man good, anywhere.”– look anywhere.”– good, Revered anywhere.”– Revered Canadian-born Canadian-born Revered couture Canadian-born couture have couture more have mental morehave mental endurance moreendurance mental to withstand endurance to withstand mental to withstand mental fatigue,” fatigue,” mental says says fatigue,” saysIts highItswater off dehydration. off dehydration. designer designer Dean Caten, Dean designer Caten, whoDean along who Caten, with alonghis who with twin along hisbrother twin withbrother his Dantwin is Dan interbrother is interDanDr. is James interDr. James Meschino, Dr. Meschino, James a Toronto-based Meschino, a Toronto-based achiropractor, Toronto-based chiropractor, naturopath chiropractor, naturopath and naturopath and andoff dehydration. 2 2 2 nationally nationally knownnationally known as DSQUARED as known DSQUARED .as DSQUARED . . clinicalclinical nutritionist, nutritionist, clinical and Sharp’s nutritionist, and Sharp’s resident andresident Sharp’s health health advisor. resident advisor. health advisor.
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8. “Finding 8. “Finding the 8. right the “Finding sport right for sport theyour right forpersonality your sportpersonality for your and personality forand your forpersonal your andpersonal for your personal needs needs as youasage needs youcan age as provide can you provide age the can support the provide support andthe development and support development and you development you you need for need your forhealth your need health and for your personal andhealth personal performance,” and performance,” personalsays performance,” Dr. says James Dr. James says Dr. James Gavin, Gavin, a healtha health and Gavin, counseling and a health counseling psychologist and counseling psychologist at Concordia psychologist at Concordia University. at Concordia University.University. “As men, “Asifmen, we’reif“As active, we’re men, active, we if we’re likewe toactive, play like to hard. we playlike Sate hard. tothat play Sate urge. hard. thatIt’ll urge. Sate addthat It’ll add urge. It’ll add years to years yourtolifespan.” your years lifespan.” to your lifespan.” • Sign • up Sign for up a • men’s for Sign a men’s up pickup for pickup a hockey men’s hockey league. pickup league. hockey It improves It league. improves It improves body-fat body-fat ratio, flexibility ratio, body-fat flexibility and ratio,coordination, and flexibility coordination, and helps coordination, to helps rev to uprev helps a slow up to a slow rev up a slow ThanksThanks to jumbo toThanks jumbo jets and jets to21st jumbo andcentury 21st jetscentury and global 21stglobal commerce, century commerce, global yourcommerce, average your average corporate yourcorporate average type travels corporate type travels moretype these more travels days these more than daysthese hethan ever days hehas ever than before, has hebefore, ever except, has except, perhaps, before,perhaps, except, in the in perhaps, the in the metabolism, metabolism, andmetabolism, with and enough with enough and practice, withpractice, enough will endow will practice, endow you with will you endow the with legs the youlegs with the legs days ofdays the Conquistadors. of the days Conquistadors. of the With Conquistadors. every With journey, everyWith journey, however, everyhowever, journey, also comes also however, comes the calories, also thecomes calories, the the sugary the calories, sugary indulgences the indulgences sugary andindulgences theand freethe beer free and atbeer all thethose at freeallbeer airport those at airport all lounges. those lounges. airport Yes, Yes, lounges. Yes, of an Olympian of an Olympian and of anthe Olympian and forearms the forearms and of Rambo. the of forearms Rambo.of Rambo. you work youhard. workYes, you hard.you work Yes, deserve hard. you deserve Yes, it. But youit. you deserve But know youit.who know Butelse you who traveled know else traveled who a lot? elseMarlon atraveled lot? Marlon Brando. a lot? Brando. Marlon Brando. • Take • up Take tennis. up • tennis. Take There’s up There’s a tennis. reason a There’s reason why multi-Grand a why reason multi-Grand why Slam multi-Grand Slam Slam champs champs like Andre like champs Andre Agassilike Agassi stillAndre look stillAgassi like look they’re like stillthey’re look in their like in20s. they’re theirAnd 20s. inhetheir And he 20s. And he 15. Kill15. theKill interminable the15.interminable Kill the boredom interminable boredom of waiting boredom of waiting for your offorwaiting flight yourby flight for curling your by curling flight one ofby one curling 18. of When one 18. of When traveling 18. traveling by When car,by traveling avoid car, heavy avoid by car, heavy meals, avoid meals, even heavy ifeven you meals, ifcould’ve you even could’ve sworn if you sworn could’ve sworn doesn’tdoesn’t even play even doesn’t anymore. play even anymore. Tennis play anymore. Tennis focuses focuses on Tennis youron focuses core, yourproviding core, on your providing core, providing your lighter your lighter carry-on your carry-on bags. lighterTry bags. carry-on twoTry sets bags. twoofsets 10 Trywith of two 10each sets witharm. ofeach 10Your with arm.biceps each Your arm. biceps Your that biceps Baconator that Baconator at thatWendy’s Baconator at Wendy’s two at stops two Wendy’s ago stopshad two agoyour stops hadname your ago had on name it.your Eating on name it. Eating on it. Eating a compound a compound workout a compound workout for yourfor workout legs, yourarms legs, for and your arms abdominal legs, and arms abdominal muscles. and abdominal muscles. muscles. will love willyou love foryou it. willfor love it. you for it. non-fatty, non-fatty, non-sugary non-fatty, non-sugary snacks non-sugary snacks like fruits, like snacks unsalted fruits,like unsalted nuts fruits,and nuts unsalted cheese and cheese nuts every andevery cheese every • Go kayaking. There’s no workout partner quite like water. • Go kayaking. There’s no workout partner quite like water. • Go kayaking. There’s no workout partner quite like water. three tothree fourtohours four three will hours tohelp four willkeep hours helpyou keep willalert, help younot keep alert, to you not mention to alert, mention lighter not tolighter for mention thefor lighter the for the Aside from Asidebeing fromAside soothing beingfrom soothing to being the to mind, soothing the its mind, unstable to the its unstable mind, and its unpredictand unstable unpredictand unpredict16. Confined 16. Confined in 16. a metal Confined in a cylinder metalincylinder afor metal hours for cylinder hours on end, for onwhile hours end, being while on end, continually being while continually being continually long haul. long haul.long haul. able surface able surface forces ableforces your surface brain’s your forces brain’s “fight your or “fight brain’s flight” or flight” response “fight response or flight” to adapt response to adapt to adapt tempted tempted with high-fat with tempted high-fat snacks withsnacks high-fat and free and snacks booze, free booze, and business free business booze, air travelers air business travelers are air are travelers are and work andjust work asand just hardas work ashard your just asupper as your hard body. upper as your Then, body. upper when Then, body. you’re when Then, you’re spent, when spent, you’re spent, understandably understandably understandably prone prone to weight to weight prone gain. When to gain. weight When windgain. sprints wind When sprints up wind andupdown sprints and down up 19.and The19. down hotel Theyou’re hotel 19. The you’re staying hotel staying inyou’re probably instaying probably has in a gym. has probably aItgym. wouldn’t has It wouldn’t a gym. hurt to It hurt wouldn’t introto introhurt to introyou can you jump caninjump you and can in cool and jump off. cool You in off. and can’t You cool beat can’t off.that. You beatcan’t that. beat that. the aisle thewould aisle would be theinappropriate aisle be would inappropriate be (which inappropriate (which is mostisofmost (which the time), ofisthe most say time), of “nay” the say time), to “nay” say to duce “nay”yourself duce to yourself toduce it. Atoquick yourself it. A 30 quick to minutes it.30A minutes quick of cardio 30ofminutes cardio can make can of cardio amake hugecan adifferhuge make differa huge differthe complimentary the complimentary thesundaes complimentary sundaes and stick and sundaes with stickfresh and withfruit stick fresh orwith fruit herbal fresh or herbal tea. fruit tea. or herbal tea. ence inence howinyou how ence feel, youin asfeel, how wellas you aswell how feel, asyou as how well look. you aslook. how you look. 9. For 9. some For male some 9. For organs, male some organs, taking maletaking care organs, ofcare them taking of isthem care as easy isofasthem as easy making isas asmaking easy as making sure they suredon’t they get sure don’t beaned they get don’t beaned withget a with football. beaned a football. Others with aOthers football. are trickier. areOthers trickier. “To are“To trickier. “To 17. With 17.allWith the all 17. time the With zone-switching, time all zone-switching, the time zone-switching, delaysdelays and transitions, and delays transitions, and frequent transitions, frequent flying flying frequent 20. If the 20. flying hotel If thegym 20. hotelIfisn’t gym the your hotel isn’tthing, gym your isn’t pack thing,your apack jump thing, arope jump pack and rope a do jump and what rope doMickey what and Mickey do what Mickey protectprotect their prostate their protect prostate glands, their glands, prostate men need men glands, toneed eatmen to more eat need soy more to products eat soy more products soy products can beat canthe beat lifethe can outlife of beat you. outthe ofSkip life you.the out Skip in-flight of you. the in-flight Skip cocktails thecocktails in-flight and drink and cocktails plenty drink and plenty of drink of Rourke plenty Rourke ofdid when didRourke he when traveled he didtraveled when as a he boxer– astraveled a boxer– skipas in skip your a boxer– inroom. your skip Just room. in mind your Justroom. the mindJust the mind the and cruciferous and cruciferous and vegetables cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, vegetables like cabbage, broccoli like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower,” and broccoli cauliflower,” and cauliflower,” water to water combat to combat water jet lagtojet and combat lag generally andjetgenerally lag looking and looking generally like a zombie. like looking a zombie. like a zombie. light fixtures. light fixtures. light fixtures. says Dr. says Meschino. Dr. Meschino. saysHeDr.suggests Meschino. He suggests oneHe cup suggests one of cup cruciferous ofone cruciferous cupvegetables of cruciferous vegetablesvegetables a day, aand day, some andaform some day, of and form soysome of three soy form times three of asoy times week. three a week. times a week.
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No lessNo than reason. lessseven than No hours seven less than ahours night. seven a No night. hours excuses. No a night. excuses. No excuses. 14. Drink 14. chocolate Drink14. chocolate Drink milk after chocolate milkanafter intense milk an intense after workout. anworkout. intense It has essentially Itworkout. has essentially Itthe hassame essentially the same the same 4. “We4.don’t “Wecare don’t 4. if“We care you’re don’t if you’re short, caretall, short, if you’re fat,tall, skinny, short, fat, skinny, ripped, tall, fat, ripped, bald skinny, orbald hairy. ripped, or hairy. bald or hairy. benefits as a protein as benefits a protein shake, as ashake, plus protein it plus replenishes shake, it replenishes plusyour it replenishes tired yourmuscle tiredyour muscle mass. tiredmass. muscle mass. A whiteA dress white shirt dress A white under shirtdress aunder tailored shirt a tailored under blazer ablazer with tailored dark withblazer jeans darkwill with jeans make dark will jeans make make 7. will “Most 7. “Most men 7. who men “Most exercise who men exercise regularly who regularly exercise report report regularly feelingfeeling more report alert more feeling and alertmore and alert andbenefits high content water Its high content also water replaces also content replaces fluids alsolost fluids replaces through lostfluids through sweating, lostsweating, through staving sweating, staving staving any man anylook mangood, look any man good, anywhere.”– look anywhere.”– good, Revered anywhere.”– Revered Canadian-born Canadian-born Revered couture Canadian-born couture have couture more have mental morehave mental endurance moreendurance mental to withstand endurance to withstand mental to withstand mental fatigue,” fatigue,” mental says says fatigue,” saysIts highItswater off dehydration. off dehydration. designer designer Dean Caten, Dean designer Caten, whoDean along who Caten, with alonghis who with twin along hisbrother twin withbrother his Dantwin is Dan interbrother is interDanDr. is James interDr. James Meschino, Dr. Meschino, James a Toronto-based Meschino, a Toronto-based achiropractor, Toronto-based chiropractor, naturopath chiropractor, naturopath and naturopath and andoff dehydration. 2 2 2 nationally nationally knownnationally known as DSQUARED as known DSQUARED .as DSQUARED . . clinicalclinical nutritionist, nutritionist, clinical and Sharp’s nutritionist, and Sharp’s resident andresident Sharp’s health health advisor. resident advisor. health advisor.
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8. “Finding 8. “Finding the 8. right the “Finding sport right for sport theyour right forpersonality your sportpersonality for your and personality forand your forpersonal your andpersonal for your personal needs needs as youasage needs youcan age as provide can you provide age the can support the provide support andthe development and support development and you development you you need for need your forhealth your need health and for your personal andhealth personal performance,” and performance,” personalsays performance,” Dr. says James Dr. James says Dr. James Gavin, Gavin, a healtha health and Gavin, counseling and a health counseling psychologist and counseling psychologist at Concordia psychologist at Concordia University. at Concordia University.University. “As men, “Asifmen, we’reif“As active, we’re men, active, we if we’re likewe toactive, play like to hard. we playlike Sate hard. tothat play Sate urge. hard. thatIt’ll urge. Sate addthat It’ll add urge. It’ll add years to years yourtolifespan.” your years lifespan.” to your lifespan.” • Sign • up Sign for up a • men’s for Sign a men’s up pickup for pickup a hockey men’s hockey league. pickup league. hockey It improves It league. improves It improves body-fat body-fat ratio, flexibility ratio, body-fat flexibility and ratio,coordination, and flexibility coordination, and helps coordination, to helps rev to uprev helps a slow up to a slow rev up a slow ThanksThanks to jumbo toThanks jumbo jets and jets to21st jumbo andcentury 21st jetscentury and global 21stglobal commerce, century commerce, global yourcommerce, average your average corporate yourcorporate average type travels corporate type travels moretype these more travels days these more than daysthese hethan ever days hehas ever than before, has hebefore, ever except, has except, perhaps, before,perhaps, except, in the in perhaps, the in the metabolism, metabolism, andmetabolism, with and enough with enough and practice, withpractice, enough will endow will practice, endow you with will you endow the with legs the youlegs with the legs days ofdays the Conquistadors. of the days Conquistadors. of the With Conquistadors. every With journey, everyWith journey, however, everyhowever, journey, also comes also however, comes the calories, also thecomes calories, the the sugary the calories, sugary indulgences the indulgences sugary andindulgences theand freethe beer free and atbeer all thethose at freeallbeer airport those at airport all lounges. those lounges. airport Yes, Yes, lounges. Yes, of an Olympian of an Olympian and of anthe Olympian and forearms the forearms and of Rambo. the of forearms Rambo.of Rambo. you work youhard. workYes, you hard.you work Yes, deserve hard. you deserve Yes, it. But youit. you deserve But know youit.who know Butelse you who traveled know else traveled who a lot? elseMarlon atraveled lot? Marlon Brando. a lot? Brando. Marlon Brando. • Take • up Take tennis. up • tennis. Take There’s up There’s a tennis. reason a There’s reason why multi-Grand a why reason multi-Grand why Slam multi-Grand Slam Slam champs champs like Andre like champs Andre Agassilike Agassi stillAndre look stillAgassi like look they’re like stillthey’re look in their like in20s. they’re theirAnd 20s. inhetheir And he 20s. And he 15. Kill15. theKill interminable the15.interminable Kill the boredom interminable boredom of waiting boredom of waiting for your offorwaiting flight yourby flight for curling your by curling flight one ofby one curling 18. of When one 18. of When traveling 18. traveling by When car,by traveling avoid car, heavy avoid by car, heavy meals, avoid meals, even heavy ifeven you meals, ifcould’ve you even could’ve sworn if you sworn could’ve sworn doesn’tdoesn’t even play even doesn’t anymore. play even anymore. Tennis play anymore. Tennis focuses focuses on Tennis youron focuses core, yourproviding core, on your providing core, providing your lighter your lighter carry-on your carry-on bags. lighterTry bags. carry-on twoTry sets bags. twoofsets 10 Trywith of two 10each sets witharm. ofeach 10Your with arm.biceps each Your arm. biceps Your that biceps Baconator that Baconator at thatWendy’s Baconator at Wendy’s two at stops two Wendy’s ago stopshad two agoyour stops hadname your ago had on name it.your Eating on name it. Eating on it. Eating a compound a compound workout a compound workout for yourfor workout legs, yourarms legs, for and your arms abdominal legs, and arms abdominal muscles. and abdominal muscles. muscles. will love willyou love foryou it. willfor love it. you for it. non-fatty, non-fatty, non-sugary non-fatty, non-sugary snacks non-sugary snacks like fruits, like snacks unsalted fruits,like unsalted nuts fruits,and nuts unsalted cheese and cheese nuts every andevery cheese every • Go kayaking. There’s no workout partner quite like water. • Go kayaking. There’s no workout partner quite like water. • Go kayaking. There’s no workout partner quite like water. three tothree fourtohours four three will hours tohelp four willkeep hours helpyou keep willalert, help younot keep alert, to you not mention to alert, mention lighter not tolighter for mention thefor lighter the for the Aside from Asidebeing fromAside soothing beingfrom soothing to being the to mind, soothing the its mind, unstable to the its unstable mind, and its unpredictand unstable unpredictand unpredict16. Confined 16. 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Sweet potatoes– Particularly nourishing for the brain, the potato’s limbic system— the part of your brain most vulnerable to addiction— to 31. Sweet potatoes– cousin providescousin the brain’s provides onlythesource brain’sofonly fuel–source carbohydrates. of fuel– carbohydrates. cousin provides the brain’s only source of fuel– carbohydrates. substitute the cigarette your newest, and hopefully, healthier addiction. 22. Drink green 22. tea.Drink We can’t green stress tea.forWe how can’t good stress this how magical goodlittle this elixir magical really little elixir really 22. Drink green tea. 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Kidney “One cup beans– of kidney “Onebeans cup ofcontains kidney beans almostcontains 19% of almost 19% of 32. Kidney beans– “One cup of kidney beans contains almost 19% of educating yourself, hands on, on how to work out. Kevin Perquin, Fitness 32. Kidney beans– B-vitamin RDV forthiamin,” the B-vitamin says Michele thiamin,” Turcotte, says Michele president Turcotte, president the RDV for the B-vitamin thiamin,” says Michele Turcotte, president Manager at Goodlife Family thefocus end,keep everyone’s 23. One of the best 23. One ways oftothe avoid best distraction waysFitness to avoid andsays, distraction keep“In your and at work yourisfocus tobody at iswork isthe toRDV for the the 23. One of the best ways to avoid distraction and keep your focus at work is to of nutrition consulting of nutrition firm consulting A Perfect Plate, firm AInc. 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Inositol vitamin may family. improve Inositol may improve which is part of the B-complex vitamin family. Inositol may improve clear mind. clear mind. clear mind. symptoms of depression symptomsand of depression mood disorders.” and mood disorders.” symptoms of depression and mood disorders.” 12. Play hard, but not too hard. “If you over-exercise you will weaken your immune system shows and become susceptible to colds and flus. You may 24. “Research consistently 24. “Research consistently that themore simple shows that act of the meditation simple actoffers of meditation more offers more 24. “Research consistently shows that the simple act of meditation offers more Pine nuts– 33. PinePine nutsnuts– are chock Pine nuts full of arethe chock amino fullarginine, of the amino whicharginine, which 33. Pine nuts– Pine nuts are chock full of the amino arginine, which even lose lean mass, whichthan could make you look gaunt other and and emacifor stress management forsome stress than management psychotherapy, psychotherapy, counselling andcounselling most most33.other for stress management than psychotherapy, counselling and most other the stimulates pituitary gland the pituitary at the base gland of atthethebrain baseto ofrelease the brain to release stimulates the pituitary gland at the base of the brain to release ated,” says Dr. says Meschino. “To says start, shoot for three cardio sesself-help processes,” self-help processes,” Dr. James Gavin, Dr. psychologist James Gavin,30-minute and psychologist Director ofand Directorstimulates of self-help processes,” says Dr. James Gavin, psychologist and Director of hormone, growth a substance hormone, that a substance quickly starts thattoquickly declinestarts towards to decline towards growth hormone, a substance that quickly starts to decline towards a week andHuman you should be fine.” Appliedsions Human Applied Sciences at Concordia Sciences University at Concordia in Montreal. University Tryinthis: Montreal. for Try this:growth for Applied Human Sciences at Concordia University in Montreal. Try this: for the end of your the thirties. end of your thirties. the end of your thirties. 5 minutes a day, 5 minutes close your a day, eyesclose and focus your eyes your and attention focus on your simply attention your on simply your 5 minutes a day, close your eyes and focus your attention on simply your 13. OneThe cupact of of Joe is fine. is breathing not. The of caffeine in two full cups of breathing. breathing. breathing TheTwo act as therapy of hasamount ancient as therapy roots has in ancient “pranayama,” roots in “pranayama,” breathing. The act of breathing as therapy has ancient roots in “pranayama,” 34. Blueberries–34.Blueberries Blueberries– have Blueberries neuroprotective have neuroprotective properties that properties can that can 36. If you think36. 34. 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Relax.Sit Gaze there. at the Relax. gapGaze at the gapfrom damage caused from damage by chemicals, causedplaque, by chemicals, or trauma. plaque, or trauma. from damage caused by chemicals, plaque, or trauma. 25. Learn a new25. skill. Learn Thisasupports new skill.the This growth supports of new thebrain growth cells of new and enhances brain cells and enhances 25. Learn new skill.ofyou. This supports growth of new brain cells and enhances ing wonder of nature inga wonder before nature Get before back the to you. us. Get back to us. 14.memory. Drink chocolate milkyour after an intense workout. It has essentially the same your Remember, your memory. Remember, brain craves your challenges, brain craves even challenges, though you even though you your memory. Remember, your brain craves challenges, even though you Eggs– Recently, 35. Eggs– the American Recently,National the American Academy National of Sciences Academy recof Sciences rec- 37. “People fail 35. 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Everyone mistakes. acts like Everyone a injerk acts somea jerkan somecan be directly can sought beordirectly out. It’s sought a by-product out. It’sofa doing by-product all sorts of of doing all sorts the development theofdevelopment brain motor functioning of brain motor andfunctioning memory.” and memory.” the development of brain motor with functioning andwith memory.” off dehydration. times. Call up times. whomever Call up you’ve whomever been feuding you’ve beenand feuding and other things well,” other says things Ian Johnston, well,” saysprofessor Ian Johnston, of Liberal professor Studies of Liberal Studies 26. Migraines don’t 26. Migraines just stem don’t from stress. just stem If you frombinge stress. on Ifsugar-based, you binge onrefined sugar-based, refined 26. Migraines don’t justIsland stem from stress. Ifhappiness’ you binge can on refined make amends. make Everybody amends. will win. 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Howson, of Multiple professor Intelligence of Multiple andIntelligence and Philosophy simple, at the Philosophy University atofthe Toronto. University “…The of more we“…The have, more we kill have, the boostThanks confidence by reducing confidence bycentury reducing levels.” cortisol levels.” your average corporate type travels more these days than he ever has before, except, perhaps, in the boost confidence by reducing cortisol Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Ryerson Intelligence, University. Ryerson University. more we want. And more getting we want. what And wegetting want is what almost welevels.” never want is asalmost good never as good to boost jumbo jets and cortisol 21st global commerce, as we thought itaswould we thought be. Theit upside would be. is that Thenot upside getting is that whatnot wegetting what we days of the Conquistadors. With every journey, however, also comes the calories, the sugary indulgences and the free beer at all those airport lounges. Yes, 28. 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Eating Men need advertisements to radically simplify theiraffect lives and on what is core and certainmore. advertisements and certain greatly affect the greatly way men think the focus way of men think of to will love you for it.health.” non-fatty, non-sugary snacks like fruits, unsalted nuts and cheese every their identity, integrity their identity, and integrity and health.” identity, and health.” Break a sweat 46. every Breakday. a sweat It doesn’t everymatter day. It how, doesn’t justmatter that you how, just that you themselves their andthemselves others,”integrity advises and others,” Professor advises Johnston. Professor “It’s Johnston. more “It’s 46. more three to four hours will help keep you alert, not to mention lighter for the do it. You coulddo goit.out You forcould a jog.go Run outupforthe a jog. stairs Run instead up theofstairs instead of than just a distraction; than justit’sa false distraction; consciousness.” it’s false consciousness.” Confined inmore a metal for hours on thereof, end,Oxytocin, while being continually 29. Have 16. more 29. sexHave (relationship, sexorcylinder (relationship, lack thereof, orpermitting). lack permitting). a feelOxytocin, a feel-long haul. 29. Have more sex (relationship, or lack thereof, permitting). Oxytocin, riding a feel-the elevator. riding Approach the elevator. the most Approach attractive the most woman attractive you woman you tempted with high-fat snacks and free booze, business travelerslobe are nestled good hormone good produced hormone in your produced hypothalamus, in your hypothalamus, (a cone-like lobe (aair nestled cone-like good hormone produced in rich yourwe hypothalamus, (a cone-like nestled see and talk tosee her and as iftalk it was to her nothing. as if itWhatever was nothing. it takes. Whatever it takes. 40. “If we command 40. “Ifour wewealth, command we shall our wealth, be and shall free.be If our rich wealth and free. If ourlobe wealth understandably to reduces weight When windfear sprints up and down 19.(aThe hotel you’re staying in probably has a gym. It wouldn’t hurt to introin the bottom ofinyour the bottom brain)prone isof what your brain) gain. isfear what and reduces lowers your and cortisol lowers (a your cortisol ofus, your is what reduces fear and Burke lowers your cortisol (a Just break a sweat. Just break a sweat. commands in us,the commands webottom are poor indeed.” webrain) are—Edmund poor indeed.” Burke —Edmund the aisle bepeaks inappropriate (which is most of the time), say to climax.duce yourself to it. A quick 30 minutes of cardio can make a huge differstress hormone). stress Itwould usually hormone). Itone usually to two peaks minutes one to after two sexual minutes climax. after“nay” sexual stress hormone). It usually peaks one to two minutes after sexual climax. complimentary sundaes stick with fresh fruit or herbal tea. ence in how you feel, as well as how you look. Coitus– it the does Coitus– a mind good. it does a mind and good. Coitus– it does a mind good. 47. Treat yourself 47.toTreat a hearty yourself lunch toevery a hearty Friday. lunch You every earned Friday. it. You earned it.
9 Not-So-Hard 9 Not-So-Hard Things To Things To Do to beDoa to Better be aMan Better Man
Fit, or Bust
17. With all the time zone-switching, delays and transitions, frequent flying can beat the life out of you. Skip the in-flight cocktails and drink plenty of water to combat jet lag and generally looking like a zombie.
2009 38 39 Sharp April 2009 39 Sharp ShArpformen.com April 2009 ShArpformen.com
20. If the hotel gym isn’t your thing, pack a jump rope and do what Mickey Rourke did when he traveled as a boxer– skip in your room. Just mind the light fixtures.
48. Shop at your 48. Shop nearestat local your farmers’ nearest local market. farmers’ That food market. That food traveled much less traveled of a much distance lesstoofget a distance there, which to get means there, which means its far fresher and its far hasfresher more of and itshas essential more of nutrition its essential intact. nutrition intact. Plus, it’s still thePlus, bestit’s place still to themeet bestwomen. place to meet women. 49. Turn off your49. BlackBerry, Turn off your for BlackBerry, one whole day. for one Yes whole you can. day. Yes you can.
ShArpformen.com Sharp April 2009 38
39 Sharp April 2009 ShArpformen.com
ShArpformen.com ShArpformen.com Sharp April 2009Sharp 40 April 2009 40
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30. Fish– 30.packed Fish– They’re with protein, packed a crucial with protein, component a crucial in the component makin the mak30. Fish– They’re packed with protein, a crucial component in the mak10. So if Obama’s down with it? ones, If youclassical smoke arethat trying kick thefrom 21. Listen to what the 21. Masters— Listen to the The Masters— classical The that is. and ones, Studies from is.tothe Studies the They’re 21. Listen to the Masters— The classical ones, that is. Studies from the ing of neurotransmitters. They’re also a rich They’re source also ofaomega-3 rich source fats,of omega-3 fats, ing of neurotransmitters. They’re also a rich source of omega-3 fats, habit, that oral something like a bottle of of water University of swap California University have of fixation California shownfor that have a healthy shownhealthy, that dosea of healthy Mozart dose can Mozart ing canof neurotransmitters. University of California have shown that a healthy dose of Mozart can which support cerebral which support development. cerebralMore development. on this: p.More 31 on this: p. 31 which support cerebral development. More on this: p. 31 orthe some carrot sticks— that youleft putbrain, in your that won’t enhance performance enhance the ofperformance theanything left hemisphere of the ofcan your hemisphere where ofmouth your everybrain, where everyenhance the performance of the left hemisphere of your brain, where everyfry functions, your day lungs. It’smath, a psychological trickcommunication called “substitution.” It trainstake the place. day linear linear like functions, communication like math, and reasoning take and reasoning place. day linear functions, like math, communication and reasoning take place. 31. Sweet Particularly potatoes– nourishing Particularly for the nourishing brain, the forpotato’s the brain, the potato’s 31. Sweet potatoes– Particularly nourishing for the brain, the potato’s limbic system— the part of your brain most vulnerable to addiction— to 31. Sweet potatoes– cousin providescousin the brain’s provides onlythesource brain’sofonly fuel–source carbohydrates. of fuel– carbohydrates. cousin provides the brain’s only source of fuel– carbohydrates. substitute the cigarette your newest, and hopefully, healthier addiction. 22. Drink green 22. tea.Drink We can’t green stress tea.forWe how can’t good stress this how magical goodlittle this elixir magical really little elixir really 22. Drink green tea. We can’t stress how good this magical little elixir really They’re also replete They’re withalso vitamin replete B6,with which vitamin is crucial B6, which in the isproduccrucial in the producThey’re also replete with vitamin B6, which is crucial in the producis for you upstairs. is forFor youone, upstairs. it’s rifeFor with one, antioxidants it’s rife withto antioxidants combat premato combat premais for you upstairs. For one, it’s rife with antioxidants to combat premation of neurotransmitters. tion of neurotransmitters. Invest in ture a personal trainer. It isn’t cheap, but ofknock it thisout way: paid afoundtion ture11.brain aging. It’sbrain also aging. been proven It’s alsoto been knock proven outthink antoenzyme found anyou to enzyme to of neurotransmitters. ture brain aging. It’s also been proven to knock out an enzyme found to lot of money go to university. This is a similar kind of investment. You’re cause Alzheimer’s. causetoAlzheimer’s. cause Alzheimer’s. 32. Kidney “One cup beans– of kidney “Onebeans cup ofcontains kidney beans almostcontains 19% of almost 19% of 32. Kidney beans– “One cup of kidney beans contains almost 19% of educating yourself, hands on, on how to work out. Kevin Perquin, Fitness 32. Kidney beans– B-vitamin RDV forthiamin,” the B-vitamin says Michele thiamin,” Turcotte, says Michele president Turcotte, president the RDV for the B-vitamin thiamin,” says Michele Turcotte, president Manager at Goodlife Family thefocus end,keep everyone’s 23. One of the best 23. One ways oftothe avoid best distraction waysFitness to avoid andsays, distraction keep“In your and at work yourisfocus tobody at iswork isthe toRDV for the the 23. One of the best ways to avoid distraction and keep your focus at work is to of nutrition consulting of nutrition firm consulting A Perfect Plate, firm AInc. Perfect “Thiamin Plate,isInc. critical “Thiamin is critical of nutrition consulting firm A Perfect Plate, Inc. “Thiamin is critical A personal can provide that guided meet supplies your clear offdifferent. your desk. clear Mountains off yourtrainer desk. of paper Mountains and scattered of paper office andattention scattered suppliestoonly office only clear off your desk. Mountains of paper and scattered office supplies only foracognitive functionality. for cognitiveAlso, functionality. kidney beans Also, are kidney rich beans in inositol, are rich in inositol, for cognitive functionality. Also, kidney beans are rich in inositol, needs.” amplifyspecific your sense amplify of feeling your sense overwhelmed. of feeling Aoverwhelmed. clean workspace A clean leads workspace to a leads to amplify your sense of feeling overwhelmed. A clean workspace leads to a which is part ofwhich the B-complex is part of the vitamin B-complex family. Inositol vitamin may family. improve Inositol may improve which is part of the B-complex vitamin family. Inositol may improve clear mind. clear mind. clear mind. symptoms of depression symptomsand of depression mood disorders.” and mood disorders.” symptoms of depression and mood disorders.” 12. Play hard, but not too hard. “If you over-exercise you will weaken your immune system shows and become susceptible to colds and flus. You may 24. “Research consistently 24. “Research consistently that themore simple shows that act of the meditation simple actoffers of meditation more offers more 24. “Research consistently shows that the simple act of meditation offers more Pine nuts– 33. PinePine nutsnuts– are chock Pine nuts full of arethe chock amino fullarginine, of the amino whicharginine, which 33. Pine nuts– Pine nuts are chock full of the amino arginine, which even lose lean mass, whichthan could make you look gaunt other and and emacifor stress management forsome stress than management psychotherapy, psychotherapy, counselling andcounselling most most33.other for stress management than psychotherapy, counselling and most other the stimulates pituitary gland the pituitary at the base gland of atthethebrain baseto ofrelease the brain to release stimulates the pituitary gland at the base of the brain to release ated,” says Dr. says Meschino. “To says start, shoot for three cardio sesself-help processes,” self-help processes,” Dr. James Gavin, Dr. psychologist James Gavin,30-minute and psychologist Director ofand Directorstimulates of self-help processes,” says Dr. James Gavin, psychologist and Director of hormone, growth a substance hormone, that a substance quickly starts thattoquickly declinestarts towards to decline towards growth hormone, a substance that quickly starts to decline towards a week andHuman you should be fine.” Appliedsions Human Applied Sciences at Concordia Sciences University at Concordia in Montreal. University Tryinthis: Montreal. for Try this:growth for Applied Human Sciences at Concordia University in Montreal. Try this: for the end of your the thirties. end of your thirties. the end of your thirties. 5 minutes a day, 5 minutes close your a day, eyesclose and focus your eyes your and attention focus on your simply attention your on simply your 5 minutes a day, close your eyes and focus your attention on simply your 13. OneThe cupact of of Joe is fine. is breathing not. The of caffeine in two full cups of breathing. breathing. breathing TheTwo act as therapy of hasamount ancient as therapy roots has in ancient “pranayama,” roots in “pranayama,” breathing. The act of breathing as therapy has ancient roots in “pranayama,” 34. Blueberries–34.Blueberries Blueberries– have Blueberries neuroprotective have neuroprotective properties that properties can that can 36. If you think36. 34. Blueberries– Blueberries have neuroprotective properties that can coffee can up your 16and beats per minute. don’tofknow about a branch of yoga a branch that means ofheartbeat yoga “expansion thatby means “expansion control of cosmic andWe control power.” cosmic power.” aconversations branch yogaabout that means “expansion and control cosmicofpower.” If youofthink conversations spirituality about are aspirituality waste of are time, aofwaste time, delay the onsetdelay of age-related the onset memory of age-related loss bymemory guarding loss brain by cells guarding brain cells delay the onset of age-related memory loss by guarding brain cells you, but if you ask us, a supercharged heart is a recipe for bad things. take a hike up totake a mountaintop. a hike up to aSitmountaintop. there. Relax.Sit Gaze there. at the Relax. gapGaze at the gapfrom damage caused from damage by chemicals, causedplaque, by chemicals, or trauma. plaque, or trauma. from damage caused by chemicals, plaque, or trauma. 25. Learn a new25. skill. Learn Thisasupports new skill.the This growth supports of new thebrain growth cells of new and enhances brain cells and enhances 25. Learn new skill.ofyou. This supports growth of new brain cells and enhances ing wonder of nature inga wonder before nature Get before back the to you. us. Get back to us. 14.memory. Drink chocolate milkyour after an intense workout. It has essentially the same your Remember, your memory. Remember, brain craves your challenges, brain craves even challenges, though you even though you your memory. Remember, your brain craves challenges, even though you Eggs– Recently, 35. Eggs– the American Recently,National the American Academy National of Sciences Academy recof Sciences rec- 37. “People fail 35. Eggs– Recently, the American National Academy of Sciences recbenefits as anot. protein shake, itbefore, replenishes your tired muscle mass. may not. Try something may you’ve Try something neverplus tried you’ve never liketried picking before, up alike foreign picking up a 35. foreign may not. Try fail something you’ve never tried before, like something picking up that a foreign 37. to “People understand that to understand happiness that is not happiness something is not that ognized the nutrient ognized “choline” the nutrient in eggs “choline” as “playing in eggs an essential as “playing roleaninessential role in ognizedmakes the nutrient “choline” eggs aslike “playing essential role in Its or high water content also replaces fluids lost through sweating, staving language a musical language instrument. or a musical instrument. language a musical instrument. 41. of Everyone makes 41. Everyone mistakes. Everyone mistakes. acts like Everyone a injerk acts somea jerkan somecan be directly can sought beordirectly out. It’s sought a by-product out. It’sofa doing by-product all sorts of of doing all sorts the development theofdevelopment brain motor functioning of brain motor andfunctioning memory.” and memory.” the development of brain motor with functioning andwith memory.” off dehydration. times. Call up times. whomever Call up you’ve whomever been feuding you’ve beenand feuding and other things well,” other says things Ian Johnston, well,” saysprofessor Ian Johnston, of Liberal professor Studies of Liberal Studies 26. Migraines don’t 26. Migraines just stem don’t from stress. just stem If you frombinge stress. on Ifsugar-based, you binge onrefined sugar-based, refined 26. Migraines don’t justIsland stem from stress. Ifhappiness’ you binge can on refined make amends. make Everybody amends. will win. Everybody will win. at Vancouver Island at Vancouver University. “TheUniversity. ‘pursuit of“The ‘pursuit of sugar-based, happiness’ can carbohydrates like carbohydrates pasta and beer, like pasta chances andare beer, thechances pain willare persist. the pain Cutting will persist. Cutting carbohydrates liketwo pasta and chances the pain will happiness persist. Cutting mean one of two mean things: one the of pursuit things: of beer, athe thing pursuit called ofare happiness a thing called your carb intakeyour considerably carb intake could considerably curb these could hellish curb headaches. these hellish headaches. carb intake considerably curb these 42. Listen. 42. Listen. (the wrong your way(the to look wrong at it) way and to the lookpursuit at could it) and which thebrings pursuithellish happiwhichheadaches. brings happiness with it. Tooness many with men it. Too thinkmany of happiness men thinkinof that happiness first sense.” in that first sense.” 27. Play this video 27. Play game. this Dr. video Bärbel game. Knäuper, Dr. Bärbel an Associate Knäuper, Professor an Associate of Professor of 27. Play this video game. Dr. Bärbel Knäuper, an Associate Professor of a list43. 43. “Write of “Write some of a list the offeats some youofhave the feats accomplished, you have accomplished, Psychology at Psychology McGill University at McGill in Montreal, Universitysays in Montreal, of a new says videoofgame a new video game Psychology McGill University inupMontreal, says ofin aseeking new video game that you are proud that of youand arethat proud made of and you that feel made good. you Keepfeel good. Keep 38. “Ultimately,38. our“Ultimately, desires,atwhich our desires, get tangled which get in seeking tangled up haphapcalled “MindHabits” calleddeveloped “MindHabits” heredeveloped in Canada,here “Ourinrecent Canada, studies “Our show recent studies show “MindHabits” developed here in and Canada, studiesit show with you. Read it with it from you.time Readto ittime fromtotime remind to time yourself to remind yourself piness, are called complex piness, and are strange, complex ruled and by strange, envy ruledovercome by “Our envy recent and overcome that playing MindHabits— that playing aMindHabits— game that focuses a gameonthat problem focuses solving on problem and solving and thatsatisfaction,” playing game onofproblem solving how magnificent of howyou magnificent are. Keep you adding are. to Keep the adding list.”– to the list.”– by their own by their MindHabits— ownsays satisfaction,” Marka Kingwell, saysthat Mark a focuses professor Kingwell, a professor of and simple, fun-to-play simple, exercises— fun-to-play forexercises— five minutesfor a day five minutes can kill stress a day and can kill stress and fun-to-play exercises— forToronto. five minutes a the day can stress and T. Howson, Susan Susan professor T. Howson, of Multiple professor Intelligence of Multiple andIntelligence and Philosophy simple, at the Philosophy University atofthe Toronto. University “…The of more we“…The have, more we kill have, the boostThanks confidence by reducing confidence bycentury reducing levels.” cortisol levels.” your average corporate type travels more these days than he ever has before, except, perhaps, in the boost confidence by reducing cortisol Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Ryerson Intelligence, University. Ryerson University. more we want. And more getting we want. what And wegetting want is what almost welevels.” never want is asalmost good never as good to boost jumbo jets and cortisol 21st global commerce, as we thought itaswould we thought be. Theit upside would be. is that Thenot upside getting is that whatnot wegetting what we days of the Conquistadors. With every journey, however, also comes the calories, the sugary indulgences and the free beer at all those airport lounges. Yes, 28. What you is thework 28. single What most is the prominent single most factorprominent men thatout? stresses men out? 28. What isasthe single most that stresses men out? “Lifestyle— 44. You know that 44. new You know projectthat younew justproject startedyou at work? just started Finishat work? Finish want usually isn’t want bad usually as we isn’t imagined.” asprominent bad as wefactor imagined.” hard. Yes, you deserve it.that Butstresses you factor know who else“Lifestyle— traveled a lot?“Lifestyle— Marlon Brando. though that covers though a galaxy that covers of issues,” a galaxy saysofDr. issues,” Gavin.says “Most Dr.men Gavin. these “Most men these though that covers a galaxy of issues,” says Dr. Gavin. “Most menitthese early. it early. days are not indays charge areofnot their in charge lives, though of theirthey lives, delude though themselves they delude intothemselves into daysYou’re areNeither not charge of their Armani lives, delude themselves 39. You’re not39. perfect. notinperfect. is the 50-foot Neither is the though 50-foot modelthey on Armani that model on that into 15. they Kill the interminable boredom of waiting for external yourand flight curling one thinking are. thinking They they are driven are. They by external are driven standards by standards thebyallure of and theofallure18.of When traveling by car, avoid heavy meals, even if you could’ve sworn thinking theycondo. are. They are condo. driven external standards and the 45.allure Start of and finish 45. Start one new and book finish aone month. new book a month. billboard outside billboard your outside Embrace your that.by Embrace “The marketplace that. “The marketplace lighter carry-on bags. Try two sets 10 with Your biceps more. Menyour need more. to radically Men need simplify to radically their lives simplify andoffocus their lives on each what andarm. isfocus core on to what is core tothat Baconator at Wendy’s two stops ago had your name on it. Eating Men need advertisements to radically simplify theiraffect lives and on what is core and certainmore. advertisements and certain greatly affect the greatly way men think the focus way of men think of to will love you for it.health.” non-fatty, non-sugary snacks like fruits, unsalted nuts and cheese every their identity, integrity their identity, and integrity and health.” identity, and health.” Break a sweat 46. every Breakday. a sweat It doesn’t everymatter day. It how, doesn’t justmatter that you how, just that you themselves their andthemselves others,”integrity advises and others,” Professor advises Johnston. Professor “It’s Johnston. more “It’s 46. more three to four hours will help keep you alert, not to mention lighter for the do it. You coulddo goit.out You forcould a jog.go Run outupforthe a jog. stairs Run instead up theofstairs instead of than just a distraction; than justit’sa false distraction; consciousness.” it’s false consciousness.” Confined inmore a metal for hours on thereof, end,Oxytocin, while being continually 29. Have 16. more 29. sexHave (relationship, sexorcylinder (relationship, lack thereof, orpermitting). lack permitting). a feelOxytocin, a feel-long haul. 29. Have more sex (relationship, or lack thereof, permitting). Oxytocin, riding a feel-the elevator. riding Approach the elevator. the most Approach attractive the most woman attractive you woman you tempted with high-fat snacks and free booze, business travelerslobe are nestled good hormone good produced hormone in your produced hypothalamus, in your hypothalamus, (a cone-like lobe (aair nestled cone-like good hormone produced in rich yourwe hypothalamus, (a cone-like nestled see and talk tosee her and as iftalk it was to her nothing. as if itWhatever was nothing. it takes. Whatever it takes. 40. “If we command 40. “Ifour wewealth, command we shall our wealth, be and shall free.be If our rich wealth and free. If ourlobe wealth understandably to reduces weight When windfear sprints up and down 19.(aThe hotel you’re staying in probably has a gym. It wouldn’t hurt to introin the bottom ofinyour the bottom brain)prone isof what your brain) gain. isfear what and reduces lowers your and cortisol lowers (a your cortisol ofus, your is what reduces fear and Burke lowers your cortisol (a Just break a sweat. Just break a sweat. commands in us,the commands webottom are poor indeed.” webrain) are—Edmund poor indeed.” Burke —Edmund the aisle bepeaks inappropriate (which is most of the time), say to climax.duce yourself to it. A quick 30 minutes of cardio can make a huge differstress hormone). stress Itwould usually hormone). Itone usually to two peaks minutes one to after two sexual minutes climax. after“nay” sexual stress hormone). It usually peaks one to two minutes after sexual climax. complimentary sundaes stick with fresh fruit or herbal tea. ence in how you feel, as well as how you look. Coitus– it the does Coitus– a mind good. it does a mind and good. Coitus– it does a mind good. 47. Treat yourself 47.toTreat a hearty yourself lunch toevery a hearty Friday. lunch You every earned Friday. it. You earned it.
9 Not-So-Hard 9 Not-So-Hard Things To Things To Do to beDoa to Better be aMan Better Man
Fit, or Bust
17. With all the time zone-switching, delays and transitions, frequent flying can beat the life out of you. Skip the in-flight cocktails and drink plenty of water to combat jet lag and generally looking like a zombie.
2009 38 39 Sharp April 2009 39 Sharp ShArpformen.com April 2009 ShArpformen.com
20. If the hotel gym isn’t your thing, pack a jump rope and do what Mickey Rourke did when he traveled as a boxer– skip in your room. Just mind the light fixtures.
48. Shop at your 48. Shop nearestat local your farmers’ nearest local market. farmers’ That food market. That food traveled much less traveled of a much distance lesstoofget a distance there, which to get means there, which means its far fresher and its far hasfresher more of and itshas essential more of nutrition its essential intact. nutrition intact. Plus, it’s still thePlus, bestit’s place still to themeet bestwomen. place to meet women. 49. Turn off your49. BlackBerry, Turn off your for BlackBerry, one whole day. for one Yes whole you can. day. Yes you can.
ShArpformen.com Sharp April 2009 38
39 Sharp April 2009 ShArpformen.com
ShArpformen.com ShArpformen.com Sharp April 2009Sharp 40 April 2009 40
© 2009 The Gillette Company.
MANual
Sharp ClassicMANual Books You to Peak MightPerformance Not Have Read (but really ought to…)
49
Yeah, we couldn’t get into Ulysses, either. These four books, however, are just as classic, and also happen to be great reads. Sorry, James Joyce, maybe next time.
Charged ions gave T yle r lo ng
Ask the Dust By John Fante
ir. It doesn’t tak e n ha a lea sci gc en t tin ist as t
l
ways to be a top performer in: body, mind & soul
To the detriment of countless readers, John Fante (rhymes with Dante) has still not been fully recognized for the peerless wordsmith that he was. Despite some early success in the 1940s, Fante spent most of his life penning screenplays for ultimately forgettable Hollywood films. By the late 1970s, he was blind, in rapidly declining health and most of his novels were no longer in print. Some recognition came when his books were reissued shortly before his death in 1983, following Charles Bukowski’s insistence that Fante was one of the greatest writers America had ever We all do the We know that we should probably eat betproduced, but best todaywehecan. remains relatively unknown. more, beinmore lessthe jealous, ter, exercise First published 1939,compassionate, Ask the Dust tells story more generous and on and on. So, why don’t we, why aren’t we, of Arturo Bandini, a young writer trying to make when we’re so sure doing the rightinthing and all theLos satisfaction athat name for himself depression-era Angeles, it brings is just a treadmill session, an organic salad and a cheque to Unicef away? The while living on oranges, stolen milk and cigarettes. As Bandini struggles toit’s write American Novel, truth is, sometimes hardhis to Great know where to start. The human mind, tormented all the a Mexican body and soul are while pronebytohis so love manyfordownfalls, pits and perils that it waitress named Camilla, he endears himself as one of the most indelible characters in American fiction. A short, fierce book, Ask the Dust’s ruminations on sex, success and masculinity are for the ages.
o
t. ha et se
Down and Out in Paris and London By George Orwell
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While there’s little argument that 1984 and Animal Farm were Orwell’s most important achievements, permanently implanting things like “Big Brother” and “four legs good, two legs bad” into our cultural lexicon, his first book is just as praiseworthy, and certainly as memorable. Published in 1933 as a fictionalized account of a period the young Orwell spent living rough, Down and Out remains a poignant and entertaining record of life in the underbelly of Europe’s capital cities. While working as a dishwasher in Paris’s grand hotels and roaming the streets of London collecting cigarette ends, Orwell captures the place and time in vibrant detail, sometimes sentimentally, always with an eye for humour and humanity.
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz By Mordecai Richler
Few authors defined Canadian literature as much as Mordecai Richler. This book, first published in 1959, was both a breakthrough for him and for Canadian fiction, becoming the first-ever internationally best-selling novel written by a Canadian. The story of a working-class kid from Montreal’s St. Urbain Street, Duddy Kravitz is a uniquely Canadian tale, speaking to truths both regional and universal, while never succumbing to cliché. Kravitz is every bit as much a reflection of the psyche of a generation of Canadians as Holden Caulfield was to that of our Yankee neighbours. He’s tough, tenacious, and as ferociously ambitious as he is innocent to the ways of the world. Fifty years later, the book's observations on family, loyalty and love are just as potent, its characters just as vivid. Richler’s book remains as vital as ever, a coming-of-age story that helped to define a nation. seems miraculous anyone manages to live a happy, healthy, balanced life at all. And yet, lots of people do. It is possible. The following is not just a Tony Robbins list Horses, of 49 things youThey? can do to maximize Theystyle Shoot Don’t your potential. ThereBywill be no chanting here. We know you do the Horace McCoy best you can. You work hard. But we also know you can doinbetter. While there’s been a revived interest noir– in boththe film and itlit– over the several Who can’t? And here’s thing: doesn’t evenlast have to beyears, hard.most Leo PeTAccIA of the literary acclaim has been directed at Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. Horace McCoy, however, is equally deserving of recognition, as is his seminal novel They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Clocking in at a whirlwind 132 pages, McCoy’s prose reads like Chandler after six coffees and a pack of cigarettes– jittery, fast-paced, and grittier than number 40 sandpaper. Set at the literal end of the American frontier– the Pacific coast– during the depression, They Shoot Horses takes place at a grueling non-stop dance marathon and centres around a sensitive, aspiring movie director and a washed-up femme fatale. He isn’t street-wise like Bogart, nor is she malicious like Bacall, but McCoy’s characters are definitively noir: they’re noble, flawed, and ultimately doomed. While McCoy’s They Shoot Horses isn’t noir at its pulpiest, it’s a worthy inclusion in the canon for one simple reason: it’s a book that changed the genre. It’s the literary equivalent of Bob Dylan going electric– an unapologetic redefinition of the status quo. And like post-folk Dylan, it’s a marvellous success. MARK TEO
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© 2009 The Gillette Company.
MANual
Sharp ClassicMANual Books You to Peak MightPerformance Not Have Read (but really ought to…)
49
Yeah, we couldn’t get into Ulysses, either. These four books, however, are just as classic, and also happen to be great reads. Sorry, James Joyce, maybe next time.
Charged ions gave T yle r lo ng
Ask the Dust By John Fante
ir. It doesn’t tak e n ha a lea sci gc en t tin ist as t
l
ways to be a top performer in: body, mind & soul
To the detriment of countless readers, John Fante (rhymes with Dante) has still not been fully recognized for the peerless wordsmith that he was. Despite some early success in the 1940s, Fante spent most of his life penning screenplays for ultimately forgettable Hollywood films. By the late 1970s, he was blind, in rapidly declining health and most of his novels were no longer in print. Some recognition came when his books were reissued shortly before his death in 1983, following Charles Bukowski’s insistence that Fante was one of the greatest writers America had ever We all do the We know that we should probably eat betproduced, but best todaywehecan. remains relatively unknown. more, beinmore lessthe jealous, ter, exercise First published 1939,compassionate, Ask the Dust tells story more generous and on and on. So, why don’t we, why aren’t we, of Arturo Bandini, a young writer trying to make when we’re so sure doing the rightinthing and all theLos satisfaction athat name for himself depression-era Angeles, it brings is just a treadmill session, an organic salad and a cheque to Unicef away? The while living on oranges, stolen milk and cigarettes. As Bandini struggles toit’s write American Novel, truth is, sometimes hardhis to Great know where to start. The human mind, tormented all the a Mexican body and soul are while pronebytohis so love manyfordownfalls, pits and perils that it waitress named Camilla, he endears himself as one of the most indelible characters in American fiction. A short, fierce book, Ask the Dust’s ruminations on sex, success and masculinity are for the ages.
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t. ha et se
Down and Out in Paris and London By George Orwell
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While there’s little argument that 1984 and Animal Farm were Orwell’s most important achievements, permanently implanting things like “Big Brother” and “four legs good, two legs bad” into our cultural lexicon, his first book is just as praiseworthy, and certainly as memorable. Published in 1933 as a fictionalized account of a period the young Orwell spent living rough, Down and Out remains a poignant and entertaining record of life in the underbelly of Europe’s capital cities. While working as a dishwasher in Paris’s grand hotels and roaming the streets of London collecting cigarette ends, Orwell captures the place and time in vibrant detail, sometimes sentimentally, always with an eye for humour and humanity.
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz By Mordecai Richler
Few authors defined Canadian literature as much as Mordecai Richler. This book, first published in 1959, was both a breakthrough for him and for Canadian fiction, becoming the first-ever internationally best-selling novel written by a Canadian. The story of a working-class kid from Montreal’s St. Urbain Street, Duddy Kravitz is a uniquely Canadian tale, speaking to truths both regional and universal, while never succumbing to cliché. Kravitz is every bit as much a reflection of the psyche of a generation of Canadians as Holden Caulfield was to that of our Yankee neighbours. He’s tough, tenacious, and as ferociously ambitious as he is innocent to the ways of the world. Fifty years later, the book's observations on family, loyalty and love are just as potent, its characters just as vivid. Richler’s book remains as vital as ever, a coming-of-age story that helped to define a nation. seems miraculous anyone manages to live a happy, healthy, balanced life at all. And yet, lots of people do. It is possible. The following is not just a Tony Robbins list Horses, of 49 things youThey? can do to maximize Theystyle Shoot Don’t your potential. ThereBywill be no chanting here. We know you do the Horace McCoy best you can. You work hard. But we also know you can doinbetter. While there’s been a revived interest noir– in boththe film and itlit– over the several Who can’t? And here’s thing: doesn’t evenlast have to beyears, hard.most Leo PeTAccIA of the literary acclaim has been directed at Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. Horace McCoy, however, is equally deserving of recognition, as is his seminal novel They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Clocking in at a whirlwind 132 pages, McCoy’s prose reads like Chandler after six coffees and a pack of cigarettes– jittery, fast-paced, and grittier than number 40 sandpaper. Set at the literal end of the American frontier– the Pacific coast– during the depression, They Shoot Horses takes place at a grueling non-stop dance marathon and centres around a sensitive, aspiring movie director and a washed-up femme fatale. He isn’t street-wise like Bogart, nor is she malicious like Bacall, but McCoy’s characters are definitively noir: they’re noble, flawed, and ultimately doomed. While McCoy’s They Shoot Horses isn’t noir at its pulpiest, it’s a worthy inclusion in the canon for one simple reason: it’s a book that changed the genre. It’s the literary equivalent of Bob Dylan going electric– an unapologetic redefinition of the status quo. And like post-folk Dylan, it’s a marvellous success. MARK TEO
sharpformen.com sharp april 2009 sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 4335
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Prime Time It’s like your granddad always said, “If you’re going to do a job, do it once and do it right.” So, unless you’re a bona fide bird watcher or a paparazzo, why spend all that time zooming in and out when all you’re trying to do is fit your family in one shot, with one shot?
Leica M8.2 Like German cars with German parts, Leica’s new M8.2 just loves its own Leica-made prime lenses, like the 24-and 21-mm F/1.4 lenses, both of which are easily fixable to this camera. They deliver higher contrast and greater detail, even in the dimmest spots. Stopped all the way down you have a level of depth-of-field control that other compacts simply can’t match. And that retro, vulcanite finish reminds us of Leica’s glory days. $7,000; leica.com
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
Slender Stunners A Prime Lens Primer A prime lens has a fixed focal length, unlike those zoom lenses that you’re used to on your standard point-andshoot. This means less versatility– so no spying on the neighbours and then quickly switching to indoor shots. With a prime, you really have to pick one or the other or switch lenses. The images you’ll capture, however, will be considerably sharper, and most primes are “brighter,” so you’ll have more shooting options in low light situations. This is attributable to a couple of factors: for one, prime lenses have larger apertures (smaller f-numbers), which let you take dramatic shots in places with low light because they let in more light. Shots at a wedding with no flash? No problem. Images are typically sharper with less distortion because there are many fewer glass elements in a prime lens. They are also rugged and long-lasting because there are so few moving parts, which also makes them lighter and smaller, making them the tool of choice for the purist or art-minded photographers.
Cast a sideways glance and you might not even see the latest crop of ultra-slender gadgets. LG 55LHX LED TV, Bad news: your new LCD is fat. At only 0.9 inches at its thinnest point, this new LG’s profile all but disappears. Completely wireless and boasting a spectacular 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio across a 55-inch screen, it’s as achingly beautiful to watch as it is to look at. With LED technology, you can indulge your nightly Deadwood dalliance in stunning high def and shave a good chunk off your electrical bills, too. Unlike conventional LCD TVs– most of which generate enough heat to cook your breakfast– the LEDs that backlight this screen generate virtually no heat because almost all of the electrical power that’s used generates light instead, slashing electrical consumption significantly. $5,500; www.lg.ca
Dell XPS One 24 All-in-one PCs are a glimpse into a future of TVs, computers and media centres rolled into one. Can you possibly argue with that kind of convenience? Thought not. We like Dell’s newest because it supports full 1080p resolution for our late-night Blade Runner cravings, while an HDTV tuner and DVR software let us record any reruns of The Office that we miss while slaving away at our own. An Intel Core 2 Duo processor and up to 4GB of RAM should keep things fast, and the integrated JBL speaker system makes this a solid stand-in for a secondary home theater. Starts at $1,700; www.dell.ca
Lumix DMC-LX3 Okay, so it’s not exactly a prime lens camera. But, we’ll be damned if it doesn’t have the same appeal and aesthetic. How so, you might ask? The DMC-LX3’s lens is a Leica lens, that’s how. Think of the LX3's lightning-fast Leica DC Vario-Summicron lens as one of the few point-andshoot lenses with the sharpness of a prime lens and the convenience of a slight amount of zoom in one. It also has wide-angle reach (24-60 mm and f/2-2.8) and the kind of low-light performance and depth control typically reserved for SLRs. A 3-inch, 460,000-dot LCD view screen replaces the LX2's 2.8-inch version, providing more viewing area and inimitable resolution. $550; panasonic.com
Sony VAIO P Series Netbook Half the Scale, All the Charm.
Ricoh GR Digital II It’s been a long wait for Ricoh to release a successor to its hugely popular GR Digital. But we can now say with confidence that the new and improved GR Digital II is well worth the wait. The 10-megapixel GR II boasts a 1/1.75-inch CCD, ISO 1600 max sensitivity, improved RAW and JPEG recordings, VGA video recordings, and an SDHC/SD card slot. It also boasts a slightly larger, auto-rotating 2.7-inch LCD and, as a most welcome nod to its heritage, the same superb 28 mm prime lens found on the original GR Digital. $540; ricoh.com
44 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
Meet the Minox DCC Rolleiflex AF5.0, a retro-inspired piece of photographic mastery straight out of 1929. Modeled after the world-famous German-made Rolleiflex 6x6, this little charmer melds old with new. It features both a functioning hand crank that you have to turn before each picture and a 5-megapixel sensor, LCD monitor, and miniSD slot. And just like its bigger, older predecessor, it produces square, portrait-style pictures. Just as much fun as the roaring twenties, without the hassles of film and global socialism. ($449; minox.com)
Here are two reasons why netbooks (like this one) are totally worth it: 1) You can keep it in your pocket. 2) They’re so damn sexy. Sony’s new baby weighs in at just 1.4 pounds, has an 8-hour battery life, and keeps you connected just about anywhere you go with 3G mobile broadband, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. There’s even an instant mode option that lets you access music, Internet and email without even booting Windows Vista. Available in green, red, black, white and onyx. $999; www.sony.ca
Phillippe Starck’s Parrot iPod Speakers Prolific French designer Phillipe Starck has teamed up with wireless specialists Parrot to release what’s quite possibly the most attractive looking pair of iPod speakers on Earth. The set consists of an iPhone/iPod dock and remote control, plus built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so your laptop doesn’t get lonely. They sound superb, and with curves like this, we’re not complaining. $1,500; www. parrotshopping.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 45
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
Prime Time It’s like your granddad always said, “If you’re going to do a job, do it once and do it right.” So, unless you’re a bona fide bird watcher or a paparazzo, why spend all that time zooming in and out when all you’re trying to do is fit your family in one shot, with one shot?
Leica M8.2 Like German cars with German parts, Leica’s new M8.2 just loves its own Leica-made prime lenses, like the 24-and 21-mm F/1.4 lenses, both of which are easily fixable to this camera. They deliver higher contrast and greater detail, even in the dimmest spots. Stopped all the way down you have a level of depth-of-field control that other compacts simply can’t match. And that retro, vulcanite finish reminds us of Leica’s glory days. $7,000; leica.com
LOOK BETTER FEEL BETTER KNOW MORE
Slender Stunners A Prime Lens Primer A prime lens has a fixed focal length, unlike those zoom lenses that you’re used to on your standard point-andshoot. This means less versatility– so no spying on the neighbours and then quickly switching to indoor shots. With a prime, you really have to pick one or the other or switch lenses. The images you’ll capture, however, will be considerably sharper, and most primes are “brighter,” so you’ll have more shooting options in low light situations. This is attributable to a couple of factors: for one, prime lenses have larger apertures (smaller f-numbers), which let you take dramatic shots in places with low light because they let in more light. Shots at a wedding with no flash? No problem. Images are typically sharper with less distortion because there are many fewer glass elements in a prime lens. They are also rugged and long-lasting because there are so few moving parts, which also makes them lighter and smaller, making them the tool of choice for the purist or art-minded photographers.
Cast a sideways glance and you might not even see the latest crop of ultra-slender gadgets. LG 55LHX LED TV, Bad news: your new LCD is fat. At only 0.9 inches at its thinnest point, this new LG’s profile all but disappears. Completely wireless and boasting a spectacular 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio across a 55-inch screen, it’s as achingly beautiful to watch as it is to look at. With LED technology, you can indulge your nightly Deadwood dalliance in stunning high def and shave a good chunk off your electrical bills, too. Unlike conventional LCD TVs– most of which generate enough heat to cook your breakfast– the LEDs that backlight this screen generate virtually no heat because almost all of the electrical power that’s used generates light instead, slashing electrical consumption significantly. $5,500; www.lg.ca
Dell XPS One 24 All-in-one PCs are a glimpse into a future of TVs, computers and media centres rolled into one. Can you possibly argue with that kind of convenience? Thought not. We like Dell’s newest because it supports full 1080p resolution for our late-night Blade Runner cravings, while an HDTV tuner and DVR software let us record any reruns of The Office that we miss while slaving away at our own. An Intel Core 2 Duo processor and up to 4GB of RAM should keep things fast, and the integrated JBL speaker system makes this a solid stand-in for a secondary home theater. Starts at $1,700; www.dell.ca
Lumix DMC-LX3 Okay, so it’s not exactly a prime lens camera. But, we’ll be damned if it doesn’t have the same appeal and aesthetic. How so, you might ask? The DMC-LX3’s lens is a Leica lens, that’s how. Think of the LX3's lightning-fast Leica DC Vario-Summicron lens as one of the few point-andshoot lenses with the sharpness of a prime lens and the convenience of a slight amount of zoom in one. It also has wide-angle reach (24-60 mm and f/2-2.8) and the kind of low-light performance and depth control typically reserved for SLRs. A 3-inch, 460,000-dot LCD view screen replaces the LX2's 2.8-inch version, providing more viewing area and inimitable resolution. $550; panasonic.com
Sony VAIO P Series Netbook Half the Scale, All the Charm.
Ricoh GR Digital II It’s been a long wait for Ricoh to release a successor to its hugely popular GR Digital. But we can now say with confidence that the new and improved GR Digital II is well worth the wait. The 10-megapixel GR II boasts a 1/1.75-inch CCD, ISO 1600 max sensitivity, improved RAW and JPEG recordings, VGA video recordings, and an SDHC/SD card slot. It also boasts a slightly larger, auto-rotating 2.7-inch LCD and, as a most welcome nod to its heritage, the same superb 28 mm prime lens found on the original GR Digital. $540; ricoh.com
44 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
Meet the Minox DCC Rolleiflex AF5.0, a retro-inspired piece of photographic mastery straight out of 1929. Modeled after the world-famous German-made Rolleiflex 6x6, this little charmer melds old with new. It features both a functioning hand crank that you have to turn before each picture and a 5-megapixel sensor, LCD monitor, and miniSD slot. And just like its bigger, older predecessor, it produces square, portrait-style pictures. Just as much fun as the roaring twenties, without the hassles of film and global socialism. ($449; minox.com)
Here are two reasons why netbooks (like this one) are totally worth it: 1) You can keep it in your pocket. 2) They’re so damn sexy. Sony’s new baby weighs in at just 1.4 pounds, has an 8-hour battery life, and keeps you connected just about anywhere you go with 3G mobile broadband, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. There’s even an instant mode option that lets you access music, Internet and email without even booting Windows Vista. Available in green, red, black, white and onyx. $999; www.sony.ca
Phillippe Starck’s Parrot iPod Speakers Prolific French designer Phillipe Starck has teamed up with wireless specialists Parrot to release what’s quite possibly the most attractive looking pair of iPod speakers on Earth. The set consists of an iPhone/iPod dock and remote control, plus built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so your laptop doesn’t get lonely. They sound superb, and with curves like this, we’re not complaining. $1,500; www. parrotshopping.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 45
THE
QUIET
CANADIAN
With eight PGA tour wins under his belt, including a coup over Tiger Woods, Mike Weir is one tournament away from becoming the most successful Canadian golfer of all time. He has come a long way from his humble beginnings near Sarnia, Ontario, but, he assures us, he’s just getting started. By Robert Thompson Photography by Shane Mahood
Standing in front of a large crowd at Château des Charmes winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, dressed in jeans, a white shirt and a black blazer, Mike Weir doesn’t look like one of Canada’s most famous athletes. Without a golf club in his hand and a hat on his head, even ESPN junkies might not recognize him. The crowd gathered on a blustery day in Niagara last November, however, knows exactly who he is, despite his absent golf accessories. They listen raptly as he introduces his partnership with the winery, which now produces a wine bearing his name, and when he’s done they give him a standing ovation. Weir seems only partially comfortable with all the attention. He’s never seemed particularly at ease in front of crowds, especially not when he’s without a golf club. He enjoys the solitary nature of golf and has largely eschewed the spotlight, making him, at best, a reluctant spokesman. “I’m naturally pretty shy,” he admits. Perennially soft-spoken and subtly attired, he’s an introvert who has always been more at home hitting balls alone on a driving range than playing in front of spectators. Since April 13, 2003, however, Weir hasn’t had much time to himself. Six years ago when he won the Masters, one of golf ’s most significant tournaments, his life changed quickly and dramatically. Overnight, he joined Wayne Gretzky and Steve Nash as one of Canada’s most recognizable, successful and marketable sports stars. More wins would follow, including a dramatic headto-head victory over Tiger Woods at the Presidents Cup in September 2007, followed by his eighth PGA Tour win a month later. Now tied with 1960s golf legend George Knudson for the most PGA Tour wins 46 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
by a Canadian, Weir has become a full-blown sports celebrity, complete with big-money endorsements. There’s Mike Weir Wines, which generates cash for his children’s charitable foundation; Weir Golf, his line of clothing; and million-dollar deals to play TaylorMade golf clubs and wear the logo of media giant Thomson Reuters on his hat. That’s in addition to a golf course design business, his own branded Royal Bank Visa card, and endorsements with Audi and a handful of other well-known companies. It all adds up to a multi-million dollar business, in addition to the more than $3 million Weir made playing golf last year. In fact, his $24 million in winnings on the PGA Tour puts him 12th on the all-time money list. Despite the money, the private planes that jet him to tournaments, and the fact he’s lived in Utah since he was 18, Weir remains a quintessentially reserved Canadian. Usually uncomfortable talking about himself, at 39, Weir is finally starting to reflect on his remarkable career. Sharp: You’re now in your twelfth season on the PGA Tour, and it’s a decade since your first win in Vancouver. Can you assess your career to date? MW: It exceeds anything I had in mind. At first, my goal was just to get a PGA Tour card. Let’s be honest, I struggled for five years on the Canadian Tour and the Asian Tour. I struggled all over the world. And I was thinking about how I could get good enough to get on the PGA Tour and compete against those guys. That was all I was thinking about. And now, I’m thinking about how I can get ready for the next tournament. How do I prepare myself? But, truthfully, I really haven’t taken the time to look back at the past. sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 47
THE
QUIET
CANADIAN
With eight PGA tour wins under his belt, including a coup over Tiger Woods, Mike Weir is one tournament away from becoming the most successful Canadian golfer of all time. He has come a long way from his humble beginnings near Sarnia, Ontario, but, he assures us, he’s just getting started. By Robert Thompson Photography by Shane Mahood
Standing in front of a large crowd at Château des Charmes winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, dressed in jeans, a white shirt and a black blazer, Mike Weir doesn’t look like one of Canada’s most famous athletes. Without a golf club in his hand and a hat on his head, even ESPN junkies might not recognize him. The crowd gathered on a blustery day in Niagara last November, however, knows exactly who he is, despite his absent golf accessories. They listen raptly as he introduces his partnership with the winery, which now produces a wine bearing his name, and when he’s done they give him a standing ovation. Weir seems only partially comfortable with all the attention. He’s never seemed particularly at ease in front of crowds, especially not when he’s without a golf club. He enjoys the solitary nature of golf and has largely eschewed the spotlight, making him, at best, a reluctant spokesman. “I’m naturally pretty shy,” he admits. Perennially soft-spoken and subtly attired, he’s an introvert who has always been more at home hitting balls alone on a driving range than playing in front of spectators. Since April 13, 2003, however, Weir hasn’t had much time to himself. Six years ago when he won the Masters, one of golf ’s most significant tournaments, his life changed quickly and dramatically. Overnight, he joined Wayne Gretzky and Steve Nash as one of Canada’s most recognizable, successful and marketable sports stars. More wins would follow, including a dramatic headto-head victory over Tiger Woods at the Presidents Cup in September 2007, followed by his eighth PGA Tour win a month later. Now tied with 1960s golf legend George Knudson for the most PGA Tour wins 46 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
by a Canadian, Weir has become a full-blown sports celebrity, complete with big-money endorsements. There’s Mike Weir Wines, which generates cash for his children’s charitable foundation; Weir Golf, his line of clothing; and million-dollar deals to play TaylorMade golf clubs and wear the logo of media giant Thomson Reuters on his hat. That’s in addition to a golf course design business, his own branded Royal Bank Visa card, and endorsements with Audi and a handful of other well-known companies. It all adds up to a multi-million dollar business, in addition to the more than $3 million Weir made playing golf last year. In fact, his $24 million in winnings on the PGA Tour puts him 12th on the all-time money list. Despite the money, the private planes that jet him to tournaments, and the fact he’s lived in Utah since he was 18, Weir remains a quintessentially reserved Canadian. Usually uncomfortable talking about himself, at 39, Weir is finally starting to reflect on his remarkable career. Sharp: You’re now in your twelfth season on the PGA Tour, and it’s a decade since your first win in Vancouver. Can you assess your career to date? MW: It exceeds anything I had in mind. At first, my goal was just to get a PGA Tour card. Let’s be honest, I struggled for five years on the Canadian Tour and the Asian Tour. I struggled all over the world. And I was thinking about how I could get good enough to get on the PGA Tour and compete against those guys. That was all I was thinking about. And now, I’m thinking about how I can get ready for the next tournament. How do I prepare myself? But, truthfully, I really haven’t taken the time to look back at the past. sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 47
Ermenegildo Zegna Blazer ($1,895), pocket square ($95), belt ($225) and Zegna Sport jeans ($295). BOSS shirt ($175) and Geox shoes ($250). 48 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
Sharp: People forget those five years that is and to become the first Canadian to win and I saw the F-150 and thought I could get you struggled after turning pro in 1992. Did it was amazing. But at the same time it was my clubs and fishing gear in. I’m not going you ever doubt that you would make it? almost surreal. And then the Leafs game that to say I don’t like nice things, but I’m not a MW: I think there was some doubt. I can’t night– it wasn’t something I planned to do. I flashy guy. When it comes to fashion, I love say there wasn’t. I once missed six cuts in a row was just up in a box and they came and asked the way Ben Hogan looked. He was always in Australia. You wonder about it. In the back if I would [drop the puck] and I thought it dressed nicely and neutral. I might have a little of my mind I thought there had to be a better would be neat. It wasn’t something I’d done bit more flash and I might wear a little bit way to hit the ball more consistently. There before. And to this day that standing ovation more colour, but I like a little bit more neutral had to be a better way. I had taken lessons as is still one of the most amazing moments of colours. a kid, but I was pretty raw. I knew how to get my life. Sharp: Tiger wears red on Sunday and the ball in the hole, but once I got to tougher Sharp: You’ve had some high-profile you have your trademark black. How did that golf courses, especially in professional golf, it encounters with Tiger Woods since the start come about? was a whole different game. Most guys out of your career. How much better is he than the MW: It started with the Bob Hope Classic there were better than me. I had confidence in average PGA Tour pro? [in 2003] where I wore black in the final myself— I knew I could chip and putt. I knew MW: Tiger is such a competitor. He has round and won. Then I wore it again at the how to score. I just had to figure out a way multiple tools that are advantageous in overMasters and the superstition came in. I do to hit the ball better. That’s why it has been powering a golf course. He has a phenomenal like to wear it on Sunday for some reason, it a pursuit for me for the last 10 years. I just wedge game and putter. He has a complete has just become part of things for me. I wore wanted to be a better ball striker. game and I respect that. He treats golf like a a blue shirt for one final round recently and a Sharp: You’ve said that the birth of your sport and that’s not always the case with all Canadian contingent came by with flags and daughter Elle, only a few weeks after you the guys out here. He trains for it like a sport. started yelling, ‘You’re wearing blue! You can’t made it through PGA Tour Qualifying Talent-wise, he’s phenomenal. I remember wear blue!’ It was like I did something wrong. School, made a big difference in your life one time when I played with him at the Buick Sharp: People who have known you for the and your golf last two decades game. insist that you’re MW: the same guy "I don’t know how you can hit a ball that high out of There’s no who left Brights doubt about Grove, Ontario, rough and then make an eagle. If it had been me, I’d have it. Before I for Brigham Young had children, University at 18. Is hacked it out to 110 yards and had a wedge." I had a that true? single-minded MW: I think approach. And that’s due to my sometimes upbringing for that doesn’t work. When I was home before Open, he hit a 2-iron from 240 yards and he sure. My parents are humble people and the kids, my focus was all on golf. When I put it into the clouds and it ended up four feet maybe being the youngest son with two older was at home, I’d be swinging. I’d be putting from the hole. I don’t know how you can hit a brothers had something to do with it. I still indoors. And I kept wondering how I would ball that high out of rough and then make an keep in touch with close friends in Brights get better. But I couldn’t get better because I eagle. If it had been me, I’d have hacked it out Grove. Even though I’m in Utah, I’m in touch. was obsessed with it. That perception changed to 110 yards and had a wedge. He hits shots I know what is going on. Looking back at all in 1997 when I went to Q-School and knew that no one has ever hit before. the things that have happened, I have a tough Elle would be born in a few weeks. I had a Sharp: But you requested the opportunity time sometimes making sense of it. I still feel sense of calm. I noticed that other interests to play against him at the Presidents Cup. like the same guy that was on the range at took my attention from my game, which was MW: That’s the thing. I totally respect his Huron Oaks, and then in the pool and then good because I can be obsessed with it. game, but it is golf and I can still beat him. chipping balls. I still love to do that. That’s Sharp: Most Canadians remember the That’s what I love about the game. When who I am and that’s not going away. scene after you made the winning putt at The Captain [Gary] Player was talking about Sharp: You turned 39 this year, and Masters. What happened in the days that guys to play Tiger, I said sign me up. It is an traditionally most golfers would see a decline followed? unbelievable challenge, but the way I look at in their games during their forties. What are MW: It was a real whirlwind. I was blown it, if I can hit it down the middle and put it on your expectations? away. I didn’t know what to expect when the green before he does, I have a psychologi MW: I haven’t really thought about it I came back to Toronto [the day after the cal advantage. It happened to work out for me a ton, to tell you the truth. I do strive for tournament]. It was something that had been that day, which isn’t to say he couldn’t beat me longevity and I really think I can get a lot set up for a long time. I didn’t know what on any other day. It was a special day for me. I better. I have a handle on the injuries I’ve had would happen. Would we have 50 people look forward to those challenges. That’s what and feel I can play and be competitive for a out? I had no idea. We had a late night and being a professional athlete is about. And I long time. I don’t want to set limits on it. I then flew into Toronto, and when we pulled know he wants a shot back at me. I love that. don’t know what that means. Hopefully more around the corner from the Eaton Centre, I Sharp: What does style mean to you? majors and more wins. I really think I can play remember thinking, ‘What are all these people MW: I’m definitely not a flashy guy. Up better than I did in 2003 or 2004, or at least doing here?’ I guess that’s when it hit me– the until I had this deal with Audi [Weir drives an play more consistently. I think the eight wins impact of winning the Masters. It took me S8], I drove an F-150 truck. I did that for three I have aren’t near where I’m going to be when back to realize how special that tournament years. I had a friend who was a Ford dealer I’m done. sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 49
Ermenegildo Zegna Blazer ($1,895), pocket square ($95), belt ($225) and Zegna Sport jeans ($295). BOSS shirt ($175) and Geox shoes ($250). 48 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
Sharp: People forget those five years that is and to become the first Canadian to win and I saw the F-150 and thought I could get you struggled after turning pro in 1992. Did it was amazing. But at the same time it was my clubs and fishing gear in. I’m not going you ever doubt that you would make it? almost surreal. And then the Leafs game that to say I don’t like nice things, but I’m not a MW: I think there was some doubt. I can’t night– it wasn’t something I planned to do. I flashy guy. When it comes to fashion, I love say there wasn’t. I once missed six cuts in a row was just up in a box and they came and asked the way Ben Hogan looked. He was always in Australia. You wonder about it. In the back if I would [drop the puck] and I thought it dressed nicely and neutral. I might have a little of my mind I thought there had to be a better would be neat. It wasn’t something I’d done bit more flash and I might wear a little bit way to hit the ball more consistently. There before. And to this day that standing ovation more colour, but I like a little bit more neutral had to be a better way. I had taken lessons as is still one of the most amazing moments of colours. a kid, but I was pretty raw. I knew how to get my life. Sharp: Tiger wears red on Sunday and the ball in the hole, but once I got to tougher Sharp: You’ve had some high-profile you have your trademark black. How did that golf courses, especially in professional golf, it encounters with Tiger Woods since the start come about? was a whole different game. Most guys out of your career. How much better is he than the MW: It started with the Bob Hope Classic there were better than me. I had confidence in average PGA Tour pro? [in 2003] where I wore black in the final myself— I knew I could chip and putt. I knew MW: Tiger is such a competitor. He has round and won. Then I wore it again at the how to score. I just had to figure out a way multiple tools that are advantageous in overMasters and the superstition came in. I do to hit the ball better. That’s why it has been powering a golf course. He has a phenomenal like to wear it on Sunday for some reason, it a pursuit for me for the last 10 years. I just wedge game and putter. He has a complete has just become part of things for me. I wore wanted to be a better ball striker. game and I respect that. He treats golf like a a blue shirt for one final round recently and a Sharp: You’ve said that the birth of your sport and that’s not always the case with all Canadian contingent came by with flags and daughter Elle, only a few weeks after you the guys out here. He trains for it like a sport. started yelling, ‘You’re wearing blue! You can’t made it through PGA Tour Qualifying Talent-wise, he’s phenomenal. I remember wear blue!’ It was like I did something wrong. School, made a big difference in your life one time when I played with him at the Buick Sharp: People who have known you for the and your golf last two decades game. insist that you’re MW: the same guy "I don’t know how you can hit a ball that high out of There’s no who left Brights doubt about Grove, Ontario, rough and then make an eagle. If it had been me, I’d have it. Before I for Brigham Young had children, University at 18. Is hacked it out to 110 yards and had a wedge." I had a that true? single-minded MW: I think approach. And that’s due to my sometimes upbringing for that doesn’t work. When I was home before Open, he hit a 2-iron from 240 yards and he sure. My parents are humble people and the kids, my focus was all on golf. When I put it into the clouds and it ended up four feet maybe being the youngest son with two older was at home, I’d be swinging. I’d be putting from the hole. I don’t know how you can hit a brothers had something to do with it. I still indoors. And I kept wondering how I would ball that high out of rough and then make an keep in touch with close friends in Brights get better. But I couldn’t get better because I eagle. If it had been me, I’d have hacked it out Grove. Even though I’m in Utah, I’m in touch. was obsessed with it. That perception changed to 110 yards and had a wedge. He hits shots I know what is going on. Looking back at all in 1997 when I went to Q-School and knew that no one has ever hit before. the things that have happened, I have a tough Elle would be born in a few weeks. I had a Sharp: But you requested the opportunity time sometimes making sense of it. I still feel sense of calm. I noticed that other interests to play against him at the Presidents Cup. like the same guy that was on the range at took my attention from my game, which was MW: That’s the thing. I totally respect his Huron Oaks, and then in the pool and then good because I can be obsessed with it. game, but it is golf and I can still beat him. chipping balls. I still love to do that. That’s Sharp: Most Canadians remember the That’s what I love about the game. When who I am and that’s not going away. scene after you made the winning putt at The Captain [Gary] Player was talking about Sharp: You turned 39 this year, and Masters. What happened in the days that guys to play Tiger, I said sign me up. It is an traditionally most golfers would see a decline followed? unbelievable challenge, but the way I look at in their games during their forties. What are MW: It was a real whirlwind. I was blown it, if I can hit it down the middle and put it on your expectations? away. I didn’t know what to expect when the green before he does, I have a psychologi MW: I haven’t really thought about it I came back to Toronto [the day after the cal advantage. It happened to work out for me a ton, to tell you the truth. I do strive for tournament]. It was something that had been that day, which isn’t to say he couldn’t beat me longevity and I really think I can get a lot set up for a long time. I didn’t know what on any other day. It was a special day for me. I better. I have a handle on the injuries I’ve had would happen. Would we have 50 people look forward to those challenges. That’s what and feel I can play and be competitive for a out? I had no idea. We had a late night and being a professional athlete is about. And I long time. I don’t want to set limits on it. I then flew into Toronto, and when we pulled know he wants a shot back at me. I love that. don’t know what that means. Hopefully more around the corner from the Eaton Centre, I Sharp: What does style mean to you? majors and more wins. I really think I can play remember thinking, ‘What are all these people MW: I’m definitely not a flashy guy. Up better than I did in 2003 or 2004, or at least doing here?’ I guess that’s when it hit me– the until I had this deal with Audi [Weir drives an play more consistently. I think the eight wins impact of winning the Masters. It took me S8], I drove an F-150 truck. I did that for three I have aren’t near where I’m going to be when back to realize how special that tournament years. I had a friend who was a Ford dealer I’m done. sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 49
{P.52} {P.53}
The Guide to
Classic Living
{P.54} {P.58} {P.60} {P.66}
Leisure The Hat Timepieces Style Attire Transportation
“Inspired by a time when quality, durability and craftsmanship were paramount.” In your grandfather’s day, a man could be sized up by the cut of his suit, the fabric of his hat, the shine of his shoes. His place in the world could be determined, at a glance, by these few simple things, immediately visible and unmistakable in their significance. Today, things have changed somewhat. Men, regardless of their station in life, are inclined to buy their suits off the rack, wear shoes made to last only a few years, and wear hats only casually or when shoveling snow. To be sure, this is not entirely a bad thing—no one is lamenting being able to wear tennis shoes while not playing tennis, or
50 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
jeans to the office every now and then. There is, however, much to be said for the old way of doing things. Not only were your grandfather’s suits, shoes and hats better made than most of their contemporary counterparts, their style was timeless. They were, in a word, classic. To the Sharp Man, classic living is more than signaling to others your station in life. It’s about craftsmanship, quality and timelessness. It’s about choosing sustainability over disposability and permanence over fleetingness, not just in clothes and furniture, but in every facet of life. Rather than just advertising the amount of wealth you have (or aspire to have), the classic life is a tribute to the past and an investment in the future. Above all, though, it is a commitment to living well.
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 51
{P.52} {P.53}
The Guide to
Classic Living
{P.54} {P.58} {P.60} {P.66}
Leisure The Hat Timepieces Style Attire Transportation
“Inspired by a time when quality, durability and craftsmanship were paramount.” In your grandfather’s day, a man could be sized up by the cut of his suit, the fabric of his hat, the shine of his shoes. His place in the world could be determined, at a glance, by these few simple things, immediately visible and unmistakable in their significance. Today, things have changed somewhat. Men, regardless of their station in life, are inclined to buy their suits off the rack, wear shoes made to last only a few years, and wear hats only casually or when shoveling snow. To be sure, this is not entirely a bad thing—no one is lamenting being able to wear tennis shoes while not playing tennis, or
50 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
jeans to the office every now and then. There is, however, much to be said for the old way of doing things. Not only were your grandfather’s suits, shoes and hats better made than most of their contemporary counterparts, their style was timeless. They were, in a word, classic. To the Sharp Man, classic living is more than signaling to others your station in life. It’s about craftsmanship, quality and timelessness. It’s about choosing sustainability over disposability and permanence over fleetingness, not just in clothes and furniture, but in every facet of life. Rather than just advertising the amount of wealth you have (or aspire to have), the classic life is a tribute to the past and an investment in the future. Above all, though, it is a commitment to living well.
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 51
Leisure When it comes to how we spend our leisure hours, things have changed dramatically for the average Canadian male in the last 50 years or so. We still enjoy many of the same things, but are now more inclined to do so in the comfort of our own home. We still go to hockey games and poker nights, and meet up with our friends for drinks after work on occasion, but more than ever before, the modern man’s leisure time is spent solo. While we are certainly not discouraging spending an evening on your bespoke leather sofa watching reruns of Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, there are many classic leisure pursuits that are just as much fun (and can accommodate an equal amount of cursing, depending on your company). The classic approach to leisure involves spending more time with people, doing things that are not just fun, but involve a certain degree of proficiency. Time was, men’s characters could be judged by their skill at bridge, bocce, dominoes or any number of other games. More than that, though, games are good fun. As our interactions become increasingly relegated to the Internet, it’s easy to forget just how enjoyable a few games of chess or darts with some friends can be.
{No. 01} The Chess Set Chess: the thinking man’s board game. Yes, the pieces in this chess set are carved from the tusks of the extinct wooly mammoth. And, no, that’s not illegal, or even really a particularly bad idea. Because wooly mammoths were hunted to extinction by our hirsute forefathers 6,000 years ago, their preserved tusks are considered fossils, and are therefore exempt from restrictions on international ivory trading. Mammoth Ivory Chess Set by House of Staunton, $12,999.
The Hat {No. 02} The Dart Board It has often occurred to us that a game involving throwing sharpened metal spikes at things is hardly the ideal activity for a crowded room where everybody is drinking. Nonetheless, darts remain a perennially enjoyable and surprisingly addictive pastime. If you have a board in your home, not only will you never be second in line to play, you vastly reduce your chances of being “darted” by a guy with a thyroid condition and Guinness foam on his beard. Unless, of course, you’re friends with him, in which case we never said that. Nodor Supamatch, $99.
{No. 03} The Cigar Refined, carefully crafted, and requiring a considerable commitment of time to enjoy, good cigars represent the most important things about the classic life. “Choosing a cigar is like choosing a fine wine,” says Lucy Pomroy of the Whistler Cigar Co. She recommends considering three main factors in a cigar purchase: size, taste and budget. “The longer the cigar or larger the ring gauge, the longer it will last,” says Pomroy. With some taking up to two hours to smoke, this is an important consideration. She suggests starting with a smaller, lighter-tasting cigar and working up to stronger flavours. Which kind to choose? Cubans, of course. “Cuban cigars tend to have a higher price tag, but for the most sought-after cigars in the world, they are worth every penny,” she says. Try a Montecristo #4 to start, or a Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill for a slightly longer-lasting smoke. $22 and $26, respectively.
As far as we know, the only place in Canada to get a hat blocked— that is, cleaned and pressed back into its natural shape— is The Hatter in Toronto. A family-run haberdashery with half a century of experience taking care of hats, they are an invaluable resource for all hat-related inquiries. 1794 Avenue Road, 416-783-8233.
Whether it’s a fedora, a homburg, a bowler, or a Panama, there is no accessory more classic than the gentleman’s hat. Because wearing a Panama with tuxedo would look as ridiculous as wearing a top hat with Bermuda shorts, as with any fashion accoutrement, there are elements of style to be considered. For spring and summer days, a light-coloured straw fedora looks great with jeans or khakis and a lightweight buttoned shirt. For winter, nothing tops up an overcoat like a dark felt trilby. According to Eric Lynes, the owner of Biltmore Hats in Guelph, Ontario, the best way to wear a hat is the way that looks and feels best to you. He suggests “giving it attitude,” that is, experimenting with different tilts and brim angles until you find one that suits your style and occasion. That said, Lynes is from Kentucky, and as everyone knows, Southern gentlemen can get away with considerably more “attitude” than the rest of us. More practically, Lynes adds that to keep your hat looking its best, always pick it up by the brim, never by the crown. How to size your hat: Hat fitting is a delicate and mysterious process, and if you’re not having your headwear custom-made, the following will help you to determine your size. Measure around your head with a tailor’s measuring tape, keeping one end on your forehead, a couple of centimetres above your eyebrows. Head Size
Hat Size
54 cm
6 3/4
S
55 cm
6 7/8
S
56 cm
7
M
57 cm
7 1/8
M
58 cm
7 1/4
L
59 cm
7 3/8
L
60 cm
7 1/2
XL
61 cm
7 5/8
XL
Biltmore Torino, $90.
52 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
{No. 04} The Panama As warm weather approaches, hats become lighter of construction and wider of brim. Along with the aforementioned straw fedora, boaters and Panamas both do well at keeping off the sun while letting in a breeze. Boaters, however, only look good on barbershop singers and Robert Crumb, so unless you are either of those, we suggest the Panama. Probably the most important thing to know about Panama hats is that they are, and have always been, made in Ecuador, not Panama. Furthermore, the best examples are made in Montecristi, a town with more than 150 years of high-quality hat making to its credit. Brent Black, a Hawaii-based hat dealer, specializes in Montecristi hats and has spent years lobbying for them to receive Denomination of Origin status. “I want 'Montecristi' protected for hats as Bordeaux is protected for wines,” he says. Just as fine vintage Bordeaux can fetch astronomical sums, so, too, can Montecristi hats, some of which have sold for upwards of $25,000. What makes a hat worth $25,000, or more, is the fineness of the weave. “If it were counted like a Persian rug, it has more than 2,500 “knots” per square inch,” he says of a Montecristi bought recently by a well-known American actor. “For that particular hat, the weaver spent three months. The finishing of the hat required another five artisans and another month. Blocking required another two weeks.” According to Black, Montecristi hats are much more than just headwear, they are works of art. “I have another that is probably the finest Montecristi hat in history,” he says, “The weaver dedicated five months to the weaving of this one hat. It belongs in the Smithsonian… it’s arguably the greatest achievement in textiles art in the history of the Western Hemisphere. Or the world.”
Brent Black Havana fedora, from US$475
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 53
Leisure When it comes to how we spend our leisure hours, things have changed dramatically for the average Canadian male in the last 50 years or so. We still enjoy many of the same things, but are now more inclined to do so in the comfort of our own home. We still go to hockey games and poker nights, and meet up with our friends for drinks after work on occasion, but more than ever before, the modern man’s leisure time is spent solo. While we are certainly not discouraging spending an evening on your bespoke leather sofa watching reruns of Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, there are many classic leisure pursuits that are just as much fun (and can accommodate an equal amount of cursing, depending on your company). The classic approach to leisure involves spending more time with people, doing things that are not just fun, but involve a certain degree of proficiency. Time was, men’s characters could be judged by their skill at bridge, bocce, dominoes or any number of other games. More than that, though, games are good fun. As our interactions become increasingly relegated to the Internet, it’s easy to forget just how enjoyable a few games of chess or darts with some friends can be.
{No. 01} The Chess Set Chess: the thinking man’s board game. Yes, the pieces in this chess set are carved from the tusks of the extinct wooly mammoth. And, no, that’s not illegal, or even really a particularly bad idea. Because wooly mammoths were hunted to extinction by our hirsute forefathers 6,000 years ago, their preserved tusks are considered fossils, and are therefore exempt from restrictions on international ivory trading. Mammoth Ivory Chess Set by House of Staunton, $12,999.
The Hat {No. 02} The Dart Board It has often occurred to us that a game involving throwing sharpened metal spikes at things is hardly the ideal activity for a crowded room where everybody is drinking. Nonetheless, darts remain a perennially enjoyable and surprisingly addictive pastime. If you have a board in your home, not only will you never be second in line to play, you vastly reduce your chances of being “darted” by a guy with a thyroid condition and Guinness foam on his beard. Unless, of course, you’re friends with him, in which case we never said that. Nodor Supamatch, $99.
{No. 03} The Cigar Refined, carefully crafted, and requiring a considerable commitment of time to enjoy, good cigars represent the most important things about the classic life. “Choosing a cigar is like choosing a fine wine,” says Lucy Pomroy of the Whistler Cigar Co. She recommends considering three main factors in a cigar purchase: size, taste and budget. “The longer the cigar or larger the ring gauge, the longer it will last,” says Pomroy. With some taking up to two hours to smoke, this is an important consideration. She suggests starting with a smaller, lighter-tasting cigar and working up to stronger flavours. Which kind to choose? Cubans, of course. “Cuban cigars tend to have a higher price tag, but for the most sought-after cigars in the world, they are worth every penny,” she says. Try a Montecristo #4 to start, or a Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill for a slightly longer-lasting smoke. $22 and $26, respectively.
As far as we know, the only place in Canada to get a hat blocked— that is, cleaned and pressed back into its natural shape— is The Hatter in Toronto. A family-run haberdashery with half a century of experience taking care of hats, they are an invaluable resource for all hat-related inquiries. 1794 Avenue Road, 416-783-8233.
Whether it’s a fedora, a homburg, a bowler, or a Panama, there is no accessory more classic than the gentleman’s hat. Because wearing a Panama with tuxedo would look as ridiculous as wearing a top hat with Bermuda shorts, as with any fashion accoutrement, there are elements of style to be considered. For spring and summer days, a light-coloured straw fedora looks great with jeans or khakis and a lightweight buttoned shirt. For winter, nothing tops up an overcoat like a dark felt trilby. According to Eric Lynes, the owner of Biltmore Hats in Guelph, Ontario, the best way to wear a hat is the way that looks and feels best to you. He suggests “giving it attitude,” that is, experimenting with different tilts and brim angles until you find one that suits your style and occasion. That said, Lynes is from Kentucky, and as everyone knows, Southern gentlemen can get away with considerably more “attitude” than the rest of us. More practically, Lynes adds that to keep your hat looking its best, always pick it up by the brim, never by the crown. How to size your hat: Hat fitting is a delicate and mysterious process, and if you’re not having your headwear custom-made, the following will help you to determine your size. Measure around your head with a tailor’s measuring tape, keeping one end on your forehead, a couple of centimetres above your eyebrows. Head Size
Hat Size
54 cm
6 3/4
S
55 cm
6 7/8
S
56 cm
7
M
57 cm
7 1/8
M
58 cm
7 1/4
L
59 cm
7 3/8
L
60 cm
7 1/2
XL
61 cm
7 5/8
XL
Biltmore Torino, $90.
52 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
{No. 04} The Panama As warm weather approaches, hats become lighter of construction and wider of brim. Along with the aforementioned straw fedora, boaters and Panamas both do well at keeping off the sun while letting in a breeze. Boaters, however, only look good on barbershop singers and Robert Crumb, so unless you are either of those, we suggest the Panama. Probably the most important thing to know about Panama hats is that they are, and have always been, made in Ecuador, not Panama. Furthermore, the best examples are made in Montecristi, a town with more than 150 years of high-quality hat making to its credit. Brent Black, a Hawaii-based hat dealer, specializes in Montecristi hats and has spent years lobbying for them to receive Denomination of Origin status. “I want 'Montecristi' protected for hats as Bordeaux is protected for wines,” he says. Just as fine vintage Bordeaux can fetch astronomical sums, so, too, can Montecristi hats, some of which have sold for upwards of $25,000. What makes a hat worth $25,000, or more, is the fineness of the weave. “If it were counted like a Persian rug, it has more than 2,500 “knots” per square inch,” he says of a Montecristi bought recently by a well-known American actor. “For that particular hat, the weaver spent three months. The finishing of the hat required another five artisans and another month. Blocking required another two weeks.” According to Black, Montecristi hats are much more than just headwear, they are works of art. “I have another that is probably the finest Montecristi hat in history,” he says, “The weaver dedicated five months to the weaving of this one hat. It belongs in the Smithsonian… it’s arguably the greatest achievement in textiles art in the history of the Western Hemisphere. Or the world.”
Brent Black Havana fedora, from US$475
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 53
Timepieces
{No. 05} Omega DeVille Prestige The DeVille’s smooth looks and smoothersounding name just ooze luxury. If James Bond weren’t so busy fighting sharks and bad guys he would no doubt be wearing this watch instead of the laser-equipped Omega Seamaster that was designed for him. The DeVille is for the man who likes to keep his life uncluttered and compartmentalized. A precision-engineered co-axial movement keeps the DeVille more accurate than it's contemporaries. $2,900 in steel.
54 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
There is one sure way to set yourself apart in a room full of tuxedos: wear a watch so elegant, so classy, so comme il faut that you’ll stand out like a prince in a sea of penguins. In fact, these envy-inducing timepieces will serve you just as well in the boardroom, and while we can’t promise anything, might just get you an upgrade at the airline check-in counter. The common elements of the classic dress watch are uncluttered dials, stately Roman numerals and silhouettes as slim as Lara Flynn Boyle. You don’t have to spend hours getting all dolled up, just strap on one of these watches for effortless elegance, and then check it regularly to see of the fundraiser you got roped into is really lasting as long as it seems. By Carol Besler
{No. 06} Baume & Mercier Classima Executives A gold watch on a leather strap is a timeless wardrobe essential– a full gold bracelet would take it over the top. This limited edition from the Classima Executives collection is a traditional chapter ring dual timer, with the second time zone discreetly applied to the inner bezel. Traditional pinstripe guilloché engraving on the inner dial gives the watch a boardroom quality. $4,990 in yellow gold.
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 55
Timepieces
{No. 05} Omega DeVille Prestige The DeVille’s smooth looks and smoothersounding name just ooze luxury. If James Bond weren’t so busy fighting sharks and bad guys he would no doubt be wearing this watch instead of the laser-equipped Omega Seamaster that was designed for him. The DeVille is for the man who likes to keep his life uncluttered and compartmentalized. A precision-engineered co-axial movement keeps the DeVille more accurate than it's contemporaries. $2,900 in steel.
54 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
There is one sure way to set yourself apart in a room full of tuxedos: wear a watch so elegant, so classy, so comme il faut that you’ll stand out like a prince in a sea of penguins. In fact, these envy-inducing timepieces will serve you just as well in the boardroom, and while we can’t promise anything, might just get you an upgrade at the airline check-in counter. The common elements of the classic dress watch are uncluttered dials, stately Roman numerals and silhouettes as slim as Lara Flynn Boyle. You don’t have to spend hours getting all dolled up, just strap on one of these watches for effortless elegance, and then check it regularly to see of the fundraiser you got roped into is really lasting as long as it seems. By Carol Besler
{No. 06} Baume & Mercier Classima Executives A gold watch on a leather strap is a timeless wardrobe essential– a full gold bracelet would take it over the top. This limited edition from the Classima Executives collection is a traditional chapter ring dual timer, with the second time zone discreetly applied to the inner bezel. Traditional pinstripe guilloché engraving on the inner dial gives the watch a boardroom quality. $4,990 in yellow gold.
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 55
{No.07}
{No. 08}
Cartier Ballon Bleu
Ebel Classic GMT
You can’t go wrong with Cartier, the quintessential gentleman’s watch. Even the contemporary Ballon Bleu, the brand’s latest introduction with a sapphire cabochon crown, retains the classic elements of the Cartier design ethic: Roman numerals, uncluttered dials and Cartier logos not only at 12 o’clock but in teeny tiny letters on the V of the VII. This is to prevent counterfeiting, as tooling up to emboss an authentic logo that small is not cost-efficient for the makers of fakes. $5,050 in steel.
This may be the world’s most subtle dual timer, with an elegant second time zone at 6 o’clock that stands out in a Clous de Paris guilloché finish. The watch fits like a glove, thanks to the curved lugs, slim profile and integrated strap, so you could wear it comfortably all night on a plane, arrive in style and stay fully in sync with the new time zone. $4,950 in steel with rose gold accents.
{No. 09} Longines Master collection chrono This upper-tier brand of the Swatch Group is known for its classic approach to watchmaking and Swatch should be commended for its design restraint. In a nice, refined touch, the dial is engraved in a barleycorn pattern, and chronograph dials have elegant detailing and hands. Depending on how much champagne you drink, this watch could be the most sober thing in the room. $3,100 in steel.
56 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 57
{No.07}
{No. 08}
Cartier Ballon Bleu
Ebel Classic GMT
You can’t go wrong with Cartier, the quintessential gentleman’s watch. Even the contemporary Ballon Bleu, the brand’s latest introduction with a sapphire cabochon crown, retains the classic elements of the Cartier design ethic: Roman numerals, uncluttered dials and Cartier logos not only at 12 o’clock but in teeny tiny letters on the V of the VII. This is to prevent counterfeiting, as tooling up to emboss an authentic logo that small is not cost-efficient for the makers of fakes. $5,050 in steel.
This may be the world’s most subtle dual timer, with an elegant second time zone at 6 o’clock that stands out in a Clous de Paris guilloché finish. The watch fits like a glove, thanks to the curved lugs, slim profile and integrated strap, so you could wear it comfortably all night on a plane, arrive in style and stay fully in sync with the new time zone. $4,950 in steel with rose gold accents.
{No. 09} Longines Master collection chrono This upper-tier brand of the Swatch Group is known for its classic approach to watchmaking and Swatch should be commended for its design restraint. In a nice, refined touch, the dial is engraved in a barleycorn pattern, and chronograph dials have elegant detailing and hands. Depending on how much champagne you drink, this watch could be the most sober thing in the room. $3,100 in steel.
56 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 57
Style One of the best things about classic style is its endurance. Many, many things are created for us to wear and sit on and carry our papers around in, but only a select few stand the test of time. Why? It all boils down to a very important distinction: the difference between fashion and style. Therein lies our strongest argument for the classic aesthetic: it will, quite simply, never go out of style. Certain things, for whatever mysterious combination of design, practicality and craftsmanship, will never look bad. As for the torrent of readily disposable new looks we’re bombarded with every season, well, that’s anybody’s guess. From clothes to accessories to furniture, classic choices will not only weather the ever-changing whims of fashion, but if properly cared for, they will last far longer than most other things you buy. Shoes, for instance, like classic brogues or Oxfords, will still look just as elegant in ten years as they do now, and for damn sure they’ll be more comfortable. Those Italianesque crocodile sneakers? Not so much. Being fashionable is great, but being stylish is even better— and in the long run, a far superior investment.
{No.10}
{No. 13} The Bespoke Shirt Once the default for any many who needed to look his best, bespoke tailoring has since become an exception, rather than the rule. As far as we’re concerned, though, wearing clothes that fit properly never went out of style. The biggest challenge, really, is choosing a suitable combination of cuffs, collars and fabric. “When our clients first approach us for a custom shirt, they’re awestruck by the number of stylistic options,” says Hafeez Jiwa, co-founder of the Vancouver-based Perfect Shirt Company. He recommends choosing a collar that compliments the shape of your face, for example a wide collar for a narrow face and vice-versa. Jiwa also suggests consulting your tailor for advice where the fine details of a shirt are concerned—he’s there to help you find the shirt that looks and feels the best. The Perfect Shirt Company Gold Line, from $120.
{No.14} The Globe
{No. 12}
The Pocket Watch
The Shoes
Consider this: just because you can wear your cell phone on your belt doesn’t mean it’s any kind of a good idea to do so. Likewise, just because it’s easier to wear a watch on your wrist, doesn’t mean there’s nowhere else you can put it. While there are plenty of examples of fine wristwatches out there, we are still partial to the pocket watch for some occasions. They may require slightly more effort to access, but what you lose in practicality, you certainly gain in elegance. Longines Heritage Collection, $650.
If properly cared for, a pair of well-made shoes can last decades. Wooden shoe trees will absorb excess moisture, while a weekly polishing will shine and protect the leather from wear. Good shoes cost more, but they look great, and re-soling them after a few years is relatively cheap. In Canada, the tradition of classic shoemaking is held up by Dack’s, who opened their doors in 1834 in what was then the city of York. York would soon change its name to Toronto, but Matthew Dack’s family name would remain on his shoes, as would his commitment to craftsmanship. Each pair of Dack’s Custom Grade shoes is the product of eight weeks of work and 160 separate processes. Dack’s Turner, $475.
{No. 11} The Umbrella
An umbrella is about much more than staying dry. Swaine Adeney Brigg, makers of umbrellas for the British royal family, understand this better than anyone. Their umbrellas, made from fine woods and silk, are not just stylish— some conceal flasks, pencils and other useful accessories. This model, made from a single piece of bamboo, doesn’t do any of those things—but it sure looks cool. Brigg Whangee, $1,175.
Before the days of Google Maps, globes were as ubiquitous in men’s offices as leatherbound copies of Dickens. They are not only beautiful pieces of furniture that give off an air of worldliness, but also useful should you ever need to reestablish where Guyana is. In any case, it’s always good to be reminded of the scale of the world, the largesse of its oceans, the number of countries in Central Asia you’ve never heard of— and there you are, but a tiny speck in the midst of it all. “Wright” by Replogle, $946.
{No. 15} The Club Chair Long the standard by which ambitious designers made their mark on the world, there are abundant options when it comes to seating, many of them quite regrettable. Here, as with other elements of classic style, timelessness is key. Those hanging wicker egg chairs, for instance, were certainly a cool thing to have in your rec-room once upon a time, but they were, from the start, doomed to obscurity. Not to mention dangerous. In any case, they could never outlast the simple sophistication of a leather club chair. This model by Toronto’s Barrymore Furniture is made to order in 10 different wood finishes and 100 kinds of leather. Barrymore City Chair, $2,490.
White Tie & Tails While there’s really no equivalent in modern dress to the elegance of a man decked out in full white tie and tails, we are tempted to file this one along with boiled vegetables and polio under the category of “Classic things nobody really misses.” In case you are invited to sup with the Queen, however, here’s what you will need: 1) Patent leather black lace-up shoes 2) Black silk socks 3) Sock suspenders 4) Evening dress trousers 5) Trouser braces (suspenders) 6) Starched white shirt (collarless) with: 7) Front and back bone or brass collar studs 8) Cuff links for the starched cuffs 9) Two gold or mock-jewel shirt front studs 10) Starched stiff wing collar 11) Stiff laundered white tie– preferably double ended— hand tied 12) Stiff laundered low cut, backless, white waistcoat with adjustable straps 13) Removable gold or pearl waistcoat buttons 14) Tail coat 15) Silk scarf 16) White gloves 17) Black overcoat 18) Opera hat Jack Meadows
58 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 59
Style One of the best things about classic style is its endurance. Many, many things are created for us to wear and sit on and carry our papers around in, but only a select few stand the test of time. Why? It all boils down to a very important distinction: the difference between fashion and style. Therein lies our strongest argument for the classic aesthetic: it will, quite simply, never go out of style. Certain things, for whatever mysterious combination of design, practicality and craftsmanship, will never look bad. As for the torrent of readily disposable new looks we’re bombarded with every season, well, that’s anybody’s guess. From clothes to accessories to furniture, classic choices will not only weather the ever-changing whims of fashion, but if properly cared for, they will last far longer than most other things you buy. Shoes, for instance, like classic brogues or Oxfords, will still look just as elegant in ten years as they do now, and for damn sure they’ll be more comfortable. Those Italianesque crocodile sneakers? Not so much. Being fashionable is great, but being stylish is even better— and in the long run, a far superior investment.
{No.10}
{No. 13} The Bespoke Shirt Once the default for any many who needed to look his best, bespoke tailoring has since become an exception, rather than the rule. As far as we’re concerned, though, wearing clothes that fit properly never went out of style. The biggest challenge, really, is choosing a suitable combination of cuffs, collars and fabric. “When our clients first approach us for a custom shirt, they’re awestruck by the number of stylistic options,” says Hafeez Jiwa, co-founder of the Vancouver-based Perfect Shirt Company. He recommends choosing a collar that compliments the shape of your face, for example a wide collar for a narrow face and vice-versa. Jiwa also suggests consulting your tailor for advice where the fine details of a shirt are concerned—he’s there to help you find the shirt that looks and feels the best. The Perfect Shirt Company Gold Line, from $120.
{No.14} The Globe
{No. 12}
The Pocket Watch
The Shoes
Consider this: just because you can wear your cell phone on your belt doesn’t mean it’s any kind of a good idea to do so. Likewise, just because it’s easier to wear a watch on your wrist, doesn’t mean there’s nowhere else you can put it. While there are plenty of examples of fine wristwatches out there, we are still partial to the pocket watch for some occasions. They may require slightly more effort to access, but what you lose in practicality, you certainly gain in elegance. Longines Heritage Collection, $650.
If properly cared for, a pair of well-made shoes can last decades. Wooden shoe trees will absorb excess moisture, while a weekly polishing will shine and protect the leather from wear. Good shoes cost more, but they look great, and re-soling them after a few years is relatively cheap. In Canada, the tradition of classic shoemaking is held up by Dack’s, who opened their doors in 1834 in what was then the city of York. York would soon change its name to Toronto, but Matthew Dack’s family name would remain on his shoes, as would his commitment to craftsmanship. Each pair of Dack’s Custom Grade shoes is the product of eight weeks of work and 160 separate processes. Dack’s Turner, $475.
{No. 11} The Umbrella
An umbrella is about much more than staying dry. Swaine Adeney Brigg, makers of umbrellas for the British royal family, understand this better than anyone. Their umbrellas, made from fine woods and silk, are not just stylish— some conceal flasks, pencils and other useful accessories. This model, made from a single piece of bamboo, doesn’t do any of those things—but it sure looks cool. Brigg Whangee, $1,175.
Before the days of Google Maps, globes were as ubiquitous in men’s offices as leatherbound copies of Dickens. They are not only beautiful pieces of furniture that give off an air of worldliness, but also useful should you ever need to reestablish where Guyana is. In any case, it’s always good to be reminded of the scale of the world, the largesse of its oceans, the number of countries in Central Asia you’ve never heard of— and there you are, but a tiny speck in the midst of it all. “Wright” by Replogle, $946.
{No. 15} The Club Chair Long the standard by which ambitious designers made their mark on the world, there are abundant options when it comes to seating, many of them quite regrettable. Here, as with other elements of classic style, timelessness is key. Those hanging wicker egg chairs, for instance, were certainly a cool thing to have in your rec-room once upon a time, but they were, from the start, doomed to obscurity. Not to mention dangerous. In any case, they could never outlast the simple sophistication of a leather club chair. This model by Toronto’s Barrymore Furniture is made to order in 10 different wood finishes and 100 kinds of leather. Barrymore City Chair, $2,490.
White Tie & Tails While there’s really no equivalent in modern dress to the elegance of a man decked out in full white tie and tails, we are tempted to file this one along with boiled vegetables and polio under the category of “Classic things nobody really misses.” In case you are invited to sup with the Queen, however, here’s what you will need: 1) Patent leather black lace-up shoes 2) Black silk socks 3) Sock suspenders 4) Evening dress trousers 5) Trouser braces (suspenders) 6) Starched white shirt (collarless) with: 7) Front and back bone or brass collar studs 8) Cuff links for the starched cuffs 9) Two gold or mock-jewel shirt front studs 10) Starched stiff wing collar 11) Stiff laundered white tie– preferably double ended— hand tied 12) Stiff laundered low cut, backless, white waistcoat with adjustable straps 13) Removable gold or pearl waistcoat buttons 14) Tail coat 15) Silk scarf 16) White gloves 17) Black overcoat 18) Opera hat Jack Meadows
58 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 59
Two Steps Back “And what’s old shall be new again…” This should hardly come as a surprise, but while your average Canadian now lives longer and is better educated than ever before, we have become consistently less well-dressed every generation for the last 50 years. If our grandparents’ photo albums are to be believed, what our forebears lacked in advanced dental care, they more than made up for in being impeccably dressed. This spring is all about clean lines, slim cuts and classic Ivy League style. It’s about time.
{No. 16} The Navy Blazer A navy blazer is a judicious investment for this (economically challenged) spring. While it looks great atop everything from khakis to white linen pants, the real value of this garment is in the fact that it can make your run-of-themill polo and jeans into an instant statement of style. Ascot optional (see p. 66). on him: Dolce & Gabbana suit ($1,595– only jacket shown), shirt ($525), and pants ($450), available at Holt Renfrew. Ermenegildo Zegna ascot ($225), Geox shoes ($275), and A. Testoni belt ($185), available at Harry Rosen. on her:
BOSS Black cropped pants ($425), Andy Thê-Anh blouse ($325), and ballet flats ($118 available at Browns). Stylist’s own belt and jewelry.
60 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
photogr aphy by Shane Mahood fashion direction by Brigitte Foisy Makeup and Hair: Danny Morrow/Judy Inc for CHANEL
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 61
Two Steps Back “And what’s old shall be new again…” This should hardly come as a surprise, but while your average Canadian now lives longer and is better educated than ever before, we have become consistently less well-dressed every generation for the last 50 years. If our grandparents’ photo albums are to be believed, what our forebears lacked in advanced dental care, they more than made up for in being impeccably dressed. This spring is all about clean lines, slim cuts and classic Ivy League style. It’s about time.
{No. 16} The Navy Blazer A navy blazer is a judicious investment for this (economically challenged) spring. While it looks great atop everything from khakis to white linen pants, the real value of this garment is in the fact that it can make your run-of-themill polo and jeans into an instant statement of style. Ascot optional (see p. 66). on him: Dolce & Gabbana suit ($1,595– only jacket shown), shirt ($525), and pants ($450), available at Holt Renfrew. Ermenegildo Zegna ascot ($225), Geox shoes ($275), and A. Testoni belt ($185), available at Harry Rosen. on her:
BOSS Black cropped pants ($425), Andy Thê-Anh blouse ($325), and ballet flats ($118 available at Browns). Stylist’s own belt and jewelry.
60 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
photogr aphy by Shane Mahood fashion direction by Brigitte Foisy Makeup and Hair: Danny Morrow/Judy Inc for CHANEL
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 61
{No. 18} The Tan Suit A beige suit is a great choice for warmer weather. The light neutral is perfect for sunnier days and the jacket and pants can be worn together or mixed and matched with the rest of your wardrobe in any number of combinations. Wear the jacket over a thin V-neck sweater with jeans for a casual night out or pair the pants with a darker blazer for a more formal occasion. Brunello Cucinelli suit ($2,895) and cardigan ($850); J.P. Tilford shirt ($185) and Dion pocket square ($45), all available at Harry Rosen.
{No. 17} The Brightly Coloured Sweater Bill Cosby had it only partially right. While Cliff Huxtable’s infamously brightly hued and aggressively patterned sweaters may have been just the thing for the mid-80s, they are timeless only in the sense that they shan’t be soon forgotten. Breathe new life into your office neutrals by incorporating a boldly coloured sweater like the example above. A thin wool V-neck does well layered under a blazer and over a shirt and tie for early spring and late summer. If fuchsia’s not your thing, pastel pinks, yellows and blues look just as good. Pinstripe suit, Black Brown 1826 ($695), available at The Bay. Façonnable sweater ($450), Etro shirt ($398), and bowtie ($135), all available at Harry Rosen. Inca del Forte shoes ($298), available at Browns.
62 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 63
{No. 18} The Tan Suit A beige suit is a great choice for warmer weather. The light neutral is perfect for sunnier days and the jacket and pants can be worn together or mixed and matched with the rest of your wardrobe in any number of combinations. Wear the jacket over a thin V-neck sweater with jeans for a casual night out or pair the pants with a darker blazer for a more formal occasion. Brunello Cucinelli suit ($2,895) and cardigan ($850); J.P. Tilford shirt ($185) and Dion pocket square ($45), all available at Harry Rosen.
{No. 17} The Brightly Coloured Sweater Bill Cosby had it only partially right. While Cliff Huxtable’s infamously brightly hued and aggressively patterned sweaters may have been just the thing for the mid-80s, they are timeless only in the sense that they shan’t be soon forgotten. Breathe new life into your office neutrals by incorporating a boldly coloured sweater like the example above. A thin wool V-neck does well layered under a blazer and over a shirt and tie for early spring and late summer. If fuchsia’s not your thing, pastel pinks, yellows and blues look just as good. Pinstripe suit, Black Brown 1826 ($695), available at The Bay. Façonnable sweater ($450), Etro shirt ($398), and bowtie ($135), all available at Harry Rosen. Inca del Forte shoes ($298), available at Browns.
62 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 63
{No. 19} The Wingtip No shoe is more classic than the wingtip, especially when the body of the shoe and the wing-shaped toe-cap (from whence the shoe gets its name) are in contrasting shades, as in these three selections. Shoes left to right: Inca del Forte ($298), available at Browns; Ermenegildo Zegna ($2,895); and Harris ($595), available at Davids. Duchamp socks ($40/pair), available at Holt Renfrew.
{No. 21} {No. 20} The Spring Tie A colourful tie is the perfect spring accent to a dark suit, as these purple examples will surely prove. Skinnier is also better when it comes to neckwear—to a point, of course (and that point is the bolo tie). Here’s a helpful rule of thumb: If you are slim, your tie can be, too. If you’re of a wider build, go a little wider with your tie. Ties from left to right: Paul Smith ($165), BOSS Black ($125), BOSS Black ($125), Ted Baker ($95), and BOSS Black ($110).
64 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
The Cardigan For a more collegiate look, substitute a cardigan in situations where you would normally wear a suit jacket. Excellent paired with a white shirt and tie, and just as good with jeans or dress pants. The shawl neck is also a worthy variation on the traditional crew or V-neck cardigan. You may look like your grandfather, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Dolce & Gabbana shirt ($310) and suit ($1,595) (only pants shown), available at Holt Renfrew. Ermenegildo Zegna shawl-neck cardigan ($1,375), BOSS Black bowtie ($75) and A. Testoni belt ($185), available at Harry Rosen. Entourage of 7 glasses ($395), from Josephson Opticians.
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 65
{No. 19} The Wingtip No shoe is more classic than the wingtip, especially when the body of the shoe and the wing-shaped toe-cap (from whence the shoe gets its name) are in contrasting shades, as in these three selections. Shoes left to right: Inca del Forte ($298), available at Browns; Ermenegildo Zegna ($2,895); and Harris ($595), available at Davids. Duchamp socks ($40/pair), available at Holt Renfrew.
{No. 21} {No. 20} The Spring Tie A colourful tie is the perfect spring accent to a dark suit, as these purple examples will surely prove. Skinnier is also better when it comes to neckwear—to a point, of course (and that point is the bolo tie). Here’s a helpful rule of thumb: If you are slim, your tie can be, too. If you’re of a wider build, go a little wider with your tie. Ties from left to right: Paul Smith ($165), BOSS Black ($125), BOSS Black ($125), Ted Baker ($95), and BOSS Black ($110).
64 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
The Cardigan For a more collegiate look, substitute a cardigan in situations where you would normally wear a suit jacket. Excellent paired with a white shirt and tie, and just as good with jeans or dress pants. The shawl neck is also a worthy variation on the traditional crew or V-neck cardigan. You may look like your grandfather, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Dolce & Gabbana shirt ($310) and suit ($1,595) (only pants shown), available at Holt Renfrew. Ermenegildo Zegna shawl-neck cardigan ($1,375), BOSS Black bowtie ($75) and A. Testoni belt ($185), available at Harry Rosen. Entourage of 7 glasses ($395), from Josephson Opticians.
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 65
Transportation Modern modes of transportation are pretty good. World travel has, in recent decades, become accessible almost to the point of ubiquity. Our cars are far more reliable, capable and safe than ever before, and what air travel lacks in comfort it makes up in affordability and efficiency. So when we talk about classic living in relation to transport, we’re not talking about commuting in a Model T or booking passage on the next Zeppelin out of Manchester (seriously, don’t, we’ve heard bad things). To us, the classic approach to travel means getting somewhere not necessarily in the fastest or most direct way, but choosing a conveyance that lets you enjoy the journey a bit more. Riding a bicycle around town when the weather’s nice is one way to do it. Investing in an automobile with bespoke finishes, as a way of both expressing your personal style and of traveling in the utmost comfort, is another, albeit a slightly more expensive one. Instead of spending your holiday flight to Europe re-watching The Dark Knight in business class, there’s much to be said for taking the classic approach, in this case spending a week getting there the old-fashioned way: on an ocean liner. It’s easy enough to get from one place to another nowadays, be that from home to work or from this country to another one halfway around the globe. That you are able to get there is no longer unremarkable; the manner in which you get there is. How to wear an ascot without looking like an ass This piece of classic neckwear takes its name from Royal Ascot, the storied English horse race decidedly more renowned for the dress of its spectators than the racing itself. Top hats and tails are customary, often in garish colours, as are Ascot ties, also known as cravats. To avoid looking like someone with “III” attached to their name, here are a few things to consider. Visibility: Don’t puff up your ascot like a displaying bird of paradise, it should appear just barely above your shirt collar. Buttoning: Your top shirt button should be undone to accommodate the ascot, the second if you are a larger man. Any more than that and you invite ridicule. Colour: The brighter the ascot, the more eccentric you need to be to wear it well. To be safe, choose pastels or royal blue. If you were in a band in the eighties, feel free to experiment with brighter hues.
66 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
{No. 22} The Transatlantic Voyage Described by its makers as “The most magnificent ocean liner ever built,” the five-year-old QM2 maintains the spirit of the days when crossing the Atlantic was the journey of a lifetime. With 13 decks, 10 restaurants, 5 swimming pools, and copious amenities, including the world’s only floating planetarium, that doesn’t seem like hyperbole. In addition to the requisite cruise ship standbys (yes, it has a shuffleboard court) Cunard also provides a wide array of intellectual pursuits like acting workshops from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and a regular program of lectures by noteworthy historians, politicians, explorers and cultural luminaries. New for 2009 are a series of readings and discussions led by world-renowned authors, including E.L. Doctorow, Erica Jong and John Guare. Try fitting that on a 747. Cunard Line Queen Mary 2, Trans Atlantic passage from $795 USD per person.
{No. 23} The Automobile Few companies have built their reputations on quality craftsmanship to the same degree as Bentley. Founded in the early days of the 20th century by W.O. Bentley, the fledgling brand made a name for itself by producing an engine for the legendary Sopwith Camel biplane. As far as the 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports goes, there’s not much to dislike, except maybe the price. Not only is this biofuel concept car the fastest Bentley ever made, capable of taking you wherever it is you want to go at over 320 km/h (especially if that place is traffic court), it is also completely customizable. If none of their 7 combinations of contrast stitching and piping and 21 exterior colours suits your fancy, choose one of your own. For a (relatively) nominal fee, they’d be happy to oblige. Because, really, why should your Bentley look like the guy next door’s? $190,000.
{No. 24} THE Bicycle While the automobile is well-suited to inclement weather and long distances, when the sun is shining and your destination is close, the bicycle can’t be beat—especially if the bicycle in question is this unequivocally elegant model from Pashley. The English company’s Stratford-upon-Avon workshop has been handcrafting bicycles since the 1930s, and continues to make some of the most reliable, not to mention, stylish, bikes on the road. Good on gas, easy to park and an excellent workout, this might be the only place where practicality and style have ever converged. Pashley Guv’nor, $1,900.
{No. 25} The Boat
The sturdy suitcase
To remain true to the “classic living” aesthetic, we’d strongly recommend you go out and find yourself a meticulously restored wooden Chris-Craft runabout from the 1950s. Failing that, however, the historic American boat maker is still producing quality watercraft with the same aesthetics that made their vintage models so timeless. The Silver Bullet is a sleek, fast, teak-trimmed dreamboat, with just enough of a retro feel to remind us of the good old days, without the bother of keeping a 50-year-old inboard engine running. Chris-Craft Silver Bullet, $92,000.
The most important things to look for in quality luggage are durability and uniqueness. This handsome trunk has both. Globe-Trotter, who makes these cases for Hermès, is the famed British luggage company that has been outfitting the likes of Edmund Hillary, Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth, for over a century. Made from Vulcan Fibre, a super-lightweight and durable composite material invented by Globe-Trotter in the 1850s, the Faubourg Express is stylish, strong, and built to last at least as long as the globetrotters who tote them. Hermès Faubourg Express, from $4,125.
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 67
Transportation Modern modes of transportation are pretty good. World travel has, in recent decades, become accessible almost to the point of ubiquity. Our cars are far more reliable, capable and safe than ever before, and what air travel lacks in comfort it makes up in affordability and efficiency. So when we talk about classic living in relation to transport, we’re not talking about commuting in a Model T or booking passage on the next Zeppelin out of Manchester (seriously, don’t, we’ve heard bad things). To us, the classic approach to travel means getting somewhere not necessarily in the fastest or most direct way, but choosing a conveyance that lets you enjoy the journey a bit more. Riding a bicycle around town when the weather’s nice is one way to do it. Investing in an automobile with bespoke finishes, as a way of both expressing your personal style and of traveling in the utmost comfort, is another, albeit a slightly more expensive one. Instead of spending your holiday flight to Europe re-watching The Dark Knight in business class, there’s much to be said for taking the classic approach, in this case spending a week getting there the old-fashioned way: on an ocean liner. It’s easy enough to get from one place to another nowadays, be that from home to work or from this country to another one halfway around the globe. That you are able to get there is no longer unremarkable; the manner in which you get there is. How to wear an ascot without looking like an ass This piece of classic neckwear takes its name from Royal Ascot, the storied English horse race decidedly more renowned for the dress of its spectators than the racing itself. Top hats and tails are customary, often in garish colours, as are Ascot ties, also known as cravats. To avoid looking like someone with “III” attached to their name, here are a few things to consider. Visibility: Don’t puff up your ascot like a displaying bird of paradise, it should appear just barely above your shirt collar. Buttoning: Your top shirt button should be undone to accommodate the ascot, the second if you are a larger man. Any more than that and you invite ridicule. Colour: The brighter the ascot, the more eccentric you need to be to wear it well. To be safe, choose pastels or royal blue. If you were in a band in the eighties, feel free to experiment with brighter hues.
66 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
{No. 22} The Transatlantic Voyage Described by its makers as “The most magnificent ocean liner ever built,” the five-year-old QM2 maintains the spirit of the days when crossing the Atlantic was the journey of a lifetime. With 13 decks, 10 restaurants, 5 swimming pools, and copious amenities, including the world’s only floating planetarium, that doesn’t seem like hyperbole. In addition to the requisite cruise ship standbys (yes, it has a shuffleboard court) Cunard also provides a wide array of intellectual pursuits like acting workshops from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and a regular program of lectures by noteworthy historians, politicians, explorers and cultural luminaries. New for 2009 are a series of readings and discussions led by world-renowned authors, including E.L. Doctorow, Erica Jong and John Guare. Try fitting that on a 747. Cunard Line Queen Mary 2, Trans Atlantic passage from $795 USD per person.
{No. 23} The Automobile Few companies have built their reputations on quality craftsmanship to the same degree as Bentley. Founded in the early days of the 20th century by W.O. Bentley, the fledgling brand made a name for itself by producing an engine for the legendary Sopwith Camel biplane. As far as the 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports goes, there’s not much to dislike, except maybe the price. Not only is this biofuel concept car the fastest Bentley ever made, capable of taking you wherever it is you want to go at over 320 km/h (especially if that place is traffic court), it is also completely customizable. If none of their 7 combinations of contrast stitching and piping and 21 exterior colours suits your fancy, choose one of your own. For a (relatively) nominal fee, they’d be happy to oblige. Because, really, why should your Bentley look like the guy next door’s? $190,000.
{No. 24} THE Bicycle While the automobile is well-suited to inclement weather and long distances, when the sun is shining and your destination is close, the bicycle can’t be beat—especially if the bicycle in question is this unequivocally elegant model from Pashley. The English company’s Stratford-upon-Avon workshop has been handcrafting bicycles since the 1930s, and continues to make some of the most reliable, not to mention, stylish, bikes on the road. Good on gas, easy to park and an excellent workout, this might be the only place where practicality and style have ever converged. Pashley Guv’nor, $1,900.
{No. 25} The Boat
The sturdy suitcase
To remain true to the “classic living” aesthetic, we’d strongly recommend you go out and find yourself a meticulously restored wooden Chris-Craft runabout from the 1950s. Failing that, however, the historic American boat maker is still producing quality watercraft with the same aesthetics that made their vintage models so timeless. The Silver Bullet is a sleek, fast, teak-trimmed dreamboat, with just enough of a retro feel to remind us of the good old days, without the bother of keeping a 50-year-old inboard engine running. Chris-Craft Silver Bullet, $92,000.
The most important things to look for in quality luggage are durability and uniqueness. This handsome trunk has both. Globe-Trotter, who makes these cases for Hermès, is the famed British luggage company that has been outfitting the likes of Edmund Hillary, Winston Churchill and Queen Elizabeth, for over a century. Made from Vulcan Fibre, a super-lightweight and durable composite material invented by Globe-Trotter in the 1850s, the Faubourg Express is stylish, strong, and built to last at least as long as the globetrotters who tote them. Hermès Faubourg Express, from $4,125.
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 67
The Island Way Spectacular beaches, lavish casinos and epic dive sites are but a few of the treasures that this sun-baked archipelago has to offer visitors. The only problem, it turns out, is coming home. By Leo Petaccia
“Ever pet a manta ray before?” barks Matthew, a grizzled, patchily bearded Bahamian. Matthew is our dive guide, as well as this rickety fishing boat’s one-and-only skipper. Over the growl of the vessel’s diesel engine, Matthew’s voice takes on a Robert Shaw rumble. “They feel kind of slimy. That’s if you’re fast enough to catch one,” he laughs, as though the Atlantic Ocean were his own backyard, which, more or less, it is. There are 700 islands that make up the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, each of them as staggeringly, surreally beautiful as the next. Eleuthera Island is known for its heaven-sent pineapples (after which an annual festival is named), as well as for its frequent Robert De Niro sightings. San Salvador Island is infamous for being the first piece of New World Chris Columbus stepped foot on. Freeport is known for its International Bazaar, uber chic boutiques and white-hot beaches. Think of 698 pieces of land scattered among a crystalline sea, filled with lush vegetation, endless beaches, rum parties, sumptuous fish and more hedonism than spring break in Fort Lauderdale and the imagination starts to wander. And, yet, there you are. It’s startling, but in the most pleasant way. 68 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 69
The Island Way Spectacular beaches, lavish casinos and epic dive sites are but a few of the treasures that this sun-baked archipelago has to offer visitors. The only problem, it turns out, is coming home. By Leo Petaccia
“Ever pet a manta ray before?” barks Matthew, a grizzled, patchily bearded Bahamian. Matthew is our dive guide, as well as this rickety fishing boat’s one-and-only skipper. Over the growl of the vessel’s diesel engine, Matthew’s voice takes on a Robert Shaw rumble. “They feel kind of slimy. That’s if you’re fast enough to catch one,” he laughs, as though the Atlantic Ocean were his own backyard, which, more or less, it is. There are 700 islands that make up the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, each of them as staggeringly, surreally beautiful as the next. Eleuthera Island is known for its heaven-sent pineapples (after which an annual festival is named), as well as for its frequent Robert De Niro sightings. San Salvador Island is infamous for being the first piece of New World Chris Columbus stepped foot on. Freeport is known for its International Bazaar, uber chic boutiques and white-hot beaches. Think of 698 pieces of land scattered among a crystalline sea, filled with lush vegetation, endless beaches, rum parties, sumptuous fish and more hedonism than spring break in Fort Lauderdale and the imagination starts to wander. And, yet, there you are. It’s startling, but in the most pleasant way. 68 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 69
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1. A blowfish strikes a pose for the camera. 2. Stella Maris' bar lounge gets prepped for a night's worth of rum punch partying. 3. One of Stella Maris' cruiser boats sets up for a day of reef fishing. 4. A sprawling view of one of Long Island's cliff edges. 5. A diver observes a Bahamian coral reef. 6. From the southernmost point of Stella Maris, Long Island's skyline stretches out into the
6. 70 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
vast Atlantic Ocean.
Even our transition flight here from the capital of Nassau, aboard a flimsy little six passenger plane– like the kind Pablo Escobar used to run his stuff out of Medellin– felt out of this world. That’s the thing about the Bahamas. No matter what you’ve heard or read, the fact of the matter is that it is wilder, bigger and prettier than you expected. It’s home to places so off the map that half of the time, you’re not sure you’re even there. For all you know, you could have died in a horrible plane crash and woken up here. Like on Lost. That’s the sort of thing that one thinks about when being surrounded by fish more colourful than a jellybean factory. In these circumstances, it’s best to give yourself a good pinch. It’s still the best way to certify that you are indeed in paradise and very much alive. Then you can really begin to enjoy yourself. Tomorrow, our crew of pasty-skinned, sun-starved Canadians will have splashed with bottlenose dolphins off Blue Lagoon Island, eaten too much delectable fried conch to breathe and gambled like dons on an island literally called “Paradise.” But today, we are guests to one of the most remote of the Bahamas’ resorts, Stella Maris on Long Island. While it shares a name with an American highball, Long Island is famous for something in its own right– fantastic sea creatures. “We’ll stop here,” Matthew shouts as he tosses an anchor into the sparkling abyss below. “Remember my instructions. And whatever you do, don’t touch the reefs. They’re pretty, but they’ll cut you like a knife, and if that happens, we’ll have reef sharks here like it’s the Fourth of July.” If you’re an expert diver, or an amateur snorkeler, Stella Maris is a godsend. The resort shuttles guests to Cape Santa Maria, Long Island’s fabled beach strip, and the best diving around. There are, however, a few safety measures everyone should bear in mind. Like, don’t free dive deeper than 15 feet, unless you like the feeling of having your head squeezed in a vice. Don’t swallow the seawater. It’ll make you hurl without end. Do stay within shouting distance of your group. Don’t touch anything. Anything. “And don’t swim against the current,” yells Matthew. “It’ll tire you out in no time.” On deck, we size ourselves for flippers and goggles, and wait giddily for Matthew’s green light to launch ourselves overboard. Underneath the boat’s glass bottom, something stirs. “It’s definitely a manta ray,” says Matthew. “Go in and say hi.” Not an easy thing to do, as we would soon learn. Most manta rays recognize us as friendlies, but they’re shy. If one so much as feels you in his proximity, he’ll be gone in seconds. It takes stealth and focus to be able to pop up right above him and give him a light pat, which none of us were quick enough to accomplish. Some of us preferred to watch, content in our amazement, as the rays slicing effortlessly through the water like black angels, reminding us that even though we’re OK in their books, this is their house, not ours. On land, Stella Maris is just as grand. Situated on a ridge overlooking the Atlantic, the retreat stands in a gorgeous palm grove on the grounds of the old Adderley’s Plantation, where African slaves harvested cotton in the 1800s. Accommodations vary, but the view does not. Rooms, studios, cottages and bungalows all look out over the beachhead, where dozens of hammocks tethered to coconut trees await your repose. At night, Stella Maris’ German owners organize rum parties, serve stunning barbequed mahi mahi and generally encourage leaving all memories of the outside world behind. With its low-key feel, clean, tidy layout and lounge-like bar, it’s the kind of place you’d picture guys like Pierre Trudeau and JFK passing the day with cocktails on the beach, wearing Acapulco shirts. The kind of place no one would ever find you, should you need to disappear. The inn whips up excellent Bahamian cuisine like spicy conch salads and Bahamian fish stews. In the corner of the dimly lit bar, a little old sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 71
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1. A blowfish strikes a pose for the camera. 2. Stella Maris' bar lounge gets prepped for a night's worth of rum punch partying. 3. One of Stella Maris' cruiser boats sets up for a day of reef fishing. 4. A sprawling view of one of Long Island's cliff edges. 5. A diver observes a Bahamian coral reef. 6. From the southernmost point of Stella Maris, Long Island's skyline stretches out into the
6. 70 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
vast Atlantic Ocean.
Even our transition flight here from the capital of Nassau, aboard a flimsy little six passenger plane– like the kind Pablo Escobar used to run his stuff out of Medellin– felt out of this world. That’s the thing about the Bahamas. No matter what you’ve heard or read, the fact of the matter is that it is wilder, bigger and prettier than you expected. It’s home to places so off the map that half of the time, you’re not sure you’re even there. For all you know, you could have died in a horrible plane crash and woken up here. Like on Lost. That’s the sort of thing that one thinks about when being surrounded by fish more colourful than a jellybean factory. In these circumstances, it’s best to give yourself a good pinch. It’s still the best way to certify that you are indeed in paradise and very much alive. Then you can really begin to enjoy yourself. Tomorrow, our crew of pasty-skinned, sun-starved Canadians will have splashed with bottlenose dolphins off Blue Lagoon Island, eaten too much delectable fried conch to breathe and gambled like dons on an island literally called “Paradise.” But today, we are guests to one of the most remote of the Bahamas’ resorts, Stella Maris on Long Island. While it shares a name with an American highball, Long Island is famous for something in its own right– fantastic sea creatures. “We’ll stop here,” Matthew shouts as he tosses an anchor into the sparkling abyss below. “Remember my instructions. And whatever you do, don’t touch the reefs. They’re pretty, but they’ll cut you like a knife, and if that happens, we’ll have reef sharks here like it’s the Fourth of July.” If you’re an expert diver, or an amateur snorkeler, Stella Maris is a godsend. The resort shuttles guests to Cape Santa Maria, Long Island’s fabled beach strip, and the best diving around. There are, however, a few safety measures everyone should bear in mind. Like, don’t free dive deeper than 15 feet, unless you like the feeling of having your head squeezed in a vice. Don’t swallow the seawater. It’ll make you hurl without end. Do stay within shouting distance of your group. Don’t touch anything. Anything. “And don’t swim against the current,” yells Matthew. “It’ll tire you out in no time.” On deck, we size ourselves for flippers and goggles, and wait giddily for Matthew’s green light to launch ourselves overboard. Underneath the boat’s glass bottom, something stirs. “It’s definitely a manta ray,” says Matthew. “Go in and say hi.” Not an easy thing to do, as we would soon learn. Most manta rays recognize us as friendlies, but they’re shy. If one so much as feels you in his proximity, he’ll be gone in seconds. It takes stealth and focus to be able to pop up right above him and give him a light pat, which none of us were quick enough to accomplish. Some of us preferred to watch, content in our amazement, as the rays slicing effortlessly through the water like black angels, reminding us that even though we’re OK in their books, this is their house, not ours. On land, Stella Maris is just as grand. Situated on a ridge overlooking the Atlantic, the retreat stands in a gorgeous palm grove on the grounds of the old Adderley’s Plantation, where African slaves harvested cotton in the 1800s. Accommodations vary, but the view does not. Rooms, studios, cottages and bungalows all look out over the beachhead, where dozens of hammocks tethered to coconut trees await your repose. At night, Stella Maris’ German owners organize rum parties, serve stunning barbequed mahi mahi and generally encourage leaving all memories of the outside world behind. With its low-key feel, clean, tidy layout and lounge-like bar, it’s the kind of place you’d picture guys like Pierre Trudeau and JFK passing the day with cocktails on the beach, wearing Acapulco shirts. The kind of place no one would ever find you, should you need to disappear. The inn whips up excellent Bahamian cuisine like spicy conch salads and Bahamian fish stews. In the corner of the dimly lit bar, a little old sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 71
Bahamian man can be found strumming a Spanish guitar, as couples dance the night away to the best of Harry Belafonte. While our hosts operate a charter air service to Nassau, making coming and going fairly easy, emotionally, leaving is difficult. After contemplating washing dishes and tending bar in exchange for permission to stay on indefinitely, we head north, to Nassau, the Caribbean’s city of sin.
On the edge of Paradise Island (connected to Nassau by a bridge) lies a 45-acre miniature empire. For the past fourteen years, it has doubled as a faux lost underwater kingdom and a triple A, four-diamond hotel resort called Atlantis. Inside is the grandest casino in the Bahamas and the entire Caribbean. It looks nothing like your typical casino. Lush, tropical flora blankets the walls, while baroqueinspired murals cover the colossal domed ceilings. Surrounding this 50,000-square-foot pit of gaming heaven is an enormous aquarium Bahamians are masters at the occupied by an array of rare, exotic art of a good time. We were given a sea life, like octopi and seahorses. good taste of this not seconds after If Dr. No owned a casino, you can deplaning in Nassau. Greeting us bet this is what it would look like. was a man dressed as Blackbeard We are told that there is a who may or may not have been place in downtown Nassau where drunk. Looking like a young Jim the old world charm of brandy Morrison, he rocked to and fro, snifters and hand-rolled cigars languidly waving his arms back lives strong. So, naturally, we and forth, head half drooped, decide to investigate. It’s called the brows high with a grin from sideGraycliff. Turns out it’s a hotel that burn to sideburn. He said things was first built in the 1740s as the like, “Welcome mon,” and “No home of John Howard Graysmith, wintah coats allowed past heea, pirate captain of the Graywolf. mon.” Amazingly, almost every inch of 1. it, from the immaculate, cream When you land in Cairo, you wouldn’t expect to be greeted at coloured French doors to the customs by a busker wrapped 250-year-old mahogany wood trim, mummy-syle in gauze. Nor would has been perfectly preserved. It’s you anticipate matadors handing the kind of place where Michael you tourism brochures in Madrid’s Jordan has his own suite reserved airport. So when a pirate greets you for whenever he drops by. in Nassau, your natural inclination The jazz room is where the is to stop taking life seriously. It action is. The walls are plastered feels odd at first, but that subsides with original impressionist paintonce the warm, tropical breeze ings and golden-framed pictures kisses your face. It’s easier to accept of old movie stars. As we sink into it than to fight it. our plump sofas to the sound of If you’re going to do Nassau a pianist playing Duke Ellington, right, you’ll want to stay somewhite-jacketed, white-gloved where that will be both on the waiters appear out of the water and able to cook you a rum-tinged smoke. Porterhouse at three in the morn2. “Sir, may I suggest a rather ing should the urge arise. perfect pairing of cognac and one 1. Inside one of the Sheraton Nassau's suites, overlooking Cable Beach. This is the Sheraton on Cable of our very own Bahiba 2. Amici, the Sheraton Nassau's Italian restaurant. Beach, Nassau’s splashiest strip. Reserva cigars?” The place is biblical in size, its Way we saw it, it would horseshoe-shaped construction mimicking a great Aztecan temple. have been rude to refuse. Speaking of which, the hotel's own Graycliff You’ll think Vegas when you see the rows of fountains in front, the Cigar Company produces three brands of award-winning stogies (nine flawless marble sheathing inside and the four-story lobby’s towering blends) on site. They even offer cigar-rolling lessons by appointment. windows. The hotel houses three restaurants. “Amici” serves Italian in a The instructors are all Cuban, so you’ll be in good hands. quaint garden setting, while the Outdoor Grill whips up a Caribbean/ Continental breakfast fusion and above-par lunch buffet. Leaving the Bahamas is like getting dumped by the world’s hottest Nassau is the Bahamas’ major centre of government and tourism, model. At least one can imagine that that’s what it’s like. A shortand it especially profits from the latter. On any given day you’ll find lived affair with any unattainably gorgeous woman would leave a man Nassau’s downtown core teeming with professional golfers, celebriin shards. It’s not supposed to end that fast, and when it does, you’d ties, world-class chefs, gamblers, honeymooners and anyone else who kill to wind the clock back, if only for a day. But unlike that swimsuit fancies a more insulated, all-inclusive experience. No trip to Nassau covergirl who up and left, the Bahamas will always be waiting, always is complete without a stop by its renowned Straw Market. It’s a big, be ready for the next time you decide to give it a go. mostly open air place packed with friendly merchants selling all kinds This is why the last thing you want to do on your cab ride back to of straw-made souvenirs and crafts, like hats, bags and indigenous art the airport is look back. pieces. It can get pretty jammed during the afternoon, so a morning Resist this urge, whatever you do. Fight it. Otherwise, that candyvisit is strongly advised. If you’re an eco-tourist or more of the outcoloured Bahamian sun peeking over the beach, whispering for you to doorsy type, Nassau is likely not your best bet for authentic stay, is all that stands between you and a cancelled plane ticket. Bahamian culture. 72 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. 1. The Graycliff Hotel's porch entrance. 2. The wine cellar in the Graycliff. 3. A bottle of "Bremer Ratskeller," dated back to 1727, the Graycliff's oldest bottle of wine. 4. Handcrafted cigars. 5. Dried tobacco leaves to be rolled by the Graycliff's Cuban torcedores.
6.
6. The decadent jazz lounge in the Graycliff Hotel.
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 73
Bahamian man can be found strumming a Spanish guitar, as couples dance the night away to the best of Harry Belafonte. While our hosts operate a charter air service to Nassau, making coming and going fairly easy, emotionally, leaving is difficult. After contemplating washing dishes and tending bar in exchange for permission to stay on indefinitely, we head north, to Nassau, the Caribbean’s city of sin.
On the edge of Paradise Island (connected to Nassau by a bridge) lies a 45-acre miniature empire. For the past fourteen years, it has doubled as a faux lost underwater kingdom and a triple A, four-diamond hotel resort called Atlantis. Inside is the grandest casino in the Bahamas and the entire Caribbean. It looks nothing like your typical casino. Lush, tropical flora blankets the walls, while baroqueinspired murals cover the colossal domed ceilings. Surrounding this 50,000-square-foot pit of gaming heaven is an enormous aquarium Bahamians are masters at the occupied by an array of rare, exotic art of a good time. We were given a sea life, like octopi and seahorses. good taste of this not seconds after If Dr. No owned a casino, you can deplaning in Nassau. Greeting us bet this is what it would look like. was a man dressed as Blackbeard We are told that there is a who may or may not have been place in downtown Nassau where drunk. Looking like a young Jim the old world charm of brandy Morrison, he rocked to and fro, snifters and hand-rolled cigars languidly waving his arms back lives strong. So, naturally, we and forth, head half drooped, decide to investigate. It’s called the brows high with a grin from sideGraycliff. Turns out it’s a hotel that burn to sideburn. He said things was first built in the 1740s as the like, “Welcome mon,” and “No home of John Howard Graysmith, wintah coats allowed past heea, pirate captain of the Graywolf. mon.” Amazingly, almost every inch of 1. it, from the immaculate, cream When you land in Cairo, you wouldn’t expect to be greeted at coloured French doors to the customs by a busker wrapped 250-year-old mahogany wood trim, mummy-syle in gauze. Nor would has been perfectly preserved. It’s you anticipate matadors handing the kind of place where Michael you tourism brochures in Madrid’s Jordan has his own suite reserved airport. So when a pirate greets you for whenever he drops by. in Nassau, your natural inclination The jazz room is where the is to stop taking life seriously. It action is. The walls are plastered feels odd at first, but that subsides with original impressionist paintonce the warm, tropical breeze ings and golden-framed pictures kisses your face. It’s easier to accept of old movie stars. As we sink into it than to fight it. our plump sofas to the sound of If you’re going to do Nassau a pianist playing Duke Ellington, right, you’ll want to stay somewhite-jacketed, white-gloved where that will be both on the waiters appear out of the water and able to cook you a rum-tinged smoke. Porterhouse at three in the morn2. “Sir, may I suggest a rather ing should the urge arise. perfect pairing of cognac and one 1. Inside one of the Sheraton Nassau's suites, overlooking Cable Beach. This is the Sheraton on Cable of our very own Bahiba 2. Amici, the Sheraton Nassau's Italian restaurant. Beach, Nassau’s splashiest strip. Reserva cigars?” The place is biblical in size, its Way we saw it, it would horseshoe-shaped construction mimicking a great Aztecan temple. have been rude to refuse. Speaking of which, the hotel's own Graycliff You’ll think Vegas when you see the rows of fountains in front, the Cigar Company produces three brands of award-winning stogies (nine flawless marble sheathing inside and the four-story lobby’s towering blends) on site. They even offer cigar-rolling lessons by appointment. windows. The hotel houses three restaurants. “Amici” serves Italian in a The instructors are all Cuban, so you’ll be in good hands. quaint garden setting, while the Outdoor Grill whips up a Caribbean/ Continental breakfast fusion and above-par lunch buffet. Leaving the Bahamas is like getting dumped by the world’s hottest Nassau is the Bahamas’ major centre of government and tourism, model. At least one can imagine that that’s what it’s like. A shortand it especially profits from the latter. On any given day you’ll find lived affair with any unattainably gorgeous woman would leave a man Nassau’s downtown core teeming with professional golfers, celebriin shards. It’s not supposed to end that fast, and when it does, you’d ties, world-class chefs, gamblers, honeymooners and anyone else who kill to wind the clock back, if only for a day. But unlike that swimsuit fancies a more insulated, all-inclusive experience. No trip to Nassau covergirl who up and left, the Bahamas will always be waiting, always is complete without a stop by its renowned Straw Market. It’s a big, be ready for the next time you decide to give it a go. mostly open air place packed with friendly merchants selling all kinds This is why the last thing you want to do on your cab ride back to of straw-made souvenirs and crafts, like hats, bags and indigenous art the airport is look back. pieces. It can get pretty jammed during the afternoon, so a morning Resist this urge, whatever you do. Fight it. Otherwise, that candyvisit is strongly advised. If you’re an eco-tourist or more of the outcoloured Bahamian sun peeking over the beach, whispering for you to doorsy type, Nassau is likely not your best bet for authentic stay, is all that stands between you and a cancelled plane ticket. Bahamian culture. 72 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. 1. The Graycliff Hotel's porch entrance. 2. The wine cellar in the Graycliff. 3. A bottle of "Bremer Ratskeller," dated back to 1727, the Graycliff's oldest bottle of wine. 4. Handcrafted cigars. 5. Dried tobacco leaves to be rolled by the Graycliff's Cuban torcedores.
6.
6. The decadent jazz lounge in the Graycliff Hotel.
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 73
MEL RAMOS
Pop IDOL When Mel Ramos was in school, the art scene was dominated by guys like De Kooning and Rothko, whose abstract shapes and swishes were fetching millions in New York. But Ramos didn’t like abstract art, and he wasn’t good at it. He was, however, good at painting superheroes. And naked women. Catching the tsunami of pop-art mid-stream, Ramos is now one of the most prolific painters of his generation, if not the best known. And unlike so many of his contemporaries who blew up and flamed out, Ramos, now 73, still paints every day. Which is great for him, but even better for us. Jeremy Freed
For a gallery of Mel Ramos' work and our video interview visit Sharpformen.com
74 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
>The models are sort of…they become generic, you know? A beautiful woman according to Mel is a beautiful woman. Other people may have different views of what a beautiful woman looks like. >The very first known work of art was called the Venus of Willendorf, and it was a little clay statue of a plump, nude figure. They found it in Germany. So, the nude figure in art started out at the inception of art, and because it’s been around for so long it’s sort of been stripped of its mystery and it’s been castrated by familiarity. To me that was a particular challenge, to take a subject which had been so thoroughly explored and try to give it a new wrinkle. That was my goal. >I’ve fallen in love with Scarlett Johansson. I mean, what is she– twenty-something years old? She’s half the age of my daughter. >In the early 60s I was doing portraits of comic book heroes like Batman, the Human Torch, Superman and that evolved into comic book heroines like Wonder Woman, Phantoma and Mysta of the Moon, Sheena of the Jungle and so forth. >If I didn’t think I was getting better, I’d take up something else. What’s the point of going to your studio if you’re just cranking out the same kind of sameness? Hopefully I can make it better. That’s what I try to do, anyway. sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 75
MEL RAMOS
Pop IDOL When Mel Ramos was in school, the art scene was dominated by guys like De Kooning and Rothko, whose abstract shapes and swishes were fetching millions in New York. But Ramos didn’t like abstract art, and he wasn’t good at it. He was, however, good at painting superheroes. And naked women. Catching the tsunami of pop-art mid-stream, Ramos is now one of the most prolific painters of his generation, if not the best known. And unlike so many of his contemporaries who blew up and flamed out, Ramos, now 73, still paints every day. Which is great for him, but even better for us. Jeremy Freed
For a gallery of Mel Ramos' work and our video interview visit Sharpformen.com
74 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
>The models are sort of…they become generic, you know? A beautiful woman according to Mel is a beautiful woman. Other people may have different views of what a beautiful woman looks like. >The very first known work of art was called the Venus of Willendorf, and it was a little clay statue of a plump, nude figure. They found it in Germany. So, the nude figure in art started out at the inception of art, and because it’s been around for so long it’s sort of been stripped of its mystery and it’s been castrated by familiarity. To me that was a particular challenge, to take a subject which had been so thoroughly explored and try to give it a new wrinkle. That was my goal. >I’ve fallen in love with Scarlett Johansson. I mean, what is she– twenty-something years old? She’s half the age of my daughter. >In the early 60s I was doing portraits of comic book heroes like Batman, the Human Torch, Superman and that evolved into comic book heroines like Wonder Woman, Phantoma and Mysta of the Moon, Sheena of the Jungle and so forth. >If I didn’t think I was getting better, I’d take up something else. What’s the point of going to your studio if you’re just cranking out the same kind of sameness? Hopefully I can make it better. That’s what I try to do, anyway. sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 75
MEL RAMOS
Pop IDOL >There were some artists who were known as “pin-up artists,” Vargas, George Petty, Zoë Mozert, these guys all worked for calendar companies. Some writers call my work pin-ups and that really irritates me to no end; I mean you cannot imagine how that irritates me. The point is that I’m trying to make art. When Picasso or Matisse or Modigliani, when they paint a nude figure, it’s called a nude. When I paint a nude figure it’s called a pinup by these guys. What are you gonna do? >When I was looking through books for source material—because I work from photographs—I noticed the sex in advertising, a grand tradition that goes way back…sex sells things. So it was with that notion that I started doing these figures with products, popular, iconic products like Coca-Cola and Lucky Strikes and all these things. >In 1970 I went to Africa, and I was so moved by the magic of this continent, watching these animals in their natural habitat just walking around, I got involved then in a whole series of animal paintings. In the beginning it was all animals which were endangered. You know, I was on this trip, I wanted to save the animal kingdom. But then the more I got into it, the more I studied them… zebras, aardvarks… the physicality of them, the way they look really interested me. >I got the animal and then I had to find a girl to fit with that animal. >In the 50s when I was in college, the prevailing style in the country and in the world was abstract expressionism. By then, painters were already scraping the bottom of the barrel. You know, there just weren’t many other ways that you could do it better than the way it was already being done. I was doing it like every other student, and finally one day I just realized that, look, I’m never going to become a good abstract expressionist. I’m probably never going to become a good painter– I’m just going to do something that I like that interests me and to hell with it. So I painted a picture of Batman, who was one of my favourite heroes at the time. And to my astonishment, I got identified with pop art. >I’m very fortunate. I just happened to be doing something in the right place at the right time, and before I knew it, I had my work in Time magazine when I was 28 years old. >I’m very enamoured of Jennifer Aniston, who I think has a very sculptured face, with this great, well-defined jaw. >Pamela Anderson showed up in a stretch limo in front of my house, with her hairdresser and makeup artist. That’s not usual for the models that I use, but she showed up and she spent about 20 minutes getting her face all made up and then she whipped into these poses. I mean she’s a real pro model, she knew what she was doing. I sent her three images and she picked the one that I liked the least. Where she’s kind of angry looking. But if that’s what she wants, that's what she wants. >She’s a really a sweetheart, she’s a very nice lady. It’s just that she has these enormous breasts that are false. She had them enlarged and now she wants to have them reduced. So I don’t know. >I’m trying to make art, you know, I’m not trying to exploit sex, I’m trying to make art. It just happens to be that a lot of people think that a nude woman has to be about sex. It’s not about sex, it’s about a beautiful form.
76 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
>It does not come naturally for me, no. For me it’s hard work. I mean there’s a lot of people who draw a lot better than I do. I mean I have trouble with hands, for example. And critics never fail to point that out to me. >I have a lot of artist friends who are terrific artists who the art world just seems to be passing by for some reason. So I don’t know why I am what I am or who I am, whatever that is. I’m just thankful that it is. >I don’t think there’s a secret, it has to do with learning how to see. Seeing the model, seeing how light affects things, how slight little gestures, how the light changes. >I was going along, never really making a lot of money at it, getting more well-known at it, but for some reason collectors kind of brushed me off. And then a few years ago there was a magazine article in Art and Auction said that Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol were off the charts in terms of prices; you’ve got to pay, you know, 10, 12 million dollars for a painting of theirs, but there’s still a second tier of artists whose work you can still buy relatively inexpensively. And my name was mentioned along with that. And all of a sudden I started selling at auctions, my prices started going up and up, and art dealers in New York who I hadn’t seen in a long time said, ‘Congratulations, you’re having a renaissance.’ Not due to me. >I had an auction a couple of years ago and one of my paintings went for over a million dollars. I had never in my wildest dreams imagined that that would ever happen. >You know, the Chinese are doing some interesting art. Four or five years ago you never saw any of this stuff, but now, the art fairs, the art markets, the galleries, the museums are just full of this stuff coming from Asia. It kind of borders second-generation pop imagery, kind of cartoonish stuff. >I always thought of myself as the great appropriator. Most of the ideas for my paintings I stole from somebody else. >Uma Thurman? She’s a little bit goofy-looking, but in a very beautiful way. I think she’s gorgeous. She’s very tall, yeah, features are exaggerated. >Good way to meet chicks is to drive around with the top down in my Mercedes SLK 350. >Once you get exposed to seeing your work on other people’s backs around the world, it becomes a little bit not so important to you any more. The first time you see it, it’s great, but after that it’s kind of ho-hum. >Cigars are very déclassé. You can’t smoke them anywhere anymore, unless you’re 15 feet away from somebody. >My wife was my first model; I did a lot of paintings of her. She was a really gorgeous young woman when I married her. I don’t paint her any more because she’s 73 years old now; it wouldn’t quite work in what I do. >Inspiration…you know, inspiration is about 99% hard work. You know, how often are you inspired? I go down to my studio every day and I’m not particularly inspired. I light up a joint and then I get inspired. I’m ready to go to work.
MEL RAMOS
Pop IDOL >There were some artists who were known as “pin-up artists,” Vargas, George Petty, Zoë Mozert, these guys all worked for calendar companies. Some writers call my work pin-ups and that really irritates me to no end; I mean you cannot imagine how that irritates me. The point is that I’m trying to make art. When Picasso or Matisse or Modigliani, when they paint a nude figure, it’s called a nude. When I paint a nude figure it’s called a pinup by these guys. What are you gonna do? >When I was looking through books for source material—because I work from photographs—I noticed the sex in advertising, a grand tradition that goes way back…sex sells things. So it was with that notion that I started doing these figures with products, popular, iconic products like Coca-Cola and Lucky Strikes and all these things. >In 1970 I went to Africa, and I was so moved by the magic of this continent, watching these animals in their natural habitat just walking around, I got involved then in a whole series of animal paintings. In the beginning it was all animals which were endangered. You know, I was on this trip, I wanted to save the animal kingdom. But then the more I got into it, the more I studied them… zebras, aardvarks… the physicality of them, the way they look really interested me. >I got the animal and then I had to find a girl to fit with that animal. >In the 50s when I was in college, the prevailing style in the country and in the world was abstract expressionism. By then, painters were already scraping the bottom of the barrel. You know, there just weren’t many other ways that you could do it better than the way it was already being done. I was doing it like every other student, and finally one day I just realized that, look, I’m never going to become a good abstract expressionist. I’m probably never going to become a good painter– I’m just going to do something that I like that interests me and to hell with it. So I painted a picture of Batman, who was one of my favourite heroes at the time. And to my astonishment, I got identified with pop art. >I’m very fortunate. I just happened to be doing something in the right place at the right time, and before I knew it, I had my work in Time magazine when I was 28 years old. >I’m very enamoured of Jennifer Aniston, who I think has a very sculptured face, with this great, well-defined jaw. >Pamela Anderson showed up in a stretch limo in front of my house, with her hairdresser and makeup artist. That’s not usual for the models that I use, but she showed up and she spent about 20 minutes getting her face all made up and then she whipped into these poses. I mean she’s a real pro model, she knew what she was doing. I sent her three images and she picked the one that I liked the least. Where she’s kind of angry looking. But if that’s what she wants, that's what she wants. >She’s a really a sweetheart, she’s a very nice lady. It’s just that she has these enormous breasts that are false. She had them enlarged and now she wants to have them reduced. So I don’t know. >I’m trying to make art, you know, I’m not trying to exploit sex, I’m trying to make art. It just happens to be that a lot of people think that a nude woman has to be about sex. It’s not about sex, it’s about a beautiful form.
76 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
>It does not come naturally for me, no. For me it’s hard work. I mean there’s a lot of people who draw a lot better than I do. I mean I have trouble with hands, for example. And critics never fail to point that out to me. >I have a lot of artist friends who are terrific artists who the art world just seems to be passing by for some reason. So I don’t know why I am what I am or who I am, whatever that is. I’m just thankful that it is. >I don’t think there’s a secret, it has to do with learning how to see. Seeing the model, seeing how light affects things, how slight little gestures, how the light changes. >I was going along, never really making a lot of money at it, getting more well-known at it, but for some reason collectors kind of brushed me off. And then a few years ago there was a magazine article in Art and Auction said that Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol were off the charts in terms of prices; you’ve got to pay, you know, 10, 12 million dollars for a painting of theirs, but there’s still a second tier of artists whose work you can still buy relatively inexpensively. And my name was mentioned along with that. And all of a sudden I started selling at auctions, my prices started going up and up, and art dealers in New York who I hadn’t seen in a long time said, ‘Congratulations, you’re having a renaissance.’ Not due to me. >I had an auction a couple of years ago and one of my paintings went for over a million dollars. I had never in my wildest dreams imagined that that would ever happen. >You know, the Chinese are doing some interesting art. Four or five years ago you never saw any of this stuff, but now, the art fairs, the art markets, the galleries, the museums are just full of this stuff coming from Asia. It kind of borders second-generation pop imagery, kind of cartoonish stuff. >I always thought of myself as the great appropriator. Most of the ideas for my paintings I stole from somebody else. >Uma Thurman? She’s a little bit goofy-looking, but in a very beautiful way. I think she’s gorgeous. She’s very tall, yeah, features are exaggerated. >Good way to meet chicks is to drive around with the top down in my Mercedes SLK 350. >Once you get exposed to seeing your work on other people’s backs around the world, it becomes a little bit not so important to you any more. The first time you see it, it’s great, but after that it’s kind of ho-hum. >Cigars are very déclassé. You can’t smoke them anywhere anymore, unless you’re 15 feet away from somebody. >My wife was my first model; I did a lot of paintings of her. She was a really gorgeous young woman when I married her. I don’t paint her any more because she’s 73 years old now; it wouldn’t quite work in what I do. >Inspiration…you know, inspiration is about 99% hard work. You know, how often are you inspired? I go down to my studio every day and I’m not particularly inspired. I light up a joint and then I get inspired. I’m ready to go to work.
Hey
Mr. Rain Equal parts Lou Reed and Fred Astaire, these spring raincoats are classic with a hint of danger. Regardless of your singing abilities (in the rain or otherwise) they’re guaranteed to see you through the wet months in style.
photogr aphy by Robert Watson fashion direction by Brigitte Foisy Makeup and Hair by Danny Morrow/Judy Inc for CHANEL
78 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 79
Hey
Mr. Rain Equal parts Lou Reed and Fred Astaire, these spring raincoats are classic with a hint of danger. Regardless of your singing abilities (in the rain or otherwise) they’re guaranteed to see you through the wet months in style.
photogr aphy by Robert Watson fashion direction by Brigitte Foisy Makeup and Hair by Danny Morrow/Judy Inc for CHANEL
78 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 79
Ben Sherman raincoat ($248), Strellson jeans ($225), Swims rubbers ($130), available at Harry Rosen.
Page 78: Bugatti raincoat ($599), Tommy Hilfiger shirt ($68), and Strellson pants ($225). Swaine Adeney Brigg cherry umbrella ($535), available at Betty Hemmings Leathergoods. Shirt: stylist’s own. This page: Strellson jacket ($325), Geox jeans ($110), and Calvin Klein graphic T-shirt ($45). 80 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 81
Ben Sherman raincoat ($248), Strellson jeans ($225), Swims rubbers ($130), available at Harry Rosen.
Page 78: Bugatti raincoat ($599), Tommy Hilfiger shirt ($68), and Strellson pants ($225). Swaine Adeney Brigg cherry umbrella ($535), available at Betty Hemmings Leathergoods. Shirt: stylist’s own. This page: Strellson jacket ($325), Geox jeans ($110), and Calvin Klein graphic T-shirt ($45). 80 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 81
“Exploring a social phenomenon known as...the barbecue.” Rob Liking, PhD.
™
PhG.
™
“I’m Rob Liking, PhG.™, informing you about Broil King’s exceptional quality and outstanding performance. You can see why Broil King® made this family gathering a huge success, and that’s why I’m so passionate about these grills. People who love grilling, use the best barbecues on the planet.
Bugatti raincoat ($498), shirt ($165), and pants ($325). Geox loafers ($180). Hat and tie: stylist’s own. Swaine Adeney Brigg umbrella ($545), available at Betty Hemmings Leathergoods. 82 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
PROUDLY MADE
IN CANADA
broilkingbbq.com
The all new Imperial™ XL features two totally independent cooking ovens with precise heat control, innovative Dual Tube™ technology, tons of storage space, plus the capacity to prepare an entire meal for two or twenty-two. Broil King® makes this grill the ultimate in flexibility and versatility....and I like that.” Log on to broilkingbbq.com today to learn more about our fantastic line of quality barbecues and watch Rob Liking’s adventures online.
“Exploring a social phenomenon known as...the barbecue.” Rob Liking, PhD.
™
PhG.
™
“I’m Rob Liking, PhG.™, informing you about Broil King’s exceptional quality and outstanding performance. You can see why Broil King® made this family gathering a huge success, and that’s why I’m so passionate about these grills. People who love grilling, use the best barbecues on the planet.
Bugatti raincoat ($498), shirt ($165), and pants ($325). Geox loafers ($180). Hat and tie: stylist’s own. Swaine Adeney Brigg umbrella ($545), available at Betty Hemmings Leathergoods. 82 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
PROUDLY MADE
IN CANADA
broilkingbbq.com
The all new Imperial™ XL features two totally independent cooking ovens with precise heat control, innovative Dual Tube™ technology, tons of storage space, plus the capacity to prepare an entire meal for two or twenty-two. Broil King® makes this grill the ultimate in flexibility and versatility....and I like that.” Log on to broilkingbbq.com today to learn more about our fantastic line of quality barbecues and watch Rob Liking’s adventures online.
your top drop This crop of new convertibles make us wonder why anyone wanted a roof on a car in the first place. By Arthur Prichard
84 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
Audi A5 Cabriolet Verdict: With lines as graceful as Greta and moves like Fred, the A5 Cabriolet is a modern classic that delivers the style, performance and luxury of cars costing several times more. You’ll lust after it, however, for its looks.
As if the Audi A5 wasn’t achingly beautiful enough, now they’ve gone and taken its top off, and there are few situations we’re aware of where losing your top doesn’t make for a more entertaining time. Available as either an A5 3.2 with 265-hp or an S5 with a 330-hp 3.0T V6 engine, there are obviously mild and wild variations on offer. The former can be backed up with a 6-speed Tiptronic automatic, but manual fans will be more at home with the 7-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox that comes with the S5. While not a manual, the S-Tronic bangs off shifts so blindingly fast that they completely change the feel of the car. Audi’s ubiquitous quattro AWD system has been tuned to send more juice to the rear, but it remains the standard for getting the power to the road regardless of weather conditions.
As you’d expect, the A5 Cabriolet has the same industry-leading materials in its interior as the regular A5, albeit with that one little switch that completely changes any car– the one that lowers the roof. Better still, Audi has decided to go with a fabric roof for a number of practical considerations, primarily increasing passenger and cargo capacity and reducing weight. That’s all well and good, but there’s also a romance that comes with a fabric roof that you don’t get with the metal contraptions. When rain hits the fabric, it makes a dull patter, and even the very notion of such a roof harkens back to the dawn of the automobile, when almost all cars were convertibles. It can also be had in a number of colours, making it easy to order an A5 or S5 that’s uniquely yours.
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 85
your top drop This crop of new convertibles make us wonder why anyone wanted a roof on a car in the first place. By Arthur Prichard
84 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
Audi A5 Cabriolet Verdict: With lines as graceful as Greta and moves like Fred, the A5 Cabriolet is a modern classic that delivers the style, performance and luxury of cars costing several times more. You’ll lust after it, however, for its looks.
As if the Audi A5 wasn’t achingly beautiful enough, now they’ve gone and taken its top off, and there are few situations we’re aware of where losing your top doesn’t make for a more entertaining time. Available as either an A5 3.2 with 265-hp or an S5 with a 330-hp 3.0T V6 engine, there are obviously mild and wild variations on offer. The former can be backed up with a 6-speed Tiptronic automatic, but manual fans will be more at home with the 7-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox that comes with the S5. While not a manual, the S-Tronic bangs off shifts so blindingly fast that they completely change the feel of the car. Audi’s ubiquitous quattro AWD system has been tuned to send more juice to the rear, but it remains the standard for getting the power to the road regardless of weather conditions.
As you’d expect, the A5 Cabriolet has the same industry-leading materials in its interior as the regular A5, albeit with that one little switch that completely changes any car– the one that lowers the roof. Better still, Audi has decided to go with a fabric roof for a number of practical considerations, primarily increasing passenger and cargo capacity and reducing weight. That’s all well and good, but there’s also a romance that comes with a fabric roof that you don’t get with the metal contraptions. When rain hits the fabric, it makes a dull patter, and even the very notion of such a roof harkens back to the dawn of the automobile, when almost all cars were convertibles. It can also be had in a number of colours, making it easy to order an A5 or S5 that’s uniquely yours.
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 85
drop
your top BMW Z4
Lexus IS C
The legendary drop tops that have adorned boys' walls for decades, like the Ferrari Daytona and the Mercedes 300SL, all had a few elements in common. They had long, phallus-like hoods, taut rear ends, rear-wheel drive and powerful engines. They also had simple interiors that focused the driver on driving, and enough legroom for the attractive co-pilots they tended to invite. The Z4 can be added to this illustrious list, as it has the proportions, style and power to deliver not only a graceful drive, but a scintillating ride as well. BMW’s now legendary twin-turbocharged, 300-hp inline-6 lies under the oil-tanker of a hood. To take full advantage of it, bypass the 6-speed manual (unless you’re an absolute purist) and go for the 7-speed DCT gearbox. The compact hardtop makes us wonder if they’ll even bother with the coupe version anymore.
Verdict: Long hood, short trunk, a powerful engine and graceful interior make the new Z4 the quintessential sporting roadster.
Though the Japanese have long been accused of being imitators, the IS has proven that, given their druthers, they can come up with something that stacks up against the competition while maintaining a unique and alluring character all its own. The IS has been a tremendous success for Lexus, and the IS C convertible is sure to do the same, especially considering you can have it as either an IS 250C or IS 350C, the latter of which packs the expected 300-hp that you need to compete in this class. When folded away, the sophisticated top mechanism is invisible, but the two fixed roll hoops add some funk to the profile. The back seat, however, is best for kids or pets you’re trying to punish, as this is really a twoseater— despite the four seat belts. Available only with an automatic gearbox and the soothing ride you expect of a Lexus, the IS C is all about cosseting you and not raising your pulse. Which can be a good thing.
Verdict: The spunky little IS loses two doors and its roof, but gains an awe- inspiringly complex metal folding roof and infinitely more headroom.
Infinity G37
Volkswagen EOS
Spoiled for choice is the best way to describe Infiniti’s G37 line-up. There’s a sedan, an AWD sedan, an extra-sporty sedan and a drop-dead gorgeous two-door coupe as well. Now there’s a two-door convertible and, predictably, it’s just stunning. As is the trend, the roof is a folding metal affair, and thanks to the G37’s reasonable dimensions, when the roof is up there’s still some rear seat space and an ample trunk. What really makes the G37 sing, however, is the big 3.7-litre V6 under the rippled hood that cranks out a class-leading 328-hp. The 7-speed auto can be shifted manually if you like, but it’s already programmed to be an aggressively sporting transmission, so it’s plenty of fun in full-auto mode as well. The steering is perfectly weighted and as precise as that in a dedicated sports car. Threading the G37 down a winding road is one of the most enjoyable automotive experiences you can have in what’s ostensibly the perfect blend of luxury car and performance machine.
Verdict: The G37 sedan is already one of the best sport sedans ever made. The coupe is better still, and cutting the roof off takes it over the top.
Verdict: To some, VWs are the people’s car…to the emerging business class they are premium offerings with an understated style that’s perfect for Canada.
It wasn’t long ago that Volkswagen meant cheap German transportation, but that hasn’t been the case for over a decade, and the EOS is proof that Wolfsburg is serious about the premium segment. Cute and compact, the EOS isn’t a traditional roadster, and its roof’s operation isn’t traditional, either. The incredibly complex metal and glass apparatus looks more like this summer’s blockbuster Transformers in action than a convertible top. Suffice it to say that you not only get all the security and comfort of a hardtop that drops, but you also get a massive glass sunroof that tilts and slides. It’s the best of all worlds. With the top down, you’re guaranteed plenty of wind in your hair thanks to VW's racy 2.0T engine. Both efficient and powerful, with fuel consumption around 8L/100 KM, it puts 200-hp underfoot. Don’t be misled by the EOS’s competitive pricing, either. Every imaginable luxury mod con is available, from satellite navigation with a 30GB hard drive for MP3s to a 600-watt Dynaudio stereo system with 10 speakers. If you’re really feelin’ flush, go for the Silver-Red edition with upgraded wheels and a shockingly red leather interior.
Read about our California test drive of the G37 'vert at Sharpformen.com
86 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 87
drop
your top BMW Z4
Lexus IS C
The legendary drop tops that have adorned boys' walls for decades, like the Ferrari Daytona and the Mercedes 300SL, all had a few elements in common. They had long, phallus-like hoods, taut rear ends, rear-wheel drive and powerful engines. They also had simple interiors that focused the driver on driving, and enough legroom for the attractive co-pilots they tended to invite. The Z4 can be added to this illustrious list, as it has the proportions, style and power to deliver not only a graceful drive, but a scintillating ride as well. BMW’s now legendary twin-turbocharged, 300-hp inline-6 lies under the oil-tanker of a hood. To take full advantage of it, bypass the 6-speed manual (unless you’re an absolute purist) and go for the 7-speed DCT gearbox. The compact hardtop makes us wonder if they’ll even bother with the coupe version anymore.
Verdict: Long hood, short trunk, a powerful engine and graceful interior make the new Z4 the quintessential sporting roadster.
Though the Japanese have long been accused of being imitators, the IS has proven that, given their druthers, they can come up with something that stacks up against the competition while maintaining a unique and alluring character all its own. The IS has been a tremendous success for Lexus, and the IS C convertible is sure to do the same, especially considering you can have it as either an IS 250C or IS 350C, the latter of which packs the expected 300-hp that you need to compete in this class. When folded away, the sophisticated top mechanism is invisible, but the two fixed roll hoops add some funk to the profile. The back seat, however, is best for kids or pets you’re trying to punish, as this is really a twoseater— despite the four seat belts. Available only with an automatic gearbox and the soothing ride you expect of a Lexus, the IS C is all about cosseting you and not raising your pulse. Which can be a good thing.
Verdict: The spunky little IS loses two doors and its roof, but gains an awe- inspiringly complex metal folding roof and infinitely more headroom.
Infinity G37
Volkswagen EOS
Spoiled for choice is the best way to describe Infiniti’s G37 line-up. There’s a sedan, an AWD sedan, an extra-sporty sedan and a drop-dead gorgeous two-door coupe as well. Now there’s a two-door convertible and, predictably, it’s just stunning. As is the trend, the roof is a folding metal affair, and thanks to the G37’s reasonable dimensions, when the roof is up there’s still some rear seat space and an ample trunk. What really makes the G37 sing, however, is the big 3.7-litre V6 under the rippled hood that cranks out a class-leading 328-hp. The 7-speed auto can be shifted manually if you like, but it’s already programmed to be an aggressively sporting transmission, so it’s plenty of fun in full-auto mode as well. The steering is perfectly weighted and as precise as that in a dedicated sports car. Threading the G37 down a winding road is one of the most enjoyable automotive experiences you can have in what’s ostensibly the perfect blend of luxury car and performance machine.
Verdict: The G37 sedan is already one of the best sport sedans ever made. The coupe is better still, and cutting the roof off takes it over the top.
Verdict: To some, VWs are the people’s car…to the emerging business class they are premium offerings with an understated style that’s perfect for Canada.
It wasn’t long ago that Volkswagen meant cheap German transportation, but that hasn’t been the case for over a decade, and the EOS is proof that Wolfsburg is serious about the premium segment. Cute and compact, the EOS isn’t a traditional roadster, and its roof’s operation isn’t traditional, either. The incredibly complex metal and glass apparatus looks more like this summer’s blockbuster Transformers in action than a convertible top. Suffice it to say that you not only get all the security and comfort of a hardtop that drops, but you also get a massive glass sunroof that tilts and slides. It’s the best of all worlds. With the top down, you’re guaranteed plenty of wind in your hair thanks to VW's racy 2.0T engine. Both efficient and powerful, with fuel consumption around 8L/100 KM, it puts 200-hp underfoot. Don’t be misled by the EOS’s competitive pricing, either. Every imaginable luxury mod con is available, from satellite navigation with a 30GB hard drive for MP3s to a 600-watt Dynaudio stereo system with 10 speakers. If you’re really feelin’ flush, go for the Silver-Red edition with upgraded wheels and a shockingly red leather interior.
Read about our California test drive of the G37 'vert at Sharpformen.com
86 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
sharpformen.com Sharp April 2009 87
drop
your top
WIN
$2500 in
ZEGNA SPORT SUMMER ATTIRE
Sign up to be a Sharp Insider At sharpformen.com for your chance to win
Porsche Boxter Verdict: The purest sports car in the world gets the only thing that could possibly make it better…more power.
There might never be a better sports car conceived than the Boxster. Not because this new one is faster and better looking (which it is) or anything like that, but because nothing, and we mean nothing, handles better, sounds sweeter, turns quicker, stops harder or lasts longer than Porsche’s classically inspired little droptop. It’s that good. So good, in fact, they must beat their heads against the wall trying to come up with ways to improve it with each update. Though they’ve certainly tried to tweak it, it’s the purity of the original design that makes this car what it is. Pure lines, sonorous engine, comfortable ride, yet railroad cornering grip. Now packing up to 310-hp from its low-slung flat-six engine in the Boxster S (255-hp is standard on the Boxster), it’s simply a missile. Porsche’s trick new PDK gearbox is unimaginably better than the old automatic, but if you have any gasoline in your veins at all, get the 6-speed manual– it’s one of the sweetest on the market. Though most are unlikely to care about left brain aspects like cargo capacity, the Boxster has two useful trunks. Trust us, in a convertible, having one decent trunk is a bonus– two turn it into the perfect car for a weekend or week-long retrea.
Look sharp this summer with the Zegna Sport collection - a fusion of sport-inspired design, urban style and advanced materials. Hidden features and cutting edge innovations improve the functionality and appearance of this season’s exciting new line. High-tech meets high-fashion for the man that balances a sporty and refined lifestyle.
Sharp insider Bonuses: Automatic entry in future contests Exclusive access to contests and product offers Weekly eNewsletter featuring our latest stories VIP Event Invitations
formen.com
88 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
No purchase necessary. Contest valid from April 14, 2009 to June 7, 2009. There are two prizes available to be won with a total approximate retail value of $3,100.00 CAD. Odds of winning a prize depend upon the number of eligible entries received for each prize. Potential winners must correctly answer a time-limited, skill-testing question. Open to all legal residents of Canada, excluding Quebec, who have reached the age of majority. Limit one entry per person for each prize. For complete contest rules, visit www.sharpformen.com.
drop
your top
WIN
$2500 in
ZEGNA SPORT SUMMER ATTIRE
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Porsche Boxter Verdict: The purest sports car in the world gets the only thing that could possibly make it better…more power.
There might never be a better sports car conceived than the Boxster. Not because this new one is faster and better looking (which it is) or anything like that, but because nothing, and we mean nothing, handles better, sounds sweeter, turns quicker, stops harder or lasts longer than Porsche’s classically inspired little droptop. It’s that good. So good, in fact, they must beat their heads against the wall trying to come up with ways to improve it with each update. Though they’ve certainly tried to tweak it, it’s the purity of the original design that makes this car what it is. Pure lines, sonorous engine, comfortable ride, yet railroad cornering grip. Now packing up to 310-hp from its low-slung flat-six engine in the Boxster S (255-hp is standard on the Boxster), it’s simply a missile. Porsche’s trick new PDK gearbox is unimaginably better than the old automatic, but if you have any gasoline in your veins at all, get the 6-speed manual– it’s one of the sweetest on the market. Though most are unlikely to care about left brain aspects like cargo capacity, the Boxster has two useful trunks. Trust us, in a convertible, having one decent trunk is a bonus– two turn it into the perfect car for a weekend or week-long retrea.
Look sharp this summer with the Zegna Sport collection - a fusion of sport-inspired design, urban style and advanced materials. Hidden features and cutting edge innovations improve the functionality and appearance of this season’s exciting new line. High-tech meets high-fashion for the man that balances a sporty and refined lifestyle.
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No purchase necessary. Contest valid from April 14, 2009 to June 7, 2009. There are two prizes available to be won with a total approximate retail value of $3,100.00 CAD. Odds of winning a prize depend upon the number of eligible entries received for each prize. Potential winners must correctly answer a time-limited, skill-testing question. Open to all legal residents of Canada, excluding Quebec, who have reached the age of majority. Limit one entry per person for each prize. For complete contest rules, visit www.sharpformen.com.
big ideas for a richer life
The Obama Effect Falling for the Era of Hope
For once, this is not going to be a puffed up paean to Barack. Don’t get me wrong. It’s great that the most influential country on the planet has a leader who can’t be summarily misunderestimated. Those of us north of the 49° can take some comfort in that. The new guy has some mettle. But that’s far from the most interesting thing to come out of the last U.S. election. All the more so because the most profound effect of the Barack presidency isn’t something that he’s going to do, it’s something he embodies– hope. Of course, the mere mention of something so well-meaning and aimlessly soft-hearted is going to gall the cynics and batailleurs among you. And why shouldn’t it? Is there anything more off-putting than the ineffective and wishful gushings of the hopeful? But maybe we’ve got it all wrong. Maybe hope isn’t just some passive form of desire, pleading to be made real. Maybe the word shouldn’t evoke images of nest-haired spinsters waving troll dolls over their daubers and Bingo cards, or saucer-eyed fanatics in rapt anticipation of Heaven on Earth (or an iLife product that will sublimate the need for it). Maybe hope is something tangible. Maybe hope has balls after all. We’ve been pondering the nature of hope since Hesiod penned the Pandora myth back in the 8th century BC. In the story, Pandora opened her box and all the world’s evils escaped to plague humanity evermore. Only hope was left behind. The significance of this last detail has been hotly debated ever since. Some believe that hope remained in the box because there is none in the world– hope is impotent, forever trapped inside. Others believe hope is there for us to use as a weapon against the evils that befall us. Nietzsche even weighed in on the argument, claiming that the gods gave humanity hope to stop them topping themselves out of despair– thereby prolonging the torment. But then Nietzsche was always a bit of a killjoy. It was mischievous of Hesiod to leave the question dangling, but perhaps that was his point. Hope is ambiguous because it’s our choice. Choose the passive route– the cynical route– and nothing will come of it. Pursue it actively and who knows how far it will take us? Suffice it to say, if you are hopeful– in word, example and deed– you and others around you wind up feeling a little better about the world. 90 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
If that happens often enough and to enough people, it builds momentum, and that atmosphere of possibility can change the very fabric of reality. In that sense, Obama is a catalyst. The unlikeliness of his ascendancy has found resonance well beyond the confines of any single ethnic group or national boundary– exactly because of its unlikeliness. After all, who among us isn’t just a tad more optimistic about tackling obstacles in a world where a country as divided and unbalanced as the United States could not only elect a black man, but also someone who is clever, innovative and circumspect? Not that there aren’t spoilers. The forces of hopelessness are plentiful and compelling. And Obama’s detractors would have us believe that the hope he symbolizes is as false as AIG’s stock valuations. The economy, Russia, the planet, the Middle East, peak oil...it’s enough to make you nostalgic for days when the greatest threat posed by globalization was that coffee would forever come in Tall, Grande and Venti sizes. But political expedients and realities aside– at very least– Obama proffers us the dream of a Utopian future, something other world leaders, including our own, seem unwilling to supply. A generation of fear-mongering– of exalting the most venal sensibilities– has starved us of happy endings, while Obama’s election gave us just what we’d been hoping for. Is it any wonder we feel driven to make him mix tapes, write him silly songs and fawn over him as though he’d invented the notion of a bright future? The thing is, maybe Obama doesn’t have to save America, the economy or the planet to fulfill his promise. Maybe he only has to try. Because as effective as his presidency is– or isn’t– a whole lot of good work is going to be generated out of the atmosphere of possibility it creates. In the end, it’s a moot issue whether hope is something ephemeral and insubstantial or something verifiable and true. The question is what sort of world would you prefer to live in, and whether or not you think there’s a chance of making that real. Of course, if you’d rather not think about it, I hear there’s a new development in the Chris Brown/Rihanna debacle. DYLAN YOUNG illustration: adrian pratt Untitled-1 1
9/29/08 1:11:53 PM
big ideas for a richer life
The Obama Effect Falling for the Era of Hope
For once, this is not going to be a puffed up paean to Barack. Don’t get me wrong. It’s great that the most influential country on the planet has a leader who can’t be summarily misunderestimated. Those of us north of the 49° can take some comfort in that. The new guy has some mettle. But that’s far from the most interesting thing to come out of the last U.S. election. All the more so because the most profound effect of the Barack presidency isn’t something that he’s going to do, it’s something he embodies– hope. Of course, the mere mention of something so well-meaning and aimlessly soft-hearted is going to gall the cynics and batailleurs among you. And why shouldn’t it? Is there anything more off-putting than the ineffective and wishful gushings of the hopeful? But maybe we’ve got it all wrong. Maybe hope isn’t just some passive form of desire, pleading to be made real. Maybe the word shouldn’t evoke images of nest-haired spinsters waving troll dolls over their daubers and Bingo cards, or saucer-eyed fanatics in rapt anticipation of Heaven on Earth (or an iLife product that will sublimate the need for it). Maybe hope is something tangible. Maybe hope has balls after all. We’ve been pondering the nature of hope since Hesiod penned the Pandora myth back in the 8th century BC. In the story, Pandora opened her box and all the world’s evils escaped to plague humanity evermore. Only hope was left behind. The significance of this last detail has been hotly debated ever since. Some believe that hope remained in the box because there is none in the world– hope is impotent, forever trapped inside. Others believe hope is there for us to use as a weapon against the evils that befall us. Nietzsche even weighed in on the argument, claiming that the gods gave humanity hope to stop them topping themselves out of despair– thereby prolonging the torment. But then Nietzsche was always a bit of a killjoy. It was mischievous of Hesiod to leave the question dangling, but perhaps that was his point. Hope is ambiguous because it’s our choice. Choose the passive route– the cynical route– and nothing will come of it. Pursue it actively and who knows how far it will take us? Suffice it to say, if you are hopeful– in word, example and deed– you and others around you wind up feeling a little better about the world. 90 Sharp April 2009 sharpformen.com
If that happens often enough and to enough people, it builds momentum, and that atmosphere of possibility can change the very fabric of reality. In that sense, Obama is a catalyst. The unlikeliness of his ascendancy has found resonance well beyond the confines of any single ethnic group or national boundary– exactly because of its unlikeliness. After all, who among us isn’t just a tad more optimistic about tackling obstacles in a world where a country as divided and unbalanced as the United States could not only elect a black man, but also someone who is clever, innovative and circumspect? Not that there aren’t spoilers. The forces of hopelessness are plentiful and compelling. And Obama’s detractors would have us believe that the hope he symbolizes is as false as AIG’s stock valuations. The economy, Russia, the planet, the Middle East, peak oil...it’s enough to make you nostalgic for days when the greatest threat posed by globalization was that coffee would forever come in Tall, Grande and Venti sizes. But political expedients and realities aside– at very least– Obama proffers us the dream of a Utopian future, something other world leaders, including our own, seem unwilling to supply. A generation of fear-mongering– of exalting the most venal sensibilities– has starved us of happy endings, while Obama’s election gave us just what we’d been hoping for. Is it any wonder we feel driven to make him mix tapes, write him silly songs and fawn over him as though he’d invented the notion of a bright future? The thing is, maybe Obama doesn’t have to save America, the economy or the planet to fulfill his promise. Maybe he only has to try. Because as effective as his presidency is– or isn’t– a whole lot of good work is going to be generated out of the atmosphere of possibility it creates. In the end, it’s a moot issue whether hope is something ephemeral and insubstantial or something verifiable and true. The question is what sort of world would you prefer to live in, and whether or not you think there’s a chance of making that real. Of course, if you’d rather not think about it, I hear there’s a new development in the Chris Brown/Rihanna debacle. DYLAN YOUNG illustration: adrian pratt Untitled-1 1
9/29/08 1:11:53 PM
w w w. c o n c o r d . c h
world time. reconstructed. w h at o t h e r w o r l d t i m e r i s h o u s e d i n a n ava nt -ga r d e b l a c k s t r u c t u r e , w i t h 2 4 t i m e z o n e s h i g h l i g h t e d i n p o l a r b l u e ? w h at o t h e r wat c h f e at u r e s a monumental 47 mm dlc-coated steel case, yet offers a natural, unexpectedly ergonomic fit? what other watch reinvents world time?
MONTREAL: BIRKS 1.800.682.2622 I T O R O N T O : C L A S S I C C R E AT I O N S 1 . 8 8 8 . 3 1 6 . 2 7 6 5 C A L G A R Y: C A L G A R Y J E W E L L E R Y LT D 1 . 8 6 6 . 2 4 5 . 3 1 3 1 I VA N C O U V E R : R O D E O J E W E L L E R S 6 0 4 . 2 6 6 . 6 3 3 9