Perry Farrell, Eat Your Heart Out

Second only to the shaming I gave my roommate after the Bear’s loss, the best thing to come out of Super Bowl XLI was the discovery of “sexiest sporting event of the year,” Volleypalooza, the exhibition beach volleyball tournament starring some of the world’s most gorgeous models. Who would create such a brilliant combination of skin and sport? Meet Jerry Powers, publisher of Ocean Drive and father of Volleypalooza.

Think : Lollapalooza music festival but with less grunge and B.O. and more flash and T and A.

Jerry Powers and Glenn Albin launched Ocean Drive, a Miami Beach lifestyle magazine in 1993. When looking for the perfect promotional event to make their pages come to life, they just needed to turn their heads and look out the window of their office on 8th Street and Ocean Drive where gorgeous models passed the time playing volleyball. An idea was born.

When Powers came to Miami Beach in 1991, he fell in love. He describes the scene in the early 1990s like a less powdery version of Scarface: resort hotels, drugs, Cuban refugees, geriatric refugees from New York, fashion photographers searching for perfect beach light and — tagging along with those photographers, or vice versa — some of the most beautiful fashion models in the world.

As Powers drank in the Miami Beach scene, he found the models were extraordinarily competitive with each other. So, when he started getting in touch with the agencies around town in 1993 and 1994, the girls jumped at the chance grab another title and to let loose some of the tension from the catwalk. That the winners also got a trip to Cancun, the Bahamas or Jamaica. The tournament also gave Powers and Ocean Drive a chance to give back, donating each year’s proceeds to charity.

But, as they say, sometimes there is trouble in paradise. The competition soon became a little too competitive. Powers suspected the agencies were sending in ringers, and he felt compelled to set up rules to make sure every one was an honest-to-God working model.

Actors and comedians Bill Bellamy and Tommy Davidson were just two of the celebs that caught on to the sport and the sights of Volleypalooza early. When you have a good idea, it catches on fast and Gatorade, Speedo, Dodge, Chrysler and Corona soon signed on as event sponsors. Two years ago, they took the show on the road, flying the models and genuine Miami Beach sand to Las Vegas, where they set up court in the shadow of the casinos.

This year was Volleypalooza’s biggest ever. The event was an officially sanctioned Super Bowl event, and 350 models from 17 agencies competed. Olympic swimmer and Playboy model Amanda Beard hosted a swimsuit contest to DJ AM’s beats. “This year was the best eve,” Powers said.

Powers is relentless with his magazines. Since starting Ocean Drive, his reach has spread from Miami Beach to Atlanta, Chicago and Vegas. He doesn’t plan on letting up with Volleypalooza, either. Next year, he hopes to be at the Super Bowl in Phoenix, and, if he has his way, New Yorkers may soon be enjoying their summers a little bit more with events in Central Park.

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