The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The popular Hooters International Calendar, which sells nearly 500,000 copies annually, will feature the historic Big Game Club Resort and Marina and the beauty of Bimini as part of its 2015 edition.

A contingent of Hooters Calendar hopefuls will be coming to the island for a four-day photo shoot and stay at the 51-room resort in Alice Town, which has a long history of hosting international fishing tournaments as well being a playground for many celebrities from Hollywood’s Golden Age and a retreat for DrMartin Luther King.

South Florida Hooters franchisee Dale “Champ” Regnier, a sports fisherman and frequent visitor, worked with resort manager Michael Weber to coordinate details for the shoot, which is scheduled from June 2-5.

The Hooters brand, which is 31 years old, has been producing the popular selling calendar for the last 28 years.

According to Doug Vollmer, head photographer and calendar project director, 5,000 apply to model for the annual calendar, of which 300 are shortlisted for photography sessions in locales such as Bimini, the British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Exumas, Abacos and Mexico. From those shoots, a final group of 200 are selected for the calendar.

“The hope is that taking them to such a beautiful location as Bimini and the Big Game Club for a multiple day shoot should increase their chances,” said Kristi Quarles, director of marketing and public affairs for Hooters.