My First Season

Luke ”Gus” Neale

My guest today and I met and worked together during an amazing season in Club Med Playa Blanca in 1996/1997. His first season, however, was at the opening of Club Med Lindeman Island in Australia and he arrived on December 12, 1992, as a Musician/Animator. From Newcastle, Australia, please help me welcome former Chief of Village, Luke "Gus” Neale!! Before Club Med, Gus was studying Tourism Management at the University of Newcastle. As part of his degree requirement, he organized a five-day field trip up the East coast of Australia, from Newcastle to Brisbane. On that trip, he met a Belgian Club Med employee called Bellings, who gave Gus his business card and told Gus that if he ever wanted to work for Club Med, to give Club Med that card and the rest is history. For those who have had the pleasure to work with Gus, know that he plays a mean violin (and guitar and didgeridoo). He started playing violin at seven years old and even got a scholarship to study music at the Conservatorium at the University of Newcastle, where he studied for four years. Gus worked as an animator and Chief of Animation in resorts such as Cherating Beach (Malaysia), Bora Bora, Kamarina (Italy), Bali, Playa Blanca, Turks & Caicos, Huatulco and Djerba La Douce (Tunisia). As a Chief of Village, he worked at Sonora Bay, Cancun, Crested Butte and Lindeman Island. Gus is kind enough to take us through his Chief of Village stage in France and what his first season as CDV in Sonora Bay was like during the summer of 2001. We cover a lot in only an hour, so I really hope you enjoy this episode with Gus! **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

Steve McClaine

My guest today and I have never met or worked together before, but we do have a “Quebec” connection that we will talk about in this interview. His first season was in Club Med Martinique in May of 1987 as a Waterski G.O. From Napa Valley, please help me welcome to the podcast, Steve McClaine!! Before Club Med, Steve attended the University of California (Berkeley) and obtained a Political Economy degree. He did not want to start using his degree just yet, so he taught skiing at Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Tahoe. One of the ski instructors mentioned Club Med to him and Steve took it from there. Steve also worked in the Club Med villages of Copper Mountain (April 1987-88) and Cancun as a Waterski G.O. in 1988. Steve tells an amazing story about a pre-college basketball player, who later helped win a fifth Championship for the NBA Chicago bulls in 1997. This story is incredible, so I will not spoil it here with more details, you’ll just have to listen! Another amazing story is one Steve thought wasn’t that interesting or even merit as a “fun fact” that I ask guests to provide for their interview. While he was at Berkeley, Steve played trumpet and percussion for the University of California Marching Band. In March of 1983, Queen Elizabeth (RIP) and Prince Philippe came to San Francisco aboard the royal yacht Britannia to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, in a ten-day trip across the state of California. Steve, as part of the Berkeley marching band, performed for the Queen with the San Francisco Ballet at the Louis M. Davies Symphony Hall as part of a San Francisco/Americana-type show. Because the Queen enjoyed the show so much, they were invited back the next day to the pier where the Britannia was docked and the Queen watched the show from the balcony. Steve didn’t think this was a fun fact! We cover quite a lot in this interview and how different Club Med was back then in the 1980’s. Steve ends the interview by telling us the three things he misses the most about Club Med. Please enjoy! **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

Sammy Orodenker

My guest today and I have never met, but I had heard very funny stories about him from other EXGO’s over the years. His first season was in Club Med Sandpiper in February of 1992 as Manager of the Annex restaurant with Carlos Castro as CDV. From New Jersey (via Florida), please help me welcome, Sammy Orodenker!! Before Club Med, Sammy was doing a double major in Hospitality Management and Musical Theater, making him a much-desired prospect for a company like Club Med! Sammy was given the title of Manager of the Annex because during his senior year of college, he also owned a catering company. He then later switched to the position of Animator and Chief of Animation. Sammy worked for Club Med from 1992 to 2001. He worked in villages such as Club Med Copper Mountain, St. Lucia, Punta Cana, Eleuthera, Ixtapa, Cancun and his final season in Kabira. Sammy has so many stories and we tried to pack in as much as we could in an hour, so if you were an early 90’s G.O., you will want to hear this one! Sammy recounts some stories where he got locked out of his room wearing only a barely-there towel and having to walk to reception, getting caught during a “Walk of Fame” moment behind the main restaurant in Sandpiper and why his cocktail of choice was always a Rusty Nail. Please enjoy this episode with Sammy!! **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

Please check out his "Pissotieres" sketch from Copper Mountain 92/93:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wdnTSULnrc

 

Chris Wiehl

I never had the pleasure of working with my next guest, but we did cross paths at EXGO Reunion 3 in Cancun in 2010 (and we currently have 112 mutual friends!). His first season was in Club Med Eleuthera, Bahamas in the Summer of 1990 as a Mini Club G.O., with the amazing Denis Amsellem as CDV. From Fresno, California, please help me give a big MFS welcome to Chris Wiehl! Before Club Med, Chris was a walk-on shooting guard at UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team. Although the coach was Walt Hazzard at the time, Chris did get the opportunity to meet legendary UCLA coach John Wooden twice. He first heard about his future employer from a French girlfriend in high school who told him about Club Med (she later worked at CM St. Lucia in ’88). After he graduated from UCLA, Chris went to the family resort of Club Med Eleuthera, as a single guy (there is a story there). Before his week was over, he was approached by the late, great Mini Club G.O., Jim Henry, who asked him if he’d like to work there and then cleared it with Denis Amsellem. Chris worked at the resorts of Club Med Punta Cana, Sandpiper and Playa Blanca. He finally made the leap to Landsports at Playa Blanca the winter of 1991/1992, under Gregg Snyder, who was doing his first season as the resort manager. Chris is a heck of a raconteur and you will love his Eleuthera/Shell Hill/Ronnie’s Hideaway story with the Mini Club as well as his Richie Cannata (Billy Joel’s saxophonist) story. Chris talks fondly about the early G.O. reunions that the late and amazing John Shelly organized in San Francisco in the late 1990’s and how much he misses both John Shelley and Jim Henry. **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

Please check out his Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/cswiehl/

 

 

 

Hansel Moss

My guest today and I met in Club Med Columbus Isle in January of 1996. I was Landsports and he was the resort photographer. Little did I know at the time that I was in the presence of true greatness and I am very grateful for the 2 ½ years I got to spend with him. His first season was in Club Med Paradise Island in 1980 as a Sailing G.O. Everyone, please help me welcome, the Bahamian sensation, the one and the only, the Best Chief of Sports there ever was, Hansel Moss!! Before he started working as a Sailing G.O., Hansel was actually a plainclothes security guard in Club Med Paradise Island. He asked the Chief of Village, Greg Russell, if he could become a Sailing G.O., even though Hansel did not know how to sail! He then recounts a hilarious story about a sailing outing with G.M.’s on the harbour-side of Paradise Island that you will absolutely want to hear! Hansel’s Chief of Sailing his first season was none other than LouLou from France, and you have to hear Hansel describe meeting LouLou for the first time! His second season was in Club Med Cancun with Alain Decouan, who then asked Hansel to go to Club Med Donoratico, Italy with him for Hansel’s third season in 1981. It was Hansel’s first time in Europe (at 19 years old) and you have to hear the visa/travel horror story that Hansel endured, when a Bahamian tries to go to Italy in the early 80’s, when he was told he did not need a visa to go! When that season ended, Hansel went to visit his girlfriend in Holland for about a month, only he didn’t call her to tell her he was coming-he just showed up at the address she gave him! And yes, that is another funny story! This interview goes up until his first season as a Chief of Sports in Club Med Sonora Bay. Because of my long history and friendship with Hansel and the history he has with Club Med, the second part of this interview will come out at a later date. **I changed the setting of this episode from clean to explicit (as there was not a middle option), for some mild expletives and the fact that we were talking about Club Med in 1980 and that it was a very different time for everyone. **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

Ouija Whittemore

My guest today and I crossed paths in Club Med Columbus Isle in 1997/1998 where she was in training to be a Choreographer, but her first season was in Club Med Copper Mountain in Fall of 1996 as a Reception G.O. Originally from Atlanta, but now living in Marina del Ray, please help me welcome the amazing, Ouija Whittemore! Before Club Med, Ouija (and yes, we will get into her name!) was a professional dancer until she was thirty years old and her first dance class was at just four years old. She was also a regular on The Mickey Mouse Club and even got to interview Milli Vanilli (you have to see this video!). Ouija went to Club Med Cancun in 1995 as a G.M. and wanted to work for them based on her experience as a guest. When Ouija got home from Cancun a few days later, she saw an ad in the newspaper that Club Med was hiring and she promptly applied. During the span of her first season, Ouija went from Reception to Yoga Instructor to Assistant Choreographer! Ouija entered Club Med specifically with dreams of being a Choreographer and after a season in Club Med Sandpiper in 1997, she was sent on a three-month stage to become a Choreographer. The training took place in three separate Club Med villages: Paradise Island, Columbus Isle and Eleuthera. After Club Med, Ouija became a professional cheerleader for the Orlando Predators in 2001 and presently works in legal cannabis sales and distribution. Ouija is currently training for a half marathon on October 22, 2022 and is running as part of a team of EXGO’s, led by Tracy Nathan. The team is collecting donations that will go to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) TNT. The link is provided below, so please donate to this worthy cause if you are able, thank you! **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

The link to Leukemia & Lymphoma Team in Training Fundraiser:

https://pages.lls.org/tnt/calso/yourway23/OWhittemore?fbclid=IwAR0MpZTVCIBZGa6kcR8qtJ7Mp9hslBYx7MSRwMaG4ZaUyrTbKtnaCCxy_QE

Her Mickey Mouse Club interview with Milli Vanilli (Ouija asks her question at the 3:05 mark)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpWyx1THQgY

And please check her out on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/ouijatheog/

Stan Bruckheim

My guest today and I met in the main restaurant of Club Med Playa Blanca during the 1996/1997 winter season. I was a Landsports G.O and he was a G.M. His first season was as an au pair in Club Med Playa Blanca in May of 1992 as a Landsports G.O. From Orange County, California, please help me welcome to My First Season, Stan Bruckheim!! Before Club Med, proud Army brat Stan actually lived in France the first six years of his life and then spent three years in Berlin. His teenage years were spent in Philadelphia and he went to college at Franklin & Marshall in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and obtained a Political Science degree. After graduation he went to work in Washington, D.C., but his employer sent him West to open their California office. Stan’s first experience with Club Med was as a G.M. in Martinique in 1988. While Stan was a G.M. at Playa in ’92, the CDV Gregg Snyder made an offer to Stan to come back as an au pair. Stan, who was a Media Director for an Ad agency, then went to his employer to ask for a one-year leave of absence. Not only did his employer grant his request, but they also told him his job would be held for him that entire year. After Playa, Stan then drove his red, Mazda RX-7 from California to Florida (in just four days) and went to Club Med Sandpiper during the Fall of 1992 as Landsports. He then went to Club Med Cancun in the Spring of 1993 as Public Relations and finished his Club Med career in Turks & Caicos in October of 1995. If you were a G.O. in the 1990’s, then you will remember the group “Carnage” that used to come to Club Med. Stan founded this group, but surprisingly, Carnage was not started at Club Med, as you will hear in this interview. When the conversation turns to Stan’s season in Cancun in ‘93, we cover what the picnic sign-up was like, the night he had dinner with Steven Seagal and Kelly LeBrock and when Playboy came for the week. Stan’s regular job is Advertising in Latin America & Latino Media Services, but he is also the proprietor of “Kids Rule Sports”, a quality sports cards and memorabilia store (see link below) that is his passion. **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

Please check out the link to his store and Instagram:

http://www.kidsrulesports.com/

https://www.facebook.com/kidsrulesportsoc

https://www.instagram.com/stanbruckheim/?hl=en

Salvador Cortés

My guest today and I worked together in Club Med Playa Blanca during the 1996/1997 winter season, but his first season was in Club Med Cancun on May 8, 1988 (yes, he knows the exact date!) as an Assistant Traffic G.O. From Mexico City, please help me welcome Salvador Cortés! Salvador worked for Club Med from May1988 to May 2022! Before Club Med, Salvador worked for Pemex (the Mexican state-owned petroleum company), as a certified pipe fitting specialist and was also a professional Mountain Climber and Guide and was an instructor in “Ice Climbing” techniques (yes, I learned there is ice in Mexico!). He was also a volunteer in the Socorro Alpino Mexicano (Mexican Alpine Rescue). He climbed mountains such as Aconagua, El Capitan and Chamonix, to name only a few. Salvador was actually a G.M before he was a G.O. He stayed for two nights in Club Med Huatulco and was impressed by the way he was welcomed by the many smiling faces of the G.O. team. Salvador worked in villages such as Huatulco, Paradise Island, Ixtapa, Eleuthera, Sonora Bay, Punta Cana, Columbus Isle and Turks & Caicos. Since Salvador was in charge of Traffic for his whole career, I asked him for a “traffic nightmare story” and he delivered with Hurricane Gilbert! Salvador’s first season coincided with category 5 Hurricane Gilbert (for which they had no warning of), so he takes us through what that was like during a time before TV’s were in the rooms and the internet did not exist. When he had his interview with Club Med, the only position available was Assistant Traffic, but Salvador had some prior experience with that when he was taking guests on mountain climbing expeditions. We recorded this interview on July 14, 2022, so I had to ask him about his first ever Bastille Day in Club Med! **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

And please check out his social media:

Salvador Cortés (@salcortes) • Instagram photos and videos

(8) Salvador Cortes (@montagneur) / Twitter

Salvador Cortes | Facebook

 

 

Eduardo Rojas

My guest today and I met when he was the Chief of Village of Cancun and I was there for the EXGO Reunion 3 in 2010. He arrived in Club Med Sonora Bay on July 13, 1993 for his first season as a Specialty Restaurant Manager. He is the FIRST Mexican Chief of Village in the history of Club Med, so please help me give a very warm MFS welcome to Eduardo Rojas! Before Club Med, Eduardo was working in a night club in Mexico City. One day while walking down the street, he noticed the Club Med office and went in and asked for an interview (as he did not have an appointment). The rest they say, is history. Eduardo worked for Club Med from 1993 to 2019 in positions such as Restaurant Manager, Chief of Sports, Chief of Entertainment, Leisure Service Manager and Chief of Village. Eduardo worked in many villages such as Cancun, Sandpiper, Punta Cana, Ixtapa, Cherating and Guilin, China to name but a few. Eduardo has many stories to tell and I hope you enjoy the journey he takes you on as he shares his incredible and inspirational story and the people he met and who helped him along the way. One special story in particular he shares is the one where he finally learned that he would become a Chief of Village. Eduardo is currently the General Manager of the luxury hotel, Villa del Palmar in Loreto, Mexico and it was named the world’s leading family resort in 2020 by the World Travel Awards. **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. And if you like what you hear, please leave a review at Apple podcasts.

Here is the link to the luxury hotel where Eduardo is the General Manager:

https://villadelpalmarloreto.com/

His social media:

https://www.instagram.com/eduardo.rojas01/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eduardorojasvergara/

https://www.facebook.com/edylatinorojas

Christopher ”Christo” Williams

My guest today and I have never met, but his name was mentioned on a previous episode by an another EXGO. His first season was in Club Med Sonora Bay during the summer of 1998 as the Animator/DJ. Everyone, please help me give a warm welcome to a very, very funny EXGO from Montreal, Christopher “Christo” Williams!! Christo worked for Club Med from 1998 to 2000 and went on vacation to Club Med as a teenager to the resorts of Huatulco, Playa Blanca and Martinique, so he was no stranger to the life. Christo did many things before applying to Club Med. Among them, Christo attended a comedy school in Montreal called “École National de L’Humour” and even sold men’s underwear! Remembering the great times he had as a G.M. in Club Med, Christo decided to apply to Club Med and had his interview in Montreal. He was sent for two weeks training to Playa Blanca to train under none other than, “Adrenaline” and was even picked up at the airport by the CDV, Houria! After his training was over, he went to Sonora Bay where Hammer was the CDV and the rest is history. As an Animator, you can imagine that Christo has many funny stories and one of his funniest stories involves the magician/nail polish gag that someone did not find amusing! Christo was in Club Med Cancun for Y2k with Hammer and then Paradise Island with Kevin Batt. After Club Med, Christo continued his comedy career in Montreal and even performed at the “Just for Laughs” comedy festival, which is the largest international comedy festival in the world. Christo has nothing but good memories about his time in Club Med and I hope you have as much fun listening to this episode as we did recording it! (special shoutout to MC Mario!!) **My First Season podcast has always been free to listen to and is available on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Samsung Podcasts, Podbean App, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible, TuneIn + Alexa, iHeartRadio, PlayerFM, Pandora and Listen Notes. *You can download any episode on your smartphone and listen to it later.

Please check out his Facebook below:

https://www.facebook.com/christopher.williams.7902

And his YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/secretmaverickboy

And the "Evil Hand" number we spoke about during the interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfiQegzjERY