Edge in sight

It’s that time of the year again. No, I’m not referring to the inevitable countdown to the impending holidays, but rather that season when we’re just aching to give out prizes to our readers, courtesy of some of our beloved partners.

YStyle and Motorola’s long-standing partnership produces another collection of pixelized stunners this time exalting the sleek, stylish features of the Moto Razr2, the skinnier, more amped-up antecedent of the well-accepted Razr phone that promises clearer communication, faster net streaming, sharper visuals, and even a virtually scratch-free exterior monitor.

Motorola is pretty psyched up with this new mobile addition and has teamed up with Globe to enhance your Moto Razr2 experience. Signing up for a post-paid plan at any Globe center, along with a Moto Razr2 V8 purchase, grants you a chance to fly to London and train with soccer god and Motorola global ambassador David Beckham in his very own academy.

Though we’re not about to fly anybody anywhere, YStyle is showing enthusiasm over the edgy flip phone by doing what we do best: producing repertoires of mind-searing images. Inspired by the Moto Razr2 and Becks himself, we recruited real athletes to provide visual candy rather than the usual glam squad of model mannequins. Collegiate basketball player Cholo Villanueva, football striker Aly Borromeo and triathletes Fritz Martinez and RG Roa were each teamed up with some of YStyle’s preferred image-makers, and asked to channel their competitive streaks into an entirely different form of play.

Four teams composed of a photographer, stylist, makeup artist and these model-athletes have come up with striking and stylish images that combine the edgy versatility of the Moto Razr2 and the intense dynamism of each chosen athlete’s sport.

Which team has come up with the most heart-hacking image? We’re tossing it to our readers to judge. Send us an e-mail at ystylecrew@yahoo.com, with the heading “Vote for ‘Razr Edge’ promo,” telling us which team came up with the edgiest image and why, and be eligible to win your very own Moto Razr2 (we’re giving away four). Votes will be accepted until Tuesday, Nov 6.

Earth shaker

Bright idea: The concept for this shoot was pretty simple — striker Aly Borromeo making his mark on the football field, not with his cleats but with a Moto Razr2. Though the stylish phone may not cleave the earth in the literal sense, it’s still sharp enough to leave an impression.

Athlete Specs: Football and Futsal both involve kicking balls, but that’s pretty much the only similarity. The Futsal ball is heavier (it doesn’t bounce) and takes more finesse to get into the goal; in football, both the team and the field and capacity for bodily movement are larger. And, as a member of the RP national football and Futsal teams, and even co-captain of the former, it’s safe to say that Aly Borromeo excels in both sports. Aly’s love affair with football, however, wasn’t a monogamous relationship from the start: he first took up gymnastics as a kid, and was part of the basketball, golf, tennis team and football teams in high school. Towards his senior year, however, the brand manager for GNC Sports Lab (the supplement brand’s direct-selling division for professional athletes and people with pro-active lifestyles), realized that the sport he loved most was football. “The build-up to the last pass before placing that ball in the back of the net can’t compare to any other sport in the world.”

A leap into the future

Bright idea: This team’s vision was all about technology and how it shapes the future. Kai, Anne and Omar portray young basketball star Cholo Villanueva as a cyborg hoopster playing on a futuristic surface represented by the Razr2’s shiny stylish keypad. As Kai describes the advantages of the Razr2’s advanced mobile technology: “You can even stay in touch and catch the latest updates on your favorite athletes right through your Motorola handsets.”

Athlete Specs: Baller Cholo Villanueva is flying high these days. His team, the De La Salle Green Archers, recently overcame a tough finals series to win the championship in the recently-concluded UAAP basketball season, where Cholo was voted co-finals MVP and named “Mr. Clutch” (he’s the one who makes important shots during crucial moments in games) by the Philippine Press Corps. Now, the shooting guard is busy practicing with Toyota-Otis, one of the amateur teams in the PBL.

Shooting hoops doesn’t take up most of his time, however. In fact, Cholo is not even sure he eventually wants to make a career out of basketball. Coming from a family of educators, Cholo, who graduated with a degree in educational psychology, is a part-time psychometrician (someone who gives aptitude or personality tests, analyzes results, and gives recommendations) and works particularly with kids with dyslexia or ADHD.

Aqua slash

Bright idea: Charles, Pam and Leo wanted to create an image that reflected RG’s intensity and edginess as an athlete. “No matter what lies ahead — may it be swimming in unforgiving waters, biking on a slippery road, or running in torrential rains — he is sure to slash his way through any challenge, just like the Moto Razr2.”

Athlete Specs: “As a triathlete, you are really up against yourself. It takes a lot of dedication to excel in each event and overcome the pain that comes with training and competing.” RG Roa has only been competing in triathlons for a couple of years, but already speaks of the event with the passion of a veteran. A civil engineer by profession (he runs his own construction firm Construkt Innovations Inc.), RG has always been fascinated with the event and joined his first competition two years ago when he felt he had already achieved the fitness level needed to endure all three sports. Now he continuously enters competitions as a member of the Fitness First triathlon team and the Nescafé Protect cycling team, and was even stage champion of last year’s Powerbar tour.

“I excel more in cycling and running — my swimming still needs a lot of work!” For this shoot however, RG had to work the water in an entirely different way.

Deep impact

Bright idea: Mark Nicdao laughingly describes his team’s concept for triathlete Fritz Martinez as “gory chic.” “We were just thinking of playing with the ideas of blood, gore and courage because athletes have to deal with these, either physically or mentally.” Beyond the pixel play, however, the Moto Razr2 is as safe as it gets.

Athlete Specs: It’s pretty difficult trying to pin down Fritz Martinez. Trying to catch up with him for a brief interview is like racing him in a triathlon: you’re not quite sure at which part he’s going to leave you off. It’s understandable, though. Apart from being completely devoted to his event — he trains six times a week and, for the last five years, has constantly joined national triathlons and cycling competitions — Fritz is engaged in several distribution businesses. He explains his obsession with triathlons simply: “Triathlon challenges both your body and mind more than any other sport.”

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