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N

I

ow, Hanson—who continues to

model on the side—spends his

days working long hours, hoping

to continue his travels by being

promoted to a different branch of his resort.

“I’d like to try out Miami. I’ve never been,” he

says. “The resort they have there is beautiful,

just the whole atmosphere.”

When he’s not working, Hanson spends time

at the gym, watches movies, cooks and says he

loves to eat. But is there a special someone he

spends time with?

“I just got out of a messy relationship of over

a year so, at this point, I am comfortable and

happy being single,” he says excitedly. “But I’m

optimistic and looking forward to falling in

love again: fl irting, exchanging glances, fi rst

kisses—just the whole romance of meeting

someone and being in love.”

n May, Hanson embarks on yet another

journey—one that can be terribly

frightening to many gay men: turning 30.

“I’m excited. It’s just a new chapter in

my life,” he says, upbeat and optimistic. “My

twenties were full of ups and downs, but, for the

most part, I feel like I’ve been a lot of places and

got to do a lot of things, so I am just excited to

see what the next 10 years will offer.”

And with that, my interview with Hanson is

over. I turn my recorder off and leave him to

the army of makeup and hair people, stylists,

photographers and groomers waiting in the

wings, ready to prepare Hanson for the high-

profi le world of a cover model—miles from

where the one-time overweight wallfl ower

began his journey.

When did you come out?I came out later on. [My sister] loves The Sound of Music and they were having a sing-along at the Castro Theater. It felt weird because I knew we’d be in the Castro together and I hang out there and know people, so I felt like it wasn’t fair for her to go and to have to fi nd out like that.So you came out before The Sound of Music?Yeah [Laughs]How did your sister take it?She was so excited and so happy. She was like, “I have known forever. I have just been waiting for you to tell me.” [Laughs]We’re always the last to know! When you’re not working insane hours, what do you do to unwind?I like to go to the gym and burn off some of my frustrations. I love

cooking. I spend a lot of time with my family. I watch movies.What kind of movies do you like?I like independent movies, documentaries, comedies and thrillers—nothing gruesome, though. What do you look for in a boyfriend?Intelligence, good looks, a caring personality—somebody who will really look out for you and have your back through thick and thin.What would your perfect date be like?Defi nitely something that would promote an environment of conversation where you get to know each other.Tell me something you couldn’t live without.Chicken. I eat chicken every day!

Blake Hanson ExposedOur cover boy talks about coming out, his dream man and the one thing he couldn’t live without.

JANUARY 08JANUARY 08 INSTINCT | | 51

t’s a story so often heard in gay circles—the

overweight, ugly duckling who matures

into a thin, gorgeous and self-confi dent

gay man.

But—like any fairy tale—it seems like a

good underdog story never gets old. So when

Instinct cover model Blake Hanson confesses,

“I was an obese teenager with a big double

chin, rolls, braces and the side spike and part,”

I am immediately intrigued.

“Really?” I shoot back.

As impressive as his physical transformation

is—there’s nothing unsightly about this guy

now—it’s when he starts talking about his

battle with a crippling childhood shyness

that I see what a feat it is for the tall, dark and

handsome 29-year-old model to be sitting

in the makeup chair before our magazine’s

cover shoot.

“By nature, I am the type of person who

shies out of the center of attention. I try to

get out of the spotlight,” shares the charming

cover model. “I tend to hang out with people

who are very vocal, very extroverted so that

they absorb the attention.”

anson’s story begins in Northern

California, where he grew up in a

strict Baptist home. “My parents are

really religious,” he says. “It’s very

clear cut in their minds what’s right and wrong

and there really are no gray areas.”

After graduating from high school—where

he began to slim down and grow a bit more

confi dent—Hanson moved away to San Luis

Obispo where he attended Cal Poly.

“The four years in San Luis Obispo were a

really identifying point in my life. [It] was a

chance for me to fi gure out who I was, where I

had been, where I am going,” he says. “I started

working out, paying attention to the way I

dressed and going to clubs and bars.”

With his newfound sense of self, Hanson was

ready for the big time. After college, he moved

to the Silicon Valley, where he worked at a

big tech company during the dot-com boom

for fi ve years—during which he managed

to juggle graduate school and a burgeoning

modeling career.

In 2005, after being laid off, Hanson made

a bold move and decided to pursue modeling

opportunities overseas.

“I knew at that point in my life I had the time,

the money and the drive so I went to Spain by

myself, found a place to live, an agency and hit

the ground running,” he says.

After just three months, Hanson followed

the runway to Istanbul, where he lived in a

big apartment with several male models from

Germany, Brazil and Czechoslovakia.

“That was a blast; it was crazy,” he laughs.

“I met a ton of really cool people and got to

experience things I had never really dreamed

of and probably may never again.”

With plans to cut a path to Dubai next,

Hanson was dealt a dose of reality—he was

broke. So he returned to Northern California—

resuming his career in human resources at a

luxury resort—a changed man.

“I grew up a lot living overseas by myself,” he

refl ects. “It taught me to be independent.”

H

“I’m optimistic & looking forward to falling inlove again:fl irting, exchangingglances, fi rst kisses—just the whole romanceof meeting someone.”

I

50 | INSTINCT JANUARY 08JANUARY 08

“I’m optimistic and

looking forward to falling inlove again:

by John Hobbs photos by David C. Lee

Modeling has taken BLAKE HANSON halfway around the world and back, but it’s his personal journey that’s made the biggest impact on the once-overweight, bashful boy.

JourneyMan

48 | INSTINCT JANUARY 08JANUARY 08

Styling by SATORII PONDGrooming by MONIQUE FORD