Romain Mesnil, a French pole vaulter, has instantly won me over with his stunt to try and attract new sponsors after he was dropped by Nike: He posted a video of himself running nude through Paris (video below).
The musclebound 31-year-old is seen loping through the streets with his pole as if preparing for a vault at tourist spots like Montmartre and the Pont des Arts across the river Seine. A black square has been tactfully added to the footage to cover his private parts.
Mesnil, who won a silver medal at the 2007 Athletics World Championships, in Osaka, wrote on his website of Nike’s decision not to renew his contract: “It was probably for budgetary and strategic reasons. It’s the crisis.”
Mesnil got himself shown on French TV, so his stunt succeeded in getting attention. And he certainly showed off his best assets. He could probably make a good living just charging for various X-rated videos of him and his pole. Or he could go more mainstream and get some fashion sponsors interested after seeing some of his photos on his website (samples below the video).
on Mar 30th, 2009 at 8:09 AM
He’s not actually running through the streets naked, the footage was done in a studio then added to stock film of the streets of Paris.
Could you really not tell? For starters he casts absolutely no shadow and his pace and stride never change despite the changing road surfaces and locations.
on Mar 30th, 2009 at 8:50 PM
^ Oh sure. Go ahead and ruin our fantasy come true.
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 12:34 AM
Au contraire, monsieur.
I can see his shadow on all shots.
Plus, for someone like him – who’s short of money, wouldn’t it be cheaper to run naked in Paris, rather than to film on green screen.
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 1:47 AM
It’s funny, the video does look odd – I see what KB is saying. I saw on another blog that someone saw it being filmed. And, sorry, he wasn’t naked when it was filmed according to this eye witness.
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 1:50 AM
Oh hell, naked or not, he’s hot!
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 5:28 AM
so why the black uot box, is anyone fooled?
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 7:16 AM
The Jack, get a grip, it was shot in a studio and added to Paris footage, I know this for a fact and the shadow in NOT cast as he’s running against the background just under his feet, moreover the light on his body doesn’t change dependent on location, nor do the shadows as he passes objects.
Are you really that desperate for a vicarious thrill?
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 7:37 AM
Where is Freida Pinto starkers?!
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 9:05 AM
He’s not a polevaulter. He’s a polerunner. He didn’t vault anything.
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Maddog,
I’m with you. I want to see this guy vault over something – preferably the headboard of my bed…
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 12:03 PM
“it was shot in a studio and added to Paris footage, I know this for a fact and the shadow in NOT cast as he’s running against the background just under his feet, moreover the light on his body doesn’t change dependent on location, nor do the shadows as he passes objects.”
I am curious how you know this for a fact? Not being snarky, just sincerely asking.
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 12:31 PM
Jim,
There was a French news feature on it on one of the Parisian news channels some time back. How it was made etc and if you want me to be a total killjoy I can confirm that the black modesty box isn’t actually hiding anything except a pair of speedos.
But seriously you don’t actually have to have seen the news item to know that this is superimposed film, look at the scale, shadows, light, pace motion of his footfalls etc Moreover it looks cheap, it’s not particularly well made.
Also from a practical standpoint of finances getting permissions to film in that many exterior locations for a film intended for commercial use is exorbitant, not to mention the hiring of full film crew, for several days, editing, post production etc
Expensive for an athlete with funding and sponsorship and the kind of stunt that would be produced by a sponsor for a pole vaulter hard up for cash with no sponsor as a PR exercise to attract money – how likely would it be that Mesnil could get his hands on the funds to produce this if it were the real deal?
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 4:32 PM
KB, I think you are full of it, except for the speedo part. Perhaps if you provided some third-party confirmation other than snarky “I can confirm”s your posts would be better recieved.
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 5:25 PM
Boomer,
Believe what you want. Only a total fuckwit would look at that video and think it’s the real deal.
I actually work in TV and know from firsthand experience that shooting in multiple locations outside requires permissions, which cost money, a great deal of money.
You only have to look at that “video” to see that the scale is wrong for starters, the shadows never change, it’s a piece of piss to add CGI shadow post production, look at how tall he is compared to the civilians either side of him.
Look at the pace of the run, it never varies whatever surface he’s on. The lighting never changes either no matter what environment he’s in he’s lit the same.
The shooting between cars in rush hour traffic for starters would be a logistical nightmare, firstly you can’t just film in generic traffic, it would have to be staged, set up, he’s runnign towards the camera , the angle never changes, nor does the modulation, which would mean the camera would have to be moving backwards on a gurney and tracks set up in the middle of the traffic. That shot alone would cost more than shooting the fucking man in a studio and superimposing it on stock film of a traffic jam.
For fucks sake you idiots why on earth is it so important to you to have him naked in the streets – are you that sad or desperate to wankle your greasy little joints, is your mastubatory storehouse of “hot” scenarios so impoverished that to have the “fantasy” destroyed unbearable for you?
Dumb fags, the worst kind in the world.
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 11:36 PM
who gives a toss, he’s soo hot
on Apr 1st, 2009 at 12:30 AM
Right w/ya Todd Patts/Matt. I have a brass bed >:) This dude can vault into my bed anytime.
on Apr 1st, 2009 at 1:59 AM
Hey KB, only a fuckwit wouldn’t know The Rule Against Perpetuities! I’m a lawyer and I work in the LAW industry. We all know it, so why don’t you?
Get a grip on manners & reality beyond your narrow “expertise” okay? It’s just a sexy video that encourages the viewers’ imaginations FOR FUN!
on Apr 1st, 2009 at 9:26 AM
Even if KB is right….I think we can all agree that he is one of the biggest assholes ever to post on this board.
on Apr 1st, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Hallelujah, Boomer. I am late to the debate and can’t believe he is spewing all this hate toward people who come to a site like Outsports for FUN. Only insecure people who are overly impressed with their knowledge belittle those they deem to have less knowledge.
on Apr 1st, 2009 at 1:33 PM
I think everyone is missing the point…whether it is a real video or not is not the point. The point was to get noticed, which he did and then by default get noticed by a sponsor who would like to sponsor him, which he will probably get. It is called “Marketing & Advertising”
on Apr 1st, 2009 at 9:46 PM
“boomer” dude! Swiftly to the point, good guy, is the brevity that’s the essence of wit! Ditto whatever you say, my man. I did indeed find it very satisfying that the gayest quartier de Paris, Le Marais, was the locale that Mesnil chose to stage this stunt. Yeah for gay!