A crowd gathered in New York City’s Greenwich Village on Sunday for the “Rivals” look-alike contest, featuring a lineup of attractive men who mimicked characters from HBO’s popular gay hockey series.
At Mercer Playground, about a dozen participants donned hockey jerseys, engaging in playful antics like undressing and making out while reenacting scenes from the Canadian show, vying for the title of the most alluring Canadian character.
Two contestants won prizes of $50 each; 25-year-old Ryan Heffernan was crowned for his resemblance to Shane Hollander, while 28-year-old Tyler Gaul was recognized as a look-alike of Ilya Rozanov.
The results weren’t particularly surprising.
Heffernan and Gaul mentioned to reporters that since the series premiered on HBO last November, they’ve frequently been approached by strangers eager to snap photos with them, claiming they look like the show’s stars, Hudson Williams and Conor Storey.
“A lot of people were taking pictures of me,” Heffernan shared, adding, “I felt very confident. I came here by myself because I knew I was going to win.”
For Gaul, it was actually his girlfriend who first pointed out his resemblance to the Russian hockey player, who has a hidden romance with rival Hollander, portrayed by Williams.
“She said I looked just like Elijah, and soon after, most people in our lives echoed the same sentiment,” Gaul recounted.
A lively audience braved the chilly weather, with over 100 people flocking to watch the contestants perform their acts, which included passionate kisses that sparked cheers from the crowd.
Both winners had been introduced to the series by their girlfriends and had enjoyed its provocative themes since it originally aired on the Canadian streaming service Crave.
“It’s definitely provocative, but it’s great,” Gaul remarked. “It’s impressive how something so bold can be so popular. It’s nice to see representation of themes like love and sexuality that are often overlooked on television.”
The organizers of the contest weren’t immediately known, but the real excitement lay with the enthusiastic audience who filled the sidewalk, engrossed in the performance.
The contestants raised their rainbow hockey sticks and delivered lines with flair, some revealing impressive physiques and engaging in playful exchanges, much to the delight of onlookers.
Attendees noted the show’s appeal, with 26-year-old student Benji Pearson stating, “It’s about these two guys pretending to be straight, and I think that’s what draws people in.” He added that he hopes this could pave the way for more LGBTQ+ representation on TV.
