Tricky Jackson, IFBB Pro and 2009 Europa 202 Champion

I have been in the bodybuilding industry for over 15 years. During that period of time I have come to realize the importance of the perfect tan to compliment the perfect physique. During the early part of my career, I was always told that I needed to be darker and that it was causing me to be dropped in the placing because the lights flushed out my cuts. So, in 2003 I decided I was going to be as dark as possible no matter what. The result was a darker one but not a good dark, my color looked muddy- a couple of my friends dubbed me the “Mudd Monster”. I saw my self drop from a 2nd place finish at nationals in 2002 to a fifteenth place finish in 2003.  And after comparing the pictures, my conditioning was close to the same but my color was a nightmare.

From 2004 on I experimented with a variety of tanning products in an effort to perfect my on stage color. It improved over the next few years but it was not until 2008 when I began using Marilyn Spatola’s Liquid Sun Rayz tanning product did, I feel like I had found the perfect color to allow me to present my physique at its best on stage in any type of light. I brought Marilyn on board in 2006 to do the tanning for the athletes in my NPC National Qualifying event the Bluegrass Muscle Classic. During the show, I am running around like a chicken with his head cut off- so I generally go back and review the show video to enjoy the show for my self.  Over the next two years I began to notice certain athletes had outstanding stage color. It did not take long for me to realize it was Marliyn’s clients that had the best stage color. In 2008 I had the pleasure of being sprayed by Marilyn’s team at a guest posing. That was all she wrote. In 2009 I began using Marliyn’s products as the staple in my competition attack. The result; two top five finishes, and my first pro win.  And I ended the season with a 7th place finish at the 202 Olympia.  I have received nothing but accolades from my fellow competitors and judges in reference to my color. Finally, I have found the perfect stage color, thx to Marilyn and the Liquid Sun Rayz team.