We’ve seen the commercial. A guy climbs to the top of  a cliff in the Grand Canyon and leaps, bungee jumping into the abyss. After it’s all said and done he confirms, ‘yup, still dry,’ followed by the voiceover: ‘New Speed Stick GEAR, engineered for advance performance.’ The ad campaign reassures us that we will remain dry for 48 hours under the most strenuous, terrifying and sweat inducing situations imaginable. Our question: Is it true?

To find out some of the nation’s most influential media were asked to put the new deodorant to a test with the  “Speed Stick GEAR Challenge.”

Here are the choices: climbing ice walls in the Catskills, a stuntman class with all the perils, jumps and fights; racing an exotic car at breathtaking speeds or… fly an airplane!

I opted for flying – with a twist. Not only would I take over the controls of the plane (with an instructor by my side), this time we would attempt some challenging and extreme maneuvers, not for the faint of heart!

The day comes and I’m outfitted with a heart rate monitor, a Go-Pro camera and naturally, the Speed Stick GEAR deodorant is on! I board the SUV in Manhattan and head to Long Island’s Republic Airport and the Academy of Aviation. Joining me in the adventure is ‘Supermodel of the World’ finalist Sirey Moran.

Upon arrival we are greeted by Academy of Aviation‘s Fran Delia and our FAA Certified flight instructor Mohamed Khalil, who gives us an overview of what’s about to happen. We step on the tarmac and find our aircraft, a four seater single-engine propeller Cessna Skyhawk.

We perform the necessary pre-flight checks and in we go. Sirey heads back, to her passenger seat, and I assume my pilot’s seat on the left side.

Facing me are the aircraft’s primary flight instruments including steering, throttle, altitude and airspeed indicators, and the rudder pedals. The plane has dual flight controls and the instructor is sitting to my right.

The time has come. I start the engine, taking our place in line as we taxi down the runway. There are several planes ahead of us and the adrenaline is kicking in, we’re about to take off. Perspiration status: Dry.

I’m at the controls and we begin our ascent. 1,000 feet, 2,000 feet, we keep climbing and hit 5,000 feet. It’s time to put Speed Stick GEAR to the test.

The first maneuver is a free fall; imagine the feeling of skydiving – inside the plane. We climb to 7,000 feet and descend to 3,000 in less than a 5 seconds. I hear loud screams from the back, but I’m loving it. Let’s do it again! We climb again and then the sudden drop, the screams from the back are louder this time. Perspiration status: Still dry.

We now stabilize at 4,000 and fly over Long Island, heading to Connecticut. Even though it has snowed and the grounds are covered, the skies are sunny and bright. It’s time for more tricks. Let’s try “lazy 8’s.” This requires power and speed. Climbing at 45 degrees then sudden turns, drops and rises creating a figure 8 in the sky. I’ve never done this and the instructor is guiding me through it all. Perspiration status: Remains dry.

Time for another maneuver, this one is called a “wingover.” We start to climb, the angle increasing, at the same time we start a left turn, still increasing the climb, keeping the ball centered, airspeed dropping off to 85 knots, still turning, banking at about 60 degrees, nose coming down, starting to roll out to the right now, airspeed building back up to 95… 100… 105, wings level, pulling up the nose…

This is exciting. The screams from the back hit a fever pitch. Perspiration status: Very dry.

Brief break needed. We head to Connecticut’s Sikorsky Memorial Airport. Amidst all the snow I see the runway and start heading towards it. The descent commences, I’m ready for this.

The landing is smooth. We walk inside the terminal, have some tea and refuel the plane. After a few minutes, the show must go on.

It’s late afternoon and the sun is setting. The skyline of Manhattan peeks in the distance, beyond the horizon. The views are breathtaking. We hear pleads from the back, “please no more tricks, I’m dizzy, I’m nauseous, about to throw up.”

Well, just one more. A little one. Time for another “lazy 8,” culminating with the sudden drop. The screams from the back are the loudest yet. Yes! Still dry.

HOMBRE Magazine’s Francisco Romeo with ‘Supermodel of the World’ Finalist Sirey Moran at Speed Stick GEAR Challenge

The adventure is over. We head back to Republic Airport and land the plane. Sirey has never been more grateful to reach land. Post flight checks are done and we park the plane. Final flight perspiration status? Very much dry!

Overall Speed Stick GEAR performed as promised. Dry through it all. The final test, does it really last 48 hours?

The day after my flight I take my morning shower but pass on deodorant. Let’s see if Speed Stick GEAR will hold its own. The answer is a resounding, yes! I remain dry and fresh throughout my normal routine.

Although your day to day challenges may not be as extreme, it’s good to know that with Speed Stick GEAR you will stay dry, regardless of the situation. And even if you are an adrenaline junkie living extreme adventures 24/7, the only guarantee you’ll have in life is to always be safe …from perspiration. So fresh, so clean!

Academy of Aviation, LLC.
7150 Republic Airport
Main Terminal Room 101
Farmingdale, New York 11735
www.academyofaviation.com

https://www.youtube.com/user/SpeedStick