The year was 1966, Champ was traveling through the south and had stopped in Jacksonville, NC. Downtown on a Friday night he passed a bar and saw looking out of the window an incredibly beautiful young man. He went in and the young man with the great smile said hello.
His name was TUCK POWELL. He was an 18 year old Marine from nearby Camp LeJune in town on a 3 day pass. Tuck was an Iowa farm boy with blond hair & sparking light blue eyes that could melt steel. Tuck stood 5'5" and weighed 130 lbs, all muscle. They talked about how he missed home and his girl back there. He was about to be sent over to the nightmare of Vietnam and wanted distraction on this last taste of freedom before he faced the possibility of death.
Champ told him about his studio, CHAMPION & Sunshine Beach Club, for which he photographed athletes in Physique poses for publications he put out. Tuck said it sounded interesting and he'd like to pose. They began that night in the hotel room doing an assortment of shots till late.
Early the next morning they headed out to Isle Beach where the spectacular picture on the cover of OUTCOME #4 (the biggest selling issue & the most coveted) was shot. They packed in a full day with Champ shooting dazzling pictures of this young Adonis who posed as if born to it. Tuck thrived on the work having the time of his life. Tuck was an accomplished gymnast and did some really erotic sensual poses. Champ also shot an 8mm loop of Tuck doing headstands and jumps to show his prowess. It was after dark when they returned and collapsed into bed.
By Sunday morning they were both very tired but pressed on since Tuck had to depart first thing Monday morning. It was on this final day that they did the pictures using the innovation CHAMPION had conceived of. (At that time full frontal nudity was forbidden.The law stated that genitals, male & female, had to be covered. Champ, following the letter of the law, began covering his model's genitals with see-thru materials such as transparent scarves, mesh posing straps, transparent plastic clothing, etc. He was eventually challenged on this. The court found that he was obeying the law. The rest is history.) He had Tuck pose fully nude with but a yellow scarf covering his goodies, among many other poses that final day & evening.
Early Monday morning they said goodbye. Champ gave him his address to write if he ever wished. He was a young man of manners, charm & warmth. He was proud to be a Marine serving his country and was bursting with life. Those three days had totally taken his mind off the grim journey ahead.
Less than a year later Champ got a letter from Tuck's fiance. Shortly after his 19th birthday Tuck had been fatally wounded
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