DESTIN — Tennessee Titans cheerleader Whitney looked straight at the camera with the Gulf of Mexico behind her as she finished her photo shoot Tuesday morning.
Whitney is one of 21 women who traveled to the Emerald Coast for the squad’s annual calendar shoot for 2014.
“I’m a whole lot more confident this year,” said Whitney, who is in her second year as a cheerleader. “Last year it was very intimidating, but I knew what to expect this time. You have to have that confidence to shoot. You can’t be scared or you will see that in the photo.”
Watch a short video of the photo shoot. >>
The Titans’ cheerleaders have come to Destin for the past six years to shoot their calendar. Stacie Kinder, director of cheerleading for the Titans, said the team sells about 5,000 calendars, and the photos will get more than 1 million hits online.
“Our pictures rival anything you will see out there,” Kinder said. “The hardest thing for us is shooting 21 women in a three-day window, but these are arguably some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, so we make it work.”
Kinder said the team plans the trip around the shoulder season with Emerald Grande in Destin. On Tuesday morning, the women woke up about 3 a.m. to get hair and makeup ready for their 5:30 a.m. shoot on the west jetty.
Brittni, a first-year cheerleader, said she learned she made the team in mid-May and had to be ready to become a model just a few weeks later.
“It was a little overwhelming,” Brittni said. “I feel so blessed to have this opportunity, though. I just made sure to work out and eat right beforehand. I’m honored to have the opportunity to be in the calendar. I would have never dreamed this would happen.”
The cheerleaders use only their first names to protect their identity.
The theme for next year’s calendar is all about the Titans. Cheerleaders wore bathing suits with the team’s red, white and Titan blue colors.
“This is a wonderful place to do this and we are making it a tradition to come here every year for the calendar,” Kinder said. “There’s great white sand and beautiful emerald green water. It’s ideal for what we do.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.