Bullz-Eye returns for another round of Bud Light’s Whatever, USA

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For the second year in a row, Bullz-Eye was invited to Bud Light’s Whatever, USA. Last year’s #UpForWhatever adventure took us to Crested Butte, Colorado, where they painted the town blue, literally. It was a weekend of epic proportions, and we couldn’t wait to see how this year’s event would compare.

For Whatever, USA 2.0, Bud Light took over the quiet town of Avalon on Catalina Island, California, throwing a two-day rager for some 1,000-plus contest winners from all across the United States who earned their invitations by proving that they were Up For Whatever.

Day One started painfully early, with a 7am flight from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. Despite the fact that we had 10 other winners on the flight, it was pretty chill at first, as most of us were still half asleep at this point. But once we arrived in LAX and hopped on the party bus that would take us to our ferry in San Pedro, it was a whole other story! The Bud Light started flowing almost immediately, and everyone was amped up for whatever the weekend had in store for them.

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After getting checked in at the port, we boarded the ferry that would take us to Catalina Island, our home for the weekend. Once we got there, we dropped off our bags at the hotel, changed into our swim trunks, and immediately headed off to a pool party they were hosting, where there was plenty of food, Bud Light and a bevy of gorgeous bikini-clad women. Yes, suddenly that early wake-up call didn’t seem so bad anymore.

The festivities officially began Friday evening, with a crazy color-themed welcome parade and performances by Elliphant and T-Pain. People were having a blast, and the energy was contagious. Later that night, we went down the beach for a DJ show featuring Diplo and Jack Novak. It was pretty awesome, with a 42-foot LED dragon, electro hula hoopers, light shows and more. Eventually, we had to call it a night and get some rest for the next day’s activities.

Saturday morning, Whatever, USA guests were surprised with wake-up calls with a variety of themes – from an 80’s rock band, to a parade of John Hughes characters, to a horde of human animals and a drum line. There were a slew of activities for guests to participate in, including an early morning hula hoop workout, hiking for Bigfoot, seaside trampoline aerobics, pirate self “de-fence,” zip-lining, a SnapChat digital art class, “tag-teaming” with professional graffiti artists and more.

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There were a number of musical performances, including sets by G-Easy and Kip Moore during the day. But the highlight of the day was at 4:20pm, when Snoop Dogg rolled in on a low-rider bike, handing out Hot Doggs to the crowd, before making his way to the main stage for an AMAZING performance that had everyone going nuts! Yes, the D-O-Double-G still has it after all these years, and he did an hour-long set that was nothing short of spectacular.

Last year, they had Vanilla Ice handing out ice cream. This year, it was Snoop Dogg handing out hot dogs. Maybe next year they can get Ice-T handing out glasses of iced tea? (And Coco handing out hot cocoa?) Food for thought.

Afterwards, we went to the Whatever Costume Shop to get outfits for that night’s Gatsby-themed “Turn of an Era Party,” which was a real trip back in time. Ladies dressed in flapper dresses and guys in tuxedos, with a band played big-band covers of Top 40 hits in a beautiful venue. Postmodern Jukebox and Girl Talk later performed, and everyone had a blast.

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On Sunday morning, Lil Jon took the stage to deliver a commencement speech during the #UpForWhatever graduation ceremony, and later did a thrilling performance for the new grads. The performance also kicked off the Bud Light Summer Bucket List, taking #UpForWhatever into the summer months and helping fans from across the country check items off their Summer Bucket List. To enter, simply post a summer photo showing how you and your friends are “UpForWhatever” and use the hashtags #UpForWhatever #BLContest.

And with that, our #WhateverUSA adventure had come to a close. The ferry ride back to the mainland was a much more somber affair, as the reality of “real life” was setting in for us all. But the memory of this amazing weekend will be with us forever, and for that, we thank you Bud Light!

  

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