Survivor madness

People came from near and far to give it their best at auditions for the 11th season of Survivor at Kitsap Mall on Saturday.

For some that opportunity came after many long hours of waiting — including Port Orchard resident Dan Phipps, the first one in line, who arrived at the mall at 2 p.m. on Friday, the day before the event.

Phipps stood by the door all night long so that he could be the first one to audition on Saturday and describes the night as “cold.” He ran as fast as he could to the registration table at 8 a.m., when Kitsap Mall opened its doors, to make sure no one passed him up.

But Phipps wasn’t the only one camping out Friday night.

“We had a group that camped out since 9:30 Friday night,” said Stacey Ames, Kitsap Mall spokeswoman. “It’s die-hard. Security let them know that we wouldn’t open until 8 a.m.”

As for the KIRO TV sales representatives who have gone through this process before, they say they have seen some pretty funny things go on behind the audition curtains.

“Big hairy men in pink thongs,” said one KIRO TV sales rep who wished to remain anonymous, referring to some of the strangest audition tactics she has seen. “I’ve seen a lot of people do songs and dances and a lot of people get naked, mostly men.”

Thong underwear seemed to be the choice of a few applicants. Matt Bailey of Port Angeles stood in line with his friends but didn’t need to audition right there because he chose the option of making his own video and dropping it off.

“I stood naked in the snow at 2 a.m. wearing only my wife’s thong,” he said of his audition tape. “I want to be on Survivor so I can tell all the annoying girls to shut up. I’m a bigger jerk than Simon.”

In the line for registration, which started in Center Court near Pretzel Time and wrapped all the way back to the food court, people did various things to stay busy while they waited.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.