Edward:  Hey Lars Slind, what does Gorilla God mean??! It is posted in your my space page.

Lars:  Haha, the Gorilla God…well, it started out as something simple and now the name has evolved into an entity of its own. Here is the story; I grew up in Seattle Washington and I loved going to the zoo and watching the gorillas. Naturally (or maybe not) I was intrigued by the primates so I started to mimic them, a skill I carry with me today.

During my college football career teammates would always love for me to do the gorilla before warm-ups, I guess it was a nice break from the monotony of practice. After graduating college, living in Japan, and then moving to Arizona nothing really seemed to be very special about the talent. Then as my friends stated to constantly encourage it for television shows (club crashers on youtube.com and soon on MTV’s Next) it started to gain in popularity.

One of my good friends always called me "God" because he thought I was the best mixture of looks, athletics, and brains (I always told he was crazy).  Anyway, my other friends called me the “Gorilla Man”.  Soon the two merged together and now form “The  Gorilla God”. Strange story I know, but slightly intriguing none the less.

Edward:  You seem to be a guy who really love to enjoy life and have fun. How do you describe yourself? Tell us about your heritage, hometown..

Lars:  Hmmm, well for starters I try not to take myself too seriously. I love being goofy and nerdy, and I pride myself my extensive knowledge of the fantasy/gaming realm that most “cool” people shun. Heritage, well I am Norwegian (yes my ancestors were Viking savages) and my family is very into the Norwegian heritage, a name like Lars should give you some insight. You can actually read about the journey of my family from Norway to America in the book called Norse to the Palouse, by Marvin Slind (my uncle) and Fred C. Bohn. As for my hometown, I was born in Seattle Washington.

Edward:  If you could choose 5 fascinating places around the world, which ones would you be interested to visit and why?  And whom would you like to go with?

Lars:  First, I would visit Norway and take my aunt Victoria with me, because she is very familiar with the area and is extremely intelligent. Second, I would go back to Japan and take my brothers, mother, and father with me so they could get a feeling of what it was like to live in Japan and I could show them where I lived and the places I visited. Next, Egypt would be the destination, because I want to experience the awesomeness of the pyramids in person. The next to would be Hong Kong and London, just to see what all the fuss is about.

Edward: You are now in a good shape. What do you do to "feed your muscles"? Do you have any special diet?  What´s the part of your body you like most?

Lars:  My favorite body part would have to be my legs, I love doing heavy squats.  I usually finish my sets with 6 reps at 485lbs (I weigh is 195). Back when I played football I easily squatted over 550lbs (that’s all natural by the way). As for a diet, mine is strange and much different than most people who model or body build.

I only eat about 120 to 140 grams of protein a day, and I try to alkalize my body. I take wheat grass, alkaline mineral, fiber complex, antioxidant, and alkaline water supplements.

I concern myself more with the internal health of my body rather than the exterior appearance. You can achieve your goals and still have a healthy diet while dramatically increasing the length of your life, as well as reducing your risk of cancer and other diseases.

Edward: What do you think about modeling world? How, when and why did you decided to become a model?

Lars:  I think the modeling world is a fun escape, and that’s as far as I like to take it. I didn’t really decide to be a model, it just happened. I did one shoot, and then other shoots continued to follow. Like I said before, I try not to take myself too seriously, so I could never imagine myself as a prissy little model. That’s just not my personality.

Edward:  As a model, you have the opportunity to meet such different  places and cultures. Tell us about a special place you have already been.

Lars:  Well, I have some interesting places booked in the future but as for now, the most interesting place I have been was a product of my education rather than modeling. I lived in Japan and worked for NPO helping the homeless and orphans in the Kansai area. I minored in Japanese so it was the logical choice, because I wouldn’t have a language barrier. Not to say that I didn’t have a ton to learn when I got there.

Edward:  Do you think you´ve already achieved your main purposes in the modeling market?  If not, which modeling agencies, fashion campaigns and designers would you like to work for?

Lars:  Well, I always thought it would be nice to model for Dolce and Gabanna. I love the style and the photography is always so edgy in magazine ads. As far as a goal is concerned, I just want to have fun with it, and I think I am achieving that.

Edward:  Are you a "fashion guy"?   What do you usually like to wear when you are not working as a model?

Lars:  Good question, I like things that are unique, and by unique I mean one of a kind. I alter my own jeans and I like to by hand crafted items and things that have been modified. That way when a person asks you,” Hey where can I get that?” you just say,” sorry, you can’t, its one of a kind”.  It adds more value to your clothing and your style, at least I believe so.

Edward:  What do you like most when you work with a photographer?

Lars:  I like it most when a photographer has professionalism and good descriptions of what they want the image to look like. If the photographer can’t act professional and convey what they want to the model, then the model cannot be asked to do so either. They go hand in hand. The photographer sets the tone for the shoot.

Edward:  Lars, thanks for sharing your story with us. A final message to my Connex247 readers around the world and your future plans.

Lars:  Future plans, well some exciting events have come into play. I have been contacted for roles in two major feature films that will be in theaters in the next year and I have been asked to do some very prestigious editorials. So the future looks bright, but again, I still just want to have fun with it all.

Mina-san, aligatou gozaimashita. Jya mata ne.
Thank you very much everyone, see you later.

-Lars