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This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

Arts & Entertainment

LAist Interview: Lauren Lunday, Bikini Tire Chains Girl

lunday2.jpg
Photo of Lauren Lunday via Facebook

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On Wednesday, we drew your attention to a how-to video featuring a scantily clad young lady putting chains on tires. The video was posted by Bear Mountain Resort on YouTube, and it stars 24-year-old Lauren Lunday.

In addition to being entertaining, it offers fairly clear and follow-able steps for being safe when it's snowy on the road.

But haters gonna hate, and so the video caught some flack from commenters. Some accused Lunday of putting the chains on wrong. Others said that it was too distracting to follow (well...yeah). To clear things up, we caught up with Lunday -- who lives in Murietta, works for a computer company and models on the side -- for a quick email conversation about how she got cast in the informative film, and what her connection is to tire chains, anyway.


Photo of Lauren Lunday via Facebook
LAist: How did you get involved with the video?
Lauren Lunday: My friends are the filmers and photographers for Bear Mountain, and they had mentioned they wanted to do a video like this before the season was over. I was more then happy to participate, so we started planning for it.LAist: Had you ever done a how-to video before?
LL: This was my first how-to video. Shooting a funny, hot video with my friends was a blast -- how could it not be, right? Plus I'm a total do-it-yourself girl, so I look up these kinds of videos all the time. It's funny to be on the other side.

Did you know how to put chains on tires before you filmed it?
LL: I totally knew how to put chains on before this video. I lived in Big Bear for four seasons and go up there three times a week. It's just a norm. I taught myself. I have these easy, big, heavy wraparound chains for my truck, so I don't have to deal with dumb cables as much. I do have to admit, I did have to read the instructions for that set of cables in the video. And yes, I did put them on correctly.

It looks like there were some haters who responded to this video -- what's to hate? Do you have a response for them?
LL: Everyone's got haters. I have quite a few, and I'm not too worried about them -- they don't affect my life. Most of them do need to lighten up a bit and focus on themselves more. What's living life hating on people when you can live life loving what you do?

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