Friday, Sept. 27, 2013 | 6 p.m.
It didn’t take long for “Pin Up” star Claire Sinclair to feel right at home in Las Vegas. When the 2011 Playboy Playmate of the Year isn’t performing in her new show at the Stratosphere, she’s usually out and about enjoying the town.
“I go downtown all the time just to chill. After the show, I like to go to Artifice, which is in the Arts District, or I’ll go to Don’t Tell Mama piano bar because I have a bunch of singer friends who go over there and sing. … I love antiquing and thrift store shopping at Retro Vegas and Patina Décor on Main Street. All of those vintage stores are like walking into a museum. All of their inventory is constantly changing, and there are all of these interesting, odd, old pieces,” she said. “I’m also a foodie, so I can name like 10,000 places to eat here. I’m a 'Pin Up' girl, so I have to stay curvy.”
Sinclair also stays quite busy. Earlier this week, she appeared at the International Lingerie Show to show off Kix’ies Thigh Highs, and Friday night, she tapped the keg at Hofbrauhaus as part of its Oktoberfest celebrations.
“Pin Up” is approaching its 150th performance at the Stratosphere, and there’s been one constant throughout its run: change.
“It’s insane! It feels like just yesterday we were opening, but the show has evolved tremendously over five months. We’ve changed cast members and sets and music, and we also have changed the wardrobe, which is a big thing. We’re a little more risqué now, and I think the show really needed that. I’m having a blast. Every night I still get an adrenaline rush. I always feel so damn lucky to be doing what I’m doing right now. It’s like I won the lottery,” she said.
Lately, she’s also been winning football picks. Sinclair has moved into fifth place in our competition of 16 local celebrity/media personalities.
“I love every single competition with all the other headliners. They’re the most fun, crazy, eccentric things that I’ve done since I’ve been in town. I did a DJ competition on 94.1 Mix FM with all the local headliners. That was such a blast! Every morning waking up was the worst part, but it was so fun,” Sinclair said.
“I love being a part of the community, and I love doing these contests because they get extremely competitive … and my competitive side has only been brought out against my fellow headliners, so now I feel like, ‘It’s on,’ every time there’s a competition. … I think me and Frankie (Moreno) have a little bit of a sibling rivalry because we’re at the same casino, so we’re always competing against each other slightly. As long as I beat Frankie, it’s all good.”
Sinclair says her favorite team is the Cowboys — “It’s because they have a cute name," she said. "I like to dress up like a cowgirl, and that’s my favorite 'Pin Up' set, so … go Cowboys!” — and is loving life in Las Vegas, though she has one concern about Friday’s event.
“I love Hofbrauhaus; it’s an experience. But I think you need to use the strength of your arm to tap the keg, and I’ve never done that, and I don’t know if I’m packing any heat in my arms, so I hope this actually happens. I could be hitting this thing for an hour and I’ll look up and see everyone’s already gone while I’m saying, ‘Hold on, I’m almost done!’” Sinclair said.
Sal’s picks (2-6-1):
Steelers -1 at Vikings
Colts -8.5 at Jaguars
Giants-Chiefs over 44
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The media/celebrity picks:
Terry Fator, Mirage headliner (7-2)
Broncos-Eagles over 58
Colts -8.5 at Jaguars
Chiefs -4 vs. Giants
•••
John Katsilometes, The Kats Report (6-3)
Chiefs-Giants under 44
Texans +3 vs. Seahawks
Bengals -5.5 at Browns
•••
Jason Feinberg, KVVU-TV morning personality (5-4)
Steelers -1 at Vikings
Jets +4.5 at Titans
Colts-Jaguars under 42.5
•••
Andrew Freeman, "Raiding the Rock Vault" performer at LVH (5-4)
Giants +4 at Chiefs
Patriots +1.5 at Falcons
Jets +4.5 at Titans
•••
Claire Sinclair, star of "Pin Up" at the Stratosphere (4-4-1)
Colts -8.5 at Jaguars
Texans +3 vs. Seahawks
Titans -4.5 vs. Jets
•••
Carolyn Goodman, mayor of Las Vegas (4-5)
Bengals -5.5 at Browns
Chiefs -4 vs. Giants
Broncos -10.5 vs. Eagles
•••
Mark & Mercedes in the Morning, Mix 94.1 (3-4-2)
Ravens -3.5 at Bills
Seahawks -3 at Texans
Patriots +1.5 at Falcons
•••
Oscar Goodman, Las Vegas ambassador (3-5-1)
Chargers +2 vs. Cowboys
Raiders +3 vs. Redskins
Saints -6.5 vs. Dolphins
•••
Donny Osmond, Flamingo Las Vegas headliner (3-5-1)
Ravens -3.5 at Bills
Colts -8.5 at Jaguars
Saints -6.5 vs. Dolphins
•••
Marc Savard, Comedy Hypnotist at Planet Hollywood (3-5-1)
Bengals -5.5 at Browns
Bears +3 at Lions
Seahawks -3 at Texans
•••
Wayne Newton, "Mr. Las Vegas" (3-6)
Redskins -3 at Raiders
Patriots +1.5 at Falcons
Cardinals +3 at Buccaneers
•••
Dana White, UFC president (3-6)
Bears +3 at Lions
Ravens -3.5 at Bills
Falcons -1.5 vs. Patriots
•••
Frankie Moreno, Stratosphere headliner (2-5-2)
Cardinals +3 at Buccaneers
Bears +3 at Lions
Chiefs -4 vs. Giants
•••
Carrot Top, Luxor headliner (2-6-1)
Titans -4.5 vs. Jets
Bengals -5.5 at Browns
Steelers -1 at Vikings
•••
Carla Pellegrino, celebrity chef and owner of Bratalian (2-6-1)
Cardinals +3 at Buccaneers
Redskins -3 at Raiders
Ravens -3.5 at Bills
•••
Kevin Janison, KVBC meteorologist (2-6-1)
Bengals-Browns under 41.5
Raiders-Redskins under 47
Steelers -1 at Vikings
It is virtually impossible to be anywhere in Las Vegas and miss the Stratosphere. It towers 1,149 feet above Las Vegas and is the tallest observation tower in the United States. The casino itself is 55,784 square feet and contains 950 slot machines, 120 game tables and 2,427 hotel rooms.
Of the hotel's 2,427 rooms, 909 were recently remodeled into Stratosphere Select rooms.
The Stratosphere is mostly known for its rides at the top of the tower. The Big Shot, located at the 113th floor, torpedoes riders up 160 feet using compressed air. X-Scream is a teeter-totter perched at the top of the observation deck ��� if that wasn't scary enough, the coaster arm flings the riders out 27 feet over the edge of the tower. Guests looking for something more sedate can just hang around the 107th floor and simply look at the scenery.
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