This past weekend, thousands of New Mexicans headed to Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino for their chance at being a contestant on Wheel of Fortune. We did too.---
That's right, ladies and gentlemen, the Wheel of Fortune crew came to our small town to give locals a shot at big money. Sadly, Pat and Vanna only made an appearance in cardboard cut-out form.
People attended a total of six tryout sessions hosted by an eccentric, energetic WF host and Michael Junchaya, "the new face of KASA Fox." Who knew Wheel of Fortune was so popular?
At the 3 pm session on Sunday, the room was filled past capacity with hundreds of people eagerly awaiting their shot at some big money. A lucky few attendees were brought up on stage, five at a time, to participate in a brief mock-Wheel of Fortune round.
The contestants were as diverse as they could have been. Some were from Santa Fe, but many drove from Albuquerque, Amarillo and beyond. There was an old man who danced with his wife onstage. A high school freshman (who I'm pretty sure is ineligible) took the stage alongside an oddly large number of hairdressers. Cowboys fans competed with Giants fans (in a preview of the Monday Night Football ravaging).
For those fans that didn't get the chance to go on stage (myself included), take comfort: You still have a chance! Application forms will be sent to the main office in Los Angeles for a random drawing. So start crossing your fingers—I know I am.
