“I knew that whatever I (made) I could sell myself and sell bottle by bottle,” Rice said. Plus, there was the pleasant smell and the customer belief that the oil actually came from Hawaii. We were growing like crazy.”īut what made people flock to this new product? Part of the answer, Rice said, is that he had the right idea at the right time. “I paid them big money to do that work because I needed them, and I needed it done quick,” Rice said. And when it came time to apply labels to bottles, 11-year-old kids became incredibly resourceful. He wasn’t qualified to make lotions but called upon someone who could. He rubbed his concoctions on beachgoers to get a feel for what worked best. He mixed oil in the can and came up with his own formulas - a little “A, B, C” with “X, Y, Z,” Rice said. Rice had grown the company to a $70 million business when this photo was taken on July 18, 1981. Ron Rice, founder of Hawaiian Tropic, started his suntan oil business by mixing his formulas in a trash can. “I would run around the mountain like you wouldn’t believe. He would mix mortar during the day to help build his dad’s dream home on top of the mountain. Growing up in Asheville, North Carolina, Rice could do only three things: hunt game for Sunday morning meals, play defensive end and build a house.īefore he made his way to the top, Rice climbed from his family’s home on the side of a mountain toward the peak carrying rocks. Keep scrolling for the original story documenting Rice's life, from "mountain boy" to beach tan tycoon. Obit: Notorious Hawaiian Tropic founder and UT grad Ron Rice dies at 81 “Tennessee gave me more credit than I was really worth,” he told Knox News in 2020. Robert.His life has been filled with fast cars, celebrity encounters and “so much money we were rolling in it.”īut before his fame and fortune, Rice was just a student at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville looking to capitalize on a unique opportunity after flunking out of nearly every school he attended. Playboy Magazine ~ December 1995 (Farrah Fawcett) by Playboy 2 copiesġ990s (12) 1994-1995 College Basketball (1) 1995 (12) Alan Henderson (1) Anna-Marie Goddard (1) Auto & Car Rankings (1) Basic Instinct (1992 film) (1) Becky Delossantos (1) Bryant Reeves (1) Cherokee Parks (1) Christie Brinkley (2) Christy Turlington (1) Cincinnatti (Ohio) (1) College Basketball Preview (1) Corliss Williamson (1) Corruption & Misconduct (1) Damon Stoudamire (1) Elan Carter (1) Elisa Bridges (1) fashion (2) Illegal Immigrants/Aliens (1) John Amaechi (1) Jon Krakauer (3) Julie Lynn Cialini (2) Kaitlyn Hopkins (1) Lisa Marie Scott (1) magazine (12) Maria Checa (1) Meat Loaf (Singer) (1) Melissa Holliday (1) Men's Magazines (12) Models & Modeling (1) Mute Witness (1995 Movie) (1) Othella Harrington (1) Playboy (12) Playmate Review (1) pop culture (12) Pornography-Opposition (1) Porsche (car) (1) Rachel Jean Marteen (1) Shane Barbi (1) Shawn Respert (1) Shock Jocks (1) Sia Barbi (1) Teena Brandon/Brandon Teena (1) The Offspring (Band) (1) The Price is Right (Game Show) (2) Traci Adell (2) Victoria Jacobs (1) Victoria Zdrok (1) Top Members Playboy Magazine ~ November 1995 (Tahnee Welch) by Playboy 2 copies Playboy Magazine ~ October 1995 (Lisa Boyle) by Hugh M. Playboy Magazine ~ September 1995 (Kimberly Conrad Hefner) by Playboy 2 copies Playboy Magazine ~ August 1995 (Shelly Jones) by Playboy 2 copies Playboy Magazine ~ July 1995 (Sandra Taylor) by Playboy 2 copies Playboy Magazine ~ June 1995 (Julie Lynn Cialini) by Hugh Hefner 3 copies Playboy Magazine ~ May 1995 (Nancy Sinatra) by Playboy 2 copies Playboy Magazine ~ April 1995 (Girls of Hawaiian Tropic) by Playboy 2 copies Playboy Magazine ~ March 1995 by Hugh Hefner 2 copies Playboy Magazine ~ February, 1995 (Victoria Jacobs) by Hugh M. Playboy Magazine ~ January 1995 (Drew Barrymore) by Playboy 4 copies
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