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Merman mystique

A Citrus teen, enchanted by Weeki Wachee's mermaids, has come to be known as "The Mertailor."

By MARY SPICUZZA
Published August 14, 2005

	[Times photo: Edmund Fountain]
	Eric Ducharme, 15, makes tails for himself, former Weeki Wachee mermaids and others in his home studio in Lecanto. "This is where all the magic happens," he said.
	[Times photo: Keri Wiginton]
	Eric swims in one of his creations, a merman tail made of velvet, while practicing his swimming techniques Tuesday with Barbara Wynns, 56, a former Weeki Wachee mermaid. Eric said he hopes to become a Weeki Wachee merman when he turns 18.

LECANTO - As with so many love stories, this one started with a kiss.

When Eric Ducharme was 4 years old, his grandparents took him to Weeki Wachee Springs to see his first mermaid show.

The curtains rose. A beautiful mermaid swam past the theater windows. And Eric's life would never be the same.

"A mermaid swam by and blew a kiss," Eric, now 15, said. "That's where the magic started."

The magic of merfolk touched Eric so deeply that he has decided to pursue a career as an underwater performer. It also inspired him to start his own business, making custom tails and clothes inspired by the mythical underwater creature.

He's known as "The Mertailor."

Eric's passion for merfolk and sewing became clear soon after his second mermaid encounter.

For his sixth birthday, his father threw a party for him at Weeki Wachee's water park, Buccaneer Bay. As he sat eating cake and opening presents, mermaids Tonya and Sativa were carried over by a lifeguard to wish him a happy birthday.

"Two green-tailed mermaids came over, a goodbye kiss, and they swam back to do their show," Eric said.

Soon after, he began drawing portraits of mermaids at the park. He became interested in the tails they wore, and began making his own out of different materials.

"When I was about 6 or 7, my grandparents used to bring me to Wal-Mart all the time," he said. "I would buy materials, trace the outline of my legs; I would begin to sew in and out and in and out, then I would jump in the pool and go swimming."

Around that time, Eric also began training for the underwater life.

"I would tie my legs together with rope and practice swimming," he said.

At first, his parents thought his fascination was simply a phase. Now they know differently.

"It's not just a passing fancy," said his mother, Candy Ducharme. "This has been going on for many years."

Eric's early tails were made of plastic garbage bags stuck together with gluesticks. He hand-stitched his first fabric tales with needle and thread.

Then, thanks to his grandmother, Carol Grabler, Eric learned to use a sewing machine by age 8 or 9.

His Mertailor studio, and his tails, have come a long way since those early days.

"This is where all the magic happens," he said, crossing the threshold into the studio, which is in his home near the Hills of Avalon development in Lecanto.

Eric walked past photographs of himself at Weeki Wachee's Adventures Under the Spring mermaid camp and a Barbie doll sporting a green lame tail.

He sat at his desk, surrounded by a mermaid statue from SeaWorld and a white Kenmore sewing machine, and described the latest design on his sketch pad.

"This is a wedding tail for somebody who wants to get married underwater," Eric said. "It's stretch-velvet, white. I was thinking of a wedding theme - white, glamour, with bows and lace."

A tour of the studio revealed his latest creation: his own merman attire. It consists of a royal blue sports top and a royal blue stretch-velvet tail with navy glitter detail.

"It's a pro-tail, so it has a zipper," Eric said. "Most have zippers in them."

The design allows professional merfolk to make quick costume changes during shows.

Eric also creates tails for retired mermaids who perform monthly shows at Weeki Wachee Springs. He sells custom tails and merfolk clothing on his Web site, www.themertailor.com where a basic tail with fin pocket goes for $150.

He has friends model various tails for the site, even setting up backdrops or taking them to the docks for photo shoots.

Then there's his line of holiday tails.

For Christmas, a red stretch-velvet tail with round sequin ornaments.

For Halloween, a black stretch-velvet tail with a skeleton pattern.

The Fourth of July metallic spandex tail has an applique of a fire flame with firework prints.

He also makes tops, and hopes to create a line of merfolk jewelry.

"More people get tails than anything," he said, adding that his Mertailor business does turn a profit.

This year, his first at Lecanto High School, Eric has been accepted in a special art program.

His mother said she could see this becoming his career.

"As he began to get older, his interest in it expanded; it became more aggressive," she said. "I can remember him telling me he had a very strong desire to share this with many more people."

Candy Ducharme said she has been amazed by the national and international fascination with merfolk.

"Not only is it not limited to Florida; it's not limited to the United States," she said.

Still, stereotypes and misperceptions run rampant.

"The other thing to make people more aware of is that both genders are interested in this underwater life," Candy Ducharme said. "It's not just a female interest."

The following day, when Eric went to swim at Weeki Wachee Springs with former mermaid Barbara Wynns, 56, it became obvious that he was impressing the professionals, male and female.

"I'm merman by job title; that gentleman there is merman by soul," Prince Justen said, watching Eric practice his underwater crawling, side crawling and sitting pose. "He probably was born with fish in his blood."

Prince Justen said he couldn't believe the speed with which Eric took to water, and called him a natural. He said he's been an inspiration to the Weeki Wachee staff.

"Most kids his age want to fit the mold as best as they can," Prince Justen said. "But here he is breaking all the rules. He's definitely more merman than me and John (the other merman)."

Barbara Wynns said that she sees a remarkable passion in Eric.

"Eric's a water person," Wynns said. "He's obsessed with Weeki Wachee, and I'm obsessed with Weeki Wachee.

She added: "I call him my mini-me."

Swimming in the mermaid theater, where he hopes to work once he turns 18, Eric executed an advanced series of maneuvers: breathing through an air tube; a swan; a bow.

Afterward, Eric seemed exhausted and cold, but thrilled to have had another training session in the mermaid theater.

A concerned look spread across his face, however, as he dried off.

"How did the tail look in the water?" he asked of his new royal blue stretch-velvet tail. "I'm just curious."

Fabulous. It looked fabulous.

Mary Spicuzza can be reached at mspicuzza@sptimes.com or 352 848-1432.

[Last modified August 14, 2005, 00:53:19]