Since our last update we have had two important shows that have shown the potential that exist here in the UK to really make some progress with Bodybuilding contests.   But both were disappointing.    The shows that I am talking about were the Stars of Tomorrow in Hayes and the Euro Elite Championships in Portsmouth Guildhall.   The Forest Gym had more success at the Stars via Terry Watson who won the U70 Kg Class and there is a report on p2.   This was a huge show with over 100 competitors and an audience that more than filled the hall.    But inevitably it was long.  Too long.

The Euro Elite Show

But here I want to talk about the Euro Elite Show as I saw it.    First of all full marks to everyone involved on the day.     The Portsmouth Guildhall is an excellent venue well suited to Bodybuilding events.   The stage was well laid out and and the lighting was good [in spite of the extra light needed for the TV cameras].   The show started on time, flowed smoothly and finished by 6.00 pm.   To people like me who have sat through  bodybuilding epics that have gone on for 14 hours this was high speed stuff.   Sure there was only one event — the Open Euro Elite for Men.   But what a class of bodybuilders we had on stage.  I have said on a number of occasions on this web site that there are some great bodybuilders in Eastern Europe who get no publicity and who never get seen on stage or in magazines in the west.    This show proved how right I was.    Apart from a great little [in the height sense only] bodybuilder from Spain, Antonio Morales, in 7th place, the first nine places were all taken by bodybuilders from Eastern Europe.  Ejike Nneke was the highest placed British man in 12th with Zak Khan in 13th.  The top five were world class and eventual winner Alexei Schabunya from Belarus could stand alongside Jay Cutler.  I am pleased to say that I spotted the quality of this man some time ago and you will see some details about bodybuilding in Belarus on our March 2006 page. Everyone was impressed by the quality of these competitors and we were privileged to have seen the best line-up in the UK this year. So why the complaints?

This show was sponsored by CNP — Kerry Kayes — and I sincerely hope that they will sponsor another show next year. But the show on 26th November has to have been a financial disaster.  Prize money of €10,000 plus the costs of the hall, staff, trophies, looking after the competitors, judges and officials, etc and a small audience that could not come anywhere near covering those costs.  This show failed on the marketting.    Tickets at £30 were too expensive.  These bodybuilders were worth £30 but before the show I did not know that and this high cost of tickets undoubtably frightened away an audience.    Paul Smith gets about 1000 or 1200 to watch the Southern Qualifier.   If this show had been properly advertised with data on the competitors there could have been an audience of 1000+.

My advice is set the tickets at £20 max, tell all the gyms, the web sites, the chat rooms — everybody — just how good some of these competitors are — stick pictures on the internet.  Get the gyms involved in bringing an audience to the show.  Get them to help with sponsoring.  Can we find 100 g gyms to put up £50/£100 each to drive this contest on?   A hundred gyms at £100 is £10,000.     Can we offer the guys more prize money and bring yet more European contestants.   Any prize money will bring bodybuilders a 1000 miles to have a go. Let us prove that Europe from Galway to Moscow, from Murmansk to Gibraltar can produce bodybuilders to match the USA.

Kerry Kayes said that Bill & Wanda Tierney had put a lot of effort into setting up this show.  I have criticised the UKBFF as much as anyone but I will give credit where credit is due and this was a great idea.   Now we just need to make it work the way that it should.    But as always in bodybuilding, it will only work if everyone pulls together.

Bodybuilders of Belarus outside the venue for the National Championships in 2005.  Alexei Shabanya is on the left.

If you read our News Pages for March 2006, you will read about Bodybuilding in Belarus.   That country has now been put well and truly on the Bodybuilding map by Alexei Schabunya.  And yet we must not forget the earlier exploits of Sergei Orgaronikov who took the Amateur Mr. Universe title in 2000.   

Alexei Shabunya as he appeared on stage in Portsmouth.  Awesome quads, delts, traps and arms with a very sharp set of abs.   It is often said that the mark of an expert or of a top class performer is to be able to make things that are difficult look easy.     It was true of Mozart, Newton, Einstein and George Best.    And so it is with Alexei Shabunya.    He has a physique that dominates the stage, has size, separation, balance, cuts, vascularity, freakiness, flexibility, great poise, professional posing ability and an apparent lack of arrogance or of self-love.    And yet he looks like a man who still has a long way to grow.   I hope that we get more chances to see him on stage in the UK.  Not since I first saw Jeff King or the Swiss giant Jean-Pierre Fux at his best has a new physique had such a striking effect on me.  I am sure we all wish him all the best in the future but particularly in his career as a bodybuilder.

Troy Brown with Big H at the UKBFF Finals 2006.    Troy was still in shock from his great win which was so thoroughly deserved.    His dedication over the last 2 years has been awesome and now he is a full IFBB Pro with a CNP sponsorship contract.

Bodybuilder of the Year

Read on Giles Thomas’ Forum a discussion of who should be named British Bodybuilder of the Year for 2006. I would definitely give my vote — if I were asked — to Troy Brown, who has had a great year — or even a great 2 years.    Going from a reasonable middle-weight in 2004 to UKBFF HW and Overall Winner in 2006.  To get to achieve a Pro Card in such a short time is incredible.   I have never seen anyone grow so much muscle so quickly.   There were many in the discussion who suggested Flex Lewis for Bodybuilder of the Year  He very modestly posted his thanks to those who think so well of him.   And he went on to say, “Well done to Troy Brown ..... Two years ago this guy competed in the middleweights and this year went on to win the heavies at Leamington and then the heavies and overall at the British. Our newest IFBB Pro and a fitting end to a cracking year!  Also a big well done and respect to all those BBers who took to the stage for the first time in 2006, I hope it is the beginning of a long and successful BBing 'career' for you all.”   Flex was the first to congratulate Troy on his win at the UKBFF Finals as well.   It is good to know that there are still some men who can be good at what they do and still keep the qualities of a gentleman.      Incidently, if you want to know more about Troy Brown and what makes him tick go see his new web-site at www.bigtroybrown.com.