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We must apologize to everyone for the long delay since we last had a site update. Although there have been lots of happenings, our gym has been fairly quiet. Now we are entering the period of concentrated Bodybuilding activity and we would have liked to have been able to report more gym members in competitions than is the case. Too many potential competitors have had problems outside the gym which have deflected their efforts and we have a few suffering from injuries. Nevertheless, we will still have some members and gym visitors on stage — see P3 .
On the last weekend in August [Sunday 26th] the UKBFF Gravesend Show took place in that exotic spot on the Thames estuary. The show was on, then off, then on again and finally took place with Steve Avery, the prime organizer missing. Steve has had one or two problems of late, which have deflected his attention from the show — something that can happen to anybody. It seems to me that all the Bodybuilding organizations like UKBFF and NABBA should have an official or group of officials in the organization who can ensure the smooth run up to a show. It is always the case that everything is left to a local organizer who has to shoulder the total burden of organizing and financing the event. And if he or she hits any problems at all then everything goes belly up. There should be someone who knows what is happening day-to-day with every official show and if anything happens to an organizer they can take over and ensure that the show goes ahead. It is not good enough that competitors are left hanging in the air, not knowing if a show will go ahead or not after they have spent 12 weeks or more of dieting and contest preparation.
It would be a start if all the organizations could have a proper, efficient, up-to-date and comprehensive web site. Trying to find out dates, locations, etc, etc. for their contests is like trying to find the needle in the proverbial haystack. All too often the information — assuming that you find the site — is wrong, incomplete or out of date. And when it comes to results !!!!!!!!! Why can’t UKBFF and NABBA, and all the rest get an 18 year old who knows about computers and get him or her to pump out the results after every official show. And I mean immediately — within 24 hours — not in 6 months time. Why is it so difficult. Surely, in this day and age, it is a fundamental of a professional approach. I can find out the placings in all the classes at the Mr San Antonio Valley more quickly than I can find out who won a UKBFF Qualifier All organizations want the Bodybuilders to behave professionally while they are not even up to the level of amateurish.
I am very disappointed that the Euro Elite Champions Tour scheduled for November in Portsmouth has been called off. On the other hand, I am not surprised. The promoters, CNP, lost a packet of money on last year’s poorly supported show. We saw on stage some of the best Bodybuilders in the World outside of a Pro Show and I would have liked to see them again. The standard of so many men from Eastern Europe was incredible and yet they are completely unknown to most of us. Also, these men do not have, in many cases, the money to go off to the USA to join the IFBB Pro circuit and then struggle to be considered on stage against mainly Americans. The show was badly advertised and tickets were too expensive. Before I went to the show, I did not know what to expect. The UKBFF should have pumped out publicity around all the gyms, the web sites and the magazines telling everyone just how good some of the competitors were.
It seems such a pity that a show which was so good and had lots of promise could fail because of poor marketing. Could it be replaced with a European Pro/Am Show that would pull in all the best European amateurs and professionals?
Although the Euro Elite was not a Pro Show it was run like one and had those fabulous physiques. Now we have no Pro Shows in the UK and precious few in Europe — even if you include Moscow. The UKBFF dangles the carrot of a Pro Card in front of all our top amateur Bodybuilders, suggesting that a possibility exists of making a good living as a Bodybuilder. But surely this is becoming less of an attraction if it means permanently competing outside the UK, at huge personal cost — even ignoring the fact that a career as a Pro is hardly a possibility outside of the USA
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a change — when big Todd Jewell tackled a bank robber in Lynnwood, Washington State. The 26 year old Boeing employee was 7th in the SHW Class at the 2007 USA Show and at 6 ft with a competition weight of 280lbs he looks pretty imposing. He was sitting waiting for his girl-friend when the masked intruder rushed into the bank and demanded money from one of the bank clerks. Todd reacted quickly, grabbing the man — who weighed about 170 lbs, according to eye-witnesses — hitting him in the face and slamming him onto the floor. Todd held him down using one knee with enough force to crack a few ribs before the cops arrived and arrested him. The man had a prison record for bank robbery and was thought to have been involved in 9 other robberies in the area in the previous 2 months. 