Reflections on 2006

With 2006 now at a close, publisher Doug Schneider asked me to jot down a few observations that caught my attention over the past year. But before I get to that, I want to say that Doug has to be congratulated on the great job he has done with the site this year. We have received a lot of positive input from the various articles that have been posted. In particular, I want to thank those who wrote to me with favorable comments on my last Blast entitled "The 2006 CBBF Canadian Fitness & Figure Championships – A Bodybuilding Show without Poses!" When I wrote it, I never dreamed of generating the response I got. In fact, all the comments I received were positive.

For me, the year 2006 was a very busy one as I attended 14 shows throughout Canada and the US. It seems that I spent most of the year at my computer either writing or editing the twenty to twenty-five thousand images I shot.

On the whole, bodybuilding, fitness, and figure seem to be on the move in Canada. Of particular note is the growing strength of organizations like FAME and IDFA, both out of Ontario. I have been a big player in the CBBF since 1975 and have supported them all these years through my "Canadian Corner" column in MuscleMag. I have never been to any of these other organizations’ competitions, so I can’t comment much on them one way or the other. I am loyal to the CBBF and just covering their shows keeps me busy, so I can only comment on the CBBF shows I have covered.

One positive thing that has come about this past year is that athletes are now allowed to compete in different organizations without punishment from a governing body. For several years the CBBF followed the IFBB policy of banning athletes who competed in rival organizations, but it was to the CBBF’s detriment. I never agreed with this policy and voiced it strongly at the CBBF’s annual meetings. I felt that banning athletes only made the rival organizations stronger. If the athletes didn’t like the rival organization and wanted to come back, they were not allowed to do so due to a suspension for two years. It forced competitors to stay with the organization that got them banned. I felt this only helped to grow those organizations. It is my belief if you promote the best shows, you shouldn’t have to worry about athletes leaving your federation. They will stay where they are treated the fairest.

That brings me back to the 2006 CBBF Canadian Fitness and Figure Championships, which was my first major show of 2006. It was promoted by Cabel McElderry in Edmonton, Alberta, on the July 1 weekend. This was Cabel’s first national promotion and he did an admirable job with the exception of a few inconveniences such as the host hotel being too far from the venue. This made it difficult for athletes and provincial delegates to get back and forth comfortably. Cable is promoting the show again this summer and promises to correct this problem.

Unfortunately for Cabel, though, the thing that hurt his show the most had noting to do with him. It came down to a judging problem and how the winners were picked. I have been very vocal regarding how I think the judges messed up on that one! Simply put, the winners were far too muscular for figure. The fallout from these choices had the less-muscular competitors threatening not to come back next year until this matter is addressed. At this year’s CBBF meeting, the problem was discussed and, hopefully, procedures will be adopted to correct the problem in 2007. It will be interesting to see if the judges will really overlook the most muscular competitors and score some less-muscular athletes higher, as they should do with figure.

Something else I noticed at that event was the lack of fitness competitors. Each year, the number of fitness competitors seems to be dropping and very little new blood is hitting the stage. It is obvious that interest in fitness is shrinking while figure is growing. However, I really can’t see how figure can exist on its own, at least for a struggling promoter working his butt off trying to generate interest in just figure. Honestly, figure gets pretty boring after a couple of rounds. An exceptional athlete with a spectacular fitness routine such as Ontario’s Marnie Holley does help to excite a bored audience, so something needs to be done to improve fitness.

My next stop was the 2006 CBBF National World Qualifier in Toronto, which was promoted by the seasoned team of Jim Morris and Norm Jacobs. Unfortunately, on most levels this show was a disaster. Most classes had only a few athletes, the audience was down, sponsors were scarce, and, worse yet, the promoters lost money. This is pretty disappointing when you consider that this was a national contest with the sole purpose of picking a team to represent Canada at the IFBB World Championships.

The ironic thing about the competition was that among the limited number of athletes who participated, some were truly outstanding. In fact, veterans Johanna Dejager and Nathalie Tabouillet each picked up a silver medal at the 2006 IFBB World Women’s Championships, which speaks very highly of their talent. Ottawa’s popular Guy Bourgon represented us well at the IFBB Men’s World Championships with an impressive fifth-place finish in the Tall class of the newly created Classic Bodybuilding division. Quebec’s mini-Hercules, Denis Pedneault, finished a respectable seventh in the Bantamweight class. Considering the outstanding performances at the IFBB World Championships, I guess the 2006 World Qualifier was not a total write-off, as it was responsible for a team of world-class athletes.

I think the impact of the new organizations has hurt the CBBF National World Qualifier, since it is a drug-tested contest and both FAME and IFDA advertise that they also drug test. There are a lot of athletes out there who want to compete drug-free, so these federations are really competing to attract the most competitors.

However, I understand that Norm and Jim are not giving up and are determined to promote the CBBF National World Qualifier once again in 2007. I hope that ways can be found to increase the participation and make this event a success. Now that the ban has been lifted, I hope that athletes will cross over from FAME and IDFA to test their skills at the CBBF National World Qualifier.

My final CBBF national show for 2006 was the CBBF Canadian Bodybuilding Championships event that was promoted by Harvey Viteychuk in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The Canadian Championships is the longest-running national contest in Canada. The competition dates back to the early ‘70s, which was the time when I first became involved in the sport.

Year after year, this show has grown in size and caliber, and in 2006 the contest was spread over two days for the very first time. Harvey worked his guts out promoting this year’s event by putting on a fitness expo along with the Canadian Championships. Unfortunately, the Friday evening part of the competition didn’t do as well as he had hoped. But, in spite of the less-than-expected turnout, the two-day event did provide a much-needed break and some rest compared to a grueling one-day competition. I really felt it was easier on the judges, athletes, and fans. Splitting the contest into two days really did made for a better show on Saturday, as only the women’s and men’s Senior classes were held (the Juniors, Masters, and Parade of Champions were held on the Friday night).

I praise Harvey for trying to make this event more prestigious and into something more than just a bodybuilding contest. Unfortunately, the Parade of Champions, which was also a new addition that was intended to showcase professional Canadian competitors, turned out to be a disappointment. Only seven pros showed up. His original plan, though, wasn’t the Parade of Champions but, rather, to host an actual pro competition that would offer prize money and be open only to Canadian pros. This is something that I would have really liked to see, but the IFBB requires too high a sanction fee to make it worthwhile. In the end, Harvey confessed that he would not do it again, as all the work didn’t return the results he was hoping for. But, at least he tried.

Overall, though, the 2006 CBBF Canadian Bodybuilding Championships can be considered a tremendous success with over 150 athletes participating over the two-day event. There were a few surprises, such as seeing Nova Scotia’s classically built David Naugler upsetting veteran and favorite Vince Wawryk of Saskatchewan in the men’s Middleweight class. It really was great to see a physique built on the lines of Frank Zane, which is what Naugler possesses, make a statement at the Canadian Championships. And it was no surprise to see the massively built Fouad Abiad take Super-Heavyweight class and the Overall title. Fouad narrowly missed winning last year in Quebec against Simon Voyer. This year he was in great shape and deserved the win. Also worth mentioning was the fantastic condition that Ron Partlow was in. He finished second to Fouad in the Super-Heavyweight class. Quebec’s aggressive Gregory Ulysse avenged his low placing of last year by winning the Heavyweight class. I was also impressed with Ontario’s Mboya Edwards and Alberta’s Trent Walsh. Both were in fantastic shape and each deserved to be in the winner’s circle, and it was Edwards who came out ahead by just one point in the Light-Heavyweight class. Quebec’s young stallion Antoine Vaillant impressed me more than anyone else in the competition. This superbly built kid won the Junior category (under age 21) with a physique destined to really make a mark on the Canadian scene. He has unbelievable proportions, size, and symmetry for someone so young. He is also a great poser and has tremendous stage presence. I fully expect to see him standing on the podium as the Overall winner several years from now.

In women’s bodybuilding, Alberta’s Nicole Ball won Overall title. Her conditioning, shape, and muscle quality was above all the rest. She was really in a class of her own. And I do want to mention that newcomer Cindy Phillips from Nova Scotia was noticed and is a future competitor to keep an eye on. She sported exquisite shape and symmetry. I definitely believe that with just a bit more muscle, maturity, and experience, she could make a good pro some day. She has that rare quality of being able to carry a lot of muscle while still looking feminine and attractive -- this is the kind of athlete that does well in the pros. Cindy was second to Nicole in the women’s Middleweight class, and I really feel she is the favorite to win the Overall title next year. All things considered, the 2006 Canadian Bodybuilding Championships turned out as a weekend that showcased some pretty impressive Canadian physiques.

I know the Mr. Olympia has very little to do with Canadian bodybuilding, but considering how it turned out, I have to mention it.

Wow, what a difference a year makes! Unlike last year, the 2006 event was what we would expect from the Super Bowl of bodybuilding. Of course, Jay Cutler’s winning had a lot to do with its success. Finally, the IFBB professional-level judges got it right! I think the only person who wasn’t glad to see Jay win was the devastated Ronnie Coleman, who had won the title for the last eight years and was hoping to win this year for nine.

Truthfully, though, Jay should have beaten Ronnie back in 2001. However, taking so long made his victory even sweeter. With all the hype and previous wins Ronnie had, he was definitely favored to make history by notching number nine this time! But, I don’t think anyone expected Jay to come into this year’s Olympia bigger than he has ever been and as hard and muscular as he was.

Ironically, from the front rows, Ronnie looked incredible, with finger-sized striations crisscrossing and literally jumping from his torso every time he flexed. But, it came as a total shock to us all when Ronnie turned around and the spectacular back of years past just wasn’t there anymore. In contrast, Jay had improved his back tremendously; in fact, I had him beating Ronnie on the back poses -- something I thought I would never see.

Jay’s stunning win couldn’t have come at a better time. The North American bodybuilding industry is reeling from an economic bust, a result, I would expect, from the ongoing war in Iraq. There are thousands of young men over there who would otherwise be buying bodybuilding magazines, supplements, clothing, equipment, and gym memberships. But being stuck in that hell-hole for the past several years has to take its toll on that age group who are the cream of the crop when it come to the bodybuilding and fitness industry. Hopefully, in the next year or two, things will start picking up. But if not, I fear that we will be seeing some of our favorite bodybuilding magazines and supplement companies shutting down.

Maybe Jay’s win will plant a seed for renewed interest in the pros and the Mr. Olympia competition. Judging from the overwhelming reaction at the announcement of his win, which in my opinion was the most popular Olympia win to-date, I would say that the Olympia is back on track. Jay is hugely popular and he has a tremendous fan base. He has that all-American-boy image that the media love in their sports heroes. He will certainly appeal to the general public more than Ronnie Coleman ever did.

Finally, I am told that the 2007 Olympia will be moving to a bigger, more prestigious hotel than the Orleans Hotel and Casino, where it’s been held for the last few years. I wonder if Jay’s winning might have something to do with the move!

...Garry Bartlett
garryb@seriousaboutmuscle.com

SeriousAboutMuscle.com contributor Garry Bartlett is the leading authority on Canadian bodybuilding, fitness, and figure. Garry's "Canadian Corner" column has appeared in MuscleMag for over 25 years and has provided an unsurpassed level of exposure and publicity for Canadian bodybuilding, fitness and figure enthusiasts.