July 1, 2009
Erik Alstrup Wins the IDFA Montreal Classic
The first time I heard the name Erik
Alstrup, I wondered why it sounded so familiar. So I looked him up on MuscleMemory.com
and found that he was the 1998 CBBF Canadian Bodybuilding Champion and had once competed,
as a pro, in the IFBB 1999 Toronto Pro Invitational. After that, he seems to have
disappeared from the competitive bodybuilding scene.
On June 27, 2009, Alstrup reappeared. Almost 11 years since
he last competed, Erik decided to make a comeback on a "natural" bodybuilding
stage, choosing the IDFA (International Drug-Free Athletics) and their Montreal Classic
competition as his venue. He won and earned an IDFA pro card. Between the prejudging and
finals, he told me that he had never felt better than on that day.
Being a former CBBF champion and an IFBB pro, one would
think that he’d have an easy time winning a show like this. After all, drug tested or
not, these guys usually have superior genetics and can dominate any stage. But Erik
didn’t just walk away with the title as if there was nothing to it. Second-place
finisher, Francois Beauregard, was incredibly muscular and very impressive, and in a
couple of poses, the judges seemed to favor him over Erik. Third-place finisher,
Charles-Antoine Montreuil, had amazing size and shape, but he wasn’t quite defined
enough; if he had dropped about 8-10 pounds of body fat, it would have been neck and neck
between him and Erik.
In the end, though, Alstrup was clearly the superior
athlete that day. While the other two competitors had strengths, Alstrup had near-perfect
shape and symmetry, ample muscle size, and excellent definition – basically, a
better-rounded physique. His presentation was also head and shoulders above the rest. When
you combine all that, there was no other outcome than him being declared the winner.
Left to right: Francois Beauregard, Erik Alstrup and Charles-Antoine Montreuil.
It was a thrill to see Erik win for a couple of reasons.
One was that he was staging a comeback, something that is often tried in sports but is
rarely successful. Erik’s was one of the few triumphant ones. The other reason was
that he did it on a natural stage, which seems to be the preferred method to compete these
days and is proven by the IDFA’s success. The IDFA started just a few years ago with
only one show; this year they have seven. Next year they might have up to ten! That’s
unprecedented expansion, and if they keep on growing like this, they’ll surely be the
largest and most influential bodybuilding organization in Canada – if they
aren’t already. For Erik to choose the IDFA speaks very well for the organization.
Congratulations to Erik Alstrup and the IDFA for a job well
done in Montreal. I’m already looking forward to July 11 when the IDFA holds their
Toronto Classic, which is not just an amateur event but a professional one as well, and
which Alstrup is now qualified to enter. I hope to see him there.
Speaking of the growth of natural bodybuilding, I was happy
to spend some time recently with Denis Pedneault, a three-time Canadian bodybuilding
champion who is also the author of our "Body Sculpting" column. Denis is a
lifetime, drug-free competitor who is currently preparing for the IFBB’s world
championships in November and is hoping for a top-place finish there.
My time with Denis was spent working on some new projects
that involve weight training and contest preparation, something you’ll read about
here and on our sister site, SeriousAboutFitness.com. I visited him in Sherbrooke, Quebec,
where he lives and works. While I already had great respect for his knowledge before I
visited him, it more than doubled when I was there. In fact, on July 15 we will publish an
article that will explain why I am now calling him the "New Iron Guru."
...Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com
Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer
for SeriousAboutMuscle.com, BodyBuildingLive.com, and SeriousAboutFitness.com.
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