So Many Competitions, So Little Time!

Some people think that bodybuilding is dying, probably because it isn’t seen in the mainstream media the way it was years ago. But bodybuilding is alive and well today, and the media has its own reasons for not covering it so much anymore, something I might talk about in a future article. If you look around, you’ll see that there are more contests going on today than at any time before, despite the lack of mainstream coverage. In fact, there are so many competitions happening in Canada these days that we don’t have nearly enough time to even attempt to cover them all!

For example, I’m writing this article during the last week of October and I’m looking at the calendar of competitions that are held at this time. As far as the major organizations go, there were three competitions last weekend alone. The FCPAQ held a local-level contest in Granby. The FCPAQ (Fédération de Culture Physique Amateure Québécoise) is the Quebec organization that’s the provincial affiliate to the CBBF (Canadian Bodybuilding Federation), which operates nationally. Over in Hamilton, the UFE (Ultimate Fitness Events) held what they call "Halloween Mayhem," a contest that features bodybuilding as well as figure and fitness modeling. This UFE is a relatively new organization that’s making a name for itself by providing well-run, well-attended competitions. Finally, out west, the IDFA (International Drug-Free Athletics) held their first contest in that part of the country, the Western Canada Classic. The IDFA is now the country’s largest "natural" organization – all their competitions are drug-tested.

When I look at the first weekend of November, the OPA (Ontario Physique Association, Ontario’s affiliate to the CBBF) is holding the Ottawa Championships, the Eastern Ontario Championships, and the first-ever Ottawa "Classic Bodybuilding" Championships. All three contests are being run as one big event on November 1 in Ottawa. One week after that, on November 8, the IDFA is holding their largest show of the year, the Canadian Classic IV. That will be in Toronto. On November 15, the OPA is putting on the London and Eastern Ontario Championships in London. Then, to close out the season, the UFE is having their final show of the year on November 22: the MVP Quest. The competition is named after their sponsor, MVP Nutrition, and will be held in Hamilton.

As you can see, there are many competitions. Furthermore, even if you wanted to be at them all, you couldn’t be, as some are happening simultaneously. But you can certainly get to a few of them. In November, we’ll be at the two OPA shows, as well as the one the IDFA is putting on. (This month’s featured athlete on the cover is Philippe Masse of St-Sauveur, Quebec. Philippe was the winner of the IDFA’s Eastern Canada Classic held in Montreal on October 4.) These two organizations are the ones we’re focusing our efforts on right now, because they put on the most bodybuilding events in Canada.

Bodybuilding is not dying – it’s thriving! What’s more, after the shows in November there’s not going to be much of a break. December and January are dead insofar as competitions go, but at the end of February there’s the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio, which, of course, we won’t be missing. Following that, the Canadian season starts back up again.

There are so many competitions going on and so little time to see them all. But we’ll be at as many as we possibly can. Perhaps we’ll see you there!

...Doug Schneider, Publisher
das@seriousaboutmuscle.com

Doug Schneider is the publisher and chief photographer for SeriousAboutMuscle.com, BodyBuildingLive.com, and SeriousAboutFitness.com.