Michael Kwao Conquers the IDFA

On July 11, I witnessed one of the most interesting and exciting competitions of the year: the men’s professional division at the 2009 IDFA Toronto Classic. IDFA stands for International Drug Free Athletics and, as the name implies, this group is committed to drug-free (i.e., natural) bodybuilding. The IDFA uses a combination of polygraph and urine testing to try to ensure a fair and level playing field for their competitors.

At the Toronto Classic, six pros came to the IDFA stage: Michael Kwao, Kevin Weiss, Rob Deluca, Francois Beauregard, Tony Muto, and Jesvy Paratholil. Most of the IDFA’s pros qualify through the organization’s own tier system, meaning that they compete and win in the amateur competitions first. The IDFA also allows pros from other recognized organizations to compete.

Notably absent from this line-up were Erik Alstrup, the overall winner at the amateur Montreal Classic show held in June (he earned IDFA pro status there), and Dickens Lambert, the 2008 IDFA Canadian Classic professional winner. There are reasons they weren’t there. In Alstrup’s case, his Montreal win (which I wrote about in July) came after an 11-year absence from the competitive bodybuilding scene, so he wanted to get another amateur competition under his belt before considering moving up. Alstrup actually competed in the amateur division of the Toronto Classic and, once again, won the whole thing. Dickens told me a month prior that he wasn’t going to compete in this competition; instead, he’ll defend his title on November 7 at the IDFA’s year-end show, the Canadian Classic.

What made this contest interesting as well as exciting was the quality of the competitors. In particular, it was very close between the top three. I favoured Rob Deluca to win. Rob was the 2008 IDFA Canadian Classic amateur winner and he really impressed me there with his incredibly dense, muscular physique that’s obviously the by-product of many years of hard, heavy training. But at this contest Rob wasn’t quite as sharp as he was back then – notably, he looked to be holding water in his legs. Still, despite being off, Deluca looked formidable enough that he was still in contention for the top spot.

Rob Deluca

But I could tell the judges were looking more closely at Kevin Weiss and Michael Kwao. Weiss isn’t as impressive as Deluca, but he has good muscle hardness along with excellent symmetry and balance. Nothing stands out on him as being exceptionally strong, but there’s nothing that you can really point at and call weak.

Kevin Weiss

Then there’s Michael Kwao. Frankly, I was only mildly impressed with Kwao when I watched him at previous shows. Like Weiss, he has good balance overall, but I always thought he was too soft, even for a natural competition, and I never liked his posing routines despite his having won numerous "Best Poser" awards at various shows. His routines have always been entertaining, but they have been more about theatrics and dancing than about bodybuilding posing. At one contest he only hit four poses in the minute he was onstage. And of those four poses, none was done very well. "Best Entertainer," perhaps. "Best Poser," no. There’s a difference.

That all changed on July 11. Kwao still wasn’t razor-sharp, but he was much harder and better defined than he’d been in the past. His physique also looked more aesthetically pleasing than that of Weiss and Deluca. Furthermore, Kwao’s improved his posing. He still incorporated dance and theatrics into the Michael Jackson-inspired routine he performed at this show, but he hit far more bodybuilding poses that truly showcased his physique. He also threw in some unique moves, including a back pose while in the splits position that almost brought the crowd to its feet. I was impressed. Kwao took first place, which I agreed with, and he also took home the Best Poser award again, something I also agreed with for once. Kwao conquered the pro division at the IDFA’s Toronto Classic and was the star of this show. Kevin Weiss was second while Rob Deluca was third.

Michael Kwao

The year’s not done yet for the IDFA and, I suspect, for Kwao either. The organization has three more contests to go. Two of them are in October and have amateur categories only: the Eastern Canada Classic on October 10 in Montreal, and the Western Canada Classic on October 24 in Calgary. Then there’s the Canadian Classic in Toronto that I already mentioned. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kwao compete there, and Dickens Lambert has stated that he’s getting ready to defend his title. But that’s not all. The other week Erik Alstrup confirmed that he’s now stepping up to the challenge and will take the stage in the pro division at the November 7 show. With those three competing, the line-up will be even stronger than at the Toronto Classic. And there are others who can’t be counted out. Water retention appeared to be Rob Deluca’s downfall in Toronto this year, but if that’s not the case next time, he’s certainly in contention for the top spot – he can hold his own even among this crew. Perhaps Weiss will be back too.

The IDFA is conquering natural bodybuilding in Canada with top-quality events – their shows are run in first-rate manner, and they’re managing to attract some of the best competitors in the country. I’ve always enjoyed photographing their events. Unfortunately, my schedule won’t allow me to be at the Canadian Classic in November – I have to be at another competition in Ottawa. But even though I can’t make it to this one, I recommend that anyone who’s interested in seeing what may well be the Canadian bodybuilding show of the year to get yourself to Toronto on November 7. The IDFA’s 2009 Canadian Classic is certainly something that shouldn’t be missed.

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

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