Stories - Your favorite stories re pros / legends

[stuntmovie]

Thanks, Dan-O. I forgot about that until you brought it to my attention.

I'm not sure about this but it could have been Norman Marks. I think that the show was televised from the Oakland side of the bay.

I don't think it was Paris.

Only, we ain't told no Winn stories yet!

Since he actually played a major part in the gym game, let me start with some Paris background.

I first met Win (Winn? Win? Wynn?) when he was in the process of starting a multi level marketing program peddleing protein as the product.

He had rented one of the penthouse units at the Hyatt that came with a butler who popped in and out to make sure all was well. There was about ten of us there to kick off this program including Tommy and Timmy and myself and possibly even Duke.

Win broke the ice with a pushup contest and gave a hundred dollar bill to the winner. Then he proceeded to pitch the product and explain the program. Lunch followed and the majority of us signed up to get involved.

I don't recall it lasting too long and none of us made any money as far as I can recall.

WIn left and I never saw him again until he showed up at yoru event,Only. Older but none the wiser.

I was told that Win was the main man getting the Lalanne Health Studios set up and making sizeable profits and he made a lot of money in the process. How true that is, I don't know.

OK, Only, I'll let you jump in here and carry on.

[stuntmovie]

Rules, you must really like the Manhatten Beach Gold's with the big windows looking out over the bay (or is that the ocean?)

Who were the original owners of that one and what is the gym in the center of the main street going through that beach town a little further north?

Only should know this stuff.  He haunted that area for a good number of years.

Rules, can you name the original owners of each Gold's Gym along the coast from San Diego up to Santa Monica and the present owners now? I do reacall Rick Stephenson and his two partners had the original Gold's at Mission Beach. Am I correct?

And Paul Edney owned the Gold's in Oceanside and Bob Janus had that small health club up there off the freeway but it wasn't a Gold's by any means.

And I knew the original owner of Gold's in Venice (Joe) and all those owners ever since, but no knowledge of any of the  original/present owners in between those two areas.

Might be an interesting list to develop. How many other Gold's are along that coast up to the San Fran Bay area?

[onlyme]

Stunt, that Gold's is in Redondo.  That is a great Gold's and they expanded so it must be huge.  i will tell the Win Paris story tommorow I am working on the Business Plan and layout tonight

[stuntmovie]

OK, understood. Thanks for the Redondo correction. I still get those beach towns mixed up.

Hey, Rules! Can you recall American Health Studios? They tried to go bigtime and were successful for a while.

I was one of the original members because one of the facilities way by my worksite so I usually got to train and get a shower before punching the payclock.

Reeves came in and trained along side of us one afternoon. Very polite young guy at the time.

I forgot who set that business up and who owned it but it was the major place to train for a year or so even though it was entrely chromed.

Then one saturday morning all of us regulars stood around waiting for the place to open up, but it was closed for good.

Anyone got the real history on that place? I believe Clancy Ross was one of the principals.

[619Rules]

Stunt-

I cant name all the Gold's Owners. I can tell you that Gold's San Diego was the third Gold's, and the first that was owned outside of Gold's Venice (Ed C. opened San Francisco- #2, the came San Diego, and then Ed C opened San Jose- #4).

Paul Edney was the original owner of San Diego Gold's. Rick Stephenson along with about 6 other guys and Ed C bought San Diego Gold's from Paul in 1986 for 100K and put another 27K in new equipment for a 127K total. Pacific Beach Gold's was going under because Edney had no idea how to run a gym. He was gay, and he used to shut the shades after closing and workout naked with the giys...lol....swear to god........Ed Connors put the deal together and had the most money in it. The gym was way over priced and was going to be shut down by the IRS for tax evasion and Edney and Conners did a deal the day before the IRS was going come in and shut it down. Rick Stephenson didn't have jack shit to buy in (except Ed liked Rick to pose for him so that helped Rick a great deal)-Rick was given a 10K loan by the #2 investor who was a major steroid dealer who moved down from Venice. Paul Edney then opened up Oceanside Gold's in late 1986, and promptly ran it into the ground and was trying to sell it in 1987-which is when I was going to buy that gym with Ed Connors. Matt Mendenhall came down to see if he was going to buy in, but the place was a joke and Matt said no way. Long story short, just like Pacific Beach Gold's, Oceanside was failing and Edney wanted way more than it was worth and it folded.

Rick and a few others from PB Gold's opened a gym in O-side after Edney folded and it did awful, and eventually merged with another gym in Vista. George Jackson, a yahoo accountant who did the books for Venice (and screwed them up bigtime) ended up running that gym until it was bought- by Bally I think.

Paul Edney was doing so bad in Oceanside he could not afford the licensing fee and renamed the gym "Goals Gym"...too fuc.king funny........After Edney's Gold's/Goals Gym Oceanside folded he trid to sue Ed Connors and Gold's corporate and lost his ass off. He was then sued by all the banks that lent him money to buy the equipment.

Within 2 years of PB Golds being taken over by Ed Conners PB Gold's was grossing over a million dollars/year and were the top Gold's Gym in the chain (next to Venice).....the steroid dealer story gets pretty weird, but he was indicted right sfter they bought PB Gold's and made a serious mistake of letting Ed talk him into selling his shares in PB Gold's back to him until the criminal shit was over. That is how Rick ended up getting control. Jim Quinn was given some of the gym shares from Ed and Rick did what is known in the corporate world as a "freeze out" on Jim and every other minority shareholder......Rick paid himself any and all profits as a "bonus" at the end of the year so that there was no money for the other shareholders and then those minority shareholders evetually had to sell their shares to Rick. Rick was paying himself 150K a year as manager. Jim Quinn was going to kill Rick-swear to god.

Anyway-Rick Stephenson in 1986 drove a motorcycle out to San Diego from Arizona with everything he owned on his back, was flat broke, and became a millionaire. Stabbed a few people in the back along the way and did some dirty shit-but he is a millionaire.

[stuntmovie]

Thanks, Rules! That's a start!

Rules, I think Rick was in the Air Force before he got into the Gold's Gym business.

I trained there once or twice and all I can remember is that there was neon lights running around some of the walls and Rick's partner was training for a major contest and it was laid out pretty well.

OK, here is another guy I've lost contact with. He or his wife was related to John Wayne which impressed me as I was a "Duke" fan since the "Sands of Iwo Jima" (even drove over 400 miles to sit on the beach where the landings were filmed and ended up landing at that same spot during some amphibious training sessions a few years later).

He was Conan with a couple of other guys at Universal Studios. If I recall correctly, he had a bad bicep as a result of some serious accident but he was able to hide it well when he competed.

You recall his name, Rules? He was very similar to Stephenson.

[Max_Rep]

You know when Pete and the gang started to franchise the gyms out they had to go through allot of paperwork and legal stuff throughout the US and world to do so.  Do you know why Arizona was so difficult to have a Gold's Gym.

Some guy owned a gym called Gold Gym. It had nothing to do with Gold's Gym but there was some legal issues that help that guy.

[Max_Rep]

First shot is a photo of Rory giving ROb a haircut behind the gym. One of the GetBig members recalls this gym but I forget the name or even where it was located. I just remember that the city and county of Los Angeles ended there and the desert took over all the way to LV.

Up-town Gym in Whittier.

[onlyme]

Very good Max.  Pete told me the story one day.  That guy could have been a pretty bad thorn in their side if he knew it.  They made a deal with the guy to not go into Arizona after a certain time period.  And I think they said it cost them a little cash too.

[Lord Humungous]

Legend has it, an ancient Greek strongman named Milo of Crotona did that very thing--lifted a calf every day until it became a full-grown cow.

We Croatians are known for our strength Dan   

[stuntmovie]

Thanks, Max. So it was Whittier that was on the edge of the desert back then? I do recall driving from Pearl's in Pasadena to go and meet Rory with Rob so that Rob could get a haircut and Rob telling me that he was a new kid from Holland who was gonna be a great bodybuilder someday.

Is the gm in the same location?

Here's another question that could be intereresting ...........

What is the oldest gym in California that is still doing business in its original location?

And .............

What is the oldest gym in California that is still in business?

YMCA's don't count, but the YMCA in San Francisco on Golden Gate Avenue (downtown) did produce a number of great lifters and bodybuilders ..... Bill Stathis and Doc Northrup for example. And as an aside, Jack Lalanes original "gym" was down around the 300 block of Market Street in San Francisco on (or about on the) the fifth floor of an old building with one of those old elevators that had the metal gate sliding back and forth. Anyone ever train there?

OK,if you can ID any two of the three guys in the following photo, you know this business pretty darn well .............. Name the movie that one of them played in and the principal star.

[stuntmovie]

I have no idea when these were taken but one guy in the second shot should be familiar to some of you.

[onlyme]

Well the first photo has Gilad in it.  I know the second guy but forgot his name.  He was a trainer at Gold's Honolulu.  Oh Guy Camileria(?) is his name.  Gil has the #1 selling exercise video(s) in the world and shoots his show in Hawaii.  Was a great athlete and decathlon competitor.  I might named 2 of 3 but I doubt I know that much about this sport.  I have a feeling I should know the guy on the right.

In the third photo the guy on the right end almst looks like a young Ron Gibson

[knny187]

Thanks, Rules! That's a start!

Rules, I think Rick was in the Air Force before he got into the Gold's Gym business.

I believe he was an Army Ranger

[knny187]

Rick and a few others from PB Gold's opened a gym in O-side after Edney folded and it did awful, and eventually merged with another gym in Vista. George Jackson, a yahoo accountant who did the books for Venice (and screwed them up bigtime) ended up running that gym until it was bought- by Bally I think.

619....you seem to have it pretty correct from what I know.

George is still in the fitness industry from what I understand.  If I am not mistaken....he's doing something with 24hr Fitness.....but this was a year or so ago.  One of my best friends was one of the partners that bought into that interesting venture.  They put that Golds off the 78 which was a terrible Idea.  The parking sucked & from the freeway, it was hard to get to.  My friend ended up running the Gold's in Mira Mesa.  He was there from the build-out up until it was sold to Bally's a number of years ago.  If you really want more of the story.... I can find it out.  From what I can tell.....you seem to have it pretty much correct as it is.

[619Rules]

619....you seem to have it pretty correct from what I know.

George is still in the fitness industry from what I understand.  If I am not mistaken....he's doing something with 24hr Fitness.....but this was a year or so ago.  One of my best friends was one of the partners that bought into that interesting venture.  They put that Golds off the 78 which was a terrible Idea.  The parking sucked & from the freeway, it was hard to get to.  My friend ended up running the Gold's in Mira Mesa.  He was there from the build-out up until it was sold to Bally's a number of years ago.  If you really want more of the story.... I can find it out.  From what I can tell.....you seem to have it pretty much correct as it is.

George Jackson didn't even train, he was a pencil pusher but knew Ed from doing the Venice books, which was his in with Gold's. If you think that Vista location off the 78 is bad, you should have seen the location that Rick and Co. opened on Hill Street (now Coast Hyway)! PATHETIC!

I forgot the name of the gym on 78 before they merged, but it was there before Gold's merged in with them.

Rick was an Army Ranger. He has the Ranger tattoo on his delt.

Rick, contary to his big talk, is no Donald Trump when it comes to business. In fact, from what I hear the PB gym is not doing nearly as good as it did in the 80's. And yes stunt-they had neon light all over the ceiling at Gold's PB. That was Ed'd deal, he did that at all the gyms he was running/involed in, and there were quite a few of them. Today when Ed buys a Gold's he keeps control of the ownership-no more of the stuff he used to do- which was buy the gyms about to fold and nurse them back to health with his guys managing, and eventually  buying out Ed. Last I heard Ed's portfolio had about 20 Gold's Gyms in it.

What is the oldest gym in California that is still doing business in its original location?

And .............

What is the oldest gym in California that is still in business?

Stunt....Stern's Gym is not only the oldest gym in CA, it is the oldest in the nation. Stern opened his gym in 1946, and it is still in operation today. It has been at it's present location on Granada Street in the Northpark section of San Diego since 1948 I think.

No other gym else even comes close!

[knny187]

George Jackson didn't even train, he was a pencil pusher but knew Ed from doing the Venice nooks, which was his in with Gold's. If you think that Vista location off the 78 is bad, you should have seen the location that Rick and Co. opened on Hill Street (now Coast Hyway)! PATHETIC!

I forgot the name of the gym on 78 vefore they merged, but it was there before Gold's merged in with them.

Rick was an Army Ranger. He has the Ranger tattoo on his delt.

Rick, contary to his big talk, is no Donald Trump when it comes to business. In fact, from what I hear the PB gym is not doing nearly as good as it did in the 80's. And yes stunt-they had neon light all over the ceiling at Gold's PB. That was Ed'd deal, he did that at all the gyms he was running/involed in, and there were quite a few of them.Today when Ed buys a Gold's he keeps copntrol of the ownership-no more of the stuff he used to do which was buy the gyms about to fod and nruse them back to health with hs guys managing and eventually  buying out Ed. ast I heard Ed's portfolio had about 20 Gold's Gyms in it.

Stunt....Stern's Gym is not only the oldest gym in CA, it is the oldest in the nation. Stern opened his gym in 1946, and it is still in operation today. It has been at it's present location on Granada Street in the Northpark section of San Diego since 1948 I think.

No other gym else even comes close!

I know George doesn't train....he looks like your typical accountant.  He's still dabbles in the industry, thats what I meant.

The Gold's on hill street was a real pit.  The Mc Neils used to train there on occasion.  If I am not mistaken.....I think there was a leasing issue & that was the main reason they moved the location other than it's poor location.  Heck Hill Street had it all.....drug's, prostitution, & the beach.  It was a perfect atmosphere.

 

Rick is not the "greatest" business man out there.....but he did make his money eventhough it was kind of shady.

[stuntmovie]

Only, I am surprised you did not pick up on the third guy in that Gilad/Camellari picture. You used to talk to him on the phone a lot.

It's Terry Howell !

Now name the movie and the star~!

[stuntmovie]

Someone just emailed a question about the most elaborately produced bodybuilding contest and the best stage set up.

Well, based on my limited experience I have to come up with two answers, and I don't think these two have been, or ever will be, beat.

The most elaborately produced bodybuilding contest of all time was the year that Ken Sprague produced the Mr America/Nationals (was it AAU or NPC at that time?) in Santa Monica. That event included a specially published newspaper, a good sized parade, a live orchestra for each contestant's posing, and the appearance of Mae West escorted by Bert Goodrich to present the overall trophy to Dave Johns.

(According to a GREAT SOURCE - MUSCLE MEMORY- It was the  1977 AAU Mr America title that Dave Johns won when he recieved the trophy from Mae West.)

It was an unreal weekend.

The most elaborate stage setting was produced by "Doc" Neely (if I recall correctly). The posing platform was placed directly in front of huge block letters (8 feet tall?) of the words "Mr Ameica". Each letter looked like it was carved from a ton of granite.

Anyone got photos of either of these events?

[onlyme]

Stunt how about that show in Hawaii at the convention center, Aloha Muscle??  That was done nice.

[stuntmovie]

Yes, Only,I got to admt that that was the most impressive EXPO arena set up  have seen and the show was damn good too.

[onlyme]

Jeez, you could brag a little more can't you.

[stuntmovie]

OK, it was DAMN impressive! Nothing like it has ever been attempted within the bodybuilding world.

More photos ............. Gary Leonard before winning the Mr America.

[stuntmovie]

First shot ........... four guys in this photo ended up competing on the national level many years after this photo was taken.

Second shot .......... Ron Teufel on stage at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium

[stuntmovie]

When TOm Platz first began competing on the national level, he didn't have legs that were too impressive.