Muscle Beach History - by Stuntmovie

[Donny]

NICE PIC ...CLASSIC..

I Agree...

[stuntmovie]

SCOTT, Your comments regarding the 'relaxed' stance of Reeves and Pedersen reminds me that not too long ago the first prejudging line-up was called the "RELAXED ROUND" and the contestants were definitely reminded that it was a "relaxed round' so that each contestant could be judged accordingly perfectly relaxed while looking and standing straight ahead with both feet planed firmly on the ground.

But  over the years this relaxed 'rule'  was apparently not enforced, so the so called relaxed-round evolved into what is so apparent today.

And in my personal opinion .... most contestants 'appear' to be in better shape while standing relaxed instead of flexing their lats and holding their arms out like they are awaiting the proper wind conditions in order to take off and fly back to the gym

Is that initial line-up even referred to as the RELAXED ROUND any longer?

And YES! You are correct that the contestants were lined up according to height back then. As far as I can recall I don't believe that the original rule book mandated how it should be done though.

Anyone out there have a copy of that original AAU Bodybuilding rule-book??

Back in them olden days there were not enough contestants to divide them into weight classes so it was somewhat
common to have the short guys lead the rest according to height.

Other than that... all is well!

[stuntmovie]

I never met ERIC but I met and worked with STEVE  a good number of times.

To the best of my knowledge, ERIC lived in Las Vegas for a good number of years  as a collector of gamblers' bad debts ... a pretty 'heavy ' job back then.

[The Ugly]

Stunt, if you were impressed by Reeves's "relaxed," you really need to see Branch Warren's. It's something Michelangelo would have sculpted.

[Primemuscle]

Stunt, if you were impressed by Reeves's "relaxed," you really need to see Branch Warren's. It's something Michelangelo would have sculpted.

How about you posting an example of Branch in a relaxed pose in the mode of days gone by. It seems like no one knows what "relaxed" actually means these days.

[The Ugly]

How about you posting an example of Branch in a relaxed pose in the mode of days gone by. It seems like no one knows what "relaxed" actually means these days.

 

[The Ugly]

You knew I was f'n around, Prime. Why not just "Lol" and move on?

[Primemuscle]

Thanks. I am not disappointed, but if you honestly think this is a "relaxed" pose, you missed understanding some of the previous posts regarding what relaxed actually means.

[The Ugly]

Thanks. I am not disappointed, but if you honestly think this is a "relaxed" pose, you missed understanding some of the previous posts regarding what relaxed actually means.

Need to grasp sarcasm, my friend.

[Primemuscle]

Need to grasp sarcasm, my friend.

Sorry....I obviously missed it....my bad.

[stuntmovie]

I'm not as dumb as I think I am, but I never understood what the word "sarcasm" really meant.

I must have missed that day in school, but thanks to UGLY and PRIME, I looked up the definition .... and now I'm completely confused.

That is until I read some sarcastic comments that were stated by some pretty damn important people ..... Such as ...


No one is a virgin, the world screws us all"

Be careful whose toes you step on today because they might be connected to the foot that kicks your ass tomorrow"

!~!~I tried sniffing coke, but the Ice Cubes got stuck in my nose !~!~!~

If you do the job badly enough, sometimes you don't get asked to do it again."

"Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, 'Where have I gone wrong?' Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night."

"I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally."-

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education

My opinions may have changed, but not the fact that I'm right.

Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others.
I'm not anti-social, I just don't like you"

"Don't talk to me, when I'm talking to myself"

"Home isn't where the heart is, home is a place you go where they have to let you in"

"We are all going to hell, and I am driving the bus"

Still a bit confused, but now I got to look up IRONY  .... another day I missed in school.

[The Ugly]

I not as dumb as I think I am, but I never understood what the word "sarcasm" really meant.

I must have missed at day in school, but thnks to UGLY and PRIME, I looked up the definition .... and now I'm completely confused.

That is until I read some sarcastic comments that were stated by some pretty damn important people ..... Such as ...


No one is a virgin, the world screws us all"

Be careful whose toes you step on today because they might be connected to the foot that kicks your ass tomorrow"

!~!~I tried sniffing coke, but the Ice Cubes got stuck in my nose !~!~!~

If you do the job badly enough, sometimes you don't get asked to do it again."

"Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, 'Where have I gone wrong?' Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night."

"I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally."-

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education

My opinions may have changed, but not the fact that I'm right.

Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others.
I'm not anti-social, I just don't like you"

"Don't talk to me, when I'm talking to myself"

"Home isn't where the heart is, home is a place you go where they have to let you in"

"We are all going to hell, and I am driving the bus"

Still a bit confused, butnow I got to look up IRONY  .... another day I missed in school.

 

[Primemuscle]

I'm not as dumb as I think I am, but I never understood what the word "sarcasm" really meant.

I must have missed that day in school, but thanks to UGLY and PRIME, I looked up the definition .... and now I'm completely confused.

That is until I read some sarcastic comments that were stated by some pretty damn important people ..... Such as ...


No one is a virgin, the world screws us all"

Be careful whose toes you step on today because they might be connected to the foot that kicks your ass tomorrow"

!~!~I tried sniffing coke, but the Ice Cubes got stuck in my nose !~!~!~

If you do the job badly enough, sometimes you don't get asked to do it again."

"Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, 'Where have I gone wrong?' Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night."

"I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally."-

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education

My opinions may have changed, but not the fact that I'm right.

Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others.
I'm not anti-social, I just don't like you"

"Don't talk to me, when I'm talking to myself"

"Home isn't where the heart is, home is a place you go where they have to let you in"

"We are all going to hell, and I am driving the bus"

Still a bit confused, but now I got to look up IRONY  .... another day I missed in school.

Apparently, you are not as dumb as you think you are. 

[stuntmovie]

Getting back to when and where and how it started, but "WHY" raises many questions?

I'll give it a try though with some help from some of those GERBIGGERS who lived in them there early days when gas was 18 cents a gallon, coffee a nickle, ice cream - two scoops - a dime, an afternoon of cartoons and serials  - ten cents, hot popcorn warmed up in a lightbulb from a big machine - a nickel, 19 cent burgers adn a full steak dinner from a $1.09 in a fancy place with linen napkins, etc,. etc.

Actually the original and prevalent characters on Santa Monica's Muscle Beach were the gymnists, but the "usual suspects" soon showed up and built a reputation that would resound throughout the world,

[stuntmovie]

Those three old shots shown above were definitely taken at the Santa Monica location ..... but even me who knows a lot of just about everything .... has to take a guess regarding the location of the old photo shown below.

It was definitrly taken at either the old Santa Monica Beach location or at the Venice Beach location.

Here is why I am confused ....

The low wooden walls and the wooded storage area definitely look like the old Santa Monica facility, but the fence in the background simply resembles the fence that is in the background of the current day lifting pit  at Venice Beach.

My best bet would be that this photo was taken when the old structure and the equipment was moved from Santa Monica and then set up in the current day Venice Beach location and it could have been taken within a day or so after that move was made.

Help needed here, Oldtimers.....

[Mr. MB]

Gotta be Venice. I've been in that shed a few times. Check out the palm trees, their location and spread from each other. Now somewhat taller as expected.

[The Ugly]

Getting back to when and where and how it started, but "WHY" raises many questions?

I'll give it a try though with some help from some of those GERBIGGERS who lived in them there early days when gas was 18 cents a gallon, coffee a nickle, ice cream - two scoops - a dime, an afternoon of cartoons and serials  - ten cents, hot popcorn warmed up in a lightbulb from a big machine - a nickel, 19 cent burgers adn a full steak dinner from a $1.09 in a fancy place with linen napkins, etc,. etc.

Actually the original and prevalent characters on Santa Monica's Muscle Beach were the gymnists, but the "usual suspects" soon showed up and built a reputation that would resound throughout the world,

It really should have never gone beyond this, stunt. Ok, maybe Arnold, but no further.

[funk51]

 

[jwb]

The picture is from Venice.

The current pit built in the early 90's is not in exactly the same spot as the old one.

[DroppingPlates]

Chris Dickerson gets awarded on the 4th of July.

Video was shot by Getbig's MrYorkielover

[stuntmovie1]

Been off ... robbing casinos! Time to get back to this GertBig Board.

Plates .... Thanks for posting the Chris Dickerson video. It brought back some old memories.

The second to l last time I saw Chris was a week or two AFTER or a week or two BEFORE he won his major national IFBB  bodybuilding title  .... one hell of a long time ago.

The function was actually a major pool party at a luxurious home  in the vicinity of Beverly Hills which was supposed to be a 'send off'' celebration on the behalf of Bob Birdsong's short trip to Tiajuana to win the IFBB International Contest ... and Gene and many of his friends (gym members) were on hand to wish Bob the best of luck.

As previously mentioned a short while back, Bob won that contest easily but the most interesting event at that contest was the continuous challenge made by SERGIO to ARNOLD for an immediate pose-down to see who really was the best during those somewhat early years.

And shortly after that function, we stopped by to see Chris at his new gym which I sort of recall was located on Santa Monica Blvd a bit west of the Hollywood theater district.

Thanks for posting that clip, Plates!

[Mr. MB]

Chris is one of the nicest dudes I ever met in our sport. He was a good friend of the Pearl brothers. I went to that gym on Santa Monica with Harry Pearl. We saw Dave Johns in there...don't know why but I.thought it was Dave's gym. I recall it was mostly gay men. Harry had told me that Chris had an amazing body part never seen on stage and was a favorite subject in the gay underground mags of the 70s/80s. Harry said he only did it for the money. The last time I spoke to Chris was about 5 years ago...I recall he was living in Tampa Bay and doing local opera.  The cane in the video indicates a stroke? I pray not.

[stuntmovie1]

MB,  Thanks once again! We come from the same  generation ... so I gotta say that it's always great to to converse with someone who lived back then, was involved, and knows what the hell he is talking about .... and says it with a great amount of compassion and courtesy.

I only met Chris a couple of times but on each occasion I left feeling that I had met  a great individual within the world of weights and ..... 'measures'  .... to put it as politely as I can.

If I recall correctly, Chris's gym was located on that part of Santa Monica Blvd which is a predominantly  gay neighborhood today, but I'm not sure it it was so 'inclined' back then.

I never did have the opportunity to meet Harry but I have known Bill for a great number of years now and am always amazed that he can pick me out of a crowd and start the same conversation we ended up with so many years earlier.

Way back then I  was stationed someplace over seas and used to lift heavy stuff at Bill's in Pasadena during some short jaunts to the mainland and made many great friends in the process whom you may have also had the pleasure of meeting during your earlier heavy-lifting-stuff career.

I've never met Harry ... but I've heard a lot of interesting stories.

As for DAVe JOHNS .. One of the finest individuals I've had the honor to meet during my somewhat exceptional lifetime.

A lot of great memories have been brought about by you last post, MB.

THANKS!!!!

[Mr. MB]

In July of 1986 I was invited by Dan Mackey to judge his West Coast Bodybuilding Championships in Ventura, Ca. By chance I sat next to Dave Johns, Mr. America. There was a 2 hour break after pre judging and Dan treated us to a great judges luncheon. I just sat there and soaked in the conversation that went from Pearl to Draper to Arnold. I had a ball. The next day Dave was rushed to the hospital where he died from Valley Fever complications (a lung fungal infection common in both the San Joaquin and Phoenix valleys). Dave kept his suffering very quiet since there was no indication of any illness at our lunch or the afternoon contest finals. I also remember that Dave wore a beautiful light brown business suit, spotless leather shoes and an open  tie less white dress shirt. The rest of us looked rather sloppy in our sweat shirts, polo shirts, jeans and sneakers.  Dave saw himself as an Ambassador to Bodybuilding. That he was.

[funk51]