Author Topic: Ken Waller and Dave Draper  (Read 7300 times)

Jr. Yates

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Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« on: October 06, 2006, 11:09:38 AM »
what is the farthest these guys took their career? Like the last show/place they got. and what is Draper doing now? i know waller runs a clothing line and gym or something?
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pumpster

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2006, 11:14:08 AM »
Dave recently sold a couple of California gyms he owned and contiues to run one of the most comprehensive BB sites:
http://www.davedraper.com/
His last competition was way back in 1970, at the Mr. World and Universe.

Ken moved recently from California to the mid-west I think, doesn't train anymore. Completely off the radar-no pics, no appearance at the 25th anniversary of Pumping Iron a few years ago. Last contests were early 80s Olympias i think. Onlyme knows more about this, I think.

Jr. Yates

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2006, 11:24:06 AM »
wow, thats interesting. thanks pumpster. I wonder why Dave choses to stay quiet?
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pumpster

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2006, 11:40:42 AM »
Dave's a naturally quiet, decent guy to begin with; Weider was looking for someone with a more outgoing persona to elevate BB when he brought in Schwarzenegger. In the early 70s Dave sued Weider and won something like 20K in court but missed out on a likely payout in the millions by declining to go after Weider as he could have. That legal acrimony ended his relationship with Weider; after that he was barely seen elsewhere, other than occasional articles in 2nd rate BB mags like Lurie's, in the mid-70s.

Dave had serious problems with alcoholism in the 70s as well-he was supposed to be part of the Pumping Iron footage but wasn't all there when then film crew showed up at his house.

Things have been much better over the last 10-15 years with the gym ownerships (financed in part or in full by Schwarzenegger) and with this great site he runs, which includes his line of equipment and supplements as well as good articles on training and BB's past. He continues to make custom wood furniture, something he's done for decades.

Jr. Yates

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2006, 03:02:38 PM »
 :o wow! where can i read this and more...?
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pumpster

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2006, 03:21:07 PM »
On his site and on a previous E! show about him.

http://www.davedraper.com/mag-muscular-development.html


Jr. Yates

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2006, 03:33:56 PM »
Thanks Pumpster!
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MCWAY

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #7 on: October 15, 2006, 05:55:36 PM »
what is the farthest these guys took their career? Like the last show/place they got. and what is Draper doing now? i know waller runs a clothing line and gym or something?

I don't about his last show, but Waller's two biggest milestones were winning the Mr. Universe in 1975, as documented in Pumping Iron, and in 1976, Waller won the over 200-lb. class at the Mr. Olympia, deferring the overall to Franco Columbu.

Jr. Yates

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2006, 06:29:18 PM »
oh really? i never knew that.
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onlyme

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2006, 01:20:44 AM »
I like this pic of Draper and Arnold in hawaii.  It was taken by my friend

JPM

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2006, 09:01:43 AM »
Finally a real picture of Big Foot (Big Feet) captured in the wilds. Evidence that monsters do lurk there.
Good Luck.

Jr. Yates

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2006, 11:35:27 AM »
cool pic, arnold looks very young.
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Jeff Preston

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #12 on: October 16, 2006, 05:50:37 PM »
GREAT pic Onlyme!

Here's the story about the trip by Draper.



Shortly after that we were invited to go to Hawaii together on what was supposed to be the beginning of a long tour. I think we were going to visit four islands and Vietnam or something like that.

MMI: Like a USO-type thing?
DD. The promoter was Australian. So Arnold and I got together to train, do some PR, and go from one island to the next. I made arrangements for my daughter to be cared for, and my wife was going come with me.

By the time we got to Hawaii and did the first show, we'd made some friends - luckily because one of the promoters wound up in jail as a result of some car-importing he was doing. It wasn't a major crime, but he was bringing them in from Australia without the proper documents, so the authorities locked him up. That cut the first promoter down. The second guy turned out to be a kind of circus person. He had children that he'd cart around like carnie kids.

Arnold and I are there doing the show, Zane's there, and we're getting to know the promoter. The show doesn't go over too big because right across the street there's a famous rock group.

MMI: Do you remember which one?
DD: Something like Canned Heat. They performed the same night we did, and people didn't want to come see Arnold and me compared to a rock group.

The promoter skipped out the following day, leaving a lot of unpaid bills. He just disappeared and left his kids with us. Arnold and I were stuck with them. They were really sweet and I liked them, but they became our responsibility. A handful of people were angry with us about these bills that were unsettled at that point... bills for hotel, food, the ad that was run in the local papers, the hall that had been rented, the gyms... just a lot of mess. He really ditched us.

Arnold and I spent three weeks there just living day by day. I had sent my wife home so that she could be with my daughter and not have to put up with meager living. We eventually had to make arrangements for these kids because the guy never came back for them. They essentially were orphaned. It really was a pretty monstrous situation. We were stranded with no money. No cash. People were very generous, though, and helped us out. I had a BankAmericard and we got flights back on that. Experiences like these brought Arnold and me together in a way that's different from how he's been tied with other people.

The interview in it's entirety

http://davedraper.com/mag-muscle-mag-1999-2.html



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knny187

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #13 on: October 16, 2006, 06:20:40 PM »
great never seen before pictures

Jr. Yates

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #14 on: October 31, 2006, 11:21:27 AM »
great never seen before pictures
I agree. Cool pics. Thanks.
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funk51

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #15 on: October 31, 2006, 05:31:04 PM »
i like to see something even rarer a pic of dave draper and larry scott in the same pic, i been following bb for over 40 years and don't remember one. any reason for this? were they enemies like hoffman weider lurie.?
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pumpster

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Re: Ken Waller and Dave Draper
« Reply #16 on: October 31, 2006, 06:21:16 PM »
Quote
i like to see something even rarer a pic of dave draper and larry scott in the same pic, i been following bb for over 40 years and don't remember one. any reason for this? were they enemies like hoffman weider lurie.?
Not at all-occasionally Larry would stop in at the Dungeon in Venice, not a far drive from Larry's usual gym, and hang out with Dave on the beach.

Lots of great articles on Dave's site. Don't know why there wasn't a picture of them together.
http://www.davedraper.com/loaded-guns.html