Author Topic: Norman Marks-49 and 52 Mr. California-Alive and Well  (Read 4403 times)

JohnnyVegas

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Norman Marks-49 and 52 Mr. California-Alive and Well
« on: September 12, 2008, 08:10:30 PM »
Have an update on Norman Marks!

After I had mentioned Clancy Ross, before he died, I listed some other big names from the BBing world that grew up in the Oakland area. Guys like Steve Reeves, Clancy Ross, Jack Delinger, Jack LaLanne and Norman Marks. Many of these guys trained at Ed Yarricks Oakland gym. Joe Roark informed me that Yarrick died in 1994 I believe, after Joe spoke with Yarrick’s son.

Norman Marks had won Mr. California in 49 and 52, and took second place to Clancy at the 1946 Pro Mr. America.

Norman opened a new, state of the art gym in Oakland CA. in/aound 1982 that was 10K sq/ft and at that particular time only Gold’s Gym Venice-on Hampton Drive- was as big as his gym. It was a first-rate gym (he actually had a his own gym for many years, but moved into this huge, new space in 82). Long story short-one of Norman’s daughter saw the thread and sent me an email and gave me an update on her Dad.

Norman's two daughters run the Norman Marks’s Health Club and it is doing great. Norman is still alive, had a stroke in 1996, but he fully recovered with the exception of some balance problems. The GOOD NEWS, Norman Marks is turning 86 THIS WEEK, September 2008.

Anyway, it is great news when I get an update on one of the guys that pioneered this sport, and very few of them are left. Clancy died recently, as have other pioneers of the game- guys like Harold Zinkin and gals like Pudgy Stockton.

One last item of note, apparently Jack LaLanne gave a lot of his early equipment to Norman, who still has it in his gym, and if Norman ever closes up shop Jack would like that equipment back because it was such early proto types of his equipment. I think that was the story anyway!

(magazine covers 1946, 49, 50, 56- can't believe this first one is 62 years ago!!)







JohnnyVegas

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Re: Norman Marks-49 and 52 Mr. California-Alive and Well
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2008, 08:45:38 AM »
One thing I would like to mention was that when Norman opened at his new location in the early 80's he had a Nautilus lower back machine.

I don't know if anyone has ever used it, but it was a new, novel and extremely excellent machine. I was amazed at how good it worked the lower back, an area very hard to work directly up until that machine came out.

I cannot believe how far Nautilus has fallen so far from the 70's and 80's