This DVD will be out right before the 2013 Arnold Classic. Should be interesting on how it will turn out! It looks like all of the past winners will be at the Arnold Classic this year!
http://www.getbig.com/headlines/2013/01/28/arnold-sports-festival-25-year-documentary-dvd/In 1989, Seven Time Mr. Olympia, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his partner Jim Lorimer, held their first Arnold Classic Contest which consisted of Pro Men & Women’s Bodybuilding only at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. That first weekend in March, we saw the first ever champion now in the Pro Bodybuilding Hall of Fame, Rich Gaspari, win the Men’s Pro Championship and the $55,000 Prize! Now, 25 years later, we have seen top champions Like Flex Wheeler, Kevin Levrone, Shawn Ray, Mike Ashley, Mike Francois, Vince Taylor, Dexter Jackson, Jay Cutler, Kai Greene, Branch Warren, Adela Garcia, Iris Kyle and many others claim their victories.
This documentary, celebrating 25 years for the Arnold Classic, shows the growth, athlete perspectives and the expansion of the Arnold Classic Weekend as it morphed into the globalization of the Arnold Classic and then later evolved into the “Arnold Sports Festival”. It now encompasses an Arnold Sports Festival in three different countries, with 18,000 Athletes from 30+ different sports. The Arnold Classic has grown from a ‘one day’ event into a four day marathon of muscle, fitness, powerlifting, and many others, with the “Who’s Who” from the industry and other sports worlds throwing everyone together. A record 100,000+ people pass through Columbus, Ohio in the last few years in support of Arnold & Jim’s creation.
The ASF 25 Documentary was born from the passion that is Shawn Ray Productions and the attention to detail that is. Trick Entertainment, which collaborated with Shawn Ray Productions on the ground breaking Documentary of 2012, “Evolution of Bodybuilding” was about the history of the Mr. Olympia and it’s 46 year history.
From Shawn Ray “Now together we have jumped into the documentation of the second longest running IFBB Pro Bodybuilding Contest known as the Arnold Sports Festival. Being a former winner of this contest in 1991, I was fortunate and blessed to be able to stand on this contest stage 3 different times as a competitor and later move into cover or support this contest in all 25 years of its existence. This year I’m returning as a IFBB Master of Ceremonies for the Arnold Amateur Competition for my second year in a row which is a privilege and an honor by itself.”
“I found myself during the interview regarding the year I won, longing for the innocence and camaraderie of the sport back then which I consider the “Golden Years” as a competitor. It was fun to reminisce about the times I had as a competitor and doing the interviews for this Documentary with the other contest winners, it took me to a place where I discovered even more appreciation for what Arnold and Jim have been able to continue to give back to the sport and the athletes. The best part about this DVD was seeing the Passion and Love the past Winners have for the this contest and the people who support it.”
“This documentary had to be made to show the world what two men whom upon a “Hand Shake Deal” could do when they put their minds together. From the creation of the Arnold Sports Festival these two promoters have employed thousands of Athletes and brought together hundreds of sponsors and millions of fans in the name of Bodybuilding, Health & Fitness! I am proud that I could have a small hand in chronicling the history of such a great event that brings together a 25 Year Reunion of Champions on film and in person that will go down in history and last for eternity. Although my career has taken me around the world several times over and allowed me to earn a living from the sport I love this documentary has afforded me the opportunity to share with the other contest winners our perspective of what it is like to not only be a Winner but an Arnold Classic Champion!
