BIG PAT, I did find your latest post to be of interest as you mentioned individuals within the game whom I knew well many years ago but have lost contact with.
And thanks for the update on Ralph Kroger whom I've never actually met but our 'paths' crossed frequently and he did play a decent part of the bodybuilding game within he San Diego vicinity.
I can recall Ralph's beachside Del Mar gym as a small stand-alone building about 20 feet off the sea-side of the Pacific Coast Highway and I'm sure that the freeway improvements over the years have removed any evidence of that structure today.
I was unaware of his move to El Cajon but it must have been soon after that move that he made the big move to Hilo, Hawaii and set up a small gym on the 2nd floor of a commercial building on the main street there.
All of the above is based on long term memory so some small parts of it may not be too precise and I do not recall ever meeting with the other associates you mentioned.
But I did know Bob Janus well when he had that small gym in Oceanside on the east side of 101. Actually I believe it was built as a Hand-Ball business but Bob apparently installed some minor weight equipment and sold handball as well as gym memberships.
And Roger's last name is spelt "METZ". And he was a friend of Bob's whom I also knew for a very short while.
Paul Edney's Gold's Gym, under another name and another owner, was located on one of Oceanside's side streets pretty close to the beach. I don't recall the year that Paul took over and made it a Gold's but I was long gone from Pendleton around that time.
Paul eventually sold it or closed it up and moved to Hawaii until he recently returned to California.
Strange thing here but one late afternoon while I was driving through Pendleton along the PCH, I saw a truck in front of me advertising Pearl's Gym and as I passed that truck I noticed that Bill, himself, was driving it.
I honked and gave him a military salute and he laughed and saluted back.
Roughly 15 years later I met him formally and even if many years have passed ... Bill always comes up, remembers my name and offers a hearty handshake.
One of the great gentlemen in this game!
Pat,I asked before but .... Do you recall a San Diego BB competitor from the mid 1960's who sliced up his leg pretty badly (and accidentally) with a chainsaw?
Thanks again, Pat ........ Stunt
PS. I never did meet Mr Stern but I was inside his 2nd floor San Diego once upon a time during a stint at there MCRD. Wasn't it situated above a bar where the military hung on?