OLD CAMERA .... OLD PICTURES ..... OLD TIMERS.

[Ronnie Rep]

Great stuff Stunt.

[wes]

Bill,I recognized quite a few of these guys........thanks for sharing the memories. 

[stuntmovie]

Jon, It sounds like Tony is now a Jet Setter! Good for him!

I will do my best to contact him and get an update.

WES, THANKS!!!!

RONNIE, THANKS!

If I can get my old computers up and running, I'll post a lot more old shots that  may be of interest.

Including some of the early day 'pioneers' who have yet to be mentioned significantly on this here GetBig Board .... such as Bill Grant, Pat Ruel (spelling?), Kent Kuhn, John Corvello, Bill Stathis, Kurt Freeman , Mel Knoll, Gary Leonard, Bill Knuckles, Tommy Kono, Harold Sakada,  Arti Zeller, Mabel and Perry, Timmy Leong, Bill Starr, Jeff and Cory, Joe Nazzario, Rev. Zuver and Rhino, Peanuts West, George Frenn, Lloyd Latch, Doug Strohl, Don Peters,  .... and a ton and a half of others whom the vast majority of GetBiggers have never heard of.

[Simple Simon]

Jon, It sounds like Tony is now a Jet Setter! Good for him!

I will do my best to contact him and get an update.

WES, THANKS!!!!

RONNIE, THANKS!

If I can get my old computers up and running, I'll post a lot more old shots that  may be of interest.

Including some of the early day 'pioneers' who have yet to be mentioned significantly on this here GetBig Board .... such as Bill Grant, Pat Ruel (spelling?), Kent Kuhn, John Corvello, Bill Stathis, Kurt Freeman , Mel Knoll, Gary Leonard, Bill Knuckles, Tommy Kono, Harold Sakada,  Arti Zeller, Mabel and Perry, Timmy Leong, Bill Starr, Jeff and Cory, Joe Nazzario, Rev. Zuver and Rhino, Peanuts West, George Frenn, Lloyd Latch, Doug Strohl, Don Peters,  .... and a ton and a half of others whom the vast majority of GetBiggers have never heard of.

do you have any photos of esfitness?

[bigbychoices]

stuntmovie.  are you talking about the 78 america where pearson won? no way should he have won. tuefel should have. he got all pissed off and left. they did the universe posedpown that day at the same place but with a different set of judges and pearson didnt win. platz did. if tuefel would of stayed he may have gone to the universe instead of platz.  history may be different. ron drank himself to death from what i heard. way to young.

[stuntmovie]

BIGBY, Yes and it was held in Cinn. and I was backstage so I can't tell you what I thought about that decision ..... but I'll go into more detail tomorrow when I get some free time.

That photo of Baldwin and the interviewer was one of the shots I took and
Tuefel came running through with a pretty damn pissed off attitude.

Right now we are having a family discussion about the latest Apes movie which we all felt was excellent.

[Brianthehulk]

anyone remember the old Disk gym in Torrance? By the time my buddies and I got there in the late 80s it was run by an older Asian guy the popped pills from  His fanny pack like they were candy

[stuntmovie]

BIGBY, In an effort to continue with the RON TEUFEL story that was mentioned above .... a bit more of the story should be mentioned before proceeding further.

The late 1970's were the years in which the history of competitive bodybuilding was in for a dramatic change ....

And I was there as an active participant (of minor importance , but important none-the-less) and was involved in every part of it .... but it was so damn long ago that I have honestly forgotten the exact times, the exact dates, and most of the other exact participants who should be receiving an honorable mention at least.

Many stories have been written about those good old days and what actually occurred in those good old days  which appear to me to have been written by others who were not physically present when some damn important major decisions were made that changed the world  of competitive bodybuilding as as we know it today.

So  with the said ..... I'll do my best to recall all that sort of important shit and let other GetBiggers attempt to correct me if and when my shitty memory falls short.

SO .... let me start someplace in the 1970's possibly a bit earlier ... and do my best to go on from there!

I'll do my best to present this stuff in small pieces so that those with short attention spans may follow in the event that they have any interest.

Break .....

[stuntmovie]

OK, here goes! I'll do my best to only write about this short chapter in bodybuilding history as I saw and personally witnessed it.

Otherwise ... I'll let you know if and when  I'm writing shit in which I was not present by writing "Was not present".

Once upon a time not to long ago (sometime in the 1960's) ......

The AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) was the sanctioning body for all bodybuilding contests held within the USA.

In fact the AAU was the controlling body for all amateur sporting events held within the USA and  bodybuilding was a  very small and minor "sport" under that AAU jurisdiction.

So one year during the mid 1960's Mr Bob Hoffman of the York Barbell empire paid the AAU sanction fee and promoted the USA Olympic Lifting Championships in the old Embassy Auditorium which was adjacent to the old Embassy Hotel in the even older section of downtown Los Angeles.

This Olympic Lifting Championship contest was to be held in conjunction with the AAU Mr. America contest .... the co-eexistance of which was most likely the first straw placed upon that camel's back.

More follows ...

[stuntmovie]

Location …. Los Angeles Embassy Hotel Auditortium … Mid 1960 … USA Olympic Lifting Championships and Mr. America contest.

As far as I’m concerned … unless I had a brother or a sister or a great grand-dad or a true and faithful best friend competing within an olympic lifting contest, I’d rather be sitting at home watching the paint dry.

But others were more interested that day because Bednarski (April 5, 1944 – February 22, 2004) was competing or maybe that auditorium was crowded because the  best of the best bodybuilders of the day would be competing for the Mr. America title  once the Olympic lifting was completed.

So here is a photo of Bob Bednarski which may or may not have been taken that day.

Bob passed away in 2004 and there were some questions about his death but  I  know nothing about that .... so I'll leave that research up to some other GetBiggers who has an interest.

And I can't recall who the other olympic lifters were ..... But.......

[stuntmovie]

Those within the Embassy Auditorium who did not stay home to watch the paint dry sat in their seats patiently in anticipation of the forthcoming Mr. America contest.

(I just discovered that this all occurred in 1966 ... so when I find the time I'll make that change to the above where necessary).

But those who were there for that AAU bodybuilding contest had to wait until each and every olympic lifter received his trophy and once that was done they had to wait even longer until all those olympic bars and plates were picked up and packed away, the lifting platform was taken apart and removed to some trucks outside, and all the chalk was cleaned away from the floor and those old but expensive curtains and etc., etc.

So it appeared that all was ready for the competing bodybuilders shortly after midnight (or it's possible that it was even later or earlier in the morning).

Most of those in attendance had departed and most of those who stayed were either sleeping in some uncomfortable old theater seat or laid out in the aisles catching a  few winks.

So this is a mere guess but I'm guessing that the bodybuilders took the stage a bit before 2:00 AM.

I'm guessing at 2:00 AM because when all was said and done we finally left that auditorium while the sun was slowing rising over the eastern horizon.

A lot occurred during this Mr. America contest before the trophies were presented and I've written about this in detail a few years back which caused a lot of turmoil among one of the contestant's family members so I won't repeat it now (you'll have to go and look for it if interested) ... but thanks to Muscle Memory .... here is how that contest turned out which surprised the thirty or forty bodybuilding die-hards who remained in that auditorium to see who was the victor and who would go home without a trophy. (I don't think that they were plastic back then though.)

Jerry Daniels, Chattanooga, Tenn., the winner
Bob Gajda, Chicago, Ill.
Randy Watson, Manchester, Tenn.
Sergio Oliva, Chicago, Ill.
Charles Estes, Nashville, Tenn.
John Gourgott, New Orleans, La.
Von LaMon, Pasadena, Cal.
Craig Whitehead, Texas
Dennis Tinerino, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Mike Ferraro, Buffalo, N. Y.

I was sitting in the first row behind the judges and felt that BOB  GAJDA was the winner.

In fact just about everyone in attendance was sitting in that first or second row because everyone else had departed earlier.

It was evident to one and all that the trophy and the title was  awarded to the good looking, boy-next-door ..... which caused a bit of resentment among those few die-hards who remained.

But competitive bodybuilders and their fans has other reasons to be pissed.

It seemed that no one wanted to sit up all night to watch a bodybuilding contest!

And I think that was the major reason that initially made the shit hit the fan and hostility against the AAU became somewhat evident.

But there were other reasons as well.

And that's up next.......

[stuntmovie]

OK, then!

So as a result of promoting this and a few other body building contests at strange hours and only until after the lifters had their chance to display their feats of strength ... a few but now unknown bodybuilding contenders started to object.

Bot not a near bit loud enough! Not just yet anyway!

Just about this time something came about to cause many others guys (no ladies involved just yet) to get more verbal with their objections.

That event occurred when one or two or more un-recalled physique contenders made a request  with the AAU for funds in order to compete in contests within the AAU (and possibly within other sanctioned bodybuilding events also) that they were qualified to enter .... only discover that funds were not available for those bodybuilders who requested financial assistance due to the fact that all such funds were already allowed to the AAU swimmers.

So now the shit really hit the fan and that shit blew across the USA as swift as shit is able to do so.

So a group of individuals ... none of whom were bodybuilding contenders as far as I an recall... decided to do something about it.

And that shit (plus the use of bodybuilding contests to enhance the lifting events) led to the AAU breakaway and the eventual formation of the NPC.

And this is where is gets a bit confusing  .....but very interesting.

I never carry a calendar in my pocket so this could all have occurred in 1920... But that's impossible ... so I will continue with my best date estimates and apologize for my stupidity beforehand.

[Simple Simon]

stuntmovie relaying some great stories here, lots of name dropping and anecdotes, all totally believable and great to read.

esfitness take note.

[OLKE_TEXAS]

stuntmovie relaying some great stories here, lots of name dropping and anecdotes, all totally believable and great to read.

Lol STUNT likes to type that is for sure. This thread with the "old pictures" made me really shake my head. Total fantasy. But who cares, so please carry on STUNT.(Esfitness/be there also).

[stuntmovie]

OLKE, Speak up forcibly if you have any doubt about anything I write on this GetBig Board.

I never mind an internet punch in the nose as long as you give me a chance to prove I am not lying.

My biggest problem here is that I am totally useless when it comes to recording dates accurately and I sure as hell ain't gonna report on the bad shit that actually did occur within this bodybuilding world until  some people enter the pearly gates or that other place below.

So if you are looking for the somewhat questionable but entertaining stuff that Beefy posts, you will have to look elsewhere.

Some of those old pictures were actually taken by me but the others that were not  ... were not. I hope that I explained that earlier.

I do plan to continue and  let one and all know how things used to be even though the 'how the things used to be" may be somewhat questionable by those who have never been there.

I will not allow myself to resort to bull-shit-ted-ness.

So if you want to punch, punch hard .... but thanks for being aboard regardless.

[stuntmovie]

BETHERE, THANKS. Some English guys will also be mentioned if I can get my mind to cross the boarders of the Atlantic.

And if I recall correctly they were all of the Powerlifting gang of usual suspects.

[wes]

Location …. Los Angeles Embassy Hotel Auditortium … Mid 1960 … USA Olympic Lifting Championships and Mr. America contest.

As far as I’m concerned … unless I had a brother or a sister or a great grand-dad or a true and faithful best friend competing within an olympic lifting contest, I’d rather be sitting at home watching the paint dry.

But others were more interested that day because Bednarski (April 5, 1944 – February 22, 2004) was competing or maybe that auditorium was crowded because the  best of the best bodybuilders of the day would be competing for the Mr. America title  once the Olympic lifting was completed.

So here is a photo of Bob Bednarski which may or may not have been taken that day.

Bob passed away in 2004 and there were some questions about his death but  I  know nothing about that .... so I'll leave that research up to some other GetBiggers who has an interest.

And I can't recall who the other olympic lifters were ..... But.......

I once saw Bob Bednarski in the unemployment line in my hometown of Springfield Mass. with a pint of booze in his back pocket.

True story.

[stuntmovie]

So to get back on track we have bodybuilding contests that are held late at night or too damn early in the morning and no AAU financial support because the AAU gave  it all to some swimming team.

Rebellion on the west coast seems to be necessary but no one is smart enough to pull  it off.

But the individuals who were smart enough to pul it off  did manage to pull it off and have been mostly long forgotten.

I do recall a heavy set guy by the name of Jerome Weise (spelling?) who had the brain capacity to adhere to the legalities of forming a new organization that would and could sanction bodybuilding contests legally and tell the AAU to take a hike.

And this is  the time when my brain gets dumber than usual and the exact details except me, but the NPC was set up and established thanks to Jerome and a gentleman by the name of Ralph Countryman..... and about three others whom I have long forgotten. (Damn it!)

And this all occurred long before we had that meeting in the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium to join forces with Uncle Joe and the IFBB.

And that is a story/horse of another color which I recall precisely .... but don't count on that 100% ... but I'll explain it precisely anyway.

[Da Freak]

great stories on this thread! keep em coming fellas.

[bigbychoices]

back in the day the aau card was 5 bucks!!!  then when the npc took over it was still 5 bucks but look at it now!!!! amazing .

[stuntmovie]

BIGBY, What does an NPC card cost now-a-days?

But .... After too many years overseas, I got back to the states and went into a Starbucks for my first and only visit and a 'barista' asked me, "What kind do you want, sir?"

I responded, "I want the 10 cent kind please."

I was a bit surprised when that ten cent cup of coffee cost me three bucks.

And that didn't even include a doughnut.

If you tell me that an NPC card cost more than $50 now, I'm gonna demand a doughnut.

[stuntmovie]

OK, back to this true and unexaggerated story .....

WARNING .... Do not read if you are not interested in some of the details regarding the early days  of the AAU and the formation of the NPC and its association with the IFBB.

And the following is what actually happened on the West Coast of the USA. I am not personally aware of the East Coast version if such a version even exists.

Nor am I even aware if any of the East Coast individuals were present at the following meeting as described below.

The circumstances surrounding and leading up to the following event are somewhat fuzzy but the following is still pretty damn vivid in my mind.

I don't believe that this event was ever recorded as voice recorders were not as prevalent as they are today. Nor Have I ever seen any written records of this meeting. They may exist though.

The event that I am speaking about occurred on an early Sunday morning in the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. I believe that it was Gary Leonard who had won the Mr. A title the night before.

We were all encouraged to attend an important meeting before heading back to where we were from.

The entry-way into the auditorium was set up with a good number of chairs and a small, elevated stage with a podium and a conference type table .

Well known individuals were present and gathered in small groups speaking silently while others took their seats and waited.

It appeared that only a few of us realized why we had been gathered here.

Looking over the audience I noticed about three of the York guys but not Bob Hoffman himself. They appeared to be ready for an argument.

Dan Louri (spelling) was there looking rather bulky.

Joe and Ben Weider were present but were not mingling with the attendees. The stood together up front by the stage and were the only two individuals in the room  dressed as if they would be attending a prep school reunion ... blue blazers, grey slacks, tie and a handkerchief in the pocket.

Then five individuals took their seats at that table  on that stage and I believe that it was Ralph Countryman who called the meeting to order.

And then everyone took a seat or remained standing in the rear.

And it appeared that everything got serious immediately and Robert's Rules of Order were applied.

And soon enough we realized that Joe and Ben were there for a reason.

And numerous arguments started among the 'spectators' as it appeared that some of those spectators knew what that reason was and what was about to happen.

That is when Ben walked to the podium and offered a proposal which went something like the following ....

The IFBB would refrain from promoting amateur bodybuilding contests within the US if the NPC (or were we still the AAU at that time??) would recognize the IFBB as the world wide governing body for bodybuilding competitions.

Then all hell broke loose .... especially from the Hoffman group!

This was soon followed by a guestion and answer period ... with Ben answering all the questions.

It was evident that he was prepared .... and prepared WELL ..... and stood up to any argument intelligently .... until ....

A real lean older guy sitting to my right raised his hand and was acknowledge by Ben and took a stand and said, "Mr. Weider, I've been working for you for ..... years now and we both know that  most of your IFBB worldwide foreign  members are nothing more than P.O. boxes!"

.... more to follow

[bigbychoices]

last i checked the npc card was 125 bucks!!!!  used to go watch a show for 10 bucks. now they are 35 bucks or so. they have "tanners" there etc you cant bring your own tan etc. i dont know all the specifics but it has changed drastically. all about making the money. yes the shows were always held in ymcas dirty chalky floors poor lighting etc. but they were fun. sometimes the bigger shows would use a high school stage or something similar .

[stuntmovie]

BIGBY, Thanks!

Back in the day we ran bodybuilding and lifting shows under the basketball net with a lightbulb in a  tin can attached to it.

Admission was .. "Throw a buck or two in that tin can --->. Thank you!"

Six bodybuilding contenders and three olympic lifters with the previous year's winner as the 'Special Guest Poser' .... made the show with about 20-30 in the audience. And they had to fold up and put their own chair away while the contestants cleaned up the chalk and took the weights downstairs into the weight room.

Then we'd all go out and get  a pizza.

Thanks for reminding me how things used to be.

And I still can't get used to the price of a cup of coffee.

[njflex]

What is wrong with no hair and big guts?

HELLOOOO FRISCOOOO...