It was pretty cool. I took the family down to Venice Beach (4 month old son, 2 3/4 year old daughter) and the wife. $12 for parking out there, and lots of traffic once you get to the beach. It started promptly at one (the presentation award to Joe Weider), and tons of television stations and cameras were there to cover the Governors stop. I saw at least three vans with their anttenas 20 feet up so they were going to broadcast there live, which they did, throughout the evening also.
The girl on Arnold's lap is Franco's Grandaughter, I think. Next to Arnold is Rachel McClish, she was getting an award also, but sometime after the competition started and the television cameras and Arnold went away.
Joe Weider is an icon, and you truly feel a measure of respect when you see the guy, because after all, no matter what people think of him now, he truly helped to build up the sport, the magazines, and in some way, a lot of the supplements industry around him. But Joe walks with a cane, and he needed help to get on the state, but 83-85 years old, who had a seven hour operation 2 years ago, is still healing.
Afterwards, I did the most important thing there. Played with my daughter in the children's play area, and watched my son being amazed by all the interesting folks in bikins and more...
