This upcoming weekend, on Saturday, on July 4th, Muscle Beach will be celebrating its 75th anniversay, and a number of us will be down there to check out the festivities, take pictures and have some fun. Here is the poster regarding this event.
July 4th, Independence Day here in the USA, is also when Muscle Beach Venice will be celebrating its 75th anniversary. One person that they will be inducting into the Muscle Beach Hall of Fame is Relna Brewer McRae, who helped her brother Paul, start and build 75 years ago what became known as Muscle Beach.
NBC did an interview with Relna, which was very informative. You can check it out at the link below.
Roland Kickinger is in a new movie called Raven, also starring Rudolf Martin, Meadow Williams, Steven Bauer, Courtney Gains and Dee Wallace. A special screening of the movie will be shown at the Academy of Television Arts & Science in North Hollywood in a few weeks. Here is the cover poster of the movie.
RAVEN, a vampire thriller written by screenwriter Aaron Pope (DARK REEL) is the latest GruntWorks production, starring Roland Kickinger (TERMINATOR SALVATION) as John Salem, Rudolf Martin (SWORDFISH / BEDAZZLED) as Lazar, the old world vampire and a return from both Meadow Williams in the title role, Raven and Steven Bauer as William, Raven’s first victim. With appearances by legendary film actors Mr. Courtney Gains (CHILDREN OF THE CORN) and Ms. Dee Wallace (CUJO and THE HOWLING) and introducing Hollywood royalty, Weston Coppola Cage as the warrior vampire Thorean. The film, a cross between INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE and THE LOST BOYS was shot in February and March of this year.
The 2009 NPC Junior Cal contest has a new home this year, in Rosemead, California (which is very close to Pasadena). Here is the flyer from the show. For more information, please go to www.npcjuniorcal.com
Some facts from a few past contests -
Last year’s Figure Overall lineup had: Mona Lisa Reyes, the A Class winner (former Overall winner of the Cal), Ali Olson, the B Class winner (who went on to win the Overall at the Excalibur), Anna Brown, the D Class winner, who went on to do very well at the Emerald Cup this year, and winner Brianne Shaw, of C class … to show you how strong it was.
In 2007, Kiyoshi Moody, who won the overall, won his class twice at the Team Universe since. Leo Delaine, who won at last year’s Junior Cal, just finished second in the HW class at last week’s Cal.
Hope to see you there!
The 2009 NPC Atlantic States, promoted by Steve Weinburger, is on June 6th, at the Tribecca Center in New York, New York. Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler and Dexter Jackson are slated to guest pose at this contest. The contest features NPC bodybuilding, figure, fitness and bikini competitors. Here is the flyer and more information.
Farmington, CT May 22nd, 2009 — To further celebrate their 30th anniversary, Ultimate Nutrition announced today a partnership with the 2009 Joe Weider’s Olympia Weekend. The Olympia Weekend, currently known as “The 2009 Olympia Weekend,” will now be known as “Ultimate Nutrition presents Joe Weider’s 2009 Olympia Weekend brought to you by Bodybuilding.com.”
The 2009 Joe Weider’s Olympia Weekend is scheduled to take place at the Orleans Arena and the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada between Sept. 24, 2009 and Sept. 27, 2009 and is the premier event in bodybuilding.
“Joe Weider’s Olympia Weekend is the top event in the bodybuilding world, and it is a perfect match for Ultimate Nutrition products,” said Brian Rubino, Vice President, Ultimate Nutrition. “Ultimate Nutrition has stood for quality and innovation for 30 years and having the opportunity to present the 2009 Joe Weider’s Olympia Weekend is another great event of our 30th anniversary celebration.”
About Ultimate Nutrition.
Ultimate Nutrition was founded in 1979 by Victor H. Rubino. At the time Victor was one of the top amateur power lifters in the United States. Driven by a goal to become the best, Victor knew that supplements were the key to improving his performance through increased strength and faster recovery. Not satisfied with the current supplements that were available to him the 1970’s and being a biochemist himself, Victor decided to launch his own company Ultimate Nutrition. Victor’s goal was to create high quality, thoroughly researched products at an affordable price for everyone.
In the 2009 IFBB NY Pro Men’s Bodybuilding contest, Evan Centopani lived up to the hype, and edged out an incredible looking Dennis James, and a huge Markus Ruhl to win his first pro show in the first IFBB pro show he has entered. Here are the results.
Congratulations…
1 - Evan Centopani
2 - Dennis James
3 - Markus Ruhl
4 - Silvio Samuel
5 - Hidetada Yamagishi
6 - Tarek Elsetouhi
7 - Darrem Charles
8 - Eugene Mishin
9 - Sergey Shelstov
10 - Ben White
11 - Michael Kefalianos
12 - Francisco ‘Paco’ Bautista
13 - Ed Van Amsterdam
14 - Leo Ingram
15 - Francisco Javier Mula
16 - Oliver Adzievski
17 - Aiman Daour
17 - Jari Mentula
17 - Denis Sergovskiy
Complete scorecard results here
http://www.getbig.com/results/mens/nightofchampions.htm
In the 2009 IFBB NY Pro Men’s Bodybuilding 202 pounds and under, Kevin English repeated his win from last year at this show over Mark Dugdale and David Henry, who many thought was the favorite. Here are results.
1 - Kevin English
2 - Mark Dugdale
3 - David Henry
4 - Eduardo Correa
5 - Jason Arntz
6 - Fakhri Mubarak
7 - Vinny Galanti
8 - Jose Raymond
9 - Vincent Liu
10 - Gilles Bellehumeur
Scorecard results at
http://www.getbig.com/results/mens/newyorkpro202.htm
In the 2009 IFBB NY Pro Women’s Bodybuilding contest, Cathy LeFrancois repeats as champion in this tough line up. Here are the complete results from the women’s bb contest.
1. Cathy LeFrancois
2. Betty Pariso
3. Rosemary Jennings
4. Debbie Bramwell
5. Dena Westerfield
6. Jeannie Paparone
7. Tazzie Columb
8. Brenda Raganot
9. Jennifer Sedia
10. Antoinette Thompson
11. Beverly DiRenzo
12. Maryse Manios
13. Maria Segura
14. Nancy Lewis
15. Claudia Partenza
16. Marika Johansson
17. Fabi Antoine
17. Irene Andersen
17. Kim Buck
17. Myriam Bustamante
17. Maria Calo
17. Giusy Caputo
17. Nadia Nardi
17. Diana Tinnelle
Scorecard Results at
http://www.getbig.com/results/womens/nightofchampionswomen.htm
Here is the final competitor list of the IFBB California Pro, which will be held on Saturday, May 23rd, along with the NPC California contest (which has over 110 competitors at the moment.)
IFBB Pro competitors competing include…
1 - Jane Awad (USA)
2 - Macey Boudreau (Canada)
3 - Deanne Brown (Canada)
4 - Natalie Calland (USA)
5 - Nadya Castellas (Canada)
6 - Krissy Chin (USA)
7 - Becky Clawson (USA)
8 - Lorena Cozza (Italy)
9 - Meriza DeGuzman (USA)
10 - Jennifer DeJoya (USA)
11 - Heather Mae French (USA)
12 - Celeste Gonzalez (Spain)
13 - Sonia Gonzales (USA)
14 - Alicia Harris (USA)
15 - Carin Hawkins (USA)
16 - Catherine Holland (USA)
17 - Geogina Lona - (Mexico)
18 - Crystal Lowery (USA)
19 - Amy Lee Martin (USA)
20 - Michele Mayberry (USA)
21 - Tanya Merryman (USA)
22 - Kristin Nunn (USA)
23 - Amy O’Neil (USA)
24 - Rosa-Maria Romero (Australia)
25 - Sherlyn Roy (USA)
26 - Laura Sutter (USA)
27 - Kristi Tauti (USA)
28 - Natalie Waples (Canada)
29 - Karen Williams (Trinidad)
See you there…
VPX filed an appeal of the injunction issued by a district court in California precluding VPX from using its registered trademark “Muscle Power” and the trade dress on its packaging. Jack Owoc, CEO and founder of VPX, explained that VPX was highly disappointed by the ruling:
“We are very disconcerted by the court’’s ruling and think that it was misled in regard to Cytosport’’s rights and the nature of the competition in our industry. The only similarities in our trademarks are the use of the word ”Muscle,” but there are more than 60 registered trademarks at the Patent and Trademark Office in class 5 alone containing the word ”Muscle.” ”Muscle” is commonly used in product and company names in our industry, in part because our products help build muscle. Cytosport never objected to the registration of our trademark, despite having an opportunity to do so, and the Patent and Trademark Office found no conflict between “Muscle Power®” and “Muscle Milk®.”
We have never intended to confuse customers into thinking our product was Muscle Milk® -we want them to know it’s different and better! We point out in our advertising why Muscle Power® is a better product — Muscle Milk® contains 600% more sugar and a 183% more fat than Muscle Power®. Muscle Power contains 200% more fiber and 89% less carbohydrates.
We prominently put our VPX logo on the top center panel and, the background, like most VPX products, is the specific 293 Pantone Blue color that consumers have identified as our brand for many years. VPX apologizes to its customers for any disruption this may cause, and we are committed to making our popular Muscle Power® drink available again to our customers and the public as soon as possible.”
On Wednesday, May 6th in Sacramento, CA, a Federal Court issued an order requiring Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (VPX) to immediately remove Muscle Power from the marketplace after concluding that the product infringes on CytoSport’s trademark rights of Muscle Milk®.
This preliminary injunction was prompted after CytoSport filed a lawsuit against VPX, stating that Muscle Power’s packaging, or “trade dress,” was deceptively similar to Muscle Milk®’s packaging. In its decision, the court stated that “VPX has chosen an identical font, in an identical color, on an identically shaped package, and placed the mark on the package in an identical location.” The court also stated that “when the marks are viewed as a whole with each product’s respective trade dress, the court has no difficulty concluding that the two marks are overwhelmingly similar.”
Upon concluding that VPX has violated CytoSport’s trademark rights, the court also stated that “VPX could have easily used a trade dress more consistent with its other RTD products, e.g. Redline, Black Pearl and Pump 7.” Given that the injunction is preliminary in nature, the lawsuit will continue while the injunction is in place.
“We are gratified by the court’s ruling and will continue to vigorously enforce our rights to protect our brand, our marketing partners, and our consumers against confusion in the marketplace,” says Greg Pickett, Co-Founder /CEO of CytoSport.
More discussion on this on the Getbig Boards, at
http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=279222.0
For those of you who want to read on the entire case, here is the pdf where you can look at the 53 page document.
http://www.cytosport.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/court-order.pdf
The Competitor list (for the men) includes (as of May 8th) include
1 - Francisco ‘Paco’ Bautista
2 - Evan Centopani
3 - Darrem Charles
4 - Tarek Elsetouhi
5 - Aiman Faour
6 - Leo Ingram
7 - Dennis James
8 - Michael Kefalianos
9 - Vincent Lui
10 - Jari Mentula
11 -Eugene Mishin
12 - Francisco Javier Mula
13 - Craig Richardson
14 - Marcus Ruhl
15 - Silvio Samuel
16 - Danielle Seccarecci
17 - Denis Sergovsky
18 - Sergey Selestov
19 - Eduard Van Amsterdam
20 - Ben White
21 - Hidetada Yamagishi
?? - Marcus Haley
Also, for the 202lb and under, there are
1 - Jason Arntz
2 - Giles Bellehumeur
3 - Ed Correa
4 - Mark Dugdale
5 - Kevin English
6 - David Henry
7 - Vinny Galanti
8 - Fakhri Mubarak
9 - Jose Raymond
For the women’s bodybuilding, we have
1 - Irene Anderson
2 - Fabi Antoine
3 - Debbie Bramwell
4 - Myriam Bustamante
5 - Maria Calo
6 - Giusy Caputo
7 - Tazzie Columb
8 - Beverly Direnzo
9 - Maria del Carmen Gomez-Seguro
10 - Rosemary Jennings
11 - Marika Johansson
12 - Cathy LeFrancois
13 - Nancy Lewis
14 - Maryse Manios
15 - Nadia Nardi
16 - Jeannie Paparone
17 - Betty Pariso
18 - Claudia Partenza
19 - Jennifer Sedia
20 - Antoinette Thompson
21 - Diana Tinnelle-Stanback
22 - Dena Westerfield
?? - Lisa Bickels
?? - Saskia Salemink
Eduardo Correa makes an impressive win over Mark Dugdale at the 2009 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro 202lbs and under contest. Here is the complete results
1 Eduardo Correa
2 Mark Dugdale
3 Jason Arntz
4 Ahmad Ahmad
5 George Farah
6 Michael Valentino
7 Greg Rando
8 Vince Galanti
9 Richard Jones
10 Nathaniel Wonsley
11 Mauricio Solis Torres
12 Steven Burke
For other IFBB and NPC contests, click on the link below to check the results
http://www.getbig.com/results/results.htm
The following statement was issued today by Iovate regarding the Hydroxycut recall.
As you know, Iovate is strongly committed to product safety. In keeping with that mission, Iovate welcomes balanced regulation for the dietary supplement industry, and we feel that these regulations are in the best interest of our customers and our industry.
Millions of consumers purchase Hydroxycut products each year. Iovate carefully considers the ingredients in each of its dietary supplement formulations to make sure that they are safe. Each ingredient in each formulation is investigated for safety by reviewing all of the available medical, scientific, and toxicological information that is publicly available. Iovate works closely with nutritional scientists and other scientists, both within and outside of the company, to develop its products. A world-renowned, independent third-party expert toxicological firm reviews all formulas Iovate launches for safety, before launch. Iovate does not release any product containing any ingredient that it has not evaluated for safety. In addition, once an Iovate product is made available to consumers, Iovate continues to monitor the safety of the product by
collecting information on potential adverse experiences with the product.
Iovate initiated a voluntary recall when it became aware that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s analysis of 23 reports over the last seven years about consumers having experienced liver-related problems was different than the analysis done by Iovate’s independent, third-party toxicological experts and epidemiologists.
On May 1, 2009, the FDA issued an advisory which states that, “Although the liver damage appears to be relatively rare, FDA believes consumers should not be exposed to unnecessary risk.” In 2008, for instance, more than 9 million units of Hydroxycut-branded products were sold, while the FDA only referred to three reports potentially associating the products with liver toxicity.
Iovate’s own assessment of the potential risk associated with the use of these products differs from that expressed by the Agency. For instance, the number of adverse event reports described by the FDA is small relative to the many millions of people who have used Hydroxycut products over the seven years referenced by the FDA. These numbers must be contrasted with the background rate of 1 in 100,000 for hepatitis/liver injury in the general population. Kaplowitz N. 2005, Idiosyncratic Drug Hepatotoxicity, Nature Review Drug Discovery, June 4 (6); 489-99. Moreover, Dr. David Graham of the FDA reviewed data from four epidemiology studies and estimated that the rate of idiopathic (i.e., unexplained) acute liver failure is approximately one per million per year. Graham, D., American Journal of Gastroenterology 2003; 98: 175-179. However, out of an abundance of caution and because consumer safety is Iovate’s top priority, Iovate is voluntarily recalling these Hydroxycut-branded products in the United States. Please note that Hydroxycut Hoodia and Cleanse products are not included in this recall; nor are any other Iovate products. We are working with the FDA in this recall process. We will be in contact with you very shortly to effectuate this recall.
This voluntary Class 2 recall applies to the following:
- Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
- Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
- Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
- Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
- Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
- Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
- Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
- Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
- Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
- Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
- Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
- Hydroxycut 24
- Hydroxycut Carb Control
- Hydroxycut Natural
As you have already heard, the new evolution in the Hydroxycut brand, Hydroxycut Advanced, will be shipping in the near future. You should have received a Hydroxycut Advanced information deck by now, but if you haven’t, please contact your Iovate authorized broker or your Iovate Sales Team member as it is critical that your orders are in place soon. We expect initial demand might exceed our ability to supply the new formulations, at least in the beginning.
Over the last ten years, the Hydroxycut brand has been the top selling weight loss supplement brand in the U.S. During this time, we have continuously reformulated our product offerings. Our new formula, Hydroxycut Advanced, while also based on science, is a completely new and revolutionary formulation.
We thank you for your continued support and we look forward to working closely with you.
Sincerely,
Iovate Health Sciences
Dietary Supplements Linked to One Death; Pose Risk of Liver Injury
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to immediately stop using Hydroxycut products by Iovate Health Sciences Inc., of Oakville, Ontario and distributed by Iovate Health Sciences USA Inc. of Blasdell, N.Y. Some Hydroxycut products are associated with a number of serious liver injuries. Iovate has agreed to recall Hydroxycut products from the market.
The FDA has received 23 reports of serious health problems ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, an indicator of potential liver injury, to liver damage requiring liver transplant. One death due to liver failure has been reported to the FDA. Other health problems reported include seizures; cardiovascular disorders; and rhabdomyolysis, a type of muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems such as kidney failure.
Liver injury, although rare, was reported by patients at the doses of Hydroxycut recommended on the bottle. Symptoms of liver injury include jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes) and brown urine. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, excessive fatigue, weakness, stomach or abdominal pain, itching, and loss of appetite.
“The FDA urges consumers to discontinue use of Hydroxycut products in order to avoid any undue risk. Adverse events are rare, but exist. Consumers should consult a physician or other health care professional if they are experiencing symptoms possibly associated with these products,” said Linda Katz, M.D., interim chief medical officer of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
Hydroxycut products are dietary supplements that are marketed for weight-loss, as fat burners, as energy-enhancers, as low carb diet aids, and for water loss under the Iovate and MuscleTech brand names. The list of products being recalled by Iovate currently includes:
Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
Hydroxycut 24
Hydroxycut Carb Control
Hydroxycut Natural
Although the FDA has not received reports of serious liver-related adverse reactions for all Hydroxycut products, Iovate has agreed to recall all the products listed above. Hydroxycut Cleanse and Hoodia products are not affected by the recall. Consumers who have any of the products involved in the recall are advised to stop using them and to return them to the place of purchase. The agency has not yet determined which ingredients, dosages, or other health-related factors may be associated with risks related to these Hydroxycut products. The products contain a variety of ingredients and herbal extracts.
I have a feeling you’ll be seeing more supplement companies looking to tap into the success of the MMA world. Champion Nutrition takes a bold step by teaming up with TapouT, one which no other supplement line has done to date. Good move? Only time will tell but if you were going to partner with a successful brand in MMA, TapouT is a logical choice. You’re sure to see a TapouT shirt or hat at any bodybuilding/fitness event and go to a MMA event you can’t blink without seeing the logo.
GRAND TERRACE, Calif., Apr 28, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — TapouT, the premier mixed-martial arts apparel, gear and lifestyle brand, announced today a licensing agreement with Champion Nutrition to offer sports enthusiasts TapouT Sports Nutrition products. Under this relationship, Champion Nutrition will design, distribute and market the Tapout Sports Nutrition brand to all retailers in the United States and abroad. TapouT Sports Nutrition products will be available in mass-market retailers beginning this summer.
“TapouT is thrilled to be working with Champion Nutrition to offer our fans, fighters and every athlete premium sports nutrition products that will let them train harder and reach their goals,” said Punkass, TapouT Co-CEO and Co-Founder. “TapouT is about expressing your passion and attitude, and whether it’s through our clothing or nutritional products, we want our company to help take that emotion to the next level.”
TapouT Sports Nutrition products will feature premium sports supplements that will allow mixed-martial arts fighters, bodybuilders, and athletes-in-training to increase muscle size and strength. The products are competitively priced and engineered with research-tested ingredients, including highly absorbable forms of protein, creatine, hydration drink formulas and more, to deliver results for serious minded athletes and boost endurance for those pushing their physical limits.
“It’s an honor to develop a line of sports nutrition products under the TapouT name,” said Mark Post, President of Champion Nutrition. “Champion Nutrition has been developing sports nutrition products for athletes and champions in all sports for over 26 years. We look forward to working with TapouT to introduce our nutritional performance expertise to the mixed-martial arts community and all TapouT fans around the world.”
“TapouT has built a stellar reputation by supporting mixed-martial arts fighters in every facet of their career,” says TapouT Co-CEO and President Marc Kreiner. “We’re excited to team with Champion Nutrition to expand our support for these athletes by providing the supplements they need to maintain their training and take their game to the next level.”
About TapouT
TapouT is the world’s leading mixed-martial arts apparel, gear and lifestyle brand on the market today. TapouT started as a vision by Co-Founder Charles “Mask” Lewis Jr., and has since become a pioneer of the MMA movement and a $100 million empire. Representing some of the biggest MMA superstars including Chuck Liddell, Frank Shamrock, Thiago Alves and Anthony Johnson, TapouT produces the hottest apparel for men, women and children. Their distinctive, authentic logo graces everything from clothing, accessories, and gear, to nutrition products and a magazine. TapouT is also the exclusive apparel sponsor for Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter” through 2011.
For millions of fans worldwide, the TapouT lifestyle inspires those to reach their goals and know that anything is possible if they “Simply Believe.”
About Champion Nutrition
Champion Nutrition is a Sunrise, FL based designer, marketer and manufacturer of performance-based sports nutrition products. Champion maintains its own 135,000 square foot GMP-certified manufacturing facility. Currently in their 26th year, Champion’s attention to product formulation for athletic performance is legendary and makes them one of the most well-respected sports nutrition companies in the industry. Champion Nutrition is the Official Sponsor and sports nutrition provider of world-class Mixed Martial Arts organization, American Top Team (ATT). This summer, Team Champion Nutrition Athletes Mike Thomas Brown and Thiago “Pitbull” Alves will be fighting in the biggest events in WEC and UFC history. Both televised events will be seen by over 2 million viewers, all watching Team Champion Athletes wearing the Champion Nutrition logo proudly.
– Read the Full Press Release Here.
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