2009 IFBB New York Pro Contest Results
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
2009 IFBB California Pro Final Competitor List
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 fires back with an appeal of the injunction of Muscle Power
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.”
CytoSport Secures Preliminary Court-Ordered Injunction of Muscle Power Due to Infringement of Muscle Milk® Trademark
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
2009 IFBB New York Pro Contest Info and Competitor Lists

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 wins the IFBB Pittsburgh Pro 202lbs and under contest
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
Iovate Issues Statement Regarding Hydroxycut Recall
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
FDA Warns Consumers to Stop Using Hydroxycut Products
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.
Champion Nutrition & TapouT Announce Licensing Agreement
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.
2009 Pittsburgh Bodybuilding Fitness Figure & Bikini Championships
Wow – probably the most impressive guest posing lineup I have seen in a long time. On Saturday, May 2nd, 2009, at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall, in the Oakland Section of Pittsburgh, the following are going to be coming:
–> Dexter Jackon (#1 ranked and current Mr. Olympia)
–> Kai Green (winner of the 2009 Arnold Classic)
–> Jay Cutler (2 time Mr. Olympia champion, 2008 Mr. Olympia 2nd place)
–> Ronnie Coleman (8 time Mr. Olympia)
–> Victor Martinez (2nd place at the 2009 Arnold Classic)
–> Phil Heath (3rd place at the 2008 Mr. Olympia)
–> Dennis Wolf (4th place at the 2008 Mr. Olympia)
–> Branch Warren (3rd place at the 2009 Arnold Classic)
–> Toney Freeman (5th place 2009 Mr. Olympia, 4th place 2009 Arnold)
Joining the above are King Kamali, Chris Cormier and the 2009 NPC Wheelchair Champion – Jason Greer
Plus some of the finest competitors in the country will be on stage competing in every division.
PREJUDGING 9:00 A.M. FINALS 6:30 P.M.
For contest entries or information:
Jim Manion – (412) 276-5027 – npcfirst@aol.com
Advanced Pre-Paid Evening Reserved Tickets send $25.00 Money Orders only, payable to:
PO Box 442
Carnegie, PA 15106
All evening tickets Reserved $30.00 the day of the contest and Prejudging General Seating $10.00 at the door
2009 IFBB Orlanda Pro (Europa Show of Champions) results
Congratulations to Troy Alves for his first victory as an IFBB pro, with Hidetada Yamagishi and Darrem Charles taking 2nd and 3rd. Here are the compete scorecard results for the men’s pro bodybuilding contest.
http://www.getbig.com/results/mens/orlandopro.htm
IFBB Figure Pro
One point difference was how close it was as Nicole Wilkins-Lee took the title over Heather Mae French in this extremly close contest, with Monica Brant, Inga Nenerayskaite and Erin Stern taking 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Here are the complete scorecard results.
http://www.getbig.com/results/figure/orlandofigure.htm
IFBB Fitness Pro
Shannon Meteraud dominated and took the win, but both Myriam Capes and Mindi O’Brien had stunning routines that catapulted them into the top three. Erin Riley and Tina Durking took 4th and 5th, respectively. Here are the complete scorecard results.
2009 IFBB Orlanda Pro (Europa show of Champions) prejudging pics
Here are the pics, from Isaac Hinds, of the Men’s prejudging, with Troy Alves, Darrem Charles and Hidetada looking like they will place in the top three. The link of the pics is
http://contest.bodybuilding.com/gallery/contest/10782/event/1/
Here is the link for the pictures from the IFBB Pro Figure prejudging
http://contest.bodybuilding.com/gallery/contest/10782/event/3/
Here is the link for the pictures from the IFBB Pro Fitness prejudging
http://contest.bodybuilding.com/gallery/contest/10782/event/4/
75th Anniversary of Muscle Beach Venice
From Joe Wheatley, the promoter of Muscle Beach Venice.
It all started in 1934 when a group of health and fitness pioneers brought fame to Santa Monica Muscle Beach with their feats of weightlifting, strength and gymnastics. In 2009, Muscle Beach Venice marks the 75th Anniversary of the world renown home of bodybuilding.
This historic occasion will be celebrated on July 4th 2009 at the Mr. & Ms. Muscle Beach Bodybuilding, Figure and Bikini Competition. Icons from the industry including Hall of Fame Inductees will be on hand with City of Los Angels Officials to recognize this great history.
Bodybuilding.com, Muscletech and Ironman Magazine are three of the main sponsors of this event. More information coming soon…

2009 IFBB New York Pro Fitness Results – 04-11-09
The 2009 IFBB New York Pro Fitness was held on Saturday, April 11th, 2009.
Here are the results
1. Shannon Meteraud
2. Trish Warren
3. Tina Durkin
4. Nicole Wilkins-Lee
5. Myriam Capes
6. Erin Riley
7. Stephanie Irick
8. Bethany Wagner
9. Shannon Dey
10. Maggie Blanchard
11. Ryall Graber
12. Donna Jones
Complete scorecard info will be at
For complete past contest results, click below
2009 IFBB Europa Show of Champions Mens Competitor List

With a week left to go before the 2009 IFBB Orlando Pro (or the official name ‘Europa Show of Champions’, the men’s bodybuilding competitor list is turning to be one of the weakest lineups in a long time, as many of the top bodybuilders are not competing or have already qualified for the Olympia, or waiting for another IFBB show? Why?
Is it because of the timing this year, in that the IFBB bodybuilding shows were spread out over a few weeks each, instead of them being grouped to enable to competitors to do more than one show. It started with the Ironman Pro, being SIX weeks before the Arnold, and now this show, out in April, with the nearest next big men’s contest afterwards being the New York Pro in late May.
Here is the current list of competitors
Men’s Bodybuilding…
Troy Alves (USA)
Francisco Bautista (Spain)
Raul Carrasco (Spain)
Darrem Charles (Trinidad)
Omar Deckard (USA)
George Farah (USA)
Andy Haman (USA)
Jonathan Rowe (USA)
Frederic Sauvage (France)
Nathan Wonsley (USA)
Hidetada Yamagishi (Japan)
2009 IFBB Europa Show of Champions Womens Competitor List
Besides the IFBB Pro Men’s Bodybuilding competitions, there is also an IFBB Pro Figure and Fitness competition, of which the top three in each become qualified to compete in the 2009 Figure and Fitness Olympia. Here are the current competitor lists from each competition, which will be held on April 18th, in Orlando, Florida.
IFBB Pro Fitness competitors include
Maggie Blanchard (USA)
Myriam Capes (Canada)
Tina Durkin (USA)
Ryall Graber (Canada)
Liza Hughes (USA)
Donna Jones (Australia)
Siene Silva (USA)
IFBB Pro Figure Competitors include
Aymara Bernardo (Venezuela)
Monica Brant (USA)
Deanne Brown (Canada)
Natalie Calland (USA)
Rachel Cammon (USA)
Heather Mae French (USA)
Brandie Gardner (USA)
Valerie Haines (USA)
Lisbeth Halikka (Finland)
Alana Hernandez (USA)
Catherine Holland (USA)
Ines Jimenez (Costa Rica)
Cea Anna Kerr (Canada)
Amy Lee Martin (USA)
Petra Mertl (Czech)
Hazal Nelson-Etiz (USA)
Inga Neverauskaite (Lithuania)
Kristin Nunn (USA)
Nicole Pritcher-Scott (United Kingdom)
Marcy Porter (USA)
Stacy Simons (Bermuda)
Erin Stern (USA)
Laura Sutter (USA)
Shelly Taucher (USA)
Natalie Waples (Canada)
Karen Williams (Trinidad)
For more information on the competition, you can go to
http://www.ifbbpro.com/events/2009-europa-show-of-champions-contest-information/
2009 NPC Emerald Cup – April 17-18, 2009
While the NPC and IFBB Europa Show of Champions is being held in Orlando on April 18th, in the West coast, in Bellevue, Washington (near Seattle), the largest local NPC competition in the USA, the 2009 NPC Emerald Cup will be held on the same weekend. Close to 250 NPC competitors will line up the stage in 2 days. Here is the information if you wish to check it out.

We will be there, taking pictures and updating info on both sides of the coasts.
Pictures from various contests and the Boise Fitness Expo
We have updated the pics that a few of us (Isaac Hinds, Ron Avidan, Mark Mason) have taken over the last few weeks from various contests that we post on bodybuilding.com and other places. In the pictures section, here is a list of many of the pictures that you might of missed seeing.
To check them out, just click on the link below.
2009 Boise Fitness Expo recap
Bodybuilding.com, the Internet’s most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site and largest retailer of nutritional supplements, held its 8th Annual Bodybuilding.com Fitness Expo April 3rd at the Knitting Factory Concert House in celebration of fitness and health, and in true BFE fashion it was bigger than ever! Free admission, free supplements, and the promise of a night to remember drew in a record crowd for the event. For those who weren’t fortunate enough to attend (or were stuck at the end of the never-ending line) here’s what you missed:
Mr. USA, Masters Champion, IFBB Pro and Bodybuilding.com-sponsored athlete Bob Cicherillo hosted the event with his usual flare, pulling the hottest stars on stage throughout the evening. Such celebrities included: Kim Lyons (trainer from The Biggest Loser); Mr. Universe Gunter Schlierkamp (seen in Warner Bros. “Beerfest”); UFC Light-Heavyweight Champ Rashad Evans and UFC Welterweight Champ Thiago “Pitbull” Alves; Pro Bodybuilders “X-Man” Toney Freeman, Trey “Phenom” Brewer, Hall of Famer Kevin Levrone and Flex Lewis; 2x Ms. Figure Olympia Jenny Lynn; and many more!
The Bodybuilding.com stage was packed with live entertainment. Pro Bodybuilder Marika Johansson (“The Viking Queen”) kicked off the night with a stunning posing routine, putting most of the men in attendance to shame. World champion competitive jump rope team The Summerwind Skippers took the stage next, performing an action-packed jump routine. Pro bodybuilding superstar Flex Lewis showed off his winning posing routine, and handed out a year’s worth of supplements to the 115lb, 5’10” winner of the ever-popular Mr. Puniverse competition. To follow up the puniness, there was an Exhibition of Strength performed by champion strongman competitors Corey St. Clair and Grant Higa.
The Miss Bikini BodySpace competition kept the crowd entertained throughout the night, as members of BodySpace (Bodybuilding.com’s social network) competed for the title. Bodybuilding.com spokesperson Crystal Matthews and bodybuilder Jerome “Hollywood” Ferguson hosted this inaugural competition, and it was a close race with 12 beautiful, fit contestants. Lacey Gale (BodySpace Name: LiveandLove) took home the 1st place trophy along with a $500 prize; Laura Brooks (BodySpace Name: lcbrooks) won the 2nd place prize of $300; and Katie Horner (BodySpace Name: KatieHorner) took 3rd place, winning $200. All 3 winners received a giant bouquet of long-stem roses from ProFlowers, and all contestants took home Bodybuilding.com gym bags filled with women’s supplements and the latest from Bodybuilding.com’s women’s clothing line.
Bodybuilding.com CEO Ryan DeLuca took advantage of the opportunity to announce the winners of the 2009 Bodybuilding.com Employee 12-Week Transformation Challenge, as well as the Bodybuilding.com Employee of the Year. Ryan Suydam lost 38lbs of body fat, taking home Transformation of the Year and winning an all-expense-paid trip to the 2009 Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas. Ever-humble Human Resources Manager Staci McCulloch won the well-deserved Employee of the Year title, taking home a commemorative trophy and prizes.
This year’s most inspirational performance came from Bodybuilding.com athlete and wheelchair bodybuilder Nick Scott. Originally diagnosed as a paraplegic after a tragic car accident in 1998, Scott became depressed and basically gave up on life, letting his weight balloon to 300lbs. Scott then decided to prove his doctors wrong by learning to walk again. He didn’t stop there though; he took his rehab to the next level to become the 2009 Heavyweight Wheelchair National Bodybuilding Champion. “Once I started competing I fell in love with the sport. Seeing the other competitors on stage overcoming their disabilities, I don’t know…I just wanted to take it to that next level. To do that, I wanted to lead by example,” said Scott. He did just that at the BFE, with an amazing posing routine in and out of his wheelchair. Everyone in attendance went home a Nick Scott fan.
Bodybuilding.com knows how to put on a show, and the 2009 BFE was no exception. After putting on an even this great, the only challenge they face now is topping it next year. In response to this, Director of Marketing John Shumate said, “The show may have just ended, but Bodybuilding.com is already looking at new ways to make it even bigger and better in 2010, so stay tuned.”
2009 Olympia prize money increased to $800,000
The Olympia weekend’s prize money just got bigger, to an incredible $800,000, an increase of $45,000 from last year’s prize money. And what does the winner of the 2009 Mr. Olympia get? $200,000 – currently of which their is no clear front runner, although Dexter Jackson has the title and will be defending it against a myriad of top bodybuilders, including Victor Martinez, Jay Cutler, Phil Heath, and Kai Greene.
Thanks to our friends at flexonline.com, who gave us the heads up of the total prize purse. It times of a recession, and some of the toughest days, it is great to see AMI supporting and putting more money into the best bodybuilding contest!
To purchase regular or VIP tickets for the Olympia, please go to this link