Europa contest in Orlando, FL next weekend

[Timmon]

The reason why Lindsey Spitler placed so low was because of her very weak lower body. Her legs don't come even close to her upper body. It's true that her upper body was close to perfect but with such weak legs she had no chance to place well in a competition.

Interesting point of view Willy Fog, and true. However, the main reason widely reported at the time was that the judges were "shocked" at the level of definition and muscularity that Lindsey carried, and they did not want to see such a physique in Physique. Women with less muscularity and size fared better. I did not read anywhere that lack of lower body development had harmed her placing and indeed, had her legs been bigger, maybe even 8th place would have been a dream.
Even the ultra ripped and muscular Debbie Bramwell, urged her to loose size and definition to do better, a comment I found amusing coming from Debbie, at the time.

[Willy Fog]

OK, you may be right. I don't know how the judging in these competitions works. Sometimes I look at some competition photos and I wonder why such fantastic looking bodies place so low. I guess in some cases working out less makes you place higher in a competition which sounds kind of strange to me.

[Timmon]

OK, you may be right. I don't know how the judging in these competitions works. Sometimes I look at some competition photos and I wonder why such fantastic looking bodies place so low. I guess in some cases working out less makes you place higher in a competition which sounds kind of strange to me.

Agreed. The problem NPC / IFBB now have is that they are reducing the number of FBB shows year on year, until presumably they reach zero. But Physique was introduced to fill the gap between FBB and Figure / Fitness, where Figure is not a flexing contest, and not all women want to get as large as FBB's.
Some on the forum are saying Dani should look towards FBB now, but that would just mean no contests to enter.

So with no FBB contests, the problem will be that more muscular / bigger women will have no where to go, no option to move up to FBB. Thus, we may well have a "Physique contest" future to look forward to, of less muscular ladies in the top 5 and Iris Kyle 18th, Sherri Gray 15th, etc. Hypothetical, but looking at this contest, a very real possibility!

Possibly the weirdest time ever, lies ahead....

[trickdarter]

Anyone know who this is from the Europa in Orlando?

[trickdarter]

[fredzeppelin]

That guy with the Kansas cap on, that guy literally is the King of All Schmoes. I remember
him being at every contest I attended in the early 90s! He still goes, to just about every contest
imaginable. I saw him last year at the Tampa Pro Show, this year I'll go and see him there to
(with a host of other regulars, too).

Some of these hardcore fans literally tailor their lives around the sport. Some of them even
jet across country to see their favorite females, living it up at multiple star hotels. To me that's
a little much, pretty much bordering on obsessional.

Also kinda creepy that a lot of these guys are the antithesis of "fit" -- not only do they appear
never to have lifted a weight in their life, they don't even look like they exercise much at all, or
even get out into the sun that often! Weird.

(For the record, I am very healthy and fit guy -- not a bodybuilder, but I still take pride in a healthy,
 fit appearance).

[fredzeppelin]

Oh and btw, the guy in the backwards black baseball cap and camouflage pants, thats
the famed fbb artist "Tigersan".

[Timmon]

That guy with the Kansas cap on, that guy literally is the King of All Schmoes. I remember
him being at every contest I attended in the early 90s! He still goes, to just about every contest
imaginable. I saw him last year at the Tampa Pro Show, this year I'll go and see him there to
(with a host of other regulars, too).

Some of these hardcore fans literally tailor their lives around the sport. Some of them even
jet across country to see their favorite females, living it up at multiple star hotels. To me that's
a little much, pretty much bordering on obsessional.

Also kinda creepy that a lot of these guys are the antithesis of "fit" -- not only do they appear
never to have lifted a weight in their life, they don't even look like they exercise much at all, or
even get out into the sun that often! Weird.

(For the record, I am very healthy and fit guy -- not a bodybuilder, but I still take pride in a healthy,
 fit appearance).

Yes, khuddle, the guy with the Kansas hat on is Dan Ray. He is an FBB photographer, taking many of the free pics we see on MD etc, plus many photo shoots with the women. He is well liked amongst the women, and thanks to that we get to see many great pics. I guess all photographers could be described as schmoes, but that is why you see him at contests all over the states. The women don't appear to find him creepy, he gets lots of high profile shoots.
So go, Dan go, without you, the FBB coverage would be even poorer than it already is.

[Timmon]

Oh and btw, the guy in the backwards black baseball cap and camouflage pants, thats
the famed fbb artist "Tigersan".

Thanks for that info khuddle. Just looked at some of his work, and that is creepy... each to his own...

[fredzeppelin]

I actually regret some of the comments about these guy who seem to attend every fbb show
out there. I think I may be a tiny bit jealous of them, that I don't have the time to attend as many
shows as they do. I'm also jealous of some them for getting access to private photo shoots with the
women -- lucky SOBs! In any case I'm a schmoe myself, attend the Tampa Pro Show every year
and gawk at all the fabulous, hulking muscle girls like they do.

[Timmon]

Yes, Dan is a prolific photo taker, and if you look at the coverage he did of the Arnold this year, he captured everything. Paparazzi, Pole dancing, Men's, women's, expo, etc. So he clearly loves the sport, and he must get some money for his efforts, or already be getting some sort of income to be able to spend the time he does, no time to keep a regular job. Don't know a lot about him, but we certainly would not know as much about what goes on at these events without him.
I doubt he will become a millionaire covering bodybuilding as a career, but he seems to be happy in his work! Lucky sod!