On the Florida NPC Competition Road Again

March 2009

By Pete Fancher

The 2009 NPC schedule is about to begin kicking off in Palm Beach Gardens with the Sunshine Classic.  This will be the first show that the new bikini division will be making its debut and I think that everyone is anxiously awaiting to see what will be presented and how it will be judged.

As with Figure when it made its debut, it is going to take the better part of the season to get a handle on what is presented on stage in front of us judges and to sort out exactly what we are doing at each show.  Hopefully the learning curve on this will be very short and by the mid-point of the season competitors and judges will have a good idea as to what is expected.  Be patient as the judges will be learning right along with the competitors.

We have added a couple of shows for 2009 in the Central District and this should make for an exciting season.

First up is the return of the Jax Physique on April 4, which is the first show in the Central District,  after a very long absence and is being promoted by Dexter Jackson and John Meir. These two promoters should put on a fine contest and bring Jacksonville back up to the status of a great bodybuilding town that it enjoyed years ago.  The next new show is just two weeks after on April 17 & 18 and is the Europa Show of Champions in Orlando that is being promoted by Ed and Betty Pariso who have promoted the same event in Dallas for about 10 years.  This should be a good addition to our schedule.

Joe Lyons has brought back the Space Coast to Melbourne on July 25.  This event was originally promoted many years ago by Skip Meyers of Deland and was a huge event.  After Skip passed away Sonny Molinelli took up the show and held it as a drug tested event in Merritt Island. 
Neil Butler took up the show after Sonny passed away and removed the drug testing and promoted it off and on for a few years.  Joe has been working very hard on this production for a year and it should be a good event. 
  

On February 6 I was invited to Fort Myers to speak at a two day seminar that was being held at the World Gym for Figure, Fitness and Bikini competitors to help them with their presentations, preparations, suits, tanning and that old question of what the judges are looking for.  The promoters of the two shows being held in the Ft. Myers-Cape Coral area were also on hand to speak about their shows.  This event was run by one of our figure competitors, Cat Griffith of Ft. Myers, who did an excellent job of lining up some knowledgeable speakers.  The ladies in attendance had some great questions and brought a lot of excitement to the session.  A “mock” contest was held with the participants coming out on stage, doing the turns and having a “hands on” critique.  This was an outstanding seminar and hopefully Cat will repeat this same event next year.
    

With the addition of Bikini, the Figure and Fitness competitors now just competing in the two-piece swim suit, new shows along with the great shows that we have in the Central District should make for an exciting 2009 season.  My bags are packed and in a few weeks it will be “back on the road again”.