Promoter Tim Gardner may be u
nique in all of bodybuilding when it comes to his annual contest held in Tampa, Florida. And the primary reason is that the event carries with it so many names. Of course there's the NPC Tim Gardner Extravaganza, and at the IFBB pro level it's known as the Tampa Wings of Strength Pro, the Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Championships or simply the Tampa Pro.
Call it what you will, it has grown steadily over the past several years and for the 2014 edition with all the divisions both amateur and pro, they're probably still counting all the entries. Someone mentioned there were 223 men and women pro entries making it the biggest IFBB pro event ever.
For anyone
who may have conjured up an idea that this upstart Golden State Pro Championships would be a laid back California affair with a little flexing of muscle and lot of throwing back those exotic umbrella drinks, think again. True fans of bodybuilding who made the trek to central California had to be very pleasantly surprised.
The fellows at Spectrum Fitness Productions (Ted Williamson and John Tuman) put on a dandy contest, and with the women's Physique division holding up more than their end of the bargain with a talented group of 14 contestants and plenty of quality muscle, they easily earned two thumbs up.
Now in its fourth year of existence as the newest of the NPC women's divi
sions, the Physique division has established a strong following as well as providing an alternative to the longstanding bodybuilding division where muscular development is an integral part of the judging process in both divisions.
It's Las Vegas. It's late July. It's 110 deg
rees. And once again for the 15th consecutive year since the turn of the millennium, Jon Lindsay Productions is staging the enormous NPC USA Championships at the Artemus Ham Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas. As the sister contest to the NPC Nationals, the NPC USA is one of the two most anticipated events on the NPC competitive schedule annually.
Stars are made at this event. And when it comes to women's bodybuilding, the tradition is impressive. Iris Kyle launched her remarkable competitive career after winning the overall 1998 NPC USA, and yes, that contest was also held in Las Vegas.
A contest tradition
has to begin somewhere. All the events we now treasure as 'must see' shows on the annual contest schedule had, in many cases, humble and even unheralded beginnings. But over the years, they grow. They gain a reputation among the fans and competitors based on how the event was presented and promoted. The strong survive and even flourish.
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