2009 NPC Excalibur Bodybuilding, Figure, and Bikini Championships
I attended the 2009 NPC Excalibur in Culver City, CA over the weekend and had a great time meeting and greeting old and new friends/fans. I had a couple of good friends from Orange County competing, so of course I wanted to be there to offer my support. Being around the scene again made me miss competing even more, and was a quick reminder of how strong the fan base is here in southern California. It was absolutely awesome catching up with old friends/fans, and meeting and greeting those whom I had not had the pleasure of meeting before. Jon Lindsay does an excellent job of staying organized and making every single one of his contestants feel important. The only negative thing that I can say about the show stems from the disappointment of seeing national level competitors stepping backwards to steal the thunder from the local-level competitors who are trying to make a mark for themselves in the sport. I am not going to name anyone, but I saw a bunch of people who recently competed at the NPC Nationals in Miami two weekends ago. Why do I have such a problem with this? One, I don’t see the point in conquering the same feat, and two, it’s not fair to those who are trying to “get their feet wet.”
I do understand that some of these people have to re-qualify for the NPC USA’s and Nationals next year, but I still don’t like the fact that there are no longer any shows for bodybuilding newbies to compete in without the fear of having seasoned athletes come in and stealing the spotlight. On a positive note, I am glad all NPC shows here in southern California are national qualifiers as it will draw more newbies to the Muscle Beach Classic that I am actively a part of in Venice Beach, CA. So if you are thinking about competing or one of those who are discouraged by the recent NPC changes, then I highly suggest shooting me an email or going to the Muscle Beach website for more information on the alternative.
My friends who competed and their respective classes and placing are as follows:
1) Chris Kimbers (HW OPEN) 5th
2) Julia Aragon (Figure B, OPEN) 1st
3) Scott Cliffton (HW NOVICE) 1st
Both Chris Kimbers and Scott Cliffton have only two years of competitive bodybuilding under their belts, so am very proud of their progress … many of you have seen Chris as an extra on CSI Miami. In my opinion, Chris needs about another 20-25 pounds of raw muscle on his frame to have a legitimate shot at an IFBB Pro Card. Scott, on the other hand, needs about 40-50 pounds as he towers at the height of 6′3″. I will be working with the both of them in the offseason, so expect great things from them in late 2010 or 2011.
Julia Aragon is a rising star in the sport of Figure. She resides in El Paso, TX and was confident enough to bring her talents to the Mecca of the NPC to face off against the best in the area. The 2009 Excalibur was only her second show and her first at a National Qualifier. I don’t think it will be long before she storms through the national circuit and earns her pro card. Definitely watch out for her!
Overall, the show displayed a phenomenal group of athletes and the fan base was second to none. Both the Prejudging and Finals drew large crowds, which is excellent considering our country’s economic woes. Please continue to support the sport and always remember that the very least that you should be doing is staying healthy so that you are most ready to seize the moment when the economy does recover.
Jenah V. says:
Give credit where credit is earned. Do you think Troy would want to do another contest if they weren’t making him? I don’t know about you but I don’t like suffering and putting my body through more than it has to go through. Thank you.
December 10th, 2009 at 12:31 am