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I had a chance to shoot with newly crowned IFBB Bikini Pro Stacey Oster yesterday in my Denver photo studio. We had a great shoot and captured a variety of looks. Look for more of Stacey in the months ahead.
Monique Minton was set to take the stage at the NPC JR USA last weekend. She sent in her entry fee and was all set for the first ever National NPC bikini contest. Ms. Minton was mysteriously missing, so where in the world is she? Monique has been cast as one of three ring girls for the movie “Warrior” which stars Nick Nolte. Filming is taking place now and is set to hit theatres next summer.
Nolte plays an ex-Vietnam vet boxer-turned-steel mill worker whose family was torn apart by his alcoholism; the now-sober and remorseful dad welcomes back his youngest son (Hardy) and trains him to compete in a mixed martial arts tournament. He and his older brother, played by Edgerton, are on a collision course in the ring. – cagepotato.com
Monique tells me she still plans to compete in bikini and will do so in Texas sometime next month. She’ll need to qualify for a national level bikini show since missing the Jr USA event. She currently has her sights set on the NPC USAs held in Las Vegas this July. Props to Monique for the mainstream gig and for letting us know where the heck she’s been hiding lately.
Here is yet another example why the addition of the NPC Bikini division is a good thing. The winner of the NPC California State Bikini Tall Class, Amanda Latona is far more than a pretty face. She was recently featured in Muscle & Fitness, on the cover of MAX Sports Magazine but before all of that she was a singer. Check out this video of her showing off more than just a pretty face and hot body.
Just in case you think that she’s someone who only sounds good in a recording studio, check out this a capella performance.
You would have never seen this type of talent grace the NPC stage if it weren’t for the new bikini division. Props to Amanda for the rock’n voice and the bod to match it. Look for her to make some waves on and off the competitive stage. Check out some of the California State Bikini photos on shot by Ron Avidan.
Who would win in a Hardbody Boxing Bout… A Bodybuilder or Bikini Competitor? Bodybuilder, Britt Miller recently tried her hand at boxing and scored a knockout. Bikini competitor, Jessica Lawrence was a boxer before hanging up the gloves for bikini. The latest uproar in the industry is that bikini competitors aren’t athletes and hardly work out. So what if a bodybuilder who does work out and trains hard faced a bikini competitor whom many claim aren’t of the same stature? I was talking with IRONMAN magazine’s Lonnie “The Swami” Teper about this topic this afternoon. LT commented, “Okay, the battle is set…I want to promote my first ever boxing match, the Don King/Bob Arum of our industry. Britt Miller vs Jessica Lawrence! Bodybuilder vs. Bikini. Yogi Avidan will be the referee. I’m making Britt a 1 1/2-1 favorite for the opening line.”
Now this would be one helluva a fight that could sell a few tickets. Who’s in? LOL
Shelsea Montes, the overall NPC JR USA bikini winner, has been compared to a doll by many. I’m not up on my dolls so when a few people told me she looked like a little Bratz doll I had to check into it. Turns out, Shelsea does kinda look like a Bratz Doll. It’s certainly not a bad thing and actually kind of funny. The first Bikini Pro already has her own look-alike doll.
Congratulations to the five new pros that came out of Charleston, SC last weekend. Andrea Watson continued on her win streak and went four for four in each of her NPC figure contests. Pretty impressive for this being her first year on the competition scene and now she’s a pro. Yes, she really is that good and will be another shorty that can hang tall on the next level. The second figure pro card went to Gennifer Strobo. Gennifer steadily moved her way up in placings last year and found her way into the winner’s circle last Saturday. Great delts and a tiny waist helped her win a pro card. She’ll need to fill out and put on a little bit of size in order to be competitive in the pro ranks but hey that means eating. Gennifer is looking to make her debut in the Ft. Lauderdale Classic this fall. Team Bombshell Fitness has served notice on the female competitive front – these ladies don’t mess around when it comes to whoop’n some ass on stage. Both Andrea and Gennifer train with the husband/wife duo of Shannon Dey and Rob Rosseti, the masterminds behind Bombshell Fitness.
The Fitness pro card went to the very deserving Sandi Stuart. Sandi has been battling in the NPC ranks for years coming up just short a number of times. She had a solid routine, her physique was in condition and she came prepared. After the show Sandi had an overwhelming sense of relief and understandably so.
The two bikini pro cards went to Shelsea Montes and Stacey Oster. Shelsea’s a pint size little dynamo from Cedar Park, Texas. She’s was turning heads at the check-in and has the upbeat, sassy energy about her everywhere she goes. Shelsea brought that energy to the stage and won the judges and the crowd over. She’s a testament to what posing and presentation in the bikini division can do for you. It was clear she’d win her class but not the overall. Her presentation, in my opinion, is what helped her secure the first ever Bikini Pro card. She told me after the show that she works out, trains regularly and follows a healthy nutrition plan. The second pro card went to Stacey Oster of Greely, Colorado. Like Shelsea it was clear from the comparisons that Stacey was the stand out in her class. She looked to have softened up a bit from her Contra Costa win and also wore a different swimsuit. It wasn’t intential that she sported a different suit though. No, Stacey was a bit stressed out heading into this competition. She tells me her competition suit along with a number of bikinis, all her makeup, heels and other outfits had been lost while traveling. The airline lost her luggage and it’s still mysteriously missing to this day. Stacey definitely has a fitness model type of physique which is what I think the division should be described as. The name won’t change, it’s the Bikini Division, however when describing it to others I say think of a fitness model. Stacey is borderline “too muscular” for bikini in some people’s opinion. If she had showed up looking like she did when I saw her at the Denver Dream tryouts, I would agree she would be too muscular however that wasn’t the package presented on stage in Charleston.
The newest FLEX magazine has hit the shelves and IFBB Fitness Pro Mindi O’Brien is featured in the Women Are Back section. Check out some of the unpublished photos on FLEXonline.com and pick up the newest issue to see the published images.
I’m digging the entire new CD (Relapse) by Eminem. The song 3 am is a little disturbing when you listen to all the lyrics but I’m digging the beat to it.
Sitting nude in my living room
It’s almost noon
I wonder what’s on the tube
Maybe they’ll show some boobs
Please Note: I’m not speaking on behalf of the NPC and I am not an official of the NPC, these are simply my observations on what I’ve seen from a few shows thus far.
I visit a number of message boards once or twice a day and post mainly on the popular female message board Siouxcountry.com. It never ceases to amaze me, no matter what happens at any given show someone is crying the blues. Fitness, Figure, Bodybuilding and now Bikini are subjective competitions. The physique I prefer may be different than the person next to me, it’s the nature of the beast. If you enter a show remember this and don’t go on message boards complaining. Bitching and moaning and being overly vocal about your thoughts as a competitor does nothing for you. Ever notice how the winners are never online complaining? It cracks me up to read people (mainly women) complaining about the new bikini contest and being confused about the look. It’s pretty clear there is a distinction between the Figure & Bikini, at least to me. Is it perfected yet? No. It will take some time but the overall comparisons between Figure and Bikini speak to this.
As you can see the Figure women have more muscle and the most noticable difference are the capped delts. The bikini women are fit, toned, athletic and carry far less muscle than the Figure women. I wouldn’t say the Bikini women have no muscle, they do but it’s a softer, toned look. A tan definitely helps and in my opinion is necessary for a bikini competitor. You’re under hot bright stage lights if you’re not tan your muscle tone will get washed out. The two biggest things that don’t translate in photos (and are crucial to the bikini division) are presentation and suit selection. Bikini competitors who wear a competition suit like they would in Fitness/Figure look out of place. A cute, well fitted bikini off the store rack or custom made bikini looks 100x better than a regular Fitness/Figure competition suit. If the suit is cut right and flattering to your body it makes a world of difference. Presentation can definitely make or break a competitor. The women who place higher in Bikini can…
1) Walk in heels with confidence and not stumble.
If you aren’t used to walking in heels and lack the ability to “work it” then you should practice. It shows when you aren’t confident on stage. You look like a deer caught in the headlights. Remember whatever you’re thinking shows on stage. If you’re nervous and scared you display it on stage and it’s usually unintentional.
2) Have some sass.
Don’t go out there and frown, scowl or be frumpy. Work it. You’re in shape, you’ve worked hard, paid your entry fee so go out there and have fun. Don’t over due it and look trashy but hit a few poses.
3) Act as if it’s a photo shoot.
Over exaggerate by popping one hip to the side. From the back pop your butt out a little bit. Every booty has a crease so when you pop it out just a tiny bit you eliminate that and it looks better. Catch the judges attention when you present your physique.
Those are the three biggest things that stand out to me when it comes to presentation in bikini. You’re not on stage for long so don’t rush your presentation but also don’t be out there for an uncomfortably long time. If you hit a front, back and then front again in 5 seconds you 1) won’t capture the judges attention and 2) will end up with no photos and be pissed after the fact.
The thing to remember is the judges can only judge what is on the stage at that given day. The bikini division is new and the word needs to get out to women beyond the core audience already involved. There weren’t a ton of bikini competitors in the first pro qualifier however the class winners looked good. There were one or two divisions where the judges didn’t have much to compare so they had to reward what they felt was the best of the group.
2Pac’s Keep Ya Head Up is a good reminder for everyone. It’s easy to get down when you don’t place well or feel like the world is beat’n ya down.
I ran into Britt Miller over the weekend while in Charleston and this woman is stunning. If more female bodybuilders looked like her, you might see more interest in female bodybuilding. She told me she’s getting ready for NPC USAs, which is held in July. You might recall the post where Britt decided to try her hand at boxing, if not here’s the link. She definitely over-powered her opponent in the video below but I don’t think we’ll see her becoming the next Laila Ali just yet. Still worth checking out though.
Props to Siouxcountry.com board for the find.
Welcome back from the extended holiday weekend. Better Than Ezra – Absolutely Still is your Tuesday song of the day.
You saw the White Chicks and Gang signs. Here’s the rookie competitor version of that from the California Pro. Jennifer Dejoya, Alicia Harris and Amy O’Neil. The three made their pro debut over the weekend and had some fun backstage posing. Thanks for the pics ladies and congrats on a job well done.
Skratch n Sniff have pretty good show where they mix songs together. Some are better than others. Here is a pretty cool example of mixing Saving Able and Lil Wayne.
A big shout out to all those who have and are currently serving in the military. Have a safe and Happy Memorial Day.
What an excellent contest, as Heather Mae French defeated 28 other competitors to win the IFBB California Pro. Sonia Gonzales came in second, with Kristi Tauti 3rd, Meriza DeGuzman 4th and Rosa-Maria Romero in 5th.
Here are the complete results from the 2009 IFBB California Pro
1 – Heather Mae French
2 – Sonia Gonzales
3 – Kristi Tauti
4 – Meriza DeGuzman
5 – Rosa-Maria Romero
6 – Alicia Harris
7 – Jennifer DeJoya
8 – Carin Hawkins
9 – Krissy Chin
10 – Jane Awad
11 – Sherlyn Roy
12 – Kristin Nunn
13 – Michele Mayberry
14 – Crystal Lowery
15 – Tanya Merryman
16 – Natalie Calland
17 – Amy Lee Martin
18 – Macey Boudreau
19 – Nadya Castellas
20 – Deanne Brown
20 – Becky Clawson
20 – Lorena Cozza Italy
20 – Celeste Gonzalez Spain
20 – Catherine Holland USA
20 – Geogina Lona Mexico
20 – Amy O’Neil USA
20 – Laura Sutter USA
20 – Natalie Waples Canada
20 – Karen Williams Trinidad
Complete scoreboards results are here
http://www.getbig.com/results/figure/californiafigure.htm
It looks like your three Olympia qualifying competitors from the California Pro figure show will be Sonia Gonzales, Heather Mae French and Kristi Tauti. Those appear to be the top three with the win going to either Sonia or Heather. Rounding out the top six look to be Meriza Deguzman, Rosa Marie Romero and Alicia Harris.
Those of you who took our poll earlier and voted for Alicia “Smiley” Harris for the win can give yourselves a pat on the back as she will lead the rookies with the highest finish.
The NPC JR USA prejudging begins in one hour. Follow along with the action on hardbodynews twitter account. If you don’t know what the hell twitter is or care to know, just watch the box on the right hand column to see updates. You may have to hit refresh to get the latest news but it will appear in the twitter box on the right.
Good luck everyone! If you’re at the show come up and say hello. A number of people have and I appreciate the feedback and meeting the hardbody peeps.
Tonight one hard working hardbody will leave Charleston and the ranks of the NPC behind. Who will it be? We’ll have to wait and see but a couple early favorites, at least on paper have emerged.
Cinzia Clapp took the overall honors at the Emerald Cup Fitness last month and she was fifth at the 2008 Team Universe. Victoria Larvie took fourth at the ’08 Team Universe and continues to improve. She’s one of the youngest competitors on the stage but it certainly doesn’t hold her back when it comes to her routines. If Sandi Stuart comes in with the conditioning is capable of achieving watch out for her. She’s been close a number of times but left with no cigar. I wouldn’t be surprised if you see her smoke’n the competition today. Sandi has a new routine that will involve some type of motorized device. We’ll see how she rolls today. Colorado girl, Lauren Niehaus will look to flatten the wheels of Stuart as she competes against her in the same fitness class.
Follow along on the right hand side in our Twitter box or follow us to stay updated.
American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert sings a kick ass version of Mad World.
All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Keep your eye out for what the bikini division brings out this weekend. The West Coast will have the NPC California show where I’m told to watch out for Jennifer Celeste. Jennifer was the runner-up in the FLEX bikini contest two years ago and she can be seen working the Champion Nutrition booth. She’s definitely an attractive lass with some sass. Don’t be surprised if she walks away the champ tomorrow in Culver City. Still no official word on what Ron “Yogi” Avidan said to Jennifer back at the IRONMAN PRO. Check out the photo I’m referring to.
Two ladies to keep an eye on this weekend in Charleston are Jessica Lawrence and Jaime Baird. You’ve seen the both here on hardbody in the past couple weeks. They both have overall bikini titles under their belts. I caught up with the J’s for a shoot and both look awesome.
I know you’re all anxiously awaiting my crazy stories from Charleston thus far, or maybe not. Either way, it’s been quite the adventure. I took a red-eye flight of Denver and lucky me I had the middle seat that didn’t recline (thanks Shannon). The dude next to me snored and the children behind me cried the entire time. SWEET! My second flight from Atlanta to Charleston was hilarious. I got to my seat and this character who looked like Tracey Morgan was sitting with his hands inside his shirt. It was cold on the plane so it wasn’t that weird, at least not at that point. Once we took off the guy proceeded to get inside his shirt for the duration of the flight. He was either wanted by the authorities or taking the swine flu precautions up a notch. It was amusing either way.
I arrived in Charleston with no problems and the city looked cool with all the surrounding water.
I proceed to get my rental car and Jo seemed to be in slow motion. Jo was the Avis/Budget worker. She couldn’t find my reservation. Jo talked in her souther drawl and I’m thinking great a slow motion redneck idiot, just what I need. Turns out I am the idiot as I booked my reservation for the JR Nationals dates. After Jo tried to get me in a convertible (it was pouring rain and not much need for that) I was on my way to the hotel.
I was able to check in early which was sweet. Sweet until I started unpacking and went into the bedroom to see a dirty ass room that hadn’t been cleaned yet. Not so sweet. The manager apologized and moved me to a clean room, which was nice. After a little nap I hit Walmart for some snacky snacks and water. I located a Buffalo Wild Wings which will be showing the UFC event on Saturday night. That’s where my happy ass will be after the show.
I caught up with Andrea Watson and Jaime Baird for a photo shoot. Both Bombshell Fitness girls look great and should be contenders in this show. You’ll recall both women took home overall titles in Pittsburgh (Andrea – Figure, Jaime – Bikini). We got some great shots and both did well modeling.
After watching the Nuggets win (suck it Lakers) I crashed. Good night’s rest and then it was time for the morning check-in. So far 1/2 the competitors have checked in. I saw stand out from last year, Teri Turner in attendance and she looks great. There are a number of women who stand out in the crowd. The overall Contra Costa Bikini winner, Stacey Oster is competing and rocked the pajamas at check-in. You’ll recall Stacey stood out at the Denver Dream tryouts with not only her physique but also her ability to whiz the football. Orlando’s overall bikini winner, Mariza Prince is competing and one tall drink of water. There aren’t many bikini competitors in each class but there are a few women that jump out right away.
There is a second check-in this evening and then the action starts tomorrow bright and early. It will be a very good show to kick the year off. Stay tuned for more updates and details throughout the weekend.
There will be over two hundred competitors participating in the NPC JR USA and the action gets under way this morning. Here’s a schedule of events for today. One more day to go until we see FIVE new IFBB females.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Embassy Suites Convention Center
9 a.m. – 7 p.m. NPC Promoters Office: Meeting Room 2
9 a.m. – 10 a.m. Weigh-in / Check-in (Men): Meeting Room 3
10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Weigh-in / Check-in (All Women): Meeting Room 3
5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Final Weigh-in / Check-in (Men & Women): Mtg. Rm. 3
Check back for more info throughout the day and follow us on Twitter for the latest news as it happens.
Glee Cast – Don’t Stop Believin‘ is currently the number one download on iTunes. Hmmm. Really? A different to one of Journey’s Greatest Hits.
I think I’ll take the original version.
My trip to South Carolina started at 1:15 on a red eye flight to Charleston. It’s been quite the adventure along the way and I’ll write all about it this evening. Here’s a little taste of my trip so far…
In the spirit of this weekend’s NPC JR USA in Charleston, today reminds me of the lay of Carolina land. Little twangy with some giddy up. Matt Wertz’s Carolina is a pretty good lil’ tune.
My fellow “experts” stooges, Ron “Yogi” Avidan and Lonnie Teper have challenged me to predict the top five for this weekend’s California Pro. I’d have better luck playing the lottery than picking a top five in this line up so we’ll go with just the winner. Since Lonnie will be the emcee of this show and Ron will be there photographing, they didn’t want to fear for their lives for leaving anyone out (despite their challenge to me). The great thing about this show is that any number of women could win and find themselves in the top five. Only the top three will qualify for the Figure Olympia. Now for the winning picks…
Ron changed the tune of his fiddle diddle when he saw that the Denver Dream’s Heather Mae French entered. Originally Ron was going with Sonia Gonzales but says, “after carefully analyzing the situation I am going to take Heather as she’s just great. She looks good and I predict a win for her. Too bad the Nuggets can’t win in LA.” Okay Yogi, Thanks for that babbling response which does make some sense for once. Kinda.
Now onto the elder of the group, Lonnie “still hanging” Teper. Lonnie is predicting a win for Sherlyn Roy. When pressed for why he is going with Sherlyn he commented, “It’s simple-she won my Junior Cal in 2006, and Sherlyn is a special guest (along with Michael O’Hearn) at my show on June 20, so gotta stick with the home girl.” I can appreciate that prediction, not bad but you and Yogi are out to lunch.
My prediction? Well Heather Mae French is on a roll. She lost by one point in Orlando and I had her winning the show from my seat was her best pro showing to date (in my opinion). She could definitely come in and win this show. However, I’m going with Sonia Gonzales for the win. She’s had some time off since the Figure International and I look for her to come in better this time around.
When you break it down on paper, these could definitely be your top three competitors battling it out for the title. They finished 7-8-9 at the Figure International with Heather placing the highest followed closely by Sonia and Sherlyn. Last year, Heather was the runner-up in this show narrowly losing to Felicia Romero.
Who do you like for the win or are the stooges off and someone else will win?
Looking for some motivation or maybe just a new look to your desktop? Check out some of the cool new women’s wallpapers featured on bodybuilding.com.
If you’re competing in the NPC JR USA or know some one who is check out the following information on purchasing video and photographs.
Official Videographer – Mark Mason
Mark will be video taping the entire competition and will have DVDs available for purchase on his web site.
http://www.markmasonmedia.com
Official NPC Photographer – Isaac Hinds
Order forms are available here. (pdf) Prints will also be available after the show for purchase at photos.liftstudios.com
Bodybuilding.com, FLEXonline.com and here on hardbody.com we’ll keep you updated with photos, news and all the action as it happens this weekend. For more information on the first National NPC show of the year, visit: http://npcjrusa.com
Andrea Watson is keeping everyone updated on what’s shaken in her world as she heads into this weekend’s NPC JR USA. Here’s the latest tweet from her, which I’m sure every dieter out there can appreciate.
That’s a ton of asparagus. What’s the over/under odds on how many times Andrea has to stop and pee on her road trip to Charleston? You can follow Andrea here and be sure to follow all the action in Charleston via our twitter feed.
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