10-03-2013, 11:52 AM
BODYBUILDING IN USA. ANALYTICAL REVUE.
CONTEMPORARY SITUATION. IN USA NO ONE WANTS TO DEVELOP BODYBUILDING ON OFFICIAL LEVEL.
Up to this time nobody ever tried to make a more or less thorough analysis of bodybuilding in USA. We need to do it today. Through such an analysis we can see plainly the complicated situation USA and World‘s bodybuilding is at. We see the great need to find the way out of the situation. Today bodybuilders pray for wrong idols and the wide public society is beeing fooled for so long time. USA State Governmental Institutions have nothing to do with the official bodybuilding sport as they treat it not the serious way. Bodybuilding became so much commercial and the majority of the International Bodybuilding Leaders look for the profit only forgeting the real sport.
During the last time in the US as well as in Europe lots of „Festivals“, „Fiestas“, „Shows“ and various „Classics“ („FIBO“, „Olympia“, „Arnold Classic“ etc.) appeared. But nobody understans that this is not sport, not real sport. Try to say at the Sport Ministry of any Country that You are the Champion of „FIBO“ or any „Classic“ – nobody even listen to You... These events have no official recognition of any National or International Sport Institution. This way makes bodybuilding sport more and more away from the official recognition as a real kind of sport in our plain understanding.
It is eveident for bodybuilding specialists, that today USA quickly looses it‘s International Leaders positions in bodybuilding. Due to the decades lasting mistaken and false politics of the former USA bodybuilding leaders, today we face the negative results all the World through. On the Official Level bodybuilding is not accepted as sport in general. Majority of important bodybuilding contests in the USA are just commercial shows for public, more like a theater, but not real sport. Everything is slod, everything money can buy – places, contests or even „International federations‘. Does anybody remember a strong USA National Team at a World Championship of any federation? It was at least twenty five years ago.
LONG LASTING LIES.
For our fivety years lasting International work and efforts finally today we have nothing connected with official sport, but selling – buying - playing theater only. Especially in the US.
When the owner of the IFBB (International Federation of Body Builders) Commercial Company our respected BEN WEIDER (Canada) tried to get the IOC (International Olympic Committee) recognition, finally he received the strict IOC refusal to support and to recognize the IFBB. Then the WEIDER brothers (Joseph and Ben) sold all their magazines and the Professional Commercial „Joe Weider‘s Olympia“ contest. And after BEN WEIDER died the private IFBB Commercial Company was sold for another businessman as well. During the last fiveteen years the International bodybuilding situation evidently goes worse and worse. Welook from the side of the official sport and official recognition.
In 2009 the International IFBB was spulit (the details You may finf in our other articles). The new owner of the IFBB Commercial Company (remark: IFBB does not egzist as an official International Sport Federation by Law) RAFAEL SANTONJA (Spain) took some permanent America contest names to Europe, but the majority of them they still are just commercial shows and fare away from the officialy recognized sport competitions.
IFBB as a sport federation never egzisted by Law in the US. After AAU (American Athletes Union) lost their strong positions in 1982, from that time the USA bodybuilding sport has been governed by the NPC (National Physique Committee), but again, by the Law requirements it is not really true (you can see the historic and juridic documents on the International Site www.wff.lt forum topics „World‘s Bodybuilding History. How it was in real“, „IFBB/EFBB illegal financial deals“, „Various International Federations“).
Plain and clear presentation of the International Bodybuilding problems is the IFBB itself: juridical lies, cheating other International Sport Organizations, lies to the sportsmen (see documents on the International Site www.wff.lt, read forum topic „IFBB/EFBB illegal financial deals“). We have mentioned above that the IOC refused to support and to recognize the IFBB. Today we confront some more negative news: the International Organizations the „World Games“ and the „Asia Games“ excluded IFBB from their membership and refused to work with the IFBB any longer too. Also the Asia Olympic Committee officially refused to recognize the IFBB.
USA BODYBUILDING FESTIVALS. FESTIVALS REPLACE OFFICIAL SPORT CONTESTS.
There in no one legal National and International Bodybuilding Federation that covers all the US having Law registration as it is required for a normal sport federation. Bodybuilding in the US is based on many private Companies, which are the owners of the so called „federations“. Even if there would be a Bodybuilding Sport Federation registered by the Law in the US, it is so unimportant, that nobody knows it.
All competitions in the US belong to private Commercial Companies as a private property. Bodybuilding in the US is a kind of business and the Company owners often are selling everytinig, often including contest places. During the last years it is clear as daylight. As we spoke before – just look at the names of the bodybuilding contests in the USA – that are variuos „festivals“, „nights of champions“, variuos „classics“ etc.. Nobody wants to develop official sport and nobody cares for the sportsmen as they have no profit out of this. Even more – the private structures always fight for profit in between. For propaganda reasons they say for naive sportsmen that they use to pay millions of dollars or the professionals. But has anybody seen at least one famous Professional bBdybuilder who became rich of bodybuilding contests? We do not know any... Sometimes it looks like absurd: not long ago a Professional Bodybuilding agent preposed for the WFF-WBBF International to buy a number of World Wide known Pro Bodybuilders to participate at the popular WFF-WBBF Pro Events. The price of them was very low, even under our respect of those Great Names...
This is the reason, why the USA bodybuilding still lives in the chaotic dissorder and it never ends. It negativelly influences all International Sport in general. There is no one to think of sane lives, total fitness and of the official recognized sport of bodybuilding. But even if they want to, they can not do this as their private Companies are not sport federations registered by Law. They cheat all of us from the very beginning.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.
USA has never pretended to be historically connected with the very beginning of bodybuilding. Bodybuilding has come to America from Europe and it always lived a chaotic life.
Starting from 1903 BERNARR MACFADDEN started organizing bodybuilding events in the US.
In the time between the two World Wars there were a number of prominent bodybuilding persons in the US. First of all we should underline CHARLES ATLAS (also named Angelo Siciliano). In 1921 after winning one of BERNARR‘S MACFADDEN competitions CHARLES ATLAS got the respectable title of the „Most Prefectly Developed Man in America“.
BRONE DUBAR PHENOMENA.
In 2013 the International Sport Society was celebrating the 85-th anniversary of female fitness. It is connected with BRONE‘s DUBAR regular trainings and participation in New York City in 1928 - 1931.
Many years are away and today we have not so much information about this sport Pioneer. We know that right before the First World War BRONE DUBAR with her family emigrated from Lithuania to the USA.
We are glad to say that the Americans started collecting additional historic information about BRONE DUBAR for the our coming „Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding“.
USA CHOOSES COMMERCIAL WAY.
When we speak about the bodybuilding sport in USA, we mean that there is no official recognized bodybuilding sport in this country. It has never been. We underline once again, that everything conected with bodybuilding in the US is commerce and business only. You can buy everything, you can sell everything: definite athletes, titles, places even competitions and „international federations“. It is like You are in a super market shop.
The history of bodybuilding sport (especially the International History) has been written under the reguest and under the interests of a number of private Commercial Sport Companies in order to satisfy their private interests. But this history of bodybuilding is not real. Some powerful enough bodybuilding businesmen have written the bodybuilding history for themselves and for their commercial companies and this is the reason that so many of us still are being fooled.
There are still many misunderstandings in the bodybuilding history they represent. For example, the WEIDER brothers (Joseph and Ben) say that the first IFBB (International Federation of Body Builders) America Championhip was held in 1949. But somehow the second America Championship was organized only after ten years in 1958... Strange. Nobody was working??? They say that the JOE WEIDR‘S (Joseph Weider) private commercial contest „Joe Weider OLYMPIA“ has been organized from 1965, but we see the beginning of real competitions starts only from 1975 (held South Africa). Until this time we see no real sport contest in fact. Until 1975 most usually at the „Joe Weider OLYMPIA“ was only one competitor who „fighted“ alone with himself... Is this a real sport sport contest? Competing alone against himself? Often they say that JOE WEIDER is the „Trainer of Champions“ from 1936. Fine, but in 1936 he was only seventeen years old... It is hardly believable he was in bodybuilding sport at all at this age.
We understant that later the WEIDER brothers needed very much a „Great Champion‘s Face“ for their commercial companies and their commercial products. And they found the „commercial face“ in Europe when they by nice offers invited the best Europe bodybuilder ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER from Austria to California.
Nothing ever comes easy. The WEIDER brothers always had to fight for the commercial bodybuilding market in the World as well as in the US. Sometimes they were not successful. Once they appealed to the US Court against AAU (American Athletes Union) for the name „Mr.America“ and lost the case.
It is the fact is that the AAU was the first to start more or less serious bodybuilding sport in USA. As the bodybuilding specialist Ph.D. FREDERICK C.HATFIELD informes, the bodybuilding sport in the US started in 1939 with AAU „Mr. America“ Competitions. Then the Winner was BERT GOODRICH. Strange, but in the same year AAU organized another „Mr. America“ Contest and the next Winner was ROLAND ESSEMAKER.
After the Second World War the International leader of bodybuilding sport was the NABBA UK (National Amateur Body Building Association). NABBA UK was and still is a public sport club by juridical registration. From 1950 NABBA UK organizes anual „Universe“ competition. In 1947 and in 1948 the first two „Universe“ competitions were organized in England by the UK bodybuilding magazine „Strength and Health“ („Strength and Health“ issued from 1898 until now in the UK. It is the World‘s Oldest Bodybuilding Magazine). There was no „Universe“ contest in 1949. Finally in 1950 „Strength and Health“ magazine gave all juridical rights for NABBA UK to organize anual bodybuilding „Universe“ contest and so it does until now.
After the Second World War the NABBA „Universe“ was the only one regular International Bodybuilding Contest in the World every year organized in England. For many years representing America and the US the best AAU bodybuilders participated at the NABBA „Universe“ competitions. As there was no more International Contests around the World in the fivties of the last Century the later Owner and Organizer of the „Joe Weider OLYMPIA“ competition JOE WEIDER also participated at the NABBA „Universe“ but unfortunatelly he was out of the finals. This fact neglects many today‘s historical lies and proves that for such a long period of time no other federation organized International Events but NABBA UK. IFBB organized it‘s first World Amateur Championship in 1959 in Mexico. Then there participated only eight bodybuilders from three Countries: Mexico, Canada and USA. By the way, copying the NABBA UK, for many years the WEIDER brothers called their World Amateur Championships „IFBB Universe“ too.
AAU for several decades organizing anual „Mr. America“ contests was the real bodybuilding sport leader in the US. Having no power to win against AAU in the open competition in 1982 the WEIDER brothers made a clever strategic decission. They suggested the AAU leaders to divide the World‘s commercial bodybuilding market and the Global influence on it. The USA amateur bodybuilding was given for the new organized National NPC (National Physigue Committee) Organization that was owned and run by JIM MANION. Commercial amateur bodybuilding market of all other Countries of the World were covered by the Owner and President of the Commercial IFBB Company BEN WEIDER. The World‘s Professional Bodybuilding Market was given to the Owner of the private Commercial „Joe Weider‘s OLYMPIA“ contest JOE WEIDER.
Below we present the list of the AAU „Mr.America“ Winners (until the NPC appeared)
Year, Name of the Winner
1939 BERT GOODRICH
1940 JOHN GRIMEK
1941 JOHN GRIMEK
1942 FRANK LEIGHT
1943 JULES BACON
1944 STEVE STANKO
1945 CLANCY ROSS
1946 ALAN STEPHAN
1947 STEVE REEVES
1948 GEORGE EIFERMAN
1949 JACK DELLINGER
1950 JOHN FARBOTNIK
1951 RAY HILLIGEN
1952 JIM PARK
1953 BILL PEARL
1954 DICK DUBOIS
1955 STEVE KLISANIN
1956 RAY SCHAEFER
1957 RON LACY
1958 TOM SANSONE
1959 HARRY JOHNSON
1960 LLOYD LERILLE
1961 RAY RUTLEDGE
1962 JOE ABENDA
1963 VERN WEAVER
1964 VAL VASILEF
1965 JERRY DANIELS
1966 BOB GAJDA
1967 DENNIS TINERINO
1968 JIM HAISLOP
1969 BOYER COE
1970 CHRIS DICKERSON
1971 CASEY VIATOR
1972 STEVE MICHALIK
1973 JIM MORRIS
1974 RON THOMPSON
1975 DALE ADRIAN
1976 KAL SZKALAK
1977 DAVE JOHNS
1978 TONY PEARSON
1979 RAY MENTZER
1980 GARY LEONARD
1981 TIM BELKNAP
1982 RUFUS HOWARD
1983 JEFF KING
BOB HOFFMAN.
After the Second World War another America prominent personality BOB HOFFMAN was the International Level Leader and Organizer of bodybuilding sport in the US.
BOB HOFFMAN was one of the first to start official weight lifting sport. Also he published many bodybuilding books and magazines.
Being not different from all other bodybuilding organizers and businessman of the time BOB HOFFMAN had a private Commercial Company too. BOB HOFFMAN was among the first to start sport supplement business. Also he worked on making and selling variuos sport equipment.
Due to the personal initiative and efforts of BOB HOFFMAN bodybuilding became much more popular in the USA.
DAN LURIE.
After the Second World War one more famous and important USA sport organizer and bodybuilder was DAN LURIE.
DAN LURIE set his own International Bodybuilding Organization called the WBBG (World Body Building Guild) that was very active in 1967-1979.
Popularizing bodybuiolding DAN LURIE worked organizing Amateur and Professional competitions (among them „Olympus“ contest) and publishing bodybuilding magazines.
For many years DAN LURIE was surrounded by such Great World‘s Bodybuilding Legends as HAROLD POOLE, RICK WAYNE, BILL GRANT, CHRIS DICKERSON, BOYER COE, TONY EMMOTT, SERGE NUBRET, TONY PEARSON and SERGIO OLIVA.
It was a really great work done for the bodybuilding sport by DAN LURIE but unfortunatelly the WBBG did not play a big noticeble role on the International Bodybuilding Level. Espacially when we speak about the official and recognized bodybuilding sport. By the way, it was DAN LURIE who used the IFBB name first and only later BEN WEIDER named his Commercial Company the same name too.
OVERTURN IN PROFESSIONAL BODYBUILDING. HOW US „FEDERATIONS“ LOOK LIKE. WBF OF VINCE MC. MAHON.
The World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF) was a private bodybuilding organization founded in 1990 in the US by VINCE MC. MAHON (Vincent Kennedy Mc. Mahon).
VINCE MC. MAHON created the WBF as „a commercial competition to the long established IFBB company owned by BEN WEIDER“.
VINCE MC. MAHON presented a bodybuilding magazine called „Bodybuilding Lifestyles“. He hired a famous International Bodybuilding Personality TOM PLAZ („The Golden Eagle“) to oversee the publication of the „Bodybuilding Lifestyles“ magazine.
After 1990 „Joe Weider‘s OLYMPIA“ contest in Chicago VINCE MC. MAHON and TOM PLAZ handed out press releases announcing the WBF's formation. Then VINCE MC. MAHON stated that the WBF would "revamp professional bodybuilding with dramatic new events and the richest prize money in the history of the sport." TOM PLATZ was announced as the Director of Talent Development for the WBF organization.
In 1991 in the WBF of VINCE MC. MAHON had signed thirteen competitors (all famous IFBB Professionals) to long-term contracts: AARON BAKER, MIKE CHRISTIAN, VINCE COMERFORD, DAVID DEARTH, BERRY DEMEY, JOHNNIE MORANT, DANNY PADILLA, TONY PEARSON, JIM QUINN, MIKE QUINN, EDDIE ROBINSON, GARY STRYDOM AND TROY ZUCCOLOTTO. This made nearly a catastrophy for the WEIDER brother‘s „Joe Weider‘s OLYMPIA“ commercial contest that time.
During the history of the WBF VINCE MC. MAHON organized two nice commericial bodybuildng events. The Winner of the both VINCE‘S MC. MAHON events was GARY STRYDOM (1991, 1992).
In 1992 MC. MAHON made another try and it was a deal with one more International Legendary Bodybuilder LOU FERRIGNO, to bring him in as a competitor. After when the 1992 VINCE‘S MC. MAHON event received a low buyrate, he called the owners of the IFBB and announced that the WBF was disbanding.
The WEIDER brothers let all bodybuilders come back and they let them even to participate at their Professional contests, but they never let them take high places at their contests again. The bodybuilding carreer of many of them was ended for ever.
WAYNE DE MILIA.
Another prominent International Professional Bodybuilding Person in the US was WAYNE DE MILIA. He was always working with WEDER brothers, mostly with JOE WEIDER.
The Owner of the private commercial „Joe Weider‘s OLYMPIA“ contest JOE WEIDER appоinted WAYNE DE MILIA to be the Director of the Professional League that was a private property of JOE WEIDER too.
Working for many years WAYNE DE MILIA did a lot to rise the Professional bodybuilding to the level it is today. After JOE WEIDER sold his private „Joe Weider‘s OLYMPIA“ contest to another businessman WAYNE DE MILIA was pressed by the new Owner to leave the the position of the Professional League Director. Then in 2006 WAYNE DE MILIA tried to make his own Bodybuilding Organization:
„Our Pro Division is a corporation that deals with bodybuilding sports entertainment. We are not a sports federation, so we can go to our own set of rules, so to speak. If you are a sports federation, you have to abide by certain rules, according to the Covenant. Because we are a company that will pay taxes, we have a little more leeway“.
WAYNE DE MILIA organized Pro Events in the US and UK, but thay were not successfull. Once he tried to work tohether with the WFF-WBBF International, but a hard desease made him to leave the sport business.
First time the President WFF-WBBF International DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS met WAYNE DE MILIA in the New York City in 1990. Then to the Commercial Contest „Joe Weider‘s OLYMPIA“ for the negotiations of the future common work DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS was invited as a Personal Guest of the Owner and the President of the IFBB Commercial Company BEN WEIDER. In New York DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS discussed with BEN WEIDER the ways to register with the IFBB Commercial Firm a Joint – Wenture Company and then a definite Protocol was signed.
See historical documents in different languages on the International Internet Site www.wff.lt , check forum topic „WFF-WBBF North America“.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER.
Most popular bodybuilder of all times ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER („Austrian Oak“) does not participate at bodybuilding contests any more. The biggest popularity ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER received after he started working with a number of successfull cinema roles in Hollywood. The extremelly cussessfull wedding opened him the doors of the famous KENNEDY Family and that was a great push for the future political career as the Governor of the US California State. This made ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER even more popular.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER started his International bodybuilding life participating at the NABBA UK „Universe“ competitions. He received a great assistance from his trainer KURT MARNUL (Graz, Austria) and also from the President Parliament Austria Professor ALFRED GERSTL. After winning a number of NABBA UK „Universe“ Amateur and Professional contests and already being the best bodybuilder in Europe ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER received a nice preposal from the WEIDER brothers to come to the US. And he did it.
At that time the commercial bodybuilding market in the US was occupied and rulled by the WEIDER brothers and JIM MANION. In such a situation aftel living in the US over ten years ARNOLD SCHWARCENEGGER started his own business with a small bodybuilding Project named „Arnold Classic“. Today this Project is very famous International Event and it coveres over twenty various kinds of sport.
We can say that the contemporary ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER is a product of the important efforts of a number of people. His life was very successful because of ALFRED GERSTL, the KENNEDY family, the WEIDER brothers, KURT MARNUL and many other persons. Without them ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER never could reach such big goals.
We would like to remind that ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER as well as the President WFF-WBBF International EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS (DSc. Edmundas Daubaras) both are included into the Hall of Fame of the Kingdom of Denmark (2008).
ROBERT KENNEDY.
Speaking about the bodybuilding in the US we must mention another Prominent Bodybuilding Person and it is ROBERT KENNEDY.
For many years on ROBERT KENNEDY was a painetr, variuos art collector, a famous bodybuilding organizer and productive publisher of the bodybuilding literature. Lots of bodybuilders had been educated on his works.
During the life ROBERT KENNEDY wrote and published fivety three books and among them some were bestsellers.
From 1974 in various languages mostuly for both America Continents ROBERT KENNEDY issued a popular bodybuilding „MuscleMag International“ magazine.
LOUIS ZWICK.
One more representing the US Prominent International Bodybuilding Person is LOUIS ZWICK.
LOUIS ZWICK started his own commercial sport business in 1988. That was a famous Unique International Bodybuilding Project named „USA versus USSR“. Then LOUIS ZWICK was a very risky person as he financed this Project. On the other hand LOUIS ZWICK could have a good profit if the Project was successfull as he aimed to sell the filmed in the USSR materials for the ESPN television.
LOUIS ZWICK hired a filming group and through short term Contracts collected a number of known USA Amateur and Professional bodybuilders and brought them to the USSR. Among the selected US bodybuilders were such well known athletes of the time as TROY ZUCCOLOTTO, JEAN PAUL GUILLAUME, DIANA DENNIS, CARLA DUNLAP, LAURA BEAUDRY, CATHEY PALYO, DOROTHY HERNDON, RANDY PETERSON, REX LETTO.
During the „USA versus USSR“ competition LOUIS ZWICK made acquaintance of the contemporary President WFF-WBBF International DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS. It is not strange as DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS was the only one among the all USSR bodybuilding leaders to know well the English language.
DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS came to the „USA versus USSR“ contest accompanied with his sport pupils. That were alerady famous USSR bodybuilders - the Over All Winner of the first Official and Recognized USSR Bodybuilding Championship VIKTORAS JUCYS and also the USSR Champion ROLANDAS BUCINSKAS. At that time both bodybuilders were also multiple Over All Champions of the World‘s Oldest Traditional Bodybuilding Contest „Amber Prix International“ (1968 - 2013).
As LOUIS ZWICK wanted a professional comment on his filmed materials he asked the assistance of DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS. No Secret that all foreign people visiting the USSR were followed and covered by the Russia special services at that time. All contacts were under the fierce control. DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS and LOUIS ZWICK spoke over the plan to run away from the following secret services. DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS took his both Lithuania bodybuilders together with him. Unexpectidly to all present all of them together jumped in a taxy and ran away to a bodybuilding gym in the subburbs of the Russia Leningrad City. Also to the same gym arrived the US filming group of LOUIS ZWICK. They shot a film about the training routines of VIKTORAS JUCYS and ROLANDAS BUCINSKAS and took the needed comments of DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS. Later this film was a big success of LOUIS ZWICK in the US as it was televised several times by ESPN television.
The sport projects started by LOUIS ZWICK in the USSR still work. Today LOUIS ZWICK organizes and films competitions like „Fame“, „America Pageant“, „World Fitness Tour“ etc. After it he sells the materials to various US Television Companies, among them ESPN television.
Once LOUIS ZWICK invited DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS to take part at one of his contemporary projects in Europe. That was the 2002 „Fame“ Europe Championship in the Stuttgart City (Germany). LOUIS ZWICK brought six professional fitness athletes from the US to this event. Again the main goal of the contest was to make a film. No doubt that all these six participants from the US won the first six places leaving all other participants behind. LOUIS ZWICK shot a good film for the US television and left Europe.
While communicating with the Owner of another US Private Commercial International Sport Organization MESHELLE BOYKO DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS learned that long before LOUIS ZWICK had been working at the MESHELLE BOYKO Commercial Company. She told to DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS that LOUIS ZWICK copied her ideas and went on doing alone the same work as he did while working at her Company.
SERGE NUBRET.
SERGE NUBRET has never been an ordinary bodybuilder. We could even say that during all the history of the World‘s Bodybuilding SERGE NUBRET is the second one International Bodybuilder right after ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER.
We will always remember SERGE NUBRET as a superious World‘s Bodybuilding Legend, as a successfull Cinema Actor, as a bodybuilding competitive friend of ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, also as a close friend of the Owner and the President of the IFBB private Commercial Company BEN WEIDER (until 1974). For some years SERGE NUBRET served for BEN WEIDER as the first International IFBB Vice President (1973 - 1974).
In 1976 SERGE NUBRET set his own International Bodybuilding Organization and named it the WABBA (World Amateur Body Building Association). From that time SERGE NUBRET was the Organizer of numerous International Bodybuilding Events too.
Some periods of SERGE NUBRET‘s life are closely connected with the US. He was the multiple Champion of the bodybuilding „Olympus“ competitions that were organized in the USA by the WBBG of DAN LURIE. Once in the US in the beginning of the eighties of the last Century SERGE NUBRET organized the World Amateur Championship of his own Company of WABBA. But that was the only one International Contest to be organized by him in America.
WFF-WBBF IN THE US.
Somehow happens that the Official Representatives of the WFF-WBBF International in the USA are not constant and always change. There are various reasons for this.
The first WFF-WBBF Official in the US was BOB GRUSKIN (2002 - 2004). He used to come with the USA bodybuilders to the WFF-WBBF World Amateur Championships held in Europe (Germany, Russia).
Then for some time a famous US Professional Bodybuilder CRAIG TITUS made a try to work for the WFF-WBBF International as the WFF-WBBF Official (2005).
The longest working person was the President WFF-WBBF USA and also the President WFF-WBBF North America MICHAEL GLASS (2005 - 2010).
During the years MICHAEL GLASS attended a number of the WFF-WBBF Amateur and Professional World Championships (2006 - 2007). Among the WFF-WBBF International Officials MICHAEL GLASS participated at the Official Meetings at the Parliament Republic Lithuania (2007, 2008) and also at the Official meetings with the Administration Governor Russia State Tver (2006). Also MICHAEL GLASS was one of the organizers of the 2006 National WFF-WBBF Mexico Chapionship that was held in the Mexico City.
From 2011 the President WFF-WBBF USA is a famous Hollywood Actor and Sportsman ROBERT MADRID.
IMPORTANT REMARK.
We would like to underline that when bodybuilding was quite definite in the Western World and in the US, this sport went it‘s own different way in the socialist countries. Remember that socialist countries covered half of the World‘s territory and the majority of living people. After the period of the „good times“ of the sixties of the last Century the bodybuilders of the socialist countries lived the hard twenty years of the prosecution and prohibition of bodybuilding. Lived and survived.
At this time World‘s Oldest Traditional Bodybuilding „Amber Prix International“ Contests (1968 - 2013) served as unofficial World Amateur Championship of the Socialist Countries and as the the unofficial Bodybuilding Championship of the USSR as well.
The history of bodybuilding in details you can read in different languages and see the documents on the International Bodybuilding Site www.wff.lt (see historical articles on the main page and forum topics) and also in the WFF-WBBF International Magazines „Sport of Fitness and Bodybuilding“, Issues No. 28, 33, 34.
INFORMATION.
More information on the International Site www.wff.lt, see forum topics. Also information available on the Facebook pages: WFF-WBBF International, WFF-WBBF North America, WFF-WBBF South America, WFF-WBBF Asia, WFF-WBBF Europe, WFF-WBBF Africa, WFF-WBBF Asia Continental Federation.
CONTEMPORARY SITUATION. IN USA NO ONE WANTS TO DEVELOP BODYBUILDING ON OFFICIAL LEVEL.
Up to this time nobody ever tried to make a more or less thorough analysis of bodybuilding in USA. We need to do it today. Through such an analysis we can see plainly the complicated situation USA and World‘s bodybuilding is at. We see the great need to find the way out of the situation. Today bodybuilders pray for wrong idols and the wide public society is beeing fooled for so long time. USA State Governmental Institutions have nothing to do with the official bodybuilding sport as they treat it not the serious way. Bodybuilding became so much commercial and the majority of the International Bodybuilding Leaders look for the profit only forgeting the real sport.
During the last time in the US as well as in Europe lots of „Festivals“, „Fiestas“, „Shows“ and various „Classics“ („FIBO“, „Olympia“, „Arnold Classic“ etc.) appeared. But nobody understans that this is not sport, not real sport. Try to say at the Sport Ministry of any Country that You are the Champion of „FIBO“ or any „Classic“ – nobody even listen to You... These events have no official recognition of any National or International Sport Institution. This way makes bodybuilding sport more and more away from the official recognition as a real kind of sport in our plain understanding.
It is eveident for bodybuilding specialists, that today USA quickly looses it‘s International Leaders positions in bodybuilding. Due to the decades lasting mistaken and false politics of the former USA bodybuilding leaders, today we face the negative results all the World through. On the Official Level bodybuilding is not accepted as sport in general. Majority of important bodybuilding contests in the USA are just commercial shows for public, more like a theater, but not real sport. Everything is slod, everything money can buy – places, contests or even „International federations‘. Does anybody remember a strong USA National Team at a World Championship of any federation? It was at least twenty five years ago.
LONG LASTING LIES.
For our fivety years lasting International work and efforts finally today we have nothing connected with official sport, but selling – buying - playing theater only. Especially in the US.
When the owner of the IFBB (International Federation of Body Builders) Commercial Company our respected BEN WEIDER (Canada) tried to get the IOC (International Olympic Committee) recognition, finally he received the strict IOC refusal to support and to recognize the IFBB. Then the WEIDER brothers (Joseph and Ben) sold all their magazines and the Professional Commercial „Joe Weider‘s Olympia“ contest. And after BEN WEIDER died the private IFBB Commercial Company was sold for another businessman as well. During the last fiveteen years the International bodybuilding situation evidently goes worse and worse. Welook from the side of the official sport and official recognition.
In 2009 the International IFBB was spulit (the details You may finf in our other articles). The new owner of the IFBB Commercial Company (remark: IFBB does not egzist as an official International Sport Federation by Law) RAFAEL SANTONJA (Spain) took some permanent America contest names to Europe, but the majority of them they still are just commercial shows and fare away from the officialy recognized sport competitions.
IFBB as a sport federation never egzisted by Law in the US. After AAU (American Athletes Union) lost their strong positions in 1982, from that time the USA bodybuilding sport has been governed by the NPC (National Physique Committee), but again, by the Law requirements it is not really true (you can see the historic and juridic documents on the International Site www.wff.lt forum topics „World‘s Bodybuilding History. How it was in real“, „IFBB/EFBB illegal financial deals“, „Various International Federations“).
Plain and clear presentation of the International Bodybuilding problems is the IFBB itself: juridical lies, cheating other International Sport Organizations, lies to the sportsmen (see documents on the International Site www.wff.lt, read forum topic „IFBB/EFBB illegal financial deals“). We have mentioned above that the IOC refused to support and to recognize the IFBB. Today we confront some more negative news: the International Organizations the „World Games“ and the „Asia Games“ excluded IFBB from their membership and refused to work with the IFBB any longer too. Also the Asia Olympic Committee officially refused to recognize the IFBB.
USA BODYBUILDING FESTIVALS. FESTIVALS REPLACE OFFICIAL SPORT CONTESTS.
There in no one legal National and International Bodybuilding Federation that covers all the US having Law registration as it is required for a normal sport federation. Bodybuilding in the US is based on many private Companies, which are the owners of the so called „federations“. Even if there would be a Bodybuilding Sport Federation registered by the Law in the US, it is so unimportant, that nobody knows it.
All competitions in the US belong to private Commercial Companies as a private property. Bodybuilding in the US is a kind of business and the Company owners often are selling everytinig, often including contest places. During the last years it is clear as daylight. As we spoke before – just look at the names of the bodybuilding contests in the USA – that are variuos „festivals“, „nights of champions“, variuos „classics“ etc.. Nobody wants to develop official sport and nobody cares for the sportsmen as they have no profit out of this. Even more – the private structures always fight for profit in between. For propaganda reasons they say for naive sportsmen that they use to pay millions of dollars or the professionals. But has anybody seen at least one famous Professional bBdybuilder who became rich of bodybuilding contests? We do not know any... Sometimes it looks like absurd: not long ago a Professional Bodybuilding agent preposed for the WFF-WBBF International to buy a number of World Wide known Pro Bodybuilders to participate at the popular WFF-WBBF Pro Events. The price of them was very low, even under our respect of those Great Names...
This is the reason, why the USA bodybuilding still lives in the chaotic dissorder and it never ends. It negativelly influences all International Sport in general. There is no one to think of sane lives, total fitness and of the official recognized sport of bodybuilding. But even if they want to, they can not do this as their private Companies are not sport federations registered by Law. They cheat all of us from the very beginning.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.
USA has never pretended to be historically connected with the very beginning of bodybuilding. Bodybuilding has come to America from Europe and it always lived a chaotic life.
Starting from 1903 BERNARR MACFADDEN started organizing bodybuilding events in the US.
In the time between the two World Wars there were a number of prominent bodybuilding persons in the US. First of all we should underline CHARLES ATLAS (also named Angelo Siciliano). In 1921 after winning one of BERNARR‘S MACFADDEN competitions CHARLES ATLAS got the respectable title of the „Most Prefectly Developed Man in America“.
BRONE DUBAR PHENOMENA.
In 2013 the International Sport Society was celebrating the 85-th anniversary of female fitness. It is connected with BRONE‘s DUBAR regular trainings and participation in New York City in 1928 - 1931.
Many years are away and today we have not so much information about this sport Pioneer. We know that right before the First World War BRONE DUBAR with her family emigrated from Lithuania to the USA.
We are glad to say that the Americans started collecting additional historic information about BRONE DUBAR for the our coming „Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding“.
USA CHOOSES COMMERCIAL WAY.
When we speak about the bodybuilding sport in USA, we mean that there is no official recognized bodybuilding sport in this country. It has never been. We underline once again, that everything conected with bodybuilding in the US is commerce and business only. You can buy everything, you can sell everything: definite athletes, titles, places even competitions and „international federations“. It is like You are in a super market shop.
The history of bodybuilding sport (especially the International History) has been written under the reguest and under the interests of a number of private Commercial Sport Companies in order to satisfy their private interests. But this history of bodybuilding is not real. Some powerful enough bodybuilding businesmen have written the bodybuilding history for themselves and for their commercial companies and this is the reason that so many of us still are being fooled.
There are still many misunderstandings in the bodybuilding history they represent. For example, the WEIDER brothers (Joseph and Ben) say that the first IFBB (International Federation of Body Builders) America Championhip was held in 1949. But somehow the second America Championship was organized only after ten years in 1958... Strange. Nobody was working??? They say that the JOE WEIDR‘S (Joseph Weider) private commercial contest „Joe Weider OLYMPIA“ has been organized from 1965, but we see the beginning of real competitions starts only from 1975 (held South Africa). Until this time we see no real sport contest in fact. Until 1975 most usually at the „Joe Weider OLYMPIA“ was only one competitor who „fighted“ alone with himself... Is this a real sport sport contest? Competing alone against himself? Often they say that JOE WEIDER is the „Trainer of Champions“ from 1936. Fine, but in 1936 he was only seventeen years old... It is hardly believable he was in bodybuilding sport at all at this age.
We understant that later the WEIDER brothers needed very much a „Great Champion‘s Face“ for their commercial companies and their commercial products. And they found the „commercial face“ in Europe when they by nice offers invited the best Europe bodybuilder ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER from Austria to California.
Nothing ever comes easy. The WEIDER brothers always had to fight for the commercial bodybuilding market in the World as well as in the US. Sometimes they were not successful. Once they appealed to the US Court against AAU (American Athletes Union) for the name „Mr.America“ and lost the case.
It is the fact is that the AAU was the first to start more or less serious bodybuilding sport in USA. As the bodybuilding specialist Ph.D. FREDERICK C.HATFIELD informes, the bodybuilding sport in the US started in 1939 with AAU „Mr. America“ Competitions. Then the Winner was BERT GOODRICH. Strange, but in the same year AAU organized another „Mr. America“ Contest and the next Winner was ROLAND ESSEMAKER.
After the Second World War the International leader of bodybuilding sport was the NABBA UK (National Amateur Body Building Association). NABBA UK was and still is a public sport club by juridical registration. From 1950 NABBA UK organizes anual „Universe“ competition. In 1947 and in 1948 the first two „Universe“ competitions were organized in England by the UK bodybuilding magazine „Strength and Health“ („Strength and Health“ issued from 1898 until now in the UK. It is the World‘s Oldest Bodybuilding Magazine). There was no „Universe“ contest in 1949. Finally in 1950 „Strength and Health“ magazine gave all juridical rights for NABBA UK to organize anual bodybuilding „Universe“ contest and so it does until now.
After the Second World War the NABBA „Universe“ was the only one regular International Bodybuilding Contest in the World every year organized in England. For many years representing America and the US the best AAU bodybuilders participated at the NABBA „Universe“ competitions. As there was no more International Contests around the World in the fivties of the last Century the later Owner and Organizer of the „Joe Weider OLYMPIA“ competition JOE WEIDER also participated at the NABBA „Universe“ but unfortunatelly he was out of the finals. This fact neglects many today‘s historical lies and proves that for such a long period of time no other federation organized International Events but NABBA UK. IFBB organized it‘s first World Amateur Championship in 1959 in Mexico. Then there participated only eight bodybuilders from three Countries: Mexico, Canada and USA. By the way, copying the NABBA UK, for many years the WEIDER brothers called their World Amateur Championships „IFBB Universe“ too.
AAU for several decades organizing anual „Mr. America“ contests was the real bodybuilding sport leader in the US. Having no power to win against AAU in the open competition in 1982 the WEIDER brothers made a clever strategic decission. They suggested the AAU leaders to divide the World‘s commercial bodybuilding market and the Global influence on it. The USA amateur bodybuilding was given for the new organized National NPC (National Physigue Committee) Organization that was owned and run by JIM MANION. Commercial amateur bodybuilding market of all other Countries of the World were covered by the Owner and President of the Commercial IFBB Company BEN WEIDER. The World‘s Professional Bodybuilding Market was given to the Owner of the private Commercial „Joe Weider‘s OLYMPIA“ contest JOE WEIDER.
Below we present the list of the AAU „Mr.America“ Winners (until the NPC appeared)
Year, Name of the Winner
1939 BERT GOODRICH
1940 JOHN GRIMEK
1941 JOHN GRIMEK
1942 FRANK LEIGHT
1943 JULES BACON
1944 STEVE STANKO
1945 CLANCY ROSS
1946 ALAN STEPHAN
1947 STEVE REEVES
1948 GEORGE EIFERMAN
1949 JACK DELLINGER
1950 JOHN FARBOTNIK
1951 RAY HILLIGEN
1952 JIM PARK
1953 BILL PEARL
1954 DICK DUBOIS
1955 STEVE KLISANIN
1956 RAY SCHAEFER
1957 RON LACY
1958 TOM SANSONE
1959 HARRY JOHNSON
1960 LLOYD LERILLE
1961 RAY RUTLEDGE
1962 JOE ABENDA
1963 VERN WEAVER
1964 VAL VASILEF
1965 JERRY DANIELS
1966 BOB GAJDA
1967 DENNIS TINERINO
1968 JIM HAISLOP
1969 BOYER COE
1970 CHRIS DICKERSON
1971 CASEY VIATOR
1972 STEVE MICHALIK
1973 JIM MORRIS
1974 RON THOMPSON
1975 DALE ADRIAN
1976 KAL SZKALAK
1977 DAVE JOHNS
1978 TONY PEARSON
1979 RAY MENTZER
1980 GARY LEONARD
1981 TIM BELKNAP
1982 RUFUS HOWARD
1983 JEFF KING
BOB HOFFMAN.
After the Second World War another America prominent personality BOB HOFFMAN was the International Level Leader and Organizer of bodybuilding sport in the US.
BOB HOFFMAN was one of the first to start official weight lifting sport. Also he published many bodybuilding books and magazines.
Being not different from all other bodybuilding organizers and businessman of the time BOB HOFFMAN had a private Commercial Company too. BOB HOFFMAN was among the first to start sport supplement business. Also he worked on making and selling variuos sport equipment.
Due to the personal initiative and efforts of BOB HOFFMAN bodybuilding became much more popular in the USA.
DAN LURIE.
After the Second World War one more famous and important USA sport organizer and bodybuilder was DAN LURIE.
DAN LURIE set his own International Bodybuilding Organization called the WBBG (World Body Building Guild) that was very active in 1967-1979.
Popularizing bodybuiolding DAN LURIE worked organizing Amateur and Professional competitions (among them „Olympus“ contest) and publishing bodybuilding magazines.
For many years DAN LURIE was surrounded by such Great World‘s Bodybuilding Legends as HAROLD POOLE, RICK WAYNE, BILL GRANT, CHRIS DICKERSON, BOYER COE, TONY EMMOTT, SERGE NUBRET, TONY PEARSON and SERGIO OLIVA.
It was a really great work done for the bodybuilding sport by DAN LURIE but unfortunatelly the WBBG did not play a big noticeble role on the International Bodybuilding Level. Espacially when we speak about the official and recognized bodybuilding sport. By the way, it was DAN LURIE who used the IFBB name first and only later BEN WEIDER named his Commercial Company the same name too.
OVERTURN IN PROFESSIONAL BODYBUILDING. HOW US „FEDERATIONS“ LOOK LIKE. WBF OF VINCE MC. MAHON.
The World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF) was a private bodybuilding organization founded in 1990 in the US by VINCE MC. MAHON (Vincent Kennedy Mc. Mahon).
VINCE MC. MAHON created the WBF as „a commercial competition to the long established IFBB company owned by BEN WEIDER“.
VINCE MC. MAHON presented a bodybuilding magazine called „Bodybuilding Lifestyles“. He hired a famous International Bodybuilding Personality TOM PLAZ („The Golden Eagle“) to oversee the publication of the „Bodybuilding Lifestyles“ magazine.
After 1990 „Joe Weider‘s OLYMPIA“ contest in Chicago VINCE MC. MAHON and TOM PLAZ handed out press releases announcing the WBF's formation. Then VINCE MC. MAHON stated that the WBF would "revamp professional bodybuilding with dramatic new events and the richest prize money in the history of the sport." TOM PLATZ was announced as the Director of Talent Development for the WBF organization.
In 1991 in the WBF of VINCE MC. MAHON had signed thirteen competitors (all famous IFBB Professionals) to long-term contracts: AARON BAKER, MIKE CHRISTIAN, VINCE COMERFORD, DAVID DEARTH, BERRY DEMEY, JOHNNIE MORANT, DANNY PADILLA, TONY PEARSON, JIM QUINN, MIKE QUINN, EDDIE ROBINSON, GARY STRYDOM AND TROY ZUCCOLOTTO. This made nearly a catastrophy for the WEIDER brother‘s „Joe Weider‘s OLYMPIA“ commercial contest that time.
During the history of the WBF VINCE MC. MAHON organized two nice commericial bodybuildng events. The Winner of the both VINCE‘S MC. MAHON events was GARY STRYDOM (1991, 1992).
In 1992 MC. MAHON made another try and it was a deal with one more International Legendary Bodybuilder LOU FERRIGNO, to bring him in as a competitor. After when the 1992 VINCE‘S MC. MAHON event received a low buyrate, he called the owners of the IFBB and announced that the WBF was disbanding.
The WEIDER brothers let all bodybuilders come back and they let them even to participate at their Professional contests, but they never let them take high places at their contests again. The bodybuilding carreer of many of them was ended for ever.
WAYNE DE MILIA.
Another prominent International Professional Bodybuilding Person in the US was WAYNE DE MILIA. He was always working with WEDER brothers, mostly with JOE WEIDER.
The Owner of the private commercial „Joe Weider‘s OLYMPIA“ contest JOE WEIDER appоinted WAYNE DE MILIA to be the Director of the Professional League that was a private property of JOE WEIDER too.
Working for many years WAYNE DE MILIA did a lot to rise the Professional bodybuilding to the level it is today. After JOE WEIDER sold his private „Joe Weider‘s OLYMPIA“ contest to another businessman WAYNE DE MILIA was pressed by the new Owner to leave the the position of the Professional League Director. Then in 2006 WAYNE DE MILIA tried to make his own Bodybuilding Organization:
„Our Pro Division is a corporation that deals with bodybuilding sports entertainment. We are not a sports federation, so we can go to our own set of rules, so to speak. If you are a sports federation, you have to abide by certain rules, according to the Covenant. Because we are a company that will pay taxes, we have a little more leeway“.
WAYNE DE MILIA organized Pro Events in the US and UK, but thay were not successfull. Once he tried to work tohether with the WFF-WBBF International, but a hard desease made him to leave the sport business.
First time the President WFF-WBBF International DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS met WAYNE DE MILIA in the New York City in 1990. Then to the Commercial Contest „Joe Weider‘s OLYMPIA“ for the negotiations of the future common work DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS was invited as a Personal Guest of the Owner and the President of the IFBB Commercial Company BEN WEIDER. In New York DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS discussed with BEN WEIDER the ways to register with the IFBB Commercial Firm a Joint – Wenture Company and then a definite Protocol was signed.
See historical documents in different languages on the International Internet Site www.wff.lt , check forum topic „WFF-WBBF North America“.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER.
Most popular bodybuilder of all times ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER („Austrian Oak“) does not participate at bodybuilding contests any more. The biggest popularity ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER received after he started working with a number of successfull cinema roles in Hollywood. The extremelly cussessfull wedding opened him the doors of the famous KENNEDY Family and that was a great push for the future political career as the Governor of the US California State. This made ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER even more popular.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER started his International bodybuilding life participating at the NABBA UK „Universe“ competitions. He received a great assistance from his trainer KURT MARNUL (Graz, Austria) and also from the President Parliament Austria Professor ALFRED GERSTL. After winning a number of NABBA UK „Universe“ Amateur and Professional contests and already being the best bodybuilder in Europe ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER received a nice preposal from the WEIDER brothers to come to the US. And he did it.
At that time the commercial bodybuilding market in the US was occupied and rulled by the WEIDER brothers and JIM MANION. In such a situation aftel living in the US over ten years ARNOLD SCHWARCENEGGER started his own business with a small bodybuilding Project named „Arnold Classic“. Today this Project is very famous International Event and it coveres over twenty various kinds of sport.
We can say that the contemporary ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER is a product of the important efforts of a number of people. His life was very successful because of ALFRED GERSTL, the KENNEDY family, the WEIDER brothers, KURT MARNUL and many other persons. Without them ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER never could reach such big goals.
We would like to remind that ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER as well as the President WFF-WBBF International EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS (DSc. Edmundas Daubaras) both are included into the Hall of Fame of the Kingdom of Denmark (2008).
ROBERT KENNEDY.
Speaking about the bodybuilding in the US we must mention another Prominent Bodybuilding Person and it is ROBERT KENNEDY.
For many years on ROBERT KENNEDY was a painetr, variuos art collector, a famous bodybuilding organizer and productive publisher of the bodybuilding literature. Lots of bodybuilders had been educated on his works.
During the life ROBERT KENNEDY wrote and published fivety three books and among them some were bestsellers.
From 1974 in various languages mostuly for both America Continents ROBERT KENNEDY issued a popular bodybuilding „MuscleMag International“ magazine.
LOUIS ZWICK.
One more representing the US Prominent International Bodybuilding Person is LOUIS ZWICK.
LOUIS ZWICK started his own commercial sport business in 1988. That was a famous Unique International Bodybuilding Project named „USA versus USSR“. Then LOUIS ZWICK was a very risky person as he financed this Project. On the other hand LOUIS ZWICK could have a good profit if the Project was successfull as he aimed to sell the filmed in the USSR materials for the ESPN television.
LOUIS ZWICK hired a filming group and through short term Contracts collected a number of known USA Amateur and Professional bodybuilders and brought them to the USSR. Among the selected US bodybuilders were such well known athletes of the time as TROY ZUCCOLOTTO, JEAN PAUL GUILLAUME, DIANA DENNIS, CARLA DUNLAP, LAURA BEAUDRY, CATHEY PALYO, DOROTHY HERNDON, RANDY PETERSON, REX LETTO.
During the „USA versus USSR“ competition LOUIS ZWICK made acquaintance of the contemporary President WFF-WBBF International DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS. It is not strange as DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS was the only one among the all USSR bodybuilding leaders to know well the English language.
DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS came to the „USA versus USSR“ contest accompanied with his sport pupils. That were alerady famous USSR bodybuilders - the Over All Winner of the first Official and Recognized USSR Bodybuilding Championship VIKTORAS JUCYS and also the USSR Champion ROLANDAS BUCINSKAS. At that time both bodybuilders were also multiple Over All Champions of the World‘s Oldest Traditional Bodybuilding Contest „Amber Prix International“ (1968 - 2013).
As LOUIS ZWICK wanted a professional comment on his filmed materials he asked the assistance of DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS. No Secret that all foreign people visiting the USSR were followed and covered by the Russia special services at that time. All contacts were under the fierce control. DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS and LOUIS ZWICK spoke over the plan to run away from the following secret services. DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS took his both Lithuania bodybuilders together with him. Unexpectidly to all present all of them together jumped in a taxy and ran away to a bodybuilding gym in the subburbs of the Russia Leningrad City. Also to the same gym arrived the US filming group of LOUIS ZWICK. They shot a film about the training routines of VIKTORAS JUCYS and ROLANDAS BUCINSKAS and took the needed comments of DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS. Later this film was a big success of LOUIS ZWICK in the US as it was televised several times by ESPN television.
The sport projects started by LOUIS ZWICK in the USSR still work. Today LOUIS ZWICK organizes and films competitions like „Fame“, „America Pageant“, „World Fitness Tour“ etc. After it he sells the materials to various US Television Companies, among them ESPN television.
Once LOUIS ZWICK invited DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS to take part at one of his contemporary projects in Europe. That was the 2002 „Fame“ Europe Championship in the Stuttgart City (Germany). LOUIS ZWICK brought six professional fitness athletes from the US to this event. Again the main goal of the contest was to make a film. No doubt that all these six participants from the US won the first six places leaving all other participants behind. LOUIS ZWICK shot a good film for the US television and left Europe.
While communicating with the Owner of another US Private Commercial International Sport Organization MESHELLE BOYKO DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS learned that long before LOUIS ZWICK had been working at the MESHELLE BOYKO Commercial Company. She told to DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS that LOUIS ZWICK copied her ideas and went on doing alone the same work as he did while working at her Company.
SERGE NUBRET.
SERGE NUBRET has never been an ordinary bodybuilder. We could even say that during all the history of the World‘s Bodybuilding SERGE NUBRET is the second one International Bodybuilder right after ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER.
We will always remember SERGE NUBRET as a superious World‘s Bodybuilding Legend, as a successfull Cinema Actor, as a bodybuilding competitive friend of ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, also as a close friend of the Owner and the President of the IFBB private Commercial Company BEN WEIDER (until 1974). For some years SERGE NUBRET served for BEN WEIDER as the first International IFBB Vice President (1973 - 1974).
In 1976 SERGE NUBRET set his own International Bodybuilding Organization and named it the WABBA (World Amateur Body Building Association). From that time SERGE NUBRET was the Organizer of numerous International Bodybuilding Events too.
Some periods of SERGE NUBRET‘s life are closely connected with the US. He was the multiple Champion of the bodybuilding „Olympus“ competitions that were organized in the USA by the WBBG of DAN LURIE. Once in the US in the beginning of the eighties of the last Century SERGE NUBRET organized the World Amateur Championship of his own Company of WABBA. But that was the only one International Contest to be organized by him in America.
WFF-WBBF IN THE US.
Somehow happens that the Official Representatives of the WFF-WBBF International in the USA are not constant and always change. There are various reasons for this.
The first WFF-WBBF Official in the US was BOB GRUSKIN (2002 - 2004). He used to come with the USA bodybuilders to the WFF-WBBF World Amateur Championships held in Europe (Germany, Russia).
Then for some time a famous US Professional Bodybuilder CRAIG TITUS made a try to work for the WFF-WBBF International as the WFF-WBBF Official (2005).
The longest working person was the President WFF-WBBF USA and also the President WFF-WBBF North America MICHAEL GLASS (2005 - 2010).
During the years MICHAEL GLASS attended a number of the WFF-WBBF Amateur and Professional World Championships (2006 - 2007). Among the WFF-WBBF International Officials MICHAEL GLASS participated at the Official Meetings at the Parliament Republic Lithuania (2007, 2008) and also at the Official meetings with the Administration Governor Russia State Tver (2006). Also MICHAEL GLASS was one of the organizers of the 2006 National WFF-WBBF Mexico Chapionship that was held in the Mexico City.
From 2011 the President WFF-WBBF USA is a famous Hollywood Actor and Sportsman ROBERT MADRID.
IMPORTANT REMARK.
We would like to underline that when bodybuilding was quite definite in the Western World and in the US, this sport went it‘s own different way in the socialist countries. Remember that socialist countries covered half of the World‘s territory and the majority of living people. After the period of the „good times“ of the sixties of the last Century the bodybuilders of the socialist countries lived the hard twenty years of the prosecution and prohibition of bodybuilding. Lived and survived.
At this time World‘s Oldest Traditional Bodybuilding „Amber Prix International“ Contests (1968 - 2013) served as unofficial World Amateur Championship of the Socialist Countries and as the the unofficial Bodybuilding Championship of the USSR as well.
The history of bodybuilding in details you can read in different languages and see the documents on the International Bodybuilding Site www.wff.lt (see historical articles on the main page and forum topics) and also in the WFF-WBBF International Magazines „Sport of Fitness and Bodybuilding“, Issues No. 28, 33, 34.
INFORMATION.
More information on the International Site www.wff.lt, see forum topics. Also information available on the Facebook pages: WFF-WBBF International, WFF-WBBF North America, WFF-WBBF South America, WFF-WBBF Asia, WFF-WBBF Europe, WFF-WBBF Africa, WFF-WBBF Asia Continental Federation.
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