It's going to be an exciting time for NPC national events with the triple play weekends of the upcoming NPC Teenage, Collegiate, Masters National Bodybuilding Championships/NPC Teenage National Fitness Championships; followed by the NPC USA Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships and winding up with the NPC Team Universe Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships/First Annual NPC National Figure Championships. Before moving on, it's important to note that there has been a change of dates for the 2001 NPC Team Universe Championships/NPC National Figure Championships. The original date of these events was on Friday/Saturday, August 10-11, 2001. The new date is one (1) week earlier on Friday/Saturday, August 3-4, 2001. The remainder of the contest information stays the same, as will be detailed later.
NPC Pennsylvania district chairman Dr. Gary Udit will be promoting the annual NPC Teenage, Collegiate, Masters National Bodybuilding Championships and NPC Pennsylvania Fitness and Figure Championships on July 20/21 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This contest has seen quite a few changes along the way, among them, the division of the Masters Men Over 50 into two weight classes due to the high volume of competitors entered, plus affording the overall Masters Men Over 40 winner to turn professional with the IFBB! That will continue again in 2001. As the entry states, The NPC Masters Men Over 40 National Championships overall winner is eligible to turn professional and compete in the IFBB Professional Masters Division. Over 50 competitors are eligible to crossover to compete in the Masters Men Over 40.
New for the millennium is the addition of a Teenage Women's National Fitness Championships. Never before has there been an event tailored specifically for the 13 to 17 year old age group of up and coming women teenage fitness athlete's. There will be two rounds. The rounds will consist of a one piece bathing suit round and a two minute fitness routine. That's all!
The past two years, the Teenage Men's overall winner has been honored with his own feature right here in the pages of FLEX Magazine. That will be the case again this year when FLEX will fly the overall winner of the Teenage Men's National Bodybuilding Championships to Los Angeles. He will train at Gold's Gym in Venice, visit the Weider offices in Woodland Hills and participate in a photo shoot to be run in a future issue of FLEX.
Not to be outdone, sister publication Muscle & Fitness will be focusing on the collegiate competitors. They can get noticed and possibly featured in a future issue of Muscle & Fitness' "Big Muscles On Campus" annual feature. Each person selected will be treated to their own Muscle & Fitness photo shoot.
Guest posers will be IFBB pro Shawn Ray, IFBB pro fitness competitor Jenny Worth and last years Masters Over 40 champion and new IFBB pro Steve Nesbit. The site will again be the Grand Ballroom, Sheraton Hotel - Station Square, which will also serve as the host hotel. Call (412) 261-2000 for reservations at the Sheraton - Station Square. Be sure to mention "NPC Bodybuilding Contest" for Special Contest rates.
Some important information on bodybuilding eligibility requirements follow. All contestants must be registered as athletes with the computer service of the NPC and their entries must be post marked no later than June 29, 2001. For an NPC application, contact the NPC at P.O. Box 3711, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15230, (412) 276-5027. Bodybuilders and Teenage Fitness competitors may not register for an NPC card on the day of the contest.
In order to qualify for this event, bodybuilding competitors need only to have entered a previous NPC contest, no matter the year, no matter the placement, no matter the category - Teenage, Novice, Collegiate, Masters, Open, etc.
Fitness competitors for the NPC Pennsylvania Fitness and Figure Championships may register for an NPC card on the day of the contest, unlike those competing in the national events. The Pennsylvania Fitness and Figure Championships is an open event.
The schedule of events for these multiple events were still being tweaked and will be announced on the entry and fliers for these contests. Note, there will be a prejudging Friday night at 7 p.m. and a prejudging Saturday at 10:00 a.m. The finals for all events will be that night at 6:00
For further information on entries or tickets, call or write Dr. Gary Udit; P.O. Box 23294; Pittsburgh, Pa., 15222, phone: (412) 481-9129 or e-mail: gudit@stargate.net
One week later on July 27/28, it's back to Las Vegas, Nevada for promoter Jon Lindsay production of the first IFBB pro qualifier of 2001, the NPC USA Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships. Although we've received plenty of inquiries, please note that there will not be a 'figure' division at this contest.
Last year's contest produced plenty of outstanding pro's, with the women's overall bodybuilding champion Jennifer McVicar getting an invite to compete in the 2000 IFBB Ms. Olympia as her pro debut! Overall fitness winner Nicole Hobbs just made an impressive pro debut at the 2001 IFBB Fitness International where she cracked the top ten in this very difficult event. That makes the quest for the pro cards that much more intense. As you know, the overall women's bodybuilding and top two in the men's bodybuilding overall posedown, plus the top two from each of the three women's fitness height class winners are eligible for professional status in the IFBB.
The contest venue will once again be the Artemus Ham Hall on the campus of UNLV. The host hotel will be the Alexis Park Hotel and Resort once more. The entry deadline for this pro qualifier is July 6th. This is one contest not to be missed in 2001! For more information or entry forms, contact Jon Lindsay at (310) 859-2809, e-mail him at info@npc4u.com or visit his web site at www.npc4u.com.
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the date of the final eventful weekend has been moved up a week due to a scheduling conflict with the venue. Although there is no figure competition in Las Vegas, that's to make way for it on this weekend. The full title of the event is the 2001 NPC Team Universe Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships/First Annual NPC National Figure Championships. This is the seventh consecutive year this drug tested contest will be in New York City and promoted by the team of Steve Karel and Steve Weinberger. This contest is another IFBB pro qualifier, although not in the same way as you may think for bodybuilding. The Team Universe is the contest from which we select our team to represent the USA at the IFBB Men's and Women's World Amateur Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships. If a competitor wins their weight class at the World Amateur's, they are then eligible for IFBB Pro status. For fitness, the class winner from each of the three fitness height classes are eligible for professional status in the IFBB. Please note that in previous years, the top two in each of the Team Universe Fitness Championships three height classes has been eligible for their IFBB pro card. This year it's just the three height class winners who will earn that honor.
Entries must be received by July 20th for all of these contests. For more information, contact Steve Weinberger c/o Bev Francis' Gold's Gym, 235-C Robbins Lane, Syosset, NY, 11791 or call (516) 933-1111.
Both the USA Championships and Team Universe/National Figure Championships will have prejudging's beginning on their respective Friday's, followed by Saturday morning prejudging's and the finals on Saturday night. For the USA, those times will be Friday at 5:30 p.m., and Saturday times of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
As with the Teenage, Collegiate, Masters Nationals, all competitors MUST be U.S. citizens to enter these other events and proof MUST be sent with entry, (copy of birth certificate, voter registration, or military discharge). You MUST NOT be currently under suspension by the NPC.
To find out more about NPC bodybuilding and fitness events in your area, or to join the NPC, contact the NPC National Office at (412) 276-5027.
