Blog Entry
Friday & Saturday, May 23 and 24, 2008, The 2008 NGA Magic City Bodybuilding and Figure Championships, Hoover (Birmingham), Alabama
A full house greeted the men and women athletes at the Hoover High School Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama on Saturday for the first-ever natural bodybuilding and figure competition held in this city. Hoover High School is famous for the MTV series “Two-A-Days,” which was shot on location at the school.
On Friday evening, the athletes checked in at the Better Fitness Nutrition Center in Pelham, a store owned by the show’s promoter, Jason Thornton. The athlete’s that needed it were weighed to determine their class and everyone took a urinalysis test to determine their seven-year drug-free status. The NGA requires a seven-year period from use of illegal muscle enhancing drugs.
On Saturday, Laura Tourtellot, affectionately known in the body-building world as “Turtle,” started Prejudging at 11:15 AM with the Teen Class. This was followed by Men’s Novice, Men’s Masters, Women’s Figure and the Open Men’s classes. Laura kept things moving and we were finished with the morning session by 1 PM.
The Athletes returned to the Hoover Auditorium for a 4:30 meeting and then prepared for the 6:15 PM start of the Evening Show. NGA Master Pro, Scott “Old Navy” Hults kicked off the proceedings with an a capella singing of our National Anthem. He also judged the show, along with Guest Poser, NGA Pro Figure Nicole Weeks. All of the competitors brought their best to the stage in hopes of winning a coveted NGA Pro Card. Two athletes won their card that night: Eddy Smith, the Open Men’s Middleweight Champion and Adrianne Egan, the Women’s Figure Champion. Best Poser went to Lightweight Champion, Kennett Washington, who traveled from South Carolina for the show.
Feedback from several competitors and from the audience was very positive. The enthusiastic crowd enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and obvious camaraderie of a drug-free competition and to a person, the athletes vowed to return next year to have a go at the 2009 NGA Magic City Bodybuilding and Figure Championship, which promises to be a much bigger event.
