Olympia Blog 
"To prepare everyone for the 2008 Olympia!"
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Archive for October, 2006
Friday, October 20th, 2006
 Four “I Do’s” and two marriages happened in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on Sunday, October 1st at Caesar’s Palace, right after the 2006 Olympia…
Our very own Masters World Champion, Bob Cicherillo married his wonderful fiancé, Tocha, and just a few short hours later, Figure Pro Jessica Paxson married bodybuilding rising star, Peter Putnam!
Caesar’s Palace is one amazing place to get married. All at once it is elegant, comfortable and huge, well fitted to marriages in the bodybuilding world. And you can always find a few extra special guests to add the right theme to the day.
Now, I truly don’t know how Bob was able to get on with the day. He had just spent a late night with post-Olympia business and my makeup artist and second photographer arrived at his suite at 7 AM to start getting the things going. So while the women were getting makeup and hair done, Bob and the guys, friends and family and myself, met downstairs for breakfast.
I was surprised to see most of Bob’s family already in tuxedos, but they were a pretty excited bunch and having a lot of fun. And not to be missed was Bob’s best buddy, Tom Prince.
It wasn’t too long in the restaurant, when we saw Jessica Paxson come in joining her family for breakfast. Jess was amazingly beautiful and, considering the weekend, really well composed! She had just been on stage competing and now she was going to be a bride in a few hours. Someone is going to have to check the record books and see if two competitor weddings have ever happened before on an Olympia weekend.
Time was getting close now - Bob & Tocha were due to get married at 12:30, so off to finish getting ready we went. Outside the entrance to the Terrazza Garden, it was my luck that I walked into the big three. No, not Jay, Ronnie and Victor…
The really big three - of BodyBuilding.com! Ryan, Jeremy and Russ DeLuca. Yes, these are the guys behind it and their wives. And a nicer bunch of people you will not meet.
BodyBuilding.com might be pretty big company, but it is a bunch of regular people behind it and that is one reason I like doing business with them and I hope all of you do, too.
As we all gathered in the garden, time moved forward (as it always does), the music played and a big smile crossed Tocha’s face as she walked down the aisle. I could also see a glint in the big guy’s eyes - Bob tends to be a very confident person, and I could see that he knew that this was the right woman and the right time. And before you knew it, Pastor Mike announced the new Mr. & Mrs. Bob & Tocha Cicherillo!
Everybody probably has some kind of idea as to who would be at a bodybuilder’s wedding as guests. But just like the rest of us, it is obviously a lot of family and friends. Bob has been a big name in bodybuilding for a long time, so we did find some other big names in the business at the ceremony and reception, which also was at Caesars.
I hope I don’t miss too many people, but we saw Peter McGough, editorial director for the Flex - Muscle & Fitness - AMI etc, Shawn Perine, senior writer for Flex and bodybuilding historian, Joe Antouri, founder of The Private Trainers Association and a man with always a kind word and smile, Mac McCabe, President of Egg Whites and Bob’s better in the game of golf, the always energetic Travis Chapman from The Fit Show.
Then there was this guy on his cell phone… Also having spent the night as co-emcee with Bob for the Olympia, Shawn Ray was present and accounted for, looking very fit. You might be wondering why Shawn is grinning and has his eyes closed. Well, finding Shawn on his cell phone is not that hard to do but I always seem to be there to take a photo when he is.
While Bob’s day was winding down, Jessica Paxson and Peter Putnam started their new life together. With family and friends from around the country, they were married only three hours after Bob & Tocha. This is a good looking couple with a great deal in common. And I must tell you that their families just seemed like one big family already.
We were all taken away by limousines to their reception where you could not have found a bunch of people having more fun. This is the type of thing that makes being the wedding photographer just great, you get to share with people one of the most important times of their lives. And I can’t tell you how much I enjoy Jessica and Peter and their familes.
Looking back on it, this was one very special Olympia - a lot happened. I was there in Las Vegas for six very big days and nights covering everything, a lot more than most people got to see. And I can tell you that everyone who came away from this Olympia felt it’s impact.
The Olympia changed for the better, regardless of how you feel about who won or lost. The show went great, records were broken, new winners were crowned, and the sport got a big boost. And two wonderful couples got married. Now, how are we going to top this for next year? Thanks!
Posted in Olympia, Experiences, Gossip, Live Coverage, Post-Show
Thursday, October 19th, 2006
Posted in Olympia, Post-Show
Monday, October 16th, 2006
Posted in Olympia, Post-Show
Friday, October 13th, 2006
Posted in Olympia, Post-Show
Wednesday, October 11th, 2006
 Where to begin? I had a great time this year as I actually wasn’t dieting for a show so I was able to relax & enjoy the atmosphere.
The booth did really well and I had a lot of fun meeting many people. Particular highlights were meeting Bodybuilding.com forum members Zach, Alex (a client of mine for around a year now), seeing my buddy Brian Ahlstrom again (another client of mine who also won his class at the show where I won my NGA natural pro card), meeting John & the crew (LOL), and especially cool was meeting a young couple (the Millers) who were just married that day in vegas and still came by the expo and I was flattered to find out that one of the reasons they came was to stop by and talk to me. It was a joy meeting a young loving couple as Isabel & I recently got engaged! So everyone join me in wishing the Millers a lovely marraige!
The other highlights were training at the kickass Gold’s in Vegas. I could literally stay in there for hours and hours. Loved it! On Sunday, we were there while Victor Martinez was doing a shoot for MD, unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me. Victor was extremely nice and we chatted about various things for around 20 minutes. He was very geniuinely excited about his placing and you could still see it in his facial expressions: ear to ear smile.
I would also like to congratulate Jay Cutler. He showed a ton of heart, losing 5 years in a row to finally topple one of the greatest Mr. Olympia’s in history. I am actually not a big Jay Cutler fan, and in all honesty I thought Ronnie had won most of the Mr. Olympia’s by a wide margin. But on this day Ronnie was off & Jay nailed it: kudos to him!
Posted in Olympia, Experiences, Post-Show
Wednesday, October 11th, 2006
 It’s all about the ‘O’ - isn’t it though? The “O” (Olympia) is the be-all and end-all of this industry ~ if you’re in it, you’re cool. Well, maybe not cool, but considered one of the top athletes in the world - and you get to compete and stand on stage, side by side, with all of the same people you’ve admired and worshipped in the magazines. It’s truly an awesome experience.
From the time you qualify to the moment you check out of your hotel, you are taken care of and made sure to know what’s going on, where to be, what to wear and every important detail to make settle your nerves and make you feel comfortable, prepared and calm. The organizers and everyone involved go to great lengths to make the event an awesome show, not only for the audience ticket holders, but for the athletes as well. Plus lots of nice gifts and promotional freebies and opportunities to make some money, sell photos, and mingle with the fans. The excitement and positive energy is just incredible; from the press conference to the after party, through the entire weekend ~ there’s never a dull moment.
They make sure we are rested, fed, clothed, and where we need to be at any given moment, complete with reminder phone calls to the room and which dot to stand on once onstage. Wow, these guys and gals deserve much more than a pat on the back. They are worthy of much more thanks and appreciation than they probably get. Hope they got lots of nice thank you notes, emails and a big paycheck. They sure deserve it!
Me (in front) & friends at 2007 Olympia qualifier, Palm Beach Pro
The show itself is spectacular from the backstage point of view. The stage makes you feel like a rock star, the crowd is so excited because the night shows are the culmination of the whole weekend and its amazing. The announcers introduce you, tell where you’re from so you can represent your home town and network with others who may have something in common with you or didn’t know you were there competing. I ran into many friends and acquaintances during and after the show and reconnected with them. It was so fun! Plus the live webcast made it possible to say hello to family, friends and loved ones who couldn’t be there. We even got to watch the show on monitors backstage from the crowd’s perspective, so we could watch the competitors, cheer on our friends and watch the greatest show on earth!! 
The dressing rooms were beautiful, the camera crews and photographers for the magazines and the reporters were all so nice and just really made the show and the backstage that much more fun and exciting. And the music and television guys were nice and friendly and very professional too. In fact, everyone involved ~ from the expediters to the maintenance crew ~ were polite, professional and made everything much easier than it could have been.
All in all. it was the best experience. I’ve competed in the Fitness Olympia now twice and just qualified for the 2007 Fitness Olympia last weekend at the first ever West Palm Beach IFBB Pro Fitness & Figure. Looking forward to 2007!!
Posted in Olympia, Experiences, Post-Show
Tuesday, October 10th, 2006
 SecondFocus rides again! Check out our three new 2006 Olympia wallpapers this week.
We’re featuring women’s Olympia winners Adela Garcia-Friedmansky, Iris Kyle, and Jenny Lynn on our regular Wallpaper of the Week page and our special 2006 Olympia Wallpaper page. Get yours today!
Posted in Olympia, Post-Show
Tuesday, October 10th, 2006
Now that the Olympia is over and everyone is (nearly) all rested up, there are a ton of post-Olympia reviews and interviews that are happening, recounting the events of this year’s historic Olympia weekend.
Here’s a short list:
Visit our 2006 Olympia main page for additional post-show coverage.
Posted in Olympia, Article Reviews, Post-Show
Tuesday, October 10th, 2006
Despite an agreement that barred Bodybuilding.com from shooting any video (ourselves) at this year’s Olympia venue, Pro Bodybuilding Weekly and The Fit Show were, however, allowed to shoot some incidental video for us.
Thus, here are some videos that you may or may not have seen yet from the Olympia:
Enjoy!
Posted in Olympia, Live Coverage, Expo
Monday, October 9th, 2006
Just as Jay Cutler has defended his crown 3 times in the past week, you likewise won’t find the Olympian Fitness & Figure ladies slacking off either. Several of them just competed this weekend at the 2006 IFBB Palm Beach Pro Fitness & Figure. Congratulations to the following Olympians for placing so well in this contest:
Fitness:
1. Julie Palmer
2. Angela Monteleone-Semsch
3. Julie Lohre
Figure:
1. Amber Littlejohn
2. Gina Aliotti
3. Tara Scotti
Posted in Women, Post-Show
Monday, October 9th, 2006
Hot off his stunning victory at the 2006 Olympia in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A., the new reigning Mr. Olympia, Jay Cutler, has cemented his superiority by besting Ronnie Coleman in three rematches this past weekend, winning all three of the European Grand Prix competitions in a clean sweep.
2006 IFBB Austria Pro Grand Prix Results:
1. Jay Cutler
2. Ronnie Coleman
3. Markus Ruhl
4. Dennis James
5. Ronnie Rockel
2006 IFBB Romania Grand Prix Results:
1. Jay Cutler
2. Ronnie Coleman
3. Sergey Shelstov
4. Eddie Abbew
5. Danielle Seccarecci
2006 IFBB Holland Grand Prix Results:
1. Jay Cutler
2. Ronnie Coleman
3. Ronnie Rockel
4. Hidetada Yamagishi
5. Eddie Abbew
Congratulations definitely go out to Mr. Olympia, Jay Cutler, for this amazing series of wins! =)
Posted in Post-Show
Friday, October 6th, 2006
I was going to be adding a few more photos to the Blog but I have also had a number of e-mails and phone calls asking why I have not written an article about this Olympia. A lot of people have already written some really good and interesting stories so I though I would just go back and add some photos and a brief story from my personal observations from each part of the big O.
I really look forward to the press conference which is the first real event of the O experience. It is a lot of fun and it does really set the stage for the weekend. This was held at the Orleans Arena and a very enthusiastic crowd filled the room. In the audience you found everyone from pro athletes, the photographers and writers from the magazines and the real fans of bodybuilding. I think I was one of the very few people that recognized Phil Heath very well hidden away for some reason. I think he was just having fun not being noticed because actually he is just a really nice, easy going guy. For those of you saying, Phil who?, Phil is a rising star in bodybuilding. He qualified for the O but decided to pass on this one, knowing that he still needs more work to be successful at this level. We can expect to see Phil on stage at the Arnold in March 2007.
The first half of this press conference was all about the women. Taking their seats were the women bodybuilders, fitness and figure athletes. And the emcees were our own World Champion, Bob Cicherillo and an especially beautiful that night, Kim Lyons. Kim made a name for herself in this business by being a very successful fitness competitor. And now she has gone on to be the star and trainer on the television show “The Biggest Loser”. To top off a big year for Kim, she is also now engaged to pro Gunter Schlierkamp.
The program is a question and answer period for the athletes. We know Bob can be pretty biting and does not often hold back and I was surprised to see Kim keeping right up with him. They did ask some pretty direct questions and certainly tried to stir up trouble. That was especially easy to do with the fitness competitors. Some of course is planned and orchestrated and some is not. Now in that planned and orchestrated category, there is always something cooked up for the press conference. You can always depend on someone dropping their clothes. It could have been a bunch of the guys but this time it was Iris Kyle and Dayana Cadeau. Iris and Dayana are at the top of their game and are rivals on the stage. But they are also best friends so it was not surprising to see them taking it to the crowd together. This was for sure a “Wow” moment. You have to watch for those when you are taking photos.
Then it was on to the guys. This time emceed by the co-hosts of Pro Bodybuilding Weekly, Dan Solomon and again, Bob Cicherillo. I want to say something about this “radio” show. It is called “radio” for lack of a better term. You can listen to it online and you can also download it as a podcast, which is what I do. Then I listen to it when I travel, on airplanes, or on the dreaded treadmill. Pro Bodybuilding Weekly has become wildly successful. I had my doubts that this would take off, after all, what could be more visual than bodybuilding and they made it a “radio” show. But successful it is and it is deserved. Bob and Dan move it along, it is interesting and the hour goes by very quickly. I must say I look forward to it each week.
Bob and Dan brought the concept of the show to the press conference. It was well organized, they asked the questions we wanted asked and they both stirred up some trouble. These two guys are really good and this was the best press conference yet. The questioning was also taken to the audience which included both the fans and the bodybuilding press. Now I can say that I was not riveted to my seat with the questions asked by the industry media. Nothing personal, just not exciting. The one thing I did find interesting were the questions that were inevitable and asked by the fans about the new PDI federation and the suspension of Lee Priest. For those of you who have not followed this drama, Lee was qualified for the Olympia but joined the PDI and did a PDI sanctioned competition. This was in violation of IFBB rules and he was suspended. By the way, I have nothing against Lee, I like the guy. But he has a fan following and there has been a lot of name calling and griping on the internet forums about this. Well like I said it was inevitable that the fans would ask the athletes questions about Lee being suspended. I do believe they thought there would be support for this new federation. But what the fans found out was that the other athletes do not support Lee at all and are not running over to sign up at PDI. There were no double meaning answers, there were no second guesses. The athletes said very simply, Lee broke the rules and that is that. That is perhaps the most important specific thing I saw come out of the press conference.
Anyway if I have not bored you too much, please leave me a comment. I will upload another segment and some more photos soon. Thanks!
Posted in Olympia, Experiences, Live Coverage, Photos, Post-Show
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