Pro/Am Contests Blog

Every year, usually during the last weekend of July, I set my calendar to go to Las Vegas, Nevada. Not for the casino action, not to see the latest musical or show, and definitely not for the 110 degree heat, but because I am there to check out one of the best amateur bodybuilding and figure competitions in the United States, the NPC USAs.

Last year, close to 400 competitors came to compete, and a few of them won and received an invitation to turn pro with the IFBB.  Yes, I go to Las Vegas to see the best of the best.

This year, the event will be held on Friday and Saturday, July 25-26, 2008, at the Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall on the campus of UNLV (that is the University of Nevada Las Vegas).  This is the same venue that it was been at for 8 years, in 1999, I think it was held in Santa Monica, California.  The address says it is at 4505 Maryland Parkway, but it is a bit tricky to find for you first timers who haven’t been to this hall, as it is down a side street. But you really can’t miss it, as it is a beautiful venue, and there is a big parking garage to the side of it, where you park your car. Most taxi cabs know of it, although I have had one or two that just didn’t get it. Oh well.

The schedule of the weekend is as follows. On Friday, at 4:30pm, the Men’s and Figure Prejudging starts.  On Saturday morning at 9am, the Women’s and Figure Prejudging starts and continues. And on Saturday evening, at 6:30pm, the finals begins. The doors usually open an hour before so you can say hello to some of the vendors who will be lining up around the lobby in their booths.

If you are competing in the event, you better know your schedule, including the times of your competitor meetings, and when to be in the contest hall.  If you have not bought tickets for the contest, don’t despair, there is a box office right there next to the venue that you can get tickets.

This year, for the first time, Bodybuilding.com is going to webcast the NPC USAs finals, including interviews with many of the top competitors. Not live, but delayed, so starting a few days after the show, you will be able to see the complete physiques and more. Of course, Bodybuilding.com is also going to cover every aspect of the show, from competitor photos, to backstage photos to lobby photos. Hey, last year, we even went to the Pink Taco at the Hard Rock Hotel and took some pics, as well as some cool pictures around the pool at the host hotel, the Embassy Suites.

The official lists on who will be competing is coming out on Thursday, July 10th, so check back to see our official previews on who we think will place at the top. Of course, right now, the favorites to win the men’s IFBB pro card are Brandon Curry, Sean Allan, and Grigori Atoyan, but only two can win.

Last year was a blast. I had a lot of fun the entire weekend, taking pictures, talking to people, including lots of IFBB pros who come to support the show, and watching the excitement builds as you find out who come in shape to the show with a great physique, and who didn’t complete the final touches of his or her conditioning.  To check out some of the videos we did, click here:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2007npcusas_vids.htm

To check out all of the pictures, results and more, click below:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2007npcusa_mainpage.htm

To follow this year’s coverage, check out the main page here:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2008_npc_usa.htm