Galleries from Universe Trip in LA 2006
INBA Open Men
INBA Masters & Miss Figure
PNBA Pro Men
PNBA Pro Women
Pics from Milos Sarcev's Koloseum Gym
Photo Shoot on Muscle Beach
Photos from Outside Venue

A New Beginning
Report by Brian Lewis

With a new governing affiliation comes a new challenge and the BNBF sent 6 of their top amateurs from 2006, along with 5 of their pro-team, to meet the challenge head-on. The BNBF had hopes of continuing in the winning ways of recent years.

This year would see the team head to sunny California, setting-up base at Venice Beach, which was home to much of bodybuilding’s golden era, with a certain now Governor of California at the helm.

17 countries would be represented and this time, the INBA/PNBA Universe would set the scene for the British invasion.

Let The Games Begin

Saturday 11th November saw the team set out from their Venice Beach base to tackle the first hurdle of the days events, the California freeways! Without the temperamental Sat Nav, things could have got ugly but the team arrived safe and sound. Santiago High School provided a fantastic venue, their auditorium housing 500 seats and plenty of standing room for the noisy audience who were in for a feast of British Beef!

Pre-Judging

Open Men Short Class – Mick Battersby

Mick Battersby took to the stage for the final test of what had already been a great year for the Scot. With 5 competitors in the class, Mick and competitor no.50 looked likely to be battling for this one, even before any instructions were called by the judges. It took a few poses for Mick to settle though but he was soon gliding through his poses with ease as the British Team Members in the audience offered shouts of support and instruction. Having peaked so perfectly for his Britain win, on this occasion Mick was holding just a slither of water but hardened-up considerably as pre-judging progressed. The audience were in awe of his jaw-dropping most muscular which is surely one of the best in Natural Bodybuilding. We felt certain that Mick had the best combination of size, symmetry and muscularity, as although competitor no.50 had a ton of muscle on his frame, he had somewhat an untidy physique and could not match Mick’s condition nor level of presentation. This was Mick’s toughest test so far this year but we were hopeful he had done enough. All would be revealed at the evening show.

Open Men Medium Height Class – Mike Bell

Mike Bell looked fantastic and was in a tough line-up with 5 other competitors, but he was unable to hang-on to the freaky condition that had saw him win the BNBF’s 2006 Middleweight Class. However, Mike has some great poses to offer, in particular his front double bicep shot, and both side shots, but when comparisons were made from the rear, Mike was struggling to match 1 or 2 in the class for that all important condition. He looked to have secured a place in the top 3 as the final callout was given and comparisons were made between Mike and competitors 55 & 58. We would have to wait until that evening to find out whether Mike’s fuller, more shapely look would have him place well.

Open Men Tall Class – Pete Chown

Pete Chown had brought an improved package to California than of that which saw him place 2nd to new pro Alun Davies in this years BNBF British Heavyweights. On taking the stage, Pete looked like he may have been troubled by competitor no.66 who had some great mass, nice condition and fantastic symmetry coupled with one of the best genetic structures in the whole show. In the end though, Pete looked to be simply too big, with more mass, nice proportion and better condition, and could be confident going into the evening show.

Tall Figure Class – Nicola Burrows

Nicola took to the stage in a great line-up of 4 athletes with what looked to be the top 3, particularly hard to separate at first. As pre-judging progressed though, Nicola looked to be edging her way closer to victory. This became especially apparent when it came to the rear poses as Nicola was by far the most developed and shapely from every angle. Nicola presented herself very well with some polished posing and great skin tone. She looked to be carrying the least amount of body-fat in the class without being overly conditioned. She just needs to work on that smile!

Junior Masters Class 35-39yrs old – Jon Clarke

An unusual category nonetheless, Jon Clarke took to the stage with the other junior oldies! He had originally travelled with the team to take part in mixed pairs with girlfriend Rachel Hayes but decided to give this class a go too. With 3 in the class, pre-judging only lasted what seemed like a few minutes. As good as Jon was, competitor no.18 looked to be just too big and well conditioned to be troubled by Jon who didn’t quite bring the package that saw him take this years overall Scottish title. Jon’s posing and shape was far superior though and that looked to be enough for 2nd spot going into the evening show.

Masters Men 40-49yrs old – Rick Waters

A great line-up of 7 athletes took to the stage where not much separated each man. Rick has some great poses in the bag, in particular his side chest and side tricep shots where he has great thickness from front to back, but on this occasion he hadn’t quite held the condition that saw him retain this years BNBF British Masters crown after losing it in 2005. Judging progressed with no. 27 looking good for first. A final callout for no. 25 and 28 looked like the judges trying to separate 2nd and 3rd place. Rick looked to be fighting for 4th or 5th at this stage, in a class of exceptional standard.

Super Ultra Masters-Over 70’s – Eric Dowey

Eric was in this class with 5 other competitors. He had maintained the condition that saw him place 2nd to a much younger man in this years 2006 British Masters over 60’s class. In this appropriately titled Super Ultra Masters class, Eric had a battle on his hands with no. 42 for 1st place. Both competitors were too far ahead of the others in the class and several comparisons were made between the two. Eric had the edge with his structure, proportions and great presentation but no. 42 was bigger with marginally better condition.

Pro Mens Class – Davie Hannah & Robe Hope

With 2 Brits in a line-up of 6 pro-men, Davie and Rob showed how a natural bodybuilder with pro-status should present themselves. Both athletes were the best conditioned on stage, with muscle bellies full and fit to burst after the hard work of 3 days tediously carb loading had gone to plan. Rob just keeps getting better with each show and this year was no different. His legs were diced from every angle and as soon as he strides in to his front relaxed pose, he doesn’t flinch. He is then in control of every move and today he simply blew everyone away anytime he sparked up a pose. The crowd were gob-smacked at the sight of him and there was an unusual silence, except from the British crowd of course, as if they couldn’t quite believe what was in front of them. It was obvious Rob was in a league of his own.
Davie Hannah looked incredible too, with huge razor sharp quads, great density in his chest and a back that was so sharp it looked like there was no skin on it. He looked to be fighting for 2nd or 3rd place with competitor no.19 who had a ton of muscle, great symmetry and condition but just couldn’t pose properly. Davie also let himself down with a few rear poses as he wasn’t always holding his glutes and hamstring as tight as he could have. We were hopeful this wouldn’t affect the outcome too badly.

Pro Womens Class – Rachel Hayes, Jakki Law & Vicky McCann

4 competitors took to the stage, 3 of which were our very own British gals. Still on a high from her recent BNBF British triumph, Jakki Law was making her debut. Jakki has a wonderful X shape with her wide capped shoulders, neat waist and sweeping quads. She had also improved on her condition since her win and today she was deservedly in with the big guns.
Rachel Hayes was the best conditioned of the class, with some tidy proportions, great arms and shoulders, and a nice V taper. Rachel showed some great condition, especially when it came to her rear and side poses. Since turning pro in 2003 she has consistently made improvements.
Vicky McCann was the shortest in the class but was carrying the most amount muscle on her small frame. Vicky also has great proportion and symmetry with no particularly weak body-parts. On top of this, Vicky was in good enough condition for this combination to give her the edge over her opponents. No.13 was a big girl from Canada but she couldn’t match any of the Brits for shape or structure.

Mixed Pairs – Rob Hope & Vicky, Jon Clarke and Rachel Hayes

With 4 couples on stage, Rob and Vicky looked to have the edge as they ran through the compulsory poses. Jon and Rachel looked good for second, then each couple were asked to do their posing routines as part of pre-judging. Rob and Vicky’s posing routine is hugely entertaining as well as a great display of physique presentation. Jon and Rachel’s graceful posing routine was more traditional and syncronized with some great transitions and fluid movements. Competitor pair no. 1 displayed more of a fitness routine with flips, tumbles, jumps and an array of a acrobatics, which impressive as it was, did not belong in a physique category. Competitor pair no. 2 were an older couple, the man an old friend of our very own Eric Dowey, was 71 years old and his partner was 60 years old, performed a graceful flowing routine more like Jon and Rachel’s which was a joy to watch.

Evening Show

The evening show saw a few classes being juggled around, which of course is a bit different to how things are done back home. It seemed unusual that the running order did not mirror that of pre-judging, nonetheless, it was back to business!

Mixed pairs

The evening began as the pre-judging had ended, and once again couple no. 1 performed their dramatic gymnastic display. Next up were the older couple performing their classy routine. This was then followed by Rob & Vicky, then Jon & Rachel. The older couple were awarded a separate prize as they were the only masters competitors and the final 3 pairs were left on stage. A pose-down then ensued and all the competitors had plenty of fun on stage before the results were announced. 3rd place was announced as Jon & Rachel, 2nd place went to Rob & Vicky with 1st place going to competitors no.1. Not really the right result considering comparisons were made between each couple. What is the criteria?
If you had to choose the best physiques it would have been hands down Rob & Vicky, if it was most flowing and well-choreographed routine it would have went to Jon & Rachel. The winners performed a FITNESS routine and in no way had physiques of the quality of the Brits. In hindsight Rob & Vicky should have avoided this class but it was seen as a bit of fun by both and all received a trophy sword for their efforts.

Junior Masters – Jon Clark

Having to come up with a posing routine at short notice was no trouble for seasoned BNBF competitor Jon Clark. Jon thrives in this round and as always, entertained the crown with a well-executed routine, showing his physique to its strengths. On this occasion though, no.17, although not a great poser, just had too much of everything to be troubled by Jon who was around 10% down from his showing at this years BNBF Scottish. Jon had to settle for 2nd place.

Masters – Rick Waters

Rick performed well in this round showing off his trademark quads and freaky side chest and tricep shots. On this occasion, though, Rick had to just smile as he received 6th place out of 7 competitors. We couldn’t help but feel he should’ve been at least a place higher. His mandatory poses may have let him down in pre-judging as he didn’t perform in these rounds as he has in the past, lack of practise possibly? Anyway, the standard in this class was phenomenal so Rick shouldn’t be too disheartened on his placing.

Super Ultra Masters – Eric Dowey

Eric poses as well as his confident swagger on to the stage would suggest. Oozing confidence, Eric flowed through his routine with precision, hitting each pose like the true master he is. Unfortunately, 2nd place was his reward tonight, but the big Irishman is nothing but a true champ and an icon in the sport.

Tall Figure – Nicola Burrows

Nicola Burrows took to the stage, all the work looked to done in pre-judging and she could enjoy her routine. She seemed to be unaware of the stage lighting though as she stood toward the back of the stage in the most unflattering light for the first minute of he routine. We were certain though she had done enough to win and were shocked as she was awarded 2nd place. We felt judging had been fairly consistent all day until that point as Nicola looked to have brought a winning figure stateside.

Open Short Class – Mick Battersby

A fantastic year for Mick so far and a Universe title would be the icing on the cake. Stuck in a tough line-up with 5 top competitors, Mick had worked hard in pre-judging. By far, Mick received the best reception from the American audience of the whole show as he took to the stage wearing a ‘see you jimmy hat’ and posing to his bagpipe music. He was in his best shape so far this year, the American’s lapped it up and Mick was in his element. The winner of the class, however, was no.50, Mick’s biggest threat from pre-judging, and Mick had to settle for 2nd place.

Open Medium Height Class – Mike Bell

Next up was Mike Bell who strutted onto the stage with a huge grin, having tightened up somewhat since pre-judging. Mike always performs a great posing routine and entertained the crowd with his crazy biceps and triceps and arguably the best structure in the class, Mike still smiled as he had to settle for 4th place in the class of 6 competitors. More condition from Mike, and he could have taken this class.

Open Tall Class – Pete Chown

With team GB still looking for their first win, it was Pete Chown’s turn to take centre stage. Pete executed a fantastic, explosive routine showing off his trademark legs and milking the crowd during each transition. It was no surprise when he was announced the winner and in the blink of an eye, Pete was back on stage contesting the overall and the treasured pro-card. The 3 open class winners were put through their paces, being instructed to execute all manner of somewhat unfamiliar poses, even a ¾ back shot. The eventual winner was indeed Pete Chown, who finally achieved his much sought after pro status.

Pro Women – Jakki, Rachel & Vicky

Rachel was in great condition top to toe and executed a wonderful posing routine, making the most of some fantastic detail especially in her back and chest and when she hit her most muscular the lines across her chest exploded. As well as impressing us with her physique she is also a character on-stage and you can’t help but smile when she is in full flow as she seems to enjoy the stage so much.

Vicky showed off her fantastic shape with a classy, elegant routine which featured some nice transitions and controlled posing. Vicky has so much width on her small frame, with great density front to back but still manages to hang on to a more feminine look, which for most female athletes is hard to achieve.

Jakki didn’t let the daunting prospect of making her pro debut interfere with her routine. She executed a well choreographed routine that showed off her great X-shape which was complimented with nice condition. Her upper-body was particularly well conditioned and she presented herself like a true pro on stage.

All four athletes were called back on to the stage for the subsequent pose-down, after which the ladies lined up again ready for the results. Jakki Law was announced in 4th place but it is just the beginning of things for her as she has so much potential. Rachel Hayes was announced in 3rd which has been her best placing since turning pro in 2003. So, it was down to Vicky and competitor no.13, the big chick from Canada. No.13 was announced in 2nd place and a huge weight was lifted from Vicky’s shoulder as finally she had achieved her first pro win since turning pro in 1995. She has had a few close calls in the past and now she couldn’t help but shed a few tears as she was crowned PNBA Miss Universe 2006.

Pro Men – Rob & Davie

One word for Rob Hope, unbelievable! Rob has delivered the goods on every single outing since turning pro in 2003 and the crowd lapped it up as he delivered an explosive routine to compliment his freaky physique. Britain’s no.1 natural bodybuilder was on stage and if any of the American crowd didn’t know who Rob Hope was, they do now, and they won’t be forgetting in a hurry.

Davie Hannah entertained with a great posing track and a finely tuned routine. Since turning pro in 2001, Davie has consistently crept up the placings, while making further improvements to his physique with each competition. Tonight was no different and he showed off his incredible detail and thickness with each pose.

The 5 competitors took to the stage again and after the pose-down lined up in their numerical order. 5th place was called and went to competitor no.16. 4th place was called and we couldn’t believe it when Davie Hannah’s name accompanied it. It seemed a little harsh as we felt Davie should have been at least one place higher. 2nd and 3rd place were called and inevitably the formidable Rob Hope was announced in 1st place as 2006’s PNBA Mr Universe.

A New Beginning

A successful first outing for the BNBF with the INBA/PNBA and the British Team had certainly made their mark. With plans already in place for next years Natural Olympia, the British Team headed back to base to enjoy the rest of their time in the Mecca of Bodybuilding. A tremendous team spirit had accompanied the days events as well as a family feel provided by the INBA/PNBA.