Some compare him to Phil "The Gift"; some are just in awe. Others can't understand why Roelly Winklaar is not in the top row. Most of us never saw him before and don't know who the hell he is. The latter notwithstanding, the other rants are common in big bodybuilding shows about any number of competitors 
who seem like they didn't get a good enough look or don't get compared to those who undeservedly finished well above them. This is sometimes blamed on the pregame hype that usually focuses on a the few guys who placed well at the last show, or who hold a title or two, and of course, the rumors that fly before each show about the guys we "hear" are looking "incredible".
Dave an I don't help matters much by hosting pregame radio shows and posting previews that hype the top guys along with our predictions, usually, without ever seeing any of the competitors. More often than not, the order of the placings is pretty much comprised of those few guys we speak of; the order is just a little different - usually. This leaves us with the inevitable few guys in the back of the pack who should have done better or came out of nowhere and surprised us all.
This year's Arnold Classic was no different. Prior to the show the same five guys were shuffled around in various order. Bets were taken, proclamations made, challenges issued, some were called maniacs for their opinions... pretty basic stuff. Then the show rolls around and we find the proverbial hair in the cake. This year, it was a guy named Roelly Winklaar.
So, who the hell is Roelly Winklaar? The guy looked insane! He had every body part honed to perfection; 
he was massive, freaky and probably the most shredded guy on stage. His only shortcoming was his name - no one ever heard it before. Actually, that's not entirely true. If you saw the Arnold Amateur show last year you would have heard the name Roelly Winklaar announced as the overall winner. This garnered the Curacao native (a tiny little island next to Aruba), now living in Holland, an invite to this year's IFBB Pro Arnold Classic. This is perhaps the greatest definition of "out of nowhere" bodybuilding has yet seen. His seventh place finish behind Ronny Rockel (another guy who's taking a long time to climb the ladder) in his pro debut in one of the deepest Arnold Classic lineups in recent history is a testament to how good his guy really is and how dangerous he can become. Everyone keep your eyes open; Roelly Winklaar is coming!
Ed. Note: This past weekend, Roelly placed 3rd at the IFBB Australian Grand Prix and qualified for his first Mr. Olympia contest.
