No other city in Canada has a richer tradition when it comes to pro women’s bodybuilding than Toronto, Ontario. And on the weekend of June 17-18, Toronto welcomed back pro women’s bodybuilding for the first time in 17 years when it hosted the Toronto Super Show. Promoted by Ron Hache, Jim Morris and Carla Hains, and staged at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre’s John Bassett Theatre, a field of 10 contestants from six countries competed for three available qualifying spots at the Ms. Olympia and $6,000 in prize money.
In the 31-year history of the Ms. Olympia, the participants at this annual and most prestigious rite of muscle display have shown a strong majority of the entries coming from the United States. This American majority grew to a more pronounced level when the fitness and figure divisions were inaugurated. And with the coming of the new Bikini division, the USA continues to dominate the entry lists.
But Canada has also contributed a memorable group of outstanding competitors to the Ms. Olympia over the years, and several of our northern neighbors have been prominent as amateurs as well as during their pro careers along with their participation in the Ms. O.
There's an old saying that goes, "You can only be the first to do anything once". And in women's bodybuilding, first time events and the winners of those events were frequent as women's contests sprang up across the country and throughout the world in the years from late 1977 to 1981.
Everyone who has followed women's bodybuilding closely over the years knows that Rachel McLish won both the first United States Women's Championship and Ms. Olympia in 1980, and that Laura Combes won the first American Women's Championships the same year. And while Lisa Lyon gained worldwide attention in winning the 1st Women's World Bodybuilding Championships, there were, nonetheless, many contests springing up in every corner of the country that didn't always gain the same level of recognition.
If you’ve been to the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio, around the first week of March over the past few years, it’s no secret that Iris Kyle has been a familiar face and physique at the Ms. International. So familiar, in fact, that she has won the coveted Arnold Classic title with stunning regularity. And this year on March 4th, Iris Kyle marched to her sixth Ms. International title making her the most successful bodybuilder – male or female – in the history of the event.
In this 2011 edition of the Ms. International, Kyle once again met the challenge of all comers – this time in a field of 13 contestants which included longtime nemesis Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia and a contingent that was loaded with muscular and structural diversity. For Kyle, the victory had to be a sweet one considering the shadowy future women’s bodybuilding has been saddled with during the months leading up to this season opener. And for Kyle, who was entering her 11th Ms. International contest, her six victories stand as a monument to her ability to withstand the pressures the sport seems to carry with it. Historically, Iris Kyle experienced a rocky start at this event. In 1999 she made her pro debut at the Ms. International after winning the 1998 NPC USA overall title.
I'm often asked about what bodybuilding contests and the multitude of female competitors were like from the earliest days and through the 80's and 90's. When considering the staggering amount of travel I experienced over the past 34 years covering contests all over the world, there is much to remember - so much so, in fact, that short of writing a lengthy book, I'll approach the recollections in a series of articles - a little at a time - and without any special attention to chronological order of occurrences. There were some pretty crazy happenings along the way.
In the world of women's bodybuilding, fitness, and figure contests, the competitive journeys taken by female contestants can vary wildly as it relates to their placements at any given progression of events. The most fortunate individuals can make a steady climb from contest to contest and reach their original goals over a relatively short period of time, while some whisk along at supersonic speed reaching the highest levels of the pro ranks in a matter of months.
Others find a startling, albeit welcome, level of success early on in their careers, only to experience an equally unwelcome downward spiral that can be devastating in the preservation of the important motivational levels needed to persevere.
For every competitor who aspires to reach the national amateur level and beyond, a major regional contest can pave the way for many women who, as they progress, will become the stars of the future. Among the numerous regional competitions a few stand out as premier annual events that have a level of prestige that produce overall champions who show a predictable level of future success.
In the Pacific Northwest, the annual NPC Emerald Cup has been a hugely popular contest that had its beginnings in Everett, Washington, under the dedicated promotion of Brad and Elaine Craig.
Considering the fact that prize money has been offered at bodybuilding contests for women since 1979, the question remains as to who - among the hundreds and hundreds of women who have reached the pro level of the IFBB - found themselves atop the award's stand in their pro debut.
In the earliest days of women's bodybuilding competitions, several of the events were designated as ‘pro/am' - meaning women who placed in a position where prize money was available, could retain their amateur status by simply refusing the prize money. And surprisingly, a number of women elected to remain amateur due to the fewer number of pro events that were being held at the time. Many women simply enjoyed the opportunity to compete without the pressures that existed in a pro event.
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