Women’s Bodybuilding: Decades Of Change - Part 1
As it pertains to women's bodybuilding, the past three decades have flown by at breakneck speed and with those decades - and almost as quickly - has come the winds of change. For the sake of this article we'll use 1982, '92, '02, and 2012 as benchmarks of each ten years to the present, and because the most prestigious amateur contest in each of those years was the AFWB American Women's Championships which would become the NPC Nationals in 1984, the primary focus of this story will be built around the combination of those two events.
Many Things Have Changed, One Thing Hasn't.
By 1982 the growth of women's bodybuilding was progressing at the speed of light. From 1980 when there were no designated weight classes, to 1981 when lightweight and middleweight classes were adopted, to 1982 when the need for three classes became necessary, more and more women were anxious to give the fledgling sport a try. Because of its rapid growth, and a sport with a criteria that judged women on the level of muscular development they had achieved, the mainstream print media sought out the early stars for feature articles, and many were invited to be interviewed on the various television talk shows of the time – not to mention the considerable amounts of contest reporting, profiles ,and in-depth training articles the women received in the industry publications. It was all very exciting, and a real breakthrough for women in an area that had previously been a solidly male domain.
Perhaps the most graphic example of how the progression of the competitive aspect of women's bodybuilding evolved was by way of the weight classes that were adopted. In 1980 the first American Women's Championships was a single group of competitors - 39 of them from across the country with Florida's Laura Combes winning by a single point over Claudia Wilbourn.
A year later two weight classes with the designation of under and over 114 ½ pounds determined whether a contestant was a lightweight or middleweight. That event was staged in Las Vegas and the entry list swelled to 57 competitors – 31 lightweights and 26 middleweights. In these early years the mixed pairs division also enjoyed a level of popularity. In fact, the 1981 winners of 
the American Mixed Pairs title was the tandem of Jeff Everson and Cory Kneuer(soon to become Everson).
But it was in 1982 that the critical need for a third weight class was put in place. This three weight class system would last for one year, and by today's standards the weight break-offs were, to say the least, amusing. Lightweights topped out at 106 ¾ pounds. The middleweights class spanned over just ten pounds – 106 ¾ to 116 ¾ pounds. So any contestant weighing over 116 ¾ was deemed a heavyweight. Imagine, by today's standards every entrant would a heavyweight!
The 1982 AFWB American Women's Championships was staged at the Sands Theatre at the Sands Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was the first time the event moved to the east coast after being staged in Santa Monica and Las Vegas previously. With the mixed pairs event on Saturday and the women's competition on Sunday, this event did not escape the growing pains of the sport. Debbie Basile and Leslie Barber won their respective weight classes with relative ease, and heavyweight Carla Dunlap captured the HW and the overall title. The rub was that there was not yet a rule in place that prevented a contestant to return to defend an overall title at this contest. After much discussion, Carla Dunlap took her second overall American Championship crown, and became the reason for a rule that would, in the future, move an overall champion into the IFBB pro ranks. A year later Carla Dunlap won the Ms. Olympia. Once again, the AFWB (American Federation of Women Bodybuilders) that was aligned with the IFBB was the sanctioning body of the event and all seven judges of the contest were women. Additionally, the contest was scored on a points system where 20 points was a top score and no competitor 
scored less than 11 points. Therefore a perfect score over the three rounds of judging would have been 300 points. Dunlap came the closest with a score of 292. And as a further example of how things have changed, the following was noted in a contest report that appeared in FLEX magazine. “Item #19 in the contractual agreement between the promoter and the AFWB stated: “The sponsor will provide all contestants, judges and officials with free....complete results of the competition.” The FLEX writer continued, “Yet the contestants were asked to pay 50 cents (on top of the already outrageous $25 entry fee which the AFWB gets no part of) to pay for a mailed copy of the results. After the show, the single copy of the results posted in the hotel lobby was immediately ripped off., so even members of the press couldn't hand copy the results for publication.” Growing pains indeed.
Several of the competitors at this event – along with Dunlap – went on to bigger and better things. Runner-up lightweight Dinah Anderson would win the middleweight class at both the USA and Nationals in 1983. After that, she turned pro and competed in two Ms. Olympias, two Ms. Internationals, and four Pro World Championships. She has remained active in bodybuilding and has been both an amateur and professional judge for many years. Third placer Mae Sabbagh became Mae Mollica and was for several years a feature writer for FLEX magazine. Sixth-placed lightweight Suzanne Tigert went to to win the Light-Heavyweight class at the NPC USA in 1985. And eighth place lightweight Charlotte Yarbrough left bodybuilding (after a runner-up lightweight finish at the 1983 USA) to become the most famous and highly respected female magician/illusionist in the world under the stage name Charlotte Pendragon. In 1991 she became the first female inducted into the elite society of magicians called 'The Magic Circle'. In her early years before bodybuilding she studied dance under famed choreographer George Ballanchine.
The heavyweight class also produced a group of future stars. Runner-up to Carla Dunlap was Deborah Diana. She was considered a premier poser of the day and was the overall winner of the United States Championships in 1981. Diana finished fifth in both the IFBB Pro Worlds and Ms. Olympia in 1982. After competing in those same pro events in 1983 she retired from competition and is recognized as one of bodybuilding's pioneering women in the early years of the sport. Third-place heavyweight Lori B
owen also soared to the top of the sport shortly after this event. A dazzling Texan, Bowen won both the USA and American Championships in 1983 and quickly added the IFBB Pro World crown in 1984 along with a fourth-place finish at the 1983 Caesars World Cup contest that was shot for the Pumping Iron II movie released in 1985. During her run as a competitor she appeared on the David Letterman show and was featured in a Miller Lite Beer commercial with Rodney Dangerfield. After placing ninth at the 1985 Ms. Olympia she retired from competition. Fifth in this class went to Cory Everson and after her victory at the 1984 NPC Nationals her pro exploits included just six contests – all victories at the Ms. Olympia. Her exercise shows on ESPN and several television and movie appearances made her bodybuilding's most recognizable female personality. With little argument the most colorful character at this contest was sixth-place heavyweight - Pillow. An accomplished dancer with a considerable level of muscular development she never pursued the pro level, but became one of the country's most notable ecdysiasts in the art of striptease and has performed regularly in Alaska since the 80's. She was also one of the sport's most outspoken proponents of natural bodybuilding and enjoyed a huge fan following during her short career. And finally, in 18th place in the lightweight division the name Janice Killion would be unfamiliar to all but the closest followers of women's bodybuilding. But just two years later as Janice Ragain she won the light-heavyweight class at the NPC Nationals followed by a distinguished, albeit relatively short, competitive career where she won the silver medal at the 1985 IFBB World Amateur Championships as a heavyweight, competed in three Ms. Olympias and three IFBB Pro World Championships. Her highest finish as a pro came in 1988 when she was the runner-up at the Pro Worlds.
The one element that was present from the very beginning, and would be a constant with each passing year was the continuing negative refrain about women who were “too muscular”. With no exaggeration it was an annual rite that was unrelenting from every direction. Meanwhile the competitors continued to train, compete, and evolve, while the judges rewarded whatever level of development was brought to the stage. The decade from 1982 to 1992 would be the a benchmark in the progression of women's bodybuilding for both amateurs and the women who moved into the pro ranks.
TEN YEARS GO BY.............
For everyone who went through it, the decade from 1982 to 1992 was considered a golden age in bodybuilding. Cory Everson emerged as a superstar winning the 1984 NPC Nationals and six straight Ms. Olympia crowns. And by 1992 Lenda Murray had alr
eady quickly filled the bill as the new queen of Olympia with two Ms. O crowns to her credit. Diana Dennis won the 1985 NPC National title and was tearing up stages internationally with her unique brand of physique display. And all the while, the women's side of the NPC continued to grow in popularity.
By 1992 the women's bodybuilding division of the NPC Nationals was bulging at the seams, and the fitness division had not yet made its first appearance. Over 80 competitors converged on Orlando, Florida, that year and it was the second largest women's Nationals behind the 2003 event that was also over 80 competitors and also held in Florida.
Magazine coverage of women's bodybuilding was also in full swing as FLEX Magazine covered the women's NPC Nationals over 10 pages. Muscular Development had a six-page spread on the event. Ironman gave the event four pages with photos of the top three in each event. Even Muscle & Fitness gave the women space. And the Mixed Pairs division was still contested.
Overall NPC Nationals winner Drorit Kernes enjoyed additional coverage and in future issues of the major magazines, she was featured in several training and competition related articles for months after the event. Kernes' victory (as a middleweight) came as somewhat of a surprise as the smaller weight class winners had a difficult time out-flexing their bigger sisters in the heavyweight class.
As was the case with more than one national-level event in the '90's, the '92 NPC Nationals entertained a major controversy right away with the announcement of the top five finishers in the lightweight class. Prior to the contest it was stated that judging would return to the original criteria of previous events at this level. In other words, whatever was considered “excessive” muscularity would be less likely to be rewarded. And such was the case in the lightweight group.
With 23 contestants in the lightweight division - all weighing less than 114 ½ pounds - the class was loaded with impressively developed competitors several of which who were about to experience the judging axe.
Winning the LW class unanimously was Floridian Meral Ertunc...... at least the judges saw it that way. The crowd response, however, was dramatically different. The same was true for runner-up Heidi Magnone. But there were three reasons for the vociferous discontent and their names were Clifta Coulter in third, Michele Ralabate in fourth and Sue Price in fifth. Most everyone saw these three as the top three. All were deemed too muscular. The chorus of boos that rained down on this decision was small consolation for the dynamic trio. For her fifth-place finish Sue Price was stunned. Said Price at the time, “It's hard for me to understand how a woman my size can be too muscular. I weigh only 108 pounds. I had one judge tell me she had me first until I flexed my quads. When she saw the cross-striations she moved me from first to fourth. What can you say to something like that?”. There were many who felt Price would have been a legitimate challenger for the overall title had she won her class.
Ralabate was also in remarkable condition at 4-ll, 112 pounds. As the years would go by Price and Ralabate would follow a very similar path to the pros as both won eventual overall NPC National titles along with Jan Tana Pro Classic crowns before moving into the Ms. Olympia. To this day both Price and Ralabate are recognized as the best lightweights ever to grace the NPC National stage. Coulter was no slouch herself. At a diminutive 100 pounds – and affectionately known as the Palm Beach Peanut – her scores were varied. She managed a third-place finish with scores that ranged from third to seventh.
Down the list of placers in 10th was Peggy Schoolcraft. By 1994 she was a solid national-level competitor, but really caught fire in 1997 when she won the overall NPC Team Universe title and moved on to the IFBB World Amateur Championships winning the gold medal in the LW class and turning pro. Making her pro debut in 1999, she entered the 2001 Ms. International and after placing ninth in the LW class she left the competitive scene.
Overall winner Drorit Kernes also claimed a unanimous decision from the judges and was much more p
opularly received by the big Orlando crowd. Weighing just 123 ½ pounds, Kernes presented a balanced muscular physique that carried her into the pro ranks the following year. Because Kernes was on a career track to become a chiropractor she competed only two years as a pro with good success. In 1994 she was the runner-up at the Jan Tana Classic, and won the Prague Grand Prix in the Czech Republic. She also finished a very respectable eighth at the '94 Ms. Olympia. More recently Kernes – competing by her married name of Silverman – made a return to the stage in 2011, 17 years after her Ms. O appearance in '94. She placed eighth at the Tampa Pro Championships.
Most notable in the middleweight class finishing in third behind Kernes was Vickie Gates who would win the overall NPC National title in 1993 and would go on to win three Ms. International crowns at the pro level as well as compete in eight Ms. Olympias placing second on three occasions. And we would be remiss to not mention ninth-place MW class finisher Michelle Ivers who has become a true veteran of the sport and recently (and finally) turned pro in 2012.
For real drama, the heavyweight class put the crowd on the edge of their collective seats. Say what you will about the final outcome and the crowd discontent, but the judges also found it difficult to separate the top three finishers. Eventual winner Laura Bass (no relation to Nicole) ended with a tally of nine points. Runner-up Etta Timmerman ended with 10, followed by crowd favorite Denise Rutkowski in third with 11. At the time it was the closest class battle ever, and all three women looked outstanding as the displayed their physiques in prejudging. But judges went with the 5-7, 145-pound Bass as all three competitors collected at least two first place votes.
While Etta Timmerman never made it to the pro level, Denise Rutkowski, on the other hand, made a meteoric rise in 1993 when she won the overall NPC USA, another victory at the Jan Tana Classic in her pro debut and followed that contest with a runner-up at the Ms. Olympia.......an event that would be her last in women's bodybuilding. Rutkowski has long been one of bodybuilding's most intriguing enigmas and the stuff of novels.
Also of note in the heavyweight class was fifth-placer Annie Rivieccio, who, after a long grind in the amateur ranks, finally won the overall NPC National title in 2003. She enjoyed a strong run as a pro from 2004 to 2008. During that time she entered four Ms. Internationals and three Ms. Olympia where she placed as high as third in 2006. She also won the HW class at the New York Pro in 2005.
Right behind Rivieccio in sixth was Raye Hollitt. Like Timmerman, Hollitt never moved up to the pro ranks but became internationally known as 'Zap' in the original American Gladiator series. Further down the HW list was 11th-placer Paula Suzuki. A bench presser extraordinaire, Suzuki was an accomplished powerlifter and ended up winning the overall NPC National title in 1995 before entering the pro ranks. Competing as a pro for six years, her hyper-muscular physique – by virtue of her placings - was never fully appreciated. Coincidentally, both Rutkowski and Suzuki weighed 133 pounds at the '92 Nationals, but their structures were vastly different. Thirty-one competitors entered the HWclass that year.
As the years rolled by several stars emerged by way of the NPC Nationals as Betty Pariso(1996), Nicole Bass(1997 and Heather Foster(2000) all won the coveted NPC National overall crown. Things were heating up, and the sheer size of many competitors would soon become an issue.
Next up in Part 2, the decade leading to the 2002 NPC Nationals as well as the decade leading to 2012 and the coming of new divisions for women.
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