1999 NPC Nationals (Celebrities and Weather Coincidences)
By -jabber



I'm going to hope/assume that the weather conditions Orlando experienced
(very thankful as it could've been much worse) deterred some folks from
coming out and showing up.  Although the lobby was nicely crowded with
muscle, the auditorium wasn't as packed as when the Nationals was held in
Atlanta last year or in the great city of Dallas (and current hometown of
the -jabber) the two previous years - in Dallas, in fact, it was packed
enough in '96 at the Convention Center Arena that they held it in the
Convention Center itself the next year ('97) where more chairs could be
assembled.  Hmmph.

Amazing Weather Coincidences:

Anyway, par for the course, if weather patterns were as expected, I figured
Orlando would get the Hurricane a day after I left.  As I said, it passed
Orlando to the east reasonably harmlessly though.  Why do I say the day
after I left?  Well mid-August of this year, when a female friend and I
trekked down to South Padre Island for a contest, half a week later, they
were boarding up in preparation for Hurricane Bret.  Luckily it hit a
desolate area between South Padre and the cool city of Corpus Christi,
but...

Last year, when a female friend and I trekked to my former hometown of
Charlotte, NC for the Jan Tana, the day after we left, floods hit that area.
And the worst most extreme example was Memorial Day '97.  I went down to
Austin, TX over the weekend to meet a different female friend.  I left and
drove up I-35 to Dallas on Monday.  On Tuesday, a VERY bad tornado hit
Jarrell just north of Austin and went right on I-35 for a spell (right where
I drove 24 hours earlier).  The female friend told me it was a very scary
night in Austin.

Is that some weird coincidences or what?  So why was Orlando different?  The
only thing I can see is that I wasn't meeting or taking a female friend with
me.  So I'll stay single just to keep the weather in check - LOL!
Seriously, the eerie coincidence was an earthquake in California the morning
of the Nationals, hmm.  Not sure how that fits into this scheme of things,
if at all, just thankfully it hit a desolate area...  Mr. Kassel was the
first bearer of that news to me on Saturday morning.

As I'd stated, the Orlando Magic plays nearby the Bob Carr Performing Arts
Center.  And at the Marriott were staying a bunch of players from the Miami
Heat on Friday evening, so a bunch of big dudes in the tall sense were
spotted that weekend also.  Other than Charles Barkley, I didn't really
recognize many others.  Although an Internet buddy of mine rightfully
pointed out that this is one of the few times when -jabber didn't look tall.
:-)

One "celebrity" I was hoping would show up but did not was Orlando local
Meral Ertunc.  I understand she'd had a rough time since her bodybuilding
career battling cancer but succeeding, and from the reports, actually is
looking pretty good these days.  A buddy of mine who's only been to one
other show wanted me to identify a "big blonde" he saw in the lobby.  He
thought it was Kim Chizevsky.  I said, trust me, when I walked in, I did NOT
see Kim Chizevsky.  Turns out it was Lora Ottenad, also a big blonde by many
definitions of that word.  I'd seen her for the first time in the audience
at the Emerald Cup in Seattle back in April, and I believe I overheard she's
training for the Iron Maiden, one of the few shows in the slow winter
months.  In a land of big people, Ms. Ottenad stood out as one of the
biggest.

Another of the biggest was a quickly somewhat off-season looking Yaxeni
Oriquen (only 2 weeks after the Ms. Olympia).  Just comparing the size of
her to just about any female bodybuilder there and most male bodybuilders
(Lesa Lewis was not in the building - LOL) would be a sobering experience.
I'd asked Ms. Oriquen if her husband's vocal chords had recovered from two
weeks ago.  He and Ms. Fanny Barrios' other are well-known for their intense
vocality at these shows - legendary as a matter of fact.  I broke my rule
and actually took a pic or two in the lobby of Ms. Oriquen.  

Another impressive audience member was Lynn McCrossin, who was seen watching
the show, in addition to in the lobby.  She's one of these fbb's who's sum
is less than the individual body parts.  Each bodypart is impressive in its
own right, but once she brings them all together, she's gonna be a contender
I say.  Also seen in the lobby was Denise Gerard, who was helping out Renee
O'Neill.  Denise, only two weeks after her 13th place finish in the new IFBB
Pro Event, was in shape that was not too shabby.  

There were a bunch of other fit looking women milling around, perhaps the
most famous of which was Debbie Kruck.  Next.  I've left the second best and
best for last.  The second best was a missed photo opportunity.  At a booth
were two fitness girls, one blonde, one brunette, who flexed their abs in a
world-class fashion.  Ah hell, if my camera was out, I would've dropped the
damn fool thang!

The best - or perhaps most surprising?  How's about a fitness competitor who
I previously was NOT real impressed with blowing me away with her current
look?  Mandy Blank, previously a muscular blonde thin fitness competitor
with nice abs, I'd never been too fond of - I'll admit this.  Her condition
in the audience just a week out from the Fitness Olympia, totally BLEW ME
AWAY!  She looked more muscular than most bodybuilders, incredible veins in
her arms, a hard dieted down fbb look, and thick chunks of ab muscle replete
with veins in her lower abs, that seemed to be perennially flexed.  

I asked her if she's ready to win next week?  She said she's going to try.
Later, after the show, I told her she will win.  Then I pointed to Ms. Caez
who won the overall that evening in bodybuilding.  I said, I told Ms. Caez
the same thing...  We shall see if this prediction comes true.  I will NOT
re-edit this review regardless of the Ms. Olympia Fitness (I promise).

Until next review, I remain,

-jabber