2013 Arnold Sports Festival photo thread

Curt James · Mar 8, 2013

Attended the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic in 1989 and every year while I was in college. The VIP package that first year was just $100. Somewhere there are Polaroids of me (with hair) and Arnold. T-shirts, an Arnold Classic mug (saw those on sale at a retro booth), and a number of programs with autographs from Charles Gaines, Gregory Hines, John C. Grimek, Brian Moss, Ron Love, and more. Grimek gave me hell because my Sharpie was running out.

The Arnold Classic has evolved into the Arnold Sports Festival and I couldn't miss the 25th anniversary of this event!

ebfitness and Co. made my weekend a lot of fun. We enjoyed people-watching at the Hyatt lounge. A target rich environment with everyone from the reigning Mr. Olympia to a guy wearing UGG boots. =8^O What a great time.

Here are some of the pics.

L-R: Chuck, Jennifer, me, Ivana, and ebfitness!

Taken at the expo by a random and cooperative fan.

Fred Smalls' family. Carllean and Fred were sitting a few rows behind me. The older child screamed "There's Daddy!" You can see the little one's t-shirt reads TEAM FRED "BIGGIE" SMALLS.

I asked how much Fred weighed when he was born and then asked who got Fred involved in weight training.

Nine pounds and his mother exclaimed, "That was me!" Fred was a heavy child and was interested in building muscle and getting in shape. When his mother found out the local training center accepted 13-year-old members she signed him up right away.

Louis "The Big Sexy" Uridel invited me behind the Species booth for this photo taken by Mikaila Soto!

Mikaila!

If you haven't read "Dying to Breath ? Fighting for My Life" please click that title or visit Soto CPT Fitness to learn about Soto's indomitable spirit!

Jose Raymond

He said something like, "I thought you were shorter." And also that I was entertaining. Good word from a true champion. :-D

Shot from the night show on Saturday

Stalking the Species booth. Believe I overheard that woman with the scarf mutter distastefully, "Oh, dear. A creeper."

Videos are on their way. I have to figure out how to separate that info from the Sony Handycam I picked up right before the show.

Curt James · Mar 8, 2013

More mugging from The Big Sexy of Species Nutrition and, no, I never stop talking. :-|

ebfitness might be thinking, "Take your hand off me or I will kill you in 3... 2... 1..."

Tosca Reno

Reno is the powerhouse behind the best-selling Eat-Clean Diet book series. I expressed my condolences over the loss of her husband Robert Kennedy, publisher of MuscleMag International, Oxygen, and other magazines as well as many, many fitness books.

Kennedy or one of his editors sent me a check for $10 for a letter to the editor I had written expressing my delight at attending the first Arnold Classic. I called it a bodybuilding nirvana then and it certainly delivered 25 years later. I wish Kennedy would have been around to see the anniversary show.

For more on Tosca Reno and Robert Kennedy Publishing visit Tosca Reno - Home.

Flex and Hudichky

She was patient and coordinated as she balanced drinks while taking this snapshot of Flex and a fan.

How much of a goofball do I look like? :-D

Robin Chang

This shot was taken during the finals for the Arnold Classic, Bikini International and Arnold Strongman Classic.

^^^^ Chang joked, "Were my eyes open?"

I said maybe ten or twenty words to Kennedy at the one Arnold banquet. He was there with friends and I praised him complete fanboy style for all he'd done for the sport. He said something like, "If you really want to be impressed then..." and introduced me to one of the well known female fitness models at the time who was standing with his group. Very humble man with a sense of humor is what I took from that brief encounter.