Vancouver, BC. The second annual Vancouver Pro/Am & Expo is quickly growing in size and excitement. Promoter, IFBB Physique Pro Michelle Krack, continues to work hard to provide an amazing opportunity for local BC competitors and exhibitors.
[Promoter & IFBB Pro Michelle Krack and MC Extraordinaire Kim Kong Farrison]
“Michelle Krack puts on an exciting event that brings many of the biggest names in the industry to Vancouver. It is a great opportunity for amateurs to mingle with the pros. I was impressed with the level of competitors at this show. It is a big opportunity for the amateurs to visit potential sponsor booths and talk to magazine editors about modeling and writing opportunities. I look forward to next years’ event. – Rodney Jang, Editor-in-Chief, Status Fitness Magazine
Having attended the Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia for the past ten years, I am no stranger to seeing the top names compete. At the Vancouver Pro show, the winners will represent this show nicely on the Olympia stage. All winners clearly deserved their victories and I look forward to seeing how they do in Las Vegas in September.
In the Men’s 212 Bodybuilding class I expected a battle between Mark Dugdale and Nam Eun Cho. Photos leading up to the event showcased Cho’s extraordinary shape but as the two were placed side by side, Mark’s complete package was enough to take first place. In addition to seeing this battle, I was excited to see friend Rob Belisle compete as a pro as I haven’t had the opportunity to yet. Likewise, I had the chance to see another friend, Larry Vinette compete and place 7th.
In the Women’s Physique class, it is always exciting to watch Mindi O’Brien perform a routine. This lady is exceptional and utilizes skills from her days in Fitness. Mindi didn’t disappoint and placed a deserved first, qualifying for the Olympia once again. In second place was the sensational Elenora Dobrinina. I have photographed Elenora on multiple occasions and know how much fun she can be. She definitely had fun at this show despite forgetting her routine. She unnoticeably added moves and performed seemingly flawlessly. Elenora has an advanced level physique and showcased it nicely.
Figure was a close class. Jessica Reyes Padilla and Azaria Glaim were head to head for first place. In the end, one point separated the two beautiful competitors with Jessica edging out Azaria to qualify for the Olympia. In a strong third, we saw Janaina Ferreira present beautiful shape to narrowly beat Melissa Bumstead. Popular new pro Emily Zelinka placed fifth.
Men’s Bodybuilding wasn’t close. As much as I like Brandon Curry’s shape, Ben Pakulski’s conditioning was simply too much. Ben’s legs still demand their own ZIP Code. Those tree trunks are massive. Ben entertained the audience with amazing posing that included his version of the vacuum – something that hasn’t been seen too much recently. Brandon has exceptional shape with full muscle bellies and was in great condition but Ben was too much this show. In third place was Fred Smalls who was tied with Brandon until the head judge decided the final placements. Popular Johnnie Jackson and Maxx Charles rounded out the top five.
I was surprised that the Bikini class was relatively small. Only ten competitors took to the stage. Dayna Maleton from Freehold, NJ took top honors. Dayna was far ahead in her back pose showcasing legs and glutes that were at another level. Lucy Kim placed second. Evelyn Mihaly edged out Kaityln Watson in a battle for third and forth positions. Francesca Lauren rounded out the top five. In this class I was impressed with 8th place finisher Yarishna Ayala Otero. She definitely has a marketable look and had she come in tighter, she would have pushed for top three.
Men’s Physique is still relatively new and the level of competitors reflects that. Fifteen competitors took to the stage and we saw a wide variety of shapes and conditions. Jared Goodrich from San Diego, CA was the clear winner. Jared has a very marketable look – nice shape, and just enough conditioning. Some guys come in a little hard for this class but Jared nailed it this show. In second place was Daushon McGregor. Daushon has a very small waist and broad shoulders. It’s a great combination that will see him do well at upcoming pro shows. In third place was Charlie Francis of London, England. Forth went to crowd favorite Mirko Miras and fifth to Yousef Al-Sabhan.
The Fitness division has seen a drop in numbers over the years because it is not an easy dicipline to perform in. Not only are competitors dieting and training hard, they have to add in grueling routine practice on a daily basis. The numbers were low in this show, however, the quality was definitely there. Dominique Matthews was the clear winner with Jeanine Taddeo in second place. Chika Aluka wasn’t as conditioned as she was last year and ended up in third position. Local favorite, Kim Scoffins took forth and Debbie Clarke rounded out the top five.
Classic Physique was interesting to say the least. I have photographed a number of Classic classes on regional and provincial levels and the discrepancy is across the board. This weekend in Winnipeg the CBBF is holding the National Championships and I know the winner coming from that show would have done exceptionally well in Vancouver. That said, the guys in this show were entertaining and although only a few brought the “classic” feeling to their routines and posing, it still made for an interesting debut in this show. Matt Pattison took first beating ex-bodybuilder Derik Farnsworth by one point. Ali Najafian placed third, with Johnathan Sebastian in forth and John Arendsz in fifth.
MEN’S 212 BODYBUILDING
[Mark Dugdale – 1st 212 Bodybuilding]
[Eun Cho – 2nd 212 Bodybuilding]
[Marian Cambral – 3rd 212 Bodybuilding]
[Rob Belisle – 12th 212 Bodybuilding]
[Larry Vinette – 7th 212 Bodybuilding]
WOMEN’S PHYSIQUE
[Mindi O’Brien – 1st Women’s Physique]
[Elenora Dobrinina – 2nd Women’s Physique]
[Carmen Tochenick – 5th Women’s Physique]
[Jeni Brisco – 10th Women’s Physique]
[Jodi Boam – 8th Women’s Physique]
[Leah Johnson – 9th Women’s Physique]
[Tamara Quershi – 7th Women’s Physique]
FIGURE
[Jessica Reyes Padilla – 1st Figure]
[Azaria Glaim – 2nd Figure]
[Janaina Ferreira – 3rd Figure]
[Melissa Bumstead – 4th Figure]
[Emily Zelinka – 5th Figure]
[Natalie Janik – 14th Figure]
MEN’S BODYBUILDING
[Ben Pakulshi – 1st Bodybuilding]
[Brandon Curry – 2nd Bodybuilding]
[Fred Smalls – 3rd Bodybuilding]
[Johnnie Jackson – 4th Bodybuilding]
[Paulo Almeida – 6th Bodybuilding]
[Renaldo Gairy – 7th Bodybuilding]
[Henri Pierre Ano – 8th Bodybuilding]
[Iain Valliere – 9th Bodybuilding]
[Santana Anderson – 13th Bodybuilding]
BIKINI
[Dayna Maleton – 1st Bikini]
[Evelyn Mihaly – 3rd Bikini]
[Francesca Lauren – 5th Bikini]
[Anna-Lee McKill – 7th Bikini]
[Yarishna Ayala Otero – 8th Bikini]
MEN’S PHYSIQUE
[Jared Goodrich – 1st Men’s Physique]
[Daushon McGregor – 2nd Men’s Physique]
[Mirko Miras – 4th Men’s Physique]
PLACEMENTS
PHOTO SHOOT OPPORTUNITIES
Winning a show feels great and is rewarding, however, this opportunity is limited to only one person per class. A professional photo shoot with the opportunity to be published is open to everyone and if you have a marketable look then it is a near guarantee. The above banner shows just a few of the athletes I have photographed already published in 2016. Becoming a printed model separates you from other models. It guarantees you are noticed by peers, advertising partners, company heads, supplement companies, trainers, photographers and editors. Be sure to submit your professional photo shoot pictures to Status Fitness for publication consideration.
All photos above are the property of David Ford and Status Fitness Magazine. If you competed as a pro and would like stage photos, please contact David Aboody.
