BODYBUILDING IN THE UK. HISTORIC REVUE.

BODYBUILDING IN THE UK. HISTORIC REVUE.

THE BEGINNING. EUGENE SANDOW.

When we speak of the World‘s and UK bodybuilding history, we always have in mind the bodybuilding pioneer of the German origin EUGENE SANDOW. Living in England EUGENE SANDOW  started competitive bodybuilding activities in 1898. After emigrating to the US he continued his activities ans bodybuilder and as organizer as well.

Today You can find lots of materials about EUGENE SANDOW  at every artcle covering World‘s bodybuilding history.

 

“HEALTH & STRENGTH”.

Speaking about the bodybuilding history we would like to underline the importance of the first International bodybuilding magazine ever printed and published. And this is the non commercial  “Health & Strength” magazine started in England in 1898 and still issued until now by the editor and publisher ROY EDWARDS.

To develop physical culture  in 1906 the Health & Strength League was established in England.

 

THE UNIVERSE CONTEST.

It was the “Health & Strength” magazine to start organizing in 1948 in England today well known “Universe” contests.

Next year after the  successful 1948 contest the “Health & Strength” magazine decided to stop organizing the “Universe” any longer.

 

NABBA UK.

Then in 1950 the British Social Sport Club NABBA (NABBA UK, National Amateur Body Building Association) was established and it addressed the “Health & Strength” magazine to get the permit  to use the “Universe” name for  their organized annual contests. The magazine gave them the positive answer and in 1950 the NABBA UK organized it’s first NABBA “Universe” in London. For a long time NABBA “Universe’ was the only one International Bodybuilding Contest World Wide. World’s best bodybuilders used to come and participate at this event.

In general through the NABBA UK organized various level contests the bodybuilding sport in the UK is well ruled and developed in the country today. Speaking of the competition and sportsmen in the UK all other bodybuilding organizations are in the shadow of NABBA and never rise to the same high level as NABBA UK is and always has been.

Remark: the second one regular International Bodybuilding Contest was organized in the World as well.

As we know that for a long time politically the World was divided into the “Western Capitalist Countries” and the “Eastern Socialist Countries” which were confronting one another. Bodybuilders of the each part of the World could not travel through the “Iron Wall” and they could not participate at the competitions of the other part. To say more for political reasons in the Socialist World and especially in the USSR the bodybuilding sport was prohibited and prosecuted for the period of twenty years. Gyms were closed, no bodybuilding contests were organized. The situation was very problematic.

The only one exception was the “Amber Prix International” (“Gintarinio prizo” turnyras, 1968-2013)  held from 1968 in Lithuania Klaipeda City by DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS.

During the prohibition of bodybuilding the “Amber Prix International”  was the only one International Bodybuilding Contest in the Socialist World that was organized annually.

If fact the “Amber Prix International” was the unofficial World Bodybuilding Championship of the Socialist Countries and the unofficial Bodybuilding Championship of the USSR. At the “Gorbachov Perestrojka” times the Ministry Sport USSR recognized the “Amber Prix International” as the USSR Bodybuilding Championship and started presenting the honorable State “USSR Sport Master’s” titles for the “Amber Prix International” Champions.  All this was possible due to the personal risk and efforts of the contemporary President WFF-WBBF International  (World Fitness Federation, World Body Building Federation)  DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS. In 2011 the State Vatican evaluated the risky efforts and activities of  DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS  and called him a “dissident” this way fighting with the political Communist Regime and awarded DSc. EDMUNDAS DAUBARAS  with the Personal Vatican Pontific Benedict XVI-th  Medal (Medaglia Ufficiale di Pontificato di Sua Santita Benedetto XVI, Headquarters State Vatican, Cita del Vaticano, March 29, 2011).

(Detailed information is in various languages on the International Site www.wff.lt , read historic articles on the main page and forum. Also information is published in various languages in the International Magazines „Sport of Fitness and Bodybuilding“ (Issues No. 28, 33, 34) and in Spanish for the South America Countries in the „Fitness Alive“ Magazine that is printed in Argentina).

 

OSCAR HEIDENSTAM.

OSCAR HEIDENSTAM  started bodybuilding activities in the thirties of the last Century when he competed at the International Competitions held in England and France.

From 1955 OSCAR HEIDENSTAM  started to lead the Public Sport Club NABBA UK.

Due to OSCAR HEIDENSTAM  personal efforts the NABBA „Universe“ was held so long on regular basis and bodybuilding sport became so popular in England as it is today.

 

IVAN DUNBAR.

After OSCAR HEIDENSTAM  died in 1991 his position in the NABBA UK took IVAN DUNBAR (Ireland). In 1995 IVAN DUNBAR starts developing the virtual „NABBA-International“ structure. We say the „virtual NABBA-International“ because it had never been juridically registered by Law as an International Sport Organization and always until now was placed behind the NABBA UK Sport Club Structure. No doubt – information about the real NABBA juridical status always was hidden from the members of this organization. The idea of the NABBA-International started in 1984 and it beleongs to OSCAR HEIDENSTAM. But at that time the idea was not so popular as it was when IVAN DUNBAR took the position.

When the work with NABBA-International started, at once the fight for the Chairman‘s positions began too. For a long time there were always several persons to be the leader of NABBA-International. Until the third noisy split of NABBA in 1999 there were three „presidents“ of NABBA-International at one time: IVAN DUNBAR (Ireland), and another two appeared in 1990 from WABBA  - KLAUS P.J.HOFFMANN (Germany) and JOE LOPEZ (Australia). All of them use to name themselves „President NABBA-International“ and always fighted in between who will collect the anual fee of the participans first.

But NABBA being only the National Organization by origin and by Law always cared only for the UK and the NABBA „Universe“ that never went out of the Country. Being very well organized inside the NABBA UK did not care very much of what was going outside especially on the International Level. When there was a definite initiator to organize a World or Europe Championship outside the UK, then this Event happened. When there was no one – there were no NABBA World or Europe Championship held. This way three NABBA Europe Championships and one World Championship were hold in Lithuania (1996, 1997, 1998).

In 2013 German KLAUS P.J.HOFFMANN  left NABBA. After IVAN DUNBAR  died the position of the President NABBA-International went to a not very famous  International person from Australia, but it did nothing better for NABBA. Having in mind that NABBA never cared for the official sport and never tried to make this sport more or less recognized during the last twenty years NABBA goes on loosing it‘s power on the International Level.

 

FAMOUS BODYBUILDERS.

During the sport history there were many talanted bodybuilders in such a perfect bodybuilding country as the UK is who achieved famous wins.

Speaking of this we would like to underline EDDIE ELWOOD, DORIAN YATES, GARY LISTER  and CHARLES CLAIRMONT  most of all.

EDDIE ELWOOD  was five times Over All Winner of the NABBA “Universe”  (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001).

DORIAN YATES was six times Winner of the commercial  „Joe Weider‘s OLYMPIA“ Pro Contest (1992, 1993 , 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997).

CHARLES CLAIRMONT  was four times Over All Winner of the NABBA “Universe (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990). By the way, a famous Hollywwod actor and producer  ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER also was  four times Over All Winner of the NABBA “Universe” (1967, 1968, 1969, 1970).

After winning the Amateur Europe Championship in Vilnius (Lithuania, 1997) another UK heavyweight bodybuilder GARY LISTER  was  three times Over All Winner of the NABBA “Universe” (1998, 2002, 2003).

Speaking of the UK women bodybuilders we would like to mention LYNN PERROT.  LYNN PERROT always struck the audience with the beautiful complicated artistic performance that was in tune with the perfectly developed athletic body. Public still remember her presentations at the 1996, 1997, 1998 World and Europe Championships that were held in Lithuania (Vilnius, Klaipeda, Palanga).

 

WABBA UK.

We have written before in details about WABBA (World Amateur Body Building Association) in our previous articles “Bodybuilding in France” and “Serge Nubret Story”. WABBA  has never had legal juridic registration as an International Sport Organization. Only the name and logo was registered.

Through the International Bodybuilding history WABBA was very active in the eighties and ninethies of the last Century. Then the Leader of the WABBA UK was a famous bodybuilder EUGENE LAVISCOUNT who organized a number of great International Events in the UK.

 

IFBB UK.

No doubt, the IFBB (International Federation of Body Builders) also has it’s National Division in the UK too. But we hear of the English IFBB very seldom and most only when it holds an International Event. Compearing to NABBA and WABBA the IFBB in the UK never had any famous leaders who ever played important role on the International Level. The esception could be only DORIAN YATES  and several persons who left NABBA UK and used to work for the IFBB for some time.

Bodybuilders of the IFBB UK never went high on International Level as nobody wanted them in America commercial bodybuilding market. Unfortunatelly IFBB UK has no future vision of ot’s own and it means it has no future at all for the IFBB UK  bodybuilders. Having good potential and being very talented UK bodybuilders were not famous  in Europe too as they used to participate outside the UK very seldom.

 

WFF-WBBF UK.

During the last twenty years bodybuilders representing the UK participate at the WFF-WBBF International Events individually.

During this time there were several attempts to register the National WFF-WBBF organization in the Country. Finally a famous UK bodybuilder DAYO AUDI  registrated the National Company WFF-WBBF UK.  Also DAYO AUDI  won the title of the Over All WFF-WBBF Amateur „Universe“ Champion (2008).

In 2013 another famous UK bodybuilder ROB REINALDO (Da Cruz Reinaldo Jose Roberto) participated at the WFF-WBBF Pro World Championship „Amber Prix OLYMPIA“. Now ROB REINALDO  took the initiative to organize the National WFF-WBBF Federation in the UK and to represent the WFF-WBBF in the WFF-WBBF International activities.

For the time spoken another heavyweight bodybuilder ALEKSANDR VLADIMIROV successfully represented the UK at the World and Europe Championship and won many titles for the country.

In 2004 an UK senior bodybuilder EDDIE PARKER participated at the WFF-WBBF Amateur World Championship in Vilnius (Lithuania) and became the Champion.