Like last year’s event, the WNBF Philippines P7 was held at the Chiang Kai Shek College in Pasay. However, the price of general admittance was almost doubled. Not sure on what justified the price hike despite them utilizing the stage lights this year. Having said that, the lighting was pretty on point, not going to argue that. It really showcased the athletes’ physiques on stage really well. I mean, really well!
Saw a lot of familiar athletes who participated in last year’s event and it was interesting to note how some of them really developed their physiques where as some expected show day winners came in perhaps too overly confident and not as well conditioned. We love a good underdog story and so this was of much interest, as were the newcomers participating. The confidence on some of the newcomers in the bikini line up was amazing. There were some distinctly confident first timers who really owned the stage and brought such a fresh wave of energy. The fact that many of them came with a flash mob of cheerleaders in the crowd only added to the excitement of this particular category.
The walls were lined with plastic, to protect them from the tanning solution, which is understandable, but I think they should have refrained from lining the entrance walls. It honestly looked like a crime scene from CSI. Maybe next year they’ll do something about this because already I see how they’ve upgraded their show from last year, with the use of the spotlights, the dimming of the house lights, and even the addition of a camera studio set up for their athletes in one of the backrooms which was very cool because everyone loves a good studio shot but not always do us athletes get good shots on show day, especially when we’re depending on friends in the crowd to snap shots for us. You know what I’m talking about, those epic fail shots!!!
The show didn’t have many sponsored stands set up like last year but the stand that they did have that really impressed me was the sushi stand. I’m currently cutting for a show and so I really respected and loved the fact that they offered the crowd fresh sashimi. I had packed my own meals because I wasn’t anticipating being able to eat from any of the food stands, if there were even going to be any, but the addition of a “cutting season-friendly” option was amazing and it was the first I’ve ever seen. Good job on that one!!!
Despite the jab and poke on WNBF’s social media about non-natties, and the comments they made last year at the show – “If you take steroids, you’ll die”, this year there were no such live comments at the show. Instead, the host of the show sported some great energy and I couldn’t help but laugh every time he’d randomly yell out “Daaaaaamnn!” when he was clearly impressed by those on stage. It became kind of his signature comment which only emphasized just how impressive of a line of athletes were present.
Best moment of the show for me was the pose down for the Bikini Open category, something I haven’t really seen done in other shows because it’s usually just the male competitors they do this for. But to see a line up of gorgeously toned female athletes posing and then break out into some traditional bodybuilding poses like a double bicep and pair it with the biggest smirks, it was hilarious to see and it definitely showed the audience just how much fun those ladies were having on stage. They had trained and prepped for months for this show and to see them up there, really soaking up the spotlight and enjoying the moment 100%, it was awesome.
The WNBF's refusal to share their winners list, coupled with their statement about "promoting the authentic Sport of Bodybuilding," raises a big question. Does this imply that they view themselves as the sole authority on what constitutes "authentic" bodybuilding?
Here at PrepLife, we celebrate a diverse community. We feature events from a variety of federations, including the well-respected IFBB. We avoid showing favoritism or negativity towards any organization.
Is a competition truly "inauthentic" just because it doesn't have drug testing? Many top athletes compete in both tested and untested federations, focusing on different goals throughout their careers. Moreover, should competitors and potential competitors be threatened with death for simply considering performance enhancement?
What are your thoughts on the WNBF's recent comments and their refusal to share the winners list? Share your opinions in the comments below!
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