Vancouver Show Doubles Down in 2010
Text and Photos by Mark Mason
 Frank Bohm and Tanji Johnson proved the age-old axiom good things come in pairs. First, the Dynamic Duo brought together a couple of contrasts. Guest posers Cathy LeFrancios and multi Olympian Iris Kyle doubled up for a roof rattling presentation. If that wasn’t enough Victor Martinez, who possesses one of the most balanced physiques since Steve Reeves, and Stan “the White Rhino” Efferding, whose brute strength is what legends are made of, graced the Skyview High stage bringing the over-capacity crowd to near riotous proportions. But the big deuce was that the 2010 VanNat DOUBLED in competitors from the previous year. That’s right two times the competitors, double the fun and twice the excitement.
In the open bodybuilding division light heavyweight Justin Palmer took home the overall title defeating crowd favorite middleweight Bobby McDonough and a totally shredded bantamweight Fred Varang. Palmer had some competition in the light heavies with a much-improved Tyler Leenknecht. Lightweight Donovan Paracuelles possessed just enough size and symmetry to edge past Jeremy Santos and Rusty Guico.
If Women’s overall champ Cindy Goodrich is getting used to the winner’s circle one wouldn’t know it. Goodrich continues to bring in a package with improvements in size and conditioning each show. Heavyweight Peggy Willis missed her mark as far as conditioning but has brought her shoulders and back up considerably. If Willis ever dials in everything at once she will be hard to beat. Susie Thorpe led the middleweight taking first over Christina Pahlman with Jolynn Morris rounding out the top three.
The NPC Bikini Division continues to grow. The Vancouver boasted over fifty young women in four height classes. Tall class winner Jill Lane has comfortably made the transition from figure to bikini. She won a decisive victory over second place Trista Fenske and number three girl the lovely Diane Rudholm. At the end of prejudging Fenske and Rudholm were actually tied with Fenske eeking out the second place trophy by nightfall.
The blond beauty Kate Weber garnered a near perfect score in the bikini under 5’6” class. Kelsey Green slipped past Kierston Stone taking home the second place award. Stone presented well and should be a force in future shows.
Three points separated under 5’ 4” winner Melissa Chomos and Dana Strandemo. Vancouver Natural bikini veteran Mennen Perez had to be satisfied with the third place award.
In the under 5’ 2” class Maria Partida and Nicole Peralia gave the judges quite a challenge. After several rounds of half turns both competitors were tied with nine points. In the end Partida took the nod for first and gained the right to compete in the overall. A very impressive Cassandra LaMadrid took third with Janelle Friedrich in fourth.
As head judge Sandy Williamson lined up the four bikini winners for comparisons the Skyview auditorium threatened to bust at the seems. To say bikini is popular would be an understatement. Pandemonium pushed towards total chaos during bikini finals.
After several long rounds of comparisons, rotations and walkabouts Melissa Chomos was declared the overall bikini winner.
In the novice men division a very impressive George Mumford took a near perfect score in novice middleweight class and went on to win the overall award beating out heavyweight Paul Grigo and lightweight Alyn Lane. But that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Mumford squeaked by middleweight number two man Randy Lloyd by three points as did lightweight Lane over second place Sean Lucas. Of the three class winners it was heavyweight Grigo who won his class by a ten point spread over Randall Davis and Jay Sandmann respectively.
What would a Tanji Johnson show be without fitness? In Tanji’s efforts to keep fitness alive the Vancouver Natural is one of the few shows in the country to offer a Jr. Fitness division. Five budding fitness girls showed up to flaunt their dance, gymnastic and strength skills.
Kenzi Henricks won the seven to ten year old class with Milan Page in second, Slammin’ Samantha Grubbs third and Taylor Knight fourth. Unopposed in the eleven to thirteen class was Tonya Dhevaphalin.
The open women fitness classes were some of the most entertaining in recent memory. Tall class winner Angelica Lewis came out like a shot and never slowed down. Her high-energy routine got the first place nod from six of the seven judges. Karli Brock is a gal with a future in fitness. Her physique and routine were both very solid. Time is Brock’s friend and experience and confidence will reveal her true fitness potential.
In the short class Viko Newman finally got her due winning both the fitness round and physique round and eventually the overall fitness award.
The darling of the fitness classes was Sara Bankemper. Her unbridled energy in the routine round was enough to light up the Portland/Vancouver area and then some. Her aerial assaults were well received by the audience and the judges alike. If Bankemper’s physique ever catches up with her routine she could go national. The hardest working girl in fitness has to go to third place winner Jenn Willms. Willms took her class in figure last year and decided to step it up a few notches and compete in fitness. Her hard work and determination paid off in spades, as she was only one thin point behind Bankemper.
Women’s figure was huge. Over eighty competitors in five classes vied for top honors. 5’ 3” and under winner Inna Ableman came out on top of sixteen women. Kim Bell took second and former champ Julie Lee third.
Firefighter Victoria Stroud turned up the heat in the 5’ 4” class and won out over second place Shauna Stelzer. Jamie Wheeler took third place.
In the 5’ 5” class Joni Nelson brought in a textbook example of a figure physique. The judges gave her a unanimous victory in the class and later in the evening the overall award. Kim Goedon and Vanessa Nesheim split second and third by a point.
Rachel Murray took a comfortable win in 5’ 7’ class with the Polynesian sensation Juliana Ulluave-Gould winning second and the lovely Hillary Carey finishing third by a point.
In the over 5’ 7” class it was the leggy Kelly Haner in a unanimous first place victory with the ever smiling Kristina Tjernlund second and Theresa Mayberry two points behind in third.
By the final curtain nearly two hundred forty competitors had crossed the stage. For a one-day show that might have been a recipe for a disaster. Not so at this show. Frank Bohm and Tanji Johnson compiled one of the best judging panels in the country beginning with head judge Sandy Williamson. Another group of unsung heroes were the backstage crew lead by the irrepressible Bo Keepers. Rounding up the production talent was Sean Pitman and his team from the Skyview High.
2010 was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the VancouverUSA Championships. After a quarter century the show has finally hit its stride as the premier natural show in the country.
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