Oscar Heidenstam, The MR Universe Contest, and The Amateur Ideal in British Bodybuilding

doi:10.
1093/tcbh/hwl023
JOHN D. FAIR* Georgia College & State University ............................................
Oscar Heidenstam, The Mr Universe Contest, and the Amateur Ideal in British Bodybuilding
Abstract
During Britains so-called golden age of bodybuilding during the 1950s and 1960s, Oscar Heidenstam, through his National Amateur Bodybuilders Association (NABBA) and Health and Strength magazine, elevated the annual Mr Universe Contest in London into the worlds most prestigious physique competition. What made this achievement so remarkable was Heidenstams commitment to the Victorian ideal of the gentleman amateur. Eventually, however, this outmoded approach prevented him from staying abreast with the times and resisting countervailing societal forces that were commercial, American and modern. Tradition and parochialism prevailed as NABBA, the Mr Universe Contest, and British bodybuilding went into relative decline in the 1970s. And California, home of the rival Weider organization and Arnold Schwarzenegger, displaced London as center of the bodybuilders universe.
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Rum things go on. Or, one as might say, the multifarious activities of our fellow men are inexhaustibly surprising. The professions they get themselves into are startling enoughtaxidermy, lexicography, quantity surveying, but the occupations of their leisure, if only we knew them, would probably have us open-mouthed.1 Deeply rooted in the ethos of British sport in the nineteenth century is the concept of the gentleman amateur, whose competitive endeavours led not to commercial gain but to the enrichment of the mind, body
* john.fair@gcsu.edu 1 J. B. Boothroyd, Came the Brawn, Mr Universe Contest, 1951, Punch, 12 September 1951, 286.
Twentieth Century British History, Vol. 17, No. 3, 2006, pp. 396423 2006 Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
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and spirit. Natural grace and talent, according to sport historian Richard Holt, were major manifestations of this Victorian ideal. Gentlemen were not supposed to toil and sweat for laurels. Thus leisurely pursuits, stressing all-round talents and fair-play and eschewing the industrial-capitalist world, were important attributes of amateurism. In his social history of British sport, Dennis Brailsford identifies the public schools, which catered to the upper middle class, as the primary agency for transmitting these values, producing men who could foster continued prosperity at home and administer the worlds largest empire. They sought to mold character by inculcating qualities of manliness, strength, loyalty, discipline and powers of leadership. But Brailsford insists that the division between amateurs and professionals was more than a rejection of the notion of financial gain from sportit was an assertion of the immutability of the class system.2 Indeed the so-called Corinthian (strictly amateur) code excluded not only professional athletes but anyone who earned a living from manual labour. Nowhere were these distinctions more evident than in cricket where, by the 1850s, socially ambitious members of the upper middle class, employing the rubric of gentlemen and players, implanted their exclusivist values under a veneer of aristocratic respectability. Within the Marylebone Cricket Club, observes Holt, the rapidly growing cohorts of successful professional men along with bankers, city merchants and industrialists did not just want to climb the social ladder; they wanted to pull it up behind them and set themselves apart from the massed ranks of the clerks, the managers and the shopkeepers who made up the rest of the middle classes.3 Soon this class consciousness, accompanied by a northsouth geographical divide, permeated other sports, especially rowing, rugby and athletics. By the 1870s the Amateur Athletics Association was defining an amateur as any person who has never competed in any open competition or for public money or for admission money or with professionals for a prize and who has never taught or assisted in the pursuit of athletic exercises as a means of livelihood. Members of the nascent Amateur Rowing
2 Richard Holt, Sport and the British, A Modern History (Oxford, 1989), 100, and Dennis Brailsford, British Sport: A Social History (Cambridge, 1992), 978. See especially Holts chapter on Amateurism and the Victorians. Also see Neil Wigglesworth, The Evolution of English Sport (London, 1996), 85107; Wray Vamplew, Pay Up and Play the Game, Professional Sport in Britain, 18751914 (Cambridge, 1988), 183203; John Lowerson, Sport and the English Middle Classes, 18701914 (Manchester, 1993), 15490; Derek Birley, Playing the Game, Sport and British Society, 191045 (Manchester, 1995); John MacAloon, This Great Symbol (Chicago, 1981), 43112; and Randy Roberts, and James Olson, Winning is the Only Thing, Sports in America since 1945 (Baltimore, 1989), 211 for other perspectives on the development of British sporting traditions. 3 Holt, Sport and the British, 113.
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Association, meeting at Putney in 1878, went even further in establishing the so-called Henley rules for engagement. An amateur oarsman or sculler must be an officer of her Majestys Army, or Navy or Civil Service, a member of the Liberal professions, or of the Universities or Public Schools, or of any established boat or rowing club not containing mechanics or professionals; and must not have competed in any competition for either a stake, or money, or entrance fee, or with or against a professional for any prize; nor have ever taught, pursued, or assisted in the pursuit of athletic exercises of any kind as a means of livelihood, nor have ever been employed in or about boats, or in manual labour; nor be a mechanic, artisan, or labourer.4 Officials in other sporting endeavours, such as tennis, cycling, bowls, horse racing, sailing, angling, golf, fencing, boxing and wrestling, also driven by class interests, eventually adopted similar restrictions. Their underlying aim, in defence of the amateur ethic, was to institutionalize social prejudice, the most visible manifestation of which was the exclusion of those who played for pay.5 Defending the ideal of Corinthianism and combating the evils of professionalism were also assumptions on which Pierre, Baron de Coubertin, established the modern Olympic movement.6 Weightlifting, though devoid of any established amateur tradition or regulatory body, was contested in the first (1896) Olympiad in Athens. With increased interest in this activity, the British Amateur Weight Lifters Association (BAWLA) was founded in 1901, re-founded in 1911, and later complemented by a separate professional association. Under the aegis of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), founded at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, weightlifting remained in the games over the next century and never strayed far from its amateur origins.7
4 Wigglesworth, Evolution of English Sport, 95, and Lowerson, Sport and the English Middle Classes, 159. 5 R. J. Moore-Colyer and J. P. Simpson define the Corinthian amateur ideal as a dogged indifference to the realities of social and economic change and a high degree of institutional social exclusiveness and view its post-war decline as metaphoric to Britains loss of Empire in High-Case Corinthians: Amateurism and the Bloodstock Industry, 194575, The International Journal of the History of Sport, 21 (2004), 278. 6 Wigglesworth, Evolution of English Sport, 92. A social and political context for the Olympic movement is provided by Allen Guttmann, The Olympics, A History of the Modern Games (Urbana, Illinois, 1992) and Games & Empires, Modern Sports and Cultural Imperialism (New York, 1994) and by W. Lindsay Adams and Larry R. Gerlach in The Olympic Games, Ancient and Modern (Boston, 2002). 7 David Webster, The Iron Game (Irvine, Strathclyde, 1976), 31, 74, and Gottfried Schodl, The Lost Past, A Story of the International Weightlifting Federation (Budapest, 1992), 4247, 7476.
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But bodybuilding, a 1930s offshoot, was unique. Like weightlifters, physique competitors did not directly encounter each other, but unlike virtually any other sport, emphasis was placed on the display rather than exertion of musclesform over function. In their posing routines, athletes were judged on muscularity, symmetry and general appearance, ideals that originated with the ancient Greeks.8 As much art and entertainment as an athletic activity, bodybuilding had greater audience appeal (spectatorism) than weightlifting and was more susceptible to commercial exploitation and encroachments of modernism. Although the British bodybuilding tradition can be traced to the showmanship of the inimitable Eugen Sandow in the 1890s, amateurism emerged as a regulated endeavour with the inception of the Mr Britain Contest in 1930.9 Not unlike other sports, the amateur ideal persisted in bodybuilding for the remainder of the century. It was most exemplified, however, by Oscar Heidenstam and the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association (NABBA) that he headed from the early 1950s until his death in 1991. Nobody has done more for European bodybuilding than this man, observed iron game historian David Webster. Indeed it might be said that OSCAR HEIDENSTAM made British Bodybuilding.10 Such accolades are well deserved. Heidenstam greatly enhanced the sport by transforming the Mr Universe Contest, NABBAs centerpiece, into the worlds foremost physique show by the 1960s.11 Success, however, brought imitators for whom amateurism was not so sacred. Rival organizations, mainly in North America, sought to capitalize on the popularity and market potential of bodybuilding, offering an impressive array of magazines, products, and competitions with cash prizes. It was an approach that Heidenstam neither understood nor tolerated. Although he remained a respected figure for his pioneering efforts, Heidenstam failed to stay abreast of the times. Tradition and parochialism prevailed as his Mr Universe Contest and British bodybuilding went into relative decline during the 1970s. And California, home for the commercially driven Weider organization and Arnold Schwarzenegger, displaced London as centre of the bodybuilders universe.
8 See David Webster, Barbells Beefcake, An Illustrated History of Bodybuilding (Irvine, Scotland, 1979) and Arnold Schwarzenegger, The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding (New York, 1998). 9 See David L. Chapman, Sandow the Magnificent, Eugen Sandow and the Beginnings of Bodybuilding (Urbana, Illinois, 1994). 10 See David Webster, The Oscar of Physical Culture, Bodypower (1991), 62. 11 While David Webster and Alan Radley integrate the Mr. Universe Contest into their respective general works, Barbells Beefcake, and The Illustrated History of Physical Culture (Preston, England, 2001), no separate scholarly study exists for this phenomenon.
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Actually the Mr Universe Contest was an import from the United States, first staged in Philadelphia with the 1947 world championships under the International Weightlifting Federation and conducted by Bob Hoffman, President of York Barbell Company and the most important force in American weightlifting. That the event came to England the following year owes much to Oscar State, secretary of British Amateur Weight Lifters Association, who seized the initiative to hold it with the Olympic Games in London. Contestants in four height divisions were judged on symmetry, muscularity, posture, physical ability, personality and general health. Sanctioned by the International Weightlifting Federation, the Mr Universe Contest was promoted by Health and Strength, Britains major physical culture (PC) magazine, and conducted by D. G. Johnson, its editor and State.12 The show, held in August at the Scala Theater in Bloomsbury was a resounding success, owing mainly to two Americans who stole the show. York employee John Grimek, widely regarded as having the worlds best physique, was for a decade unbeatable. After he defended his Mr America title in 1941, a rule was passed forbidding anyone to win it more than once. Steve Reeves, Mr America of 1947, was a relative newcomer. Stunningly handsome and possessing a perfectly proportioned physique, he would become a major film star in the 1950s. On this occasion, however, Grimeks massive muscularity, experience and reputation triumphed. The popularity of this man is amazing, noted a British observer. The spectators seemed almost out of control. John had literally stood them in the aisles, and on the completion of his act by a full split the audience was deafening. I could hardly believe this was an audience of reserved British people, and wondered if there was any justifiable swooning as is the wont in America when a chap with a little less muscle than Grimek, Their Frankie, [Sinatra] appears.13 Reeves might have had the better body, but he was competing with an iron game idol and master showman. He conceded gracefully, declaring, I think that John Grimek is the greatest body-builder who ever lived.14
12 British Empire Championships and Mr. Universe Contest, Health and Strength, 77, 1 July 1948, 475; George Walsh, How We Selected Mr. Universe, ibid. 77, 2 September 1948, 664; D. G. Johnson, The Story of Mr. Universe 1948, 1949 Health and Strength Annual (London, 1949), 62; and D. G. Johnson, World-wide Mr. Universe Contest, London, Aug. 1948, Health and Strength, 77, 25 March 1948, 221. 13 Ron Chifney, Worlds Greatest Physique Show, Weightlifting and Bodybuilding, September 1948, 288. 14 Interview with David Webster, 23 July 2004, Irvine, Scotland, and George Walsh, The Mr. Universe Contest, Strength & Health, 16, 1948, 10.
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It was truly a triumph for Grimek but also for amateurism and the Mr Universe Contest. That Americans proved so dominant, particularly in light of European preferences for slender lines and less heavily muscled physiques, seemed surprising. But Europe had suffered greatly from the war, and Britain was still on rationing. Grimek recalled how he had forgotten about the restricted diet available to visitors when he arrived in London. I couldnt sleep because I was so hungry. Such deprivations only enhanced the impact on audience and judges of the well-fed Americans. At that time Britons had never seen such bulk, commented spectator Ian McQueen. The war altered things quite a lot.15 Henceforth the trend would be towards bulkier American-style physiques. The Americans, however, did not have it all their own way. At a stormy meeting after the Olympics, the International Weightlifting Federation debated an American proposal that future contests be staged with world weightlifting championships. It was defeated, according to Oscar State, on the grounds that physique contests do not come under the control of a weight-lifting federation.16 Thus the Mr Universe Contest was cast adrift. But it was not Hoffman, whose interests were primarily weightlifting, who took advantage of it. D. G. Johnson, on behalf of his magazine and its Health & Strength League, a mass movement founded in 1906 to promote healthful living, stepped into the void by organizing the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association in early 1949. In addition to promoting health and fitness, NABBA would hold national and regional physique shows.17 Membership swelled to 500 by the end of the year. NABBAs presence was obvious at the 1949 Mr and Miss Britain contests, staged annually by the League. At the London Palladium in October, Reg Park, arguably the greatest British bodybuilder of all time, won the Mr Britain title, and Grimek showed up, as guest performer, to wow the audience with his physique and feats of strength. Capitalizing on this interest, the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association soon announced plans to stage another Mr Universe competition in London during the summer of 1950.18
15 Grimek, John, Mr. Universe, Comments, ibid. (November 1948), 48, and Interview with Ian McQueen, 14 December 2003, Martinsburg, West Virginia, USA. 16 Oscar State, The World of Weights, Weightlifting and Bodybuilding, September 1948, 269. 17 D. G. Johnson, The New Body-Builders Association, Health and Strength, 78, 2 June 1949, 13. 18 D. G. Johnson, It Was a Magnificent Show, ibid., 78, 1 December 1949, 3235, 60; Ken Webster, NABBA in 1950, ibid., 4950; and Malcolm Whyatt, The History of the Mr & Miss Britain Contests, 122, July 1996, 17.
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However bright the prospects for British amateur bodybuilding may have appeared, trouble loomed. In assembling the five-member executive committee for NABBA, Oscar State, who was primarily responsible for staging the weightlifting events at the 1948 Olympics and the Mr Universe Contest, was excluded. What led to his omission is uncertain, but a growing rift between weightlifters and bodybuilders BAWLA and NABBAwas at least a factor.19 Most likely, however, it was States association with the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB), established in 1947 by Joe and Ben Weider in Montreal as a rival to the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). The latter organization, founded in 1888 to foster amateurism in the United States, sanctioned the annual Mr America Contest. Much of the spirit underlying this signature event and American amateurism was established by Avery Brundage who had served the AAU in multiple capacities since 1928 and was president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 1952 to 1972. He visualized the Olympics and all amateur sports as a revolt against Twentieth Century materialism . . . a devotion to a cause and not the reward. To Brundage the amateur athlete was an artist who does not accept the standards of the mass or follow the crowd. He is not primarily interested in dollars, he is interested in quality.20 As the foremost international proponent of amateurism for over four decades, Brundages unbending stance against the encroachments of professionalism would serve as a template for budding leaders such as Oscar Heidenstam. Unlike other organizations, however, the International Federation of Bodybuilders was open to professionals, and in 1949 the Weiders staged their own Mr America Contest. Cash for Mr America, Money! Money! Money! headlined an article in Muscle Power, a Weider magazine, criticizing the Amateur Athletic Union for its old fogy ways and challenging it to come out of its shell and be modern.21 An IFBB offer of $1 000 to the winner of its own (1949) Mr America Contest elicited harsh words from Grimek, who criticized the Weiders for running their
19 Is This Sense? ibid., 79, 9 March 1950, 57. Though excluded from the executive committee, State was included among the four elected honorary officials. But in 1953 he was dismissed even from this more perfunctory role, according to Oscar Heidenstam, for carrying tales and has always had a grievance against us. Presumably what Oscar meant by carrying tales was that State was sharing NABBA secrets with Weider. Heidenstam to Terpak, 15 February 1972, Hoffman Papers in the authors possession. 20 Benjamin Rader, American Sports, From the Age of Folk Games to the Age of Spectators (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1983), 309, and Adams and Gerlach, The Olympic Games, 146. 21 Earle Liederman, Cash for Mr America, Money! Money! Money! Muscle Power, 5, May 1948, 16.
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own phony Mr America contests. He especially resented politically motivated attacks the Weiders had made on his amateur status which had kept him out of the 1947 Mr Universe Contest and the 1948 Olympics. J.E.W. will reap the distorted stories he sowed!22 The relevance of this racial reference remains unclear, but Joe E. Weider and Oscar State were Jewish. And just as Grimek and Hoffmans AAU became more closely affiliated with NABBA, States association with the Weiders and the more professionally inclined International Federation of Bodybuilders increased. By the end of 1952 State was authoring a monthly weightlifting column for Muscle Power. The impact of this division on the future of British amateur bodybuilding cannot be overestimated. Meanwhile Steve Reeves returned to London in 1950 in even better condition to win the Mr Universe title over Reg Park. Johnson remarked that Reeves had the most outstanding physique the world has ever seen. It was also a Proud Day for NABBA, for despite attempts by rivals to sabotage our efforts, it was able to stage the greatest physique contest ever held.23 The 1951 event, coinciding with the Festival of Britain, featured an opening ceremony with contestants carrying flags of twelve nations and the NABBA emblem (a silhouette of Grimek) draped over the British flag. Reg Parks victory swelled the pride of Britons and made them feel that at least in bodybuilding their country was first. While none of the English entrants shined in 1952, the contest thrived with 69 contestants from such corners of the world as Poland, Burma, South Africa, Brazil and Egypt. Other signs of maturity included the elimination of physical proficiency criteria, the substitution of a ranking (over points) judging system, and the addition of a category (and title) for professionals who would be judged separately from amateurs. Johnson called it the greatest-ever contest.24 At this juncture the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association was subjected to the influence of Oscar Heidenstam, who would determine the course of British bodybuilding for the next four decades. His old world outlook reflected aristocratic origins. A descendant of Swedish nobility (once styled von Heidenstam), Oscar had a grandfather who was educated in England, became a British subject, and served as a medical officer for the Ottoman Empire on Cyprus. After the change of sovereignty, Oscars father became a British civil servant on Cyprus,
Grimek, John, Mr. Universe, Comments, 47. D. G. Johnson, Reeves is Mr. Universe! Health and Strength, 79, 13 July 1950, 5, and ibid., A Proud Day for NABBA, 27 July 1950, 14. 24 Ibid., 80 20 September 1951, 11, and D. G. Johnson, Six Countries Share Mr. Universe Titles, The Weightlifter & Bodybuilder, 6, September 1952, 68.
23 22
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where Oscar was born in 1911. Educated at a French convent in Nicosia and Victoria College in Jersey, he excelled in gymnastics, swimming, and rugby. In pursuing all-round physical excellence, Oscar trained with weights, held several physical culture positions, and won such physique titles as Mr Britain (1937) and Mr Europe (1939). After service in the Army Physical Training Corps in the Middle East during World War II, he became one of NABBAs first enrollees and ranked high in several Mr Universe contests. In early 1953 Oscar joined the Health and Strength staff.25 Heidenstams commitment to amateur ideals and the traditional slender, more functional, physique was evident from the outset. When the bulk vogue came into being, measurements became the be-all and end-all of many a young bodybuilder, he protested. Shape and quality of muscle are also very important.26 The trend towards big muscles, of course, was epitomized by previous Mr UniversesGrimek, Reeves and Parkand Oscar could hardly have been pleased with the size and muscularity of Californian Bill Pearl, the 1953 winner. It was the invasion of the Americans after the war that was responsible for this plight, and no one seemed to promote muscle size more effectively than Joe Weider, whose magazines featured articles entitled Gain 15 Inches on Your Chest and Get Massive Biceps Size.27 The 1900 arm was becoming the ideal for neurasthenic youth and a necessity for top bodybuilders. Heidenstam, however, had only praise for Enrico Tomas and Jim Park, Americans who had won the amateur and professional titles for 1954. Both displayed clean lines and symmetry. Although Tomas possessed an 1800 arm (cold), it was so perfectly shaped and in keeping with the rest of him, that it did not appear all that massive. Oscar also appreciated his natural manner. Not unlike a sporting gentleman, Tomas walked straight from a three day [overseas] journey on to the posing rostrum looking superb, without any sort of warm up, and Jim Park never touched a weight for at least a week before the contest.
25 For biographical information on Heidenstam see Oscar Frederick Jeffrey Gore Heidenstam, Health and Strength, 122, April, 1996, 1920; W. A. Pullum, Oscar: A Great Bodybuilder, ibid., 82, 8 January 1953, 3233 and 49; David Gentile, The ever changing face of Health and Strength, ibid., 108 (1979), 21; David Webster, Oscar Heidenstam, Iron Game History, 1 (1991), 1415; and Colin Sheard, If It Hadnt Been for Oscar, Health and Strength, 96, 12 October 1967, 1011 and 14. 26 Oscar Heidenstam, This Bulk Business Can Be Overdone, The Weightlifter & Bodybuilder, 4, July 1951, 14. 27 See George Eiferman, Gain 15 Inches on Your Chest, Muscle Power, 14, August 1952, 21, and Barton Horvath, Get Massive Biceps Size, ibid., 15, January 1953, 22.
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Enrico Tomas was photographed a week after the show looking exactly the same as he did at the contestin other words none of this two hour PUMPING UP business was necessary to look their best!28 Heidenstams views coincide with Richard Holts maxim that hard training was bad form for amateurs, who were above all gentlemen. Too much practising was to be avoided.29 With Heidenstam on board, Health and Strength assumed a more amateur tone and supportive role for the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association. By 1953 there were 5000 members, and the association had now climbed out of debt and was showing a small profit. But as you know, it is no part of NABBA aims to make money. Its only purpose was to serve bodybuilders.30 At the 1955 contest David Webster reported that all judges were amateurs and none was tainted by commercial ties. He also noted that most of the winners had physiques which looked functionally efficient.31 Most striking was amateur titlist Mickey Hargitay, whose physique was well-balanced, athletic, and not heavily muscled, just the type Heidenstam preferred. The 1956 event, the first one staged by Oscar, rose to new heights. Held at the London Palladium, it featured the highest quality physiques ever, including three Mr Americas. An official dinner and dance and a variety of physical culture acts enlivened the festivities. Oscar was a good organizer, but not a good businessman, is the assessment of associate Norman Hibbert.32 Herein lay a major difference between NABBA shows and those of commercially motivated American promoters. Furthermore, the integrity of Heidenstams contests was never questioned. The judging was always very fair, claims Webster. But respectability came at a price. Unlike others, Heidenstam seemed oblivious to any profit incentive. Arguably the greatest missed opportunity was his failure to gain the support of Paul Getty, the worlds richest man and a bodybuilding enthusiast who started attending Mr Universe contests in the 1950s. Perhaps it was expecting too much for a man so tight-fisted that he had a pay phone in his mansion and used a taxi rather than a private chauffer to become NABBAs guardian angel, but Oscars friend Malcolm Whyatt can recall
28 Oscar Heidenstam, Talking about Bodybuilding, Health and Strength, 83, 2 September 1954, 35. 29 Holt, Sport and the British, 100. 30 Show Us Your Muscles! Health and Strength, 82, 26 November 1953, 25, and A Statement from NABBA, ibid., 83, 18 March 1954, 5. 31 David Webster, How We Judged the Mr Universe Contests, ibid., 84, 21 July 1955, 9, 46. 32 Interview with Norman and Sylvia Hibbert, 24 July 2004, London, England.
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only token instances of Gettys largess.33 There is no evidence that Heidenstam, ever the gentleman, even asked for support. Much to Oscars chagrin, bulk continued to characterise leading Mr Universe contestants, mostly from the United States.34 It was encouraged by Hoffmans practice of sending Mr America winners to London. Therefore when Briton John Lees won the amateur title in 1957, Oscar was exuberant. There are those who think the Americans must always win, he observed. Why, I do not know. He also criticized the American penchant for size. Remember its how you LOOK that counts, not what your measurements are. Finally Heidenstam defended having all British judges for an international field, noting that critics could provide no alternatives when told that it is inadvisable to have any professionals on the panel, or those with any commercial interests.35 Most critical was Joe Weider, especially when an entrant he had sponsored was placed well below the leaders. In his expose of the 1957 contest, Weider questioned the fairness of NABBA judging.36 One of the maligned judges, Ian McQueen, defended Oscars approach. The high honour of the Mr Universe title was meant for someone who has not just a good physique, but to someone who is a man also.37 Such putdowns did not damper Weiders spirit. In 1959 he started his own contest. Seeking to trade off the prestige of the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association, a Weider editorial claimed: For the first time in Canada the famous Mr Universe contest will be held in Montreal, the mecca of physical culturists.38 Nor was Weider NABBAs only challenge. The International Weightlifting Federation decided to revive its Mr World title in 1959
33 Interview with Webster; W. A. Pullum, How Rich is Paul Getty? Health and Strength, 86, 5 December 1957, 9; and Interview with Malcolm Whyatt, 2 July 2004. 34 Just after the 1954 contest Oscar estimated that the average British bodybuilder hardly consumed one egg a day! But he spoke to one overseas top liner who told me that he eats an average of sixty eggs a week, and ordered nine for breakfast when in London. The waiter stood aghast! Oscar Heidenstam, Health and Strength, 83, September 1954. 35 Oscar Heidenstam, Judging the Mr Universe Contests, ibid., 86, 4 December 1957, 6 and 10. According to Roberta Park, what was particularly objectionable to Britons who adhered to the amateur ethos was the blatancy of the Americans and the intensity with which they pursued athletic victories. A. B. George, writing a chapter entitled, American Methods for his brothers Training for Athletics and Kindred Sports (1902), stated: The American does the thing thoroughly, and devotes all his energy toward the end in view. We take the thing more easily and do not look on the winning of a certain race as a life and death matter. Jack W. Berryman and Roberta J. Park, Sport and Exercise Science, Essays in the History of Sports Medicine (Urbana, Illinois, 1992), 84. 36 Joe Weider, ExposeMr Universe Contest 1957 Muscle Builder, 1, June 1958, 36. 37 Viewpoint, Health and Strength, 87, 11 September 1958, 20. 38 Sante et Force (November 1953), cited in Oscar Heidenstam, He is Still At It! ibid., 88, 12 February 1959, 36.
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and call it Mr Universe. Now there were three. Heidenstam responded by organizing what one reporter called the greatest physical culture show ever. When winners Bruce Randall and Len Sell were announced, the roof of the Palladium was severely tested, for the pent-up feelings of 3000 patient fans were released in a volume of applause not likely to be forgotten. The physique show was complemented by strength, hand-balancing, acrobatic and muscle control acts, and music by George Fierstones orchestra. The most captivating moment was the presentation of trophies by 1956 Mr Universe Mickey Hargitay and his wife, American sex goddess Jayne Mansfield.39 Oscars achievement was to stage such a glamourous event within a totally amateur context. Amateurism prevailed even in the professional division, where athletes received no monetary awards. After 1959 the Palladium was no longer available, and NABBAs financial woes were increased by having to move to the Victoria Palace Theater with 1000 fewer seats. Let me assure you that the Universe contests as a commercial undertaking are a dead loss, commented Heidenstam, but they do more to enhance the prestige of NABBA and this journal, and to maintain the interest in physical culture, than any other event of the year. Oscar, now editor of Health and Strength, estimated that the annual cost of the Mr Universe Contest was never less than 1500 and that revenue from even its largest venue was never more than 1300. This shortfall was offset by yearly dues of NABBA members. But monetary loss was incidental, argued Heidenstam. The loss in prestige and goodwill . . . if we did not run the contests cannot be measured by pounds, shillings, and pence. So popular was the 1961 version that even standing room was sold out four weeks in advance.40 Even the national press showed up, asking questions, taking pictures and looking for something to ridicule. And for all this NOTHING, Oscar proudly exclaimed. The photographic agencies were as usual represented, but not a line anywhere. . . . It was all too wholesome, sportsmanlike and calm, therefore I can only assume that it was not NEWS!41 But the contest, won by Americans Ray Routledge (amateur) and Bill Pearl (professional) was a triumph. Of Oscars organizing ability one could become adjectival to the point of verbosity, observed physical culturist Colin Sheard. So efficiently was the Mr Universe Contest conducted, it would be more aptly named
Norman Jelliss, Show of Shows, ibid., 88, 5 November 1959), 47. Editorial, ibid., 89, 20 October 1960, 3, and Oscar Heidenstam, NABBA Notes, ibid. 90, 21 September 1961, 44. 41 Ibid., 19 October 1961, 3.
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the Heidenstam Competition . Not surprisingly other countries were copying NABBAs badge, adopting its constitution and seeking affiliation.42 All was not a bed of roses for Heidenstam, however, whose demons seemed to grow with his greatness. I vow each year that this will be my last Universe, but somehow another comes round and here I am with the same frustrations. Most worrying were the machinations of State, now secretary of the International Weightlifting Federation and more influential than ever. This old enemy was trying to disrupt our long standing prestige and integrity by declaring to affiliates of the International Weightlifting Federation that NABBA was an outlaw organization and its officials were professionals. This is utterly untrue, Heidenstam declared. He reiterated that the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association was NOT a commercial enterprise and that the Mr Universe Contest only lost money. Unlike the Weiders, with whom State was affiliated, our parent magazine does not sell courses, equipment, supplements. NABBA officials were practicing physical culturists with no financial interests in PC.43 Allies were important in this struggle, and Oscar continuously courted Bob Hoffman, with his AAU and international connections. Bob hardly needed reminding that the British Amateur Weight Lifters Association and Weider were part of one big brotherhood and that the International Weightlifting Federation, via Oscar State . . . is well and truly immersed into Weider plans. To thwart this (perhaps by implication Jewish?) conspiracy, he wanted Hoffman to use his influence to remove State from power. Like you I object to parasites who creep into what is virtually still a small sport and set themselves up as experts for their own gain. . . . I was looking to you for help and support to be rid of them. On a more positive note, Oscar asked Hoffman to continue sending Mr Americas to his Universe show.44 Bobs sponsorship of two of them, Joe Abbenda and Vern Weaver, added luster to the 1963 contest. The spectacular proceedings, however, were dampened by remarks made at the banquet by Reg Park, by now an immortal in the physique world. In striking contrast to the many accolades and toasts, Park declared he had come not to praise N.A.B.B.A. but to criticize it. He believed the organization would be better served by combining the amateur and professional titles into an overall Mr Universe and changing its name to the International Bodybuilding Association.
42 Colin Sheard, Universe Impressions, ibid., 16 November 1961, 7, and Oscar Heidenstam, NABBA Notes, ibid., 19 October 1961, 34. 43 Ibid., 91, 18 September 1962, 37, and Editorial, ibid., 92, 16 May 1963, 5. 44 Heidenstam to Hoffman, 6 November 1962, Hoffman Papers in the authors possession.
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No doubt reflecting Heidenstams view, Colin Sheard voiced disapproval. Such changes would blatantly violate the amateur ideal. But Parks remarks were not meant to be hurtful.45 For all of Oscars assets, his organization was still very parochial (British) and his contest a one-man show with scant financial resources. Park had the foresight to know that unless the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association developed a greater international presence and adhered less stringently to its amateur roots, it would be relegated to a lesser place in the physique firmament. The world was changing, and the Weider/State clique had wisely positioned itself to move with it. For the moment the physique world still seemed Oscars oyster. Although there were now three imitations (including a new one in France), the London Mr Universe had more prestige and participation than ever. At the 1964 version, won by John Hewlett and Earl Maynard, both from England, there were 62 entrants from 22 countries.46 A significant feature of NABBA shows since the late 1950s was an increase of black bodybuilders from the Caribbean, who greatly enhanced the quality of competition. Maynard, originally from Barbados, crossed the colour line by winning every top title in England and being the first of his race to become Mr England. At the 1964 Universe, he won acclaim by beating the toughest competition. Heidenstam was certain for the first time ever we pleased every single person of that packed and vociferous audience, a great triumph for a magnificent Earl.47 Such a lucrative commodity could not long remain beyond the grasp of eager promoters. Joe Weider quickly laid claim to Earl, heralding him a 100 percent Weider-Trained Champion and luring him to the 1965 IFBB show in New York where he won a second Mr Universe title.48 Thereafter Maynard figured prominently, as did NABBA stars Serge Nubret (Guadeloupe) and Rick Wayne (St Lucia) in promoting Weider products. Heidenstam was deeply offended by these defections and by bodybuilders promoting the commercial interests and stature of his enemies. Earl Maynard is now working against us for Weider in every possible way, Oscar confided to Peary Rader, editor of Iron Man magazine in Alliance, Nebraska. How do these people do it? By money I suppose? Also unnerving to Oscar were wavering relations with his
45 46 47
Report by Sheard, Colin, Health and Strength, 92, 14 November 1963, 89. John OFarrell, The Greatest PC Show in the World, ibid., 93, 12 November 1964, 6. Oscar Heidenstam, Detailed Coverage of NABBAs 1964 Universe Judging, ibid., 29 October 1964, 8. 48 Joe Weider, Heres the Lowdown, Muscle Builder, 15, March 1965, 5, and The 1965 IFBB Mr. UniverseMr. AmericaMr. OlympiaMiss Americana Muscle/Beauty Show, ibid., 15, January 1966, 6877.
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York allies, peeved after their 1965 Mr Universe entrant, Val Vasilieff, did not even win his height division. Val went home crying, Heidenstam observed. Grimek says they will have to think seriously about sending anyone in future. . . . This really hurt me. What irked Oscar was Yorks insensitivity and weak commitment to the amateur ideal. I have told Grimek repeatedly and I mean it that as we sell nothing and have no commercial angles of any kind, it makes not one scrap of difference to us who wins.49 It must have been consoling therefore that another defeated York entrant, 1963 Mr America Vern Weaver, praised the NABBA Universe. He regarded it as the KING of physique competitions and wanted to support it. But he echoed Parks concern that if the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association is to survive and maintain its present high and undisputed standards, it must incorporate some sort of international expansion programme.50 Oscar, however, seemed oblivious to the need for greater international ties or an underlying funding component. He resigned himself to the fact that while Weider and Hoffman were able to fly their charges anywhere in the world, athletes attending his contest had to struggle. One prospective contestant from South Africa who intended to enter the 1965 event, sent Oscar a sad letter saying he had not saved enough for his air fare and was 40 short. Still, he has a good start for next year. This is the true spirit of the NABBA Universe. Another entrant sacrificed potential profits from his Milan health studio to compete, knowing that he would be defeated by Reg Park. It would be an honour to be beaten by Reg was his sportsmanlike attitude.51 These incidents were high points for Heidenstam, but he was often depressed and bitter. Oscar complained to Rader that he had received a lucrative job offer. I could have retired into peace and oblivion and been happy and let Weider and his gang take over what we have built up over 35 years . . . . How I wish I was able to continue in PC [physical culture] with some peace of mind just to do that and stay out of all this back biting, commercialism and downright rat race!52 He could not understand that although he conducted the worlds most prestigious physique contest, the sport itself was being shaped by forces beyond his control. At least he had to concede that the bulk craze instigated by Americans was now an accepted norm. This trend towards muscularity
49 Heidenstam to Rader, 1 November and 8 October 1965, Rader Papers, Todd-Maclean Collection, University of Texas at Austin. 50 Vern Weaver, Ill Be Back to Win the King of Physical Culture Contests, Health and Strength, 93, 12 November 1964, 46. 51 Oscar Heidenstam, Judging the Universe, ibid., 94, 28 October 1965, 7. 52 Heidenstam to Rader, 1 November 1965, Rader Papers.
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was accelerated in the 1960s by two new size-related developments, fostered in Americaanabolic steroids and powerlifting which utilized the same basic movements for chest, legs and back as bodybuilders used.53 More than any other bodybuilder, this emphasis on supersize was exemplified by Austrian teenager Arnold Schwarzenegger who was the sensation of the 1966 Mr Universe Contest. Schwarzeneggers impact on Oscar was immediate, recalls Whyatt. When Arnold first walked in, Oscar said, I wonder what hell look like with his coat off. Oscar was in awe of him. Although American Chester Yorton ultimately won the Battle of the Giants, it was Arnold who had the greatest impact. He was the only contestant called for an encore.54 The excitement generated by Schwarzenegger was even more evident when he returned in 1967 and easily outclassed Mr America Dennis Tinerino. Once in generations do we get someone of the caliber of Arnold, observed Heidenstam. At twenty he was not only the youngest ever Universe winner but at 60 200 , 248 pounds, with 2100 arms and a 5700 chest, must also be the biggest ever. In a pose-down between Tinerino and the German whose proportions beggar description, Sheard noted that the former received applause far less generous than his physique deserves, then, SCHWARZENEGGER. It has to be in capitals. And, at last, the audience let go. . . . Arnolds size has elected him winner.55 But Arnold was not the only dazzling element of the contest. It also featured Diane Bennetts Glamour Girls and a Miss Bikini Contest, won by winsome Kathleen Winstanley of Wigan. There was plenty of sex appeal to complement Arnolds size appeal. For the next three years Schwarzenegger returned to cop the professional title. In 1968 and 1969 he had little competition. Still he continued to improve and wow audiences. It was Pandemonium in 1969, according to Sheard.56 But the ultimate showdown came in 1970 when Arnold encountered Reg Park and a Weider-sponsored muscular sensation from California, Dave Draper, whose massiveness rivaled Arnolds. It was pandemonium again when the three giants assembled, noted Oscar. I have never seen such scenes at any Universe. Three men who belong to a class of their own. Even against
53 On the advent of steroids and powerlifting see John D. Fair, Muscletown USA, Bob Hoffman and the Manly Culture of York Barbell (University Park, Pennsylvania, 1999), 19598, 21416. 54 Interview with Whyatt and John C Grimek, Posing at the Mr. Universe Contest, Muscular Development, 4, January 1967, 41. 55 Oscar Heidenstam, International Judges for the Worlds Best Physiques at NABBAs Universe, Health and Strength, 96, 26 October 1967, 10 and 13; and Colin Sheard, Curtain up on the Universe Show you dont see, ibid., 96, 9 November 1967, 11. 56 Colin Sheard, Twenty-One To-day, ibid., 98, NovemberDecember, 1969, 7, and Oscar Heidenstam, Judging the 1969 NABBA Universe Contests, ibid., October 1969, 24.
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such competition, Arnold won a sweeping victory. To Ivan Dunbar the two years Arnold spent training in America had produced a maturity extending far beyond his physical development. . . . Here was the finished product, complete with his now famous brand of way out humour. Come along and meet some of my skinny friends, he said, leading the way to the lounge. Arnolds skinny friends were Dave Draper, Frank Zane, Boyer Coe and Reg Park, four of the greatest bodybuilders of all time!57 Yet Heidenstam failed to realize that Arnold, who had brought so much glory to his contest, could be a continuing asset. Reflecting his amateur outlook, he believed that Schwarzenegger should retire and allow others a chance to win. This man could well be invincible for years and I hope he will not try and prove it. In the absence of any desire by Oscar to capitalize on his fame, Schwarzenegger committed himself to his enterprising arch-enemy. Just after winning his second NABBA title, Arnold agreed to come to America to work for Weider and compete in IFBB contests. Business fascinates me, wrote Arnold. I get caught up in the whole idea that its a game to make money and to make money make more money. Joe Weider is a wizard at it, and I liked being able to watch him operate.58 Once ensconced with Weider, Arnold won two IFBB Mr Universe titles and reeled off six Mr Olympia victories. Schwarzeneggers unprecedented achievements became a critical factor in the rise of Weider and the Mr Olympia Contest to dominance in the physique world and served as a springboard for his own movie career. By the same token, Arnolds defection was a loss for NABBA, the Mr Universe Contest, and British amateur bodybuilding. No less serious was the Weiders ability to gain acceptance into the General Assembly of International Sports Federations (GAIF), a Swiss-based body with 73 national affiliates. The International Federation of Bodybuilders now seemed poised for recognition by the International Olympic Committee which could elevate bodybuilding to an Olympic sport.59 Heidenstam was furious and attributed this Weider triumph to the intrigues of State, who was soon elected general secretary of GAIF and honoured with an Order of the British Empire award. He urged John Terpak, Hoffmans chief aide, to use your powers and contacts against this wretched man who was a fly in the ointment and doing
57 Oscar Heidenstam, The Factual Story of the Judging, ibid., 99, November 1970, 15, and Ivan Dunbar, All Roads Led To The Palace, ibid., December 1970, 14. 58 Heidenstam, The Factual Story, 15, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Douglas Kent Hall, Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder (New York, 1977), 9495. 59 Official Minutes, I.F.B.B. International Congress, Baghdad, Iraq, 20 November 1972, 34, and Report to All National Federations, No. 5, Montreal, 13.
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all in his power to get Weider any recognition possible. Oscar hardly underestimated his adversaries. I imagine that State and the Weider brothers are of the same political and [Jewish] racial fraternity. I am surprised that you in USA tolerate this in State. . . . Weider really wants to isolate us in Europe and is telling everyone this. Ourselves and the French are the only bodybuilding bastion in Europe and a stumbling block to Weider taking over. Oscar was especially frustrated that GAIF seemed unconcerned that the International Federation of Bodybuilders was a commercial enterprise. Unable to pry the International Federation of Bodybuilders from its privileged position, he secured NABBA affiliation with an international body that was hastily formed by the French Federation of Physical Culture and Sport to counter Weider moves in Europe. Soon bodybuilding associations from Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg also joined, and Oscar became its president.60 On the surface all appeared well for National Amateur Bodybuilders Association. Even without Arnold, the 1971 Mr Universe Contest was one of the best ever, featuring Reg Park, Bill Pearl, Frank Zane, Sergio Oliva, Ken Waller and Paul Grantall among the best physiques of the day. Waller, the amateur titleist, seemed to have everything, observed Oscar. Although very big, his proportions and muscularity were magnificent. Oliva, a Mr Olympia winner in the 1960s, was a standout in the professionals, according to Sheard. Sergio Oliva! . . . That such muscularity is possibleon any man. For rumour didnt lie. Hes sensational. Phenomenal! Not as tall as expected. But SIZE!61 When Pearl won the title, however, Oliva smashed his trophy backstage. Later, according to pundit David Gentle, when fans outside the venue heckled him about his third place, Oliva slammed the taxi door so hard that it nearly broke off.62 It was back to the Weider camp for Oliva. Yet Oscars contest seemed as popular as ever. Our Universe has gone mad even before the tickets have been printed, he told Terpak in 1972. Six months before the contest he had sold over 1000 of the 2000. Yet last year we were told by IFBB we would not have another Universe. They have gained no ground at all in Britain.63 Still there were signs of trouble. In 1969 Oscar had to be hospitalized three months before the contest, then the parent company of Health and
Heidenstam to Terpak, 15 February and 7 April 1972, Hoffman Papers. Oscar Heidenstam, Judging the 1971 Mr. Universe, Health and Strength, 100, October 1971, 8, and Colin Sheard, What A Universe! ibid., November 1971, 18. 62 Interview with David Gentile, 3 July 2004, Romsey, Hants. 63 Heidenstam to Terpak, 7 April 1972, Hoffman Papers.
61 60
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Strength went bankrupt and publication ceased. I was well and truly depressed, he admitted. The magazine and contest were rescued by Oscars generous friends and by his mortgaging his house. Now Heidenstam, as owner of Health and Strength, was even more deeply committed to an organization that was a financial liability. But Oscars idealism always lifted him above worldly concerns. He was totally dedicated to the contest, observed Ian McQueen. It was like a religion.64 His dedication was recognized at the 1969 contest (the 21st in England) with an orchestral rendition of For Hes A Jolly Good Fellow and a huge birthday cake with 21 candles, signifying maturity. French photographer Gregor Arax recognized Heidenstam as the central figure of international physical culture.65 During the 1970s Oscars reputation as a leading promoter remained intact, but more than ever it was identified with his struggle to preserve the amateur ideal against encroaching commercialism. His efforts were devoted to promoting the Universe Contest and other NABBA events, editing Health and Strength, and waging war against the International Federation of Bodybuilders. With regard to contests, Oscar spent most of his weekends on the road assisting with local and regional competitions, largely at his own expense. These events culminated in the Mr Universe show in September where Heidenstam handled even the smallest details himself. But those who think that once the Universe is over I can put my feet up, must be joking, he protested to Terpak in 1972. The last aftermath of NABBA Universe competitors and officials haunted our offices until October 2, so no work was done, and late again with the mag. Then came a plethora of local shows from Edinburgh to the Channel Islandsall of which required Oscars presence.66 More than ever, NABBA was a one-man show with a national rather than an international base. The Mr Universe Contest was the exception, and while subsequent years would not feature quite the star-studded line-up of 1971, the appearance of such notables as Lou Ferrigno, Boyer Coe, Chris Dickerson, Serge Nubret, Tony Emmott and Bertil Fox enhanced its reputation through the mid-seventies. Year after year, despite endless complications regarding venue, judges and contestants, the physiques were bigger and better than ever and complemented by shapely female physiques in the Miss Bikini Contest, exciting physical culture acts and
64 Oscar Heidenstam, Judging the 1969 NABBA Universe Contests, Health and Strength, 98, October 1969, 7, and Interviews with Whyatt and McQueen. 65 Colin Sheard, Twenty-One To-Day, Health and Strength, 98, NovemberDecember 1969, 13, and Gregor Arax, Honour and Tribute to Oscar Heidenstam, ibid., 23. 66 Heidenstam to Terpak, 7 April 1972, Hoffman Papers, and Oscar Heidenstam, NABBA Notes, Health and Strength, 101, October 1972, 32.
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enthusiastic audiences. The 1975 show attracted the largest crowd ever, a full house of 2500 fans at the New Victoria Theatre with scenes outside that were unbelievable and gratifying. NABBA judge Bill Norris noted that no other organization could hope to compete with NABBA with the standard and fairness of their contests.67 Less enchanted with Oscars show, however, was 1966 Amateur Mr Universe Chester Yorton who was placed only fourth in the professional division in 1975. Yortons main claim to fame now was that he, unlike virtually all other major bodybuilders, was drug-free. His main complaint against the NABBA Universe, which he published in major muscle magazines, was that steroids had taken over the sport and that symmetry, beauty and health were no longer important. All that most body-builders are interested in today is gargantuan size and extreme vascularity by means of drugs. He asked what is wrong with the judges who pick these drug-monsters as title winners? Heidenstam bristled at Yortons charges that his contest promoted size at the expense of traditional values. Calling him a poor loser, Oscar responded to his accusations in a letter published in Muscular Development. With regard to steroids he was less discrete in private correspondence with Rader. Gargantuan, steroid-monsterswho Coe, Duval, Emmott, and Petsas, all those who beat Yorton or nearly did. Coe the heaviest was 200 lbs., Duval 178, Emmott 180 all at under 5 ft. 8 ins. MONSTERS? Can Yorton prove any took steroids, maybe they thought he did, even if he said he did not, so how does he prove it? I believe none of these did so where does that get us?68 Even if Oscar was so na ve as to believe that none of those bodybuilders was taking steroids, he must have known that drug use was rampant and that his contest was as responsible as any other contest for allowing it. A more immediate concern, no less important to the Mr Universe Contest, was the publication of Health and Strength. However proud that it was the oldest PC mag in the world, he found it a wearisome responsibility. In 1972, he even queried York about buying his share of the magazine.69 That Hoffman did not take the bait is not surprising. Muscle magazines were rarely paying propositions. They existed
67 Oscar Heidenstam, 197426th NABBA Universe; The Judging, 103/9 (1974) 6, and 1975 NABBA Universe Contests, 104/7 (1975), 17 and 22. 68 Mail From Muscledom, Muscular Development, Vol 13, November (1976), 7 and 5758. 69 Heidenstam to Terpak, 7 April 1972, Hoffman Papers.
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largely for advertising and, unlike Hoffman and Weider, Oscar had nothing to sell. Lack of commercial hype in Health and Strength underscored his commitment to amateurism. Unable to attract a wider market, Heidenstam became indebted to his printer. To pay him off, he cut corners by acquiring a new printer who, as Oscar explained to Rader, provided only one galley, and no page proofs, a big saving, but I have to make a gamble that I have made no mistakes. . . . This at present is the only way I can possibly survive. It would be a shame to go down after 82 years!70 Few readers realized how close their beloved magazine was to perdition. But it was vital for the British iron game and to publicise the Universe Contest which, along with other contests and yearly NABBA dues, should have kept the magazine flush. Instead the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association was a drain. In 1973 Oscar reported to Terpak that it lost 1800 last year and . . . I had to dip into my personal finances to keep it going! It hardly needed to be stated that NABBA was NOT a professional organization. Indeed it was as near amateur as anyone can get.71 But virtue alone could not pay the bills. Unlike the Weider magazines that flooded British newsstands, Oscars publication had little of the color and glitz that appealed to young bodybuilders. While the former featured bomb, blast and blitz routines and advertisements for Weider products with Arnold, Dave Draper, and Frank Zane frolicking with beautiful women on the beaches of Malibu, Health and Strength appeared stiff, drab and oldfashioned.72 To keep his magazine afloat, Oscar started selling 25 copies per issue of the more puritanical Iron Man. I could sell many more, he assured Rader. Within days of the 25 arriving they have all gone! But the burdens never got lighter. In 1973 his co-editor George Greenwood resigned, leaving Heidenstam solely responsible for Health and Strength, NABBA and the Mr Universe Contest.73 Of the many challenges that Oscar faced, however, it was the Weider rivalry that most consumed his psychic energies. He was annoyed to learn in 1972 that the IFBB Mr Europe and Mr Olympia contests were to be held in Munich one day after the NABBA Universe in London. Our Universe is always used for their subversive activities and to get contestants over after competing in ours, he told Terpak.
70 71 72
Heidenstam to Rader, 15 January 1976, Rader Papers. Heidenstam to Terpak, 14 June 1973, Hoffman Papers. In the early 1970s Joe Weider moved his sales (including magazine) enterprises from Union City, New Jersey, to Woodland Hills, California. Brother Ben, as IFBB president, remained in Montreal. 73 Heidenstam to Rader, 15 January 1976, Rader Papers, and Au Revoir to George, Health and Strength, 103, January 1974, 17.
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Also annoying was the defection of NABBA athletes and the increase of IFBB contests in Britain. But the biggest blow came in 1975 when Reg Park became IFBB chairman in South Africa and began organising Weiders Mr Universe Contest there. Oscar was sickened by this news, saying he has done himself little good amongst those who held him in high esteem.74 No less upsetting was the Weider tactic of labelling Heidenstam a professional, thereby turning the tables on his altruistic claims of amateurism. How do these people have the audacity to say that IFBB is the only Official amateur bodybuilding association? he queried Terpak. That vulture State . . . is tied to a 100% pro organization. How dare they criticize us.75 Another frustration for Oscar was IFBB privileged position in the General Assembly of International Sports Federations. Often expressing despair to his York friends, he could not comprehend how State had gained such an advantage, even to the extent that no one else can get in. Heidenstam believed York had the clout to stop the Weiders, and when he heard that Ben Weider was seeking AAU affiliation for the International Federation of Bodybuilders in 1972 he expressed the hope that you will hit him hard and take him down many pegs.76 Unfortunately all was not well at York. Hoffmans weightlifting empire was crumbling, and even Oscar noticed that Hoffman was ageing and not quite on the ball. Furthermore, as increasing numbers of elite bodybuilders, lured by the prospect of financial gain, were defecting to IFBB contests, the AAU Mr America was declining. Hastening its demise was the National Sports Act (1978) which divided weightlifting, bodybuilding and powerlifting into autonomous bodies and enabled the Weiders to take over the physique committee.77 Although AAU loyalists, through legal action, were able to reassert control over the Mr America Contest, AAU bodybuilding was becoming a spent force by the 1980s. A better prospect for boosting NABBA fortunes and wresting international control of bodybuilding from the Weiders lay with the International Federation of Physical Culture and Sport (IFPCS), the alliance with France and other countries that NABBA had joined. But it seemed stillborn. Even with Oscar as president, it remained essentially a French organization. The annual Mr Europe Contest, run by the French since the 1930s, was little changed, and there were virtually no other IFPCS events. Oscar remained preoccupied with
Heidenstam to Terpak, 18 May 1972, 23 October 1974, and 1 July 1975, ibid. Ibid., 14 June 1973. 76 Ibid., and 18 May 1972. 77 Heidenstam to Rader, 15 January 1976, Rader Papers, and National Physique Committee Minutes, 22 April 1977, Crist Papers, Hampton, Virginia.
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NABBA affairs in Britain. The only hope for a greater international presence appeared to be Serge Nubret, a French physique star from the West Indies. Once an IFBB vice-president, Nubret lured Heidenstam into a new World Amateur Bodybuilders Association (WABBA), formed for the purpose of driving Weider from Europe.78 Although Oscar was again president, Nubret exercised a controlling influence, much as State did in the International Weightlifting Federation. Hence the 1979 Mr Universe Contest was conducted according to WABBA rules with fewer British judges and Nubret playing a leading role.79 Power was shifting from London to Paris. However distasteful this arrangement was to Oscar, he allowed it to continue for several years, hoping to present a united front against the Weiders. Another reason Oscar persisted was that he had little interest in overseeing a multi-national organization. NABBA, the Universe Contest, and his editorial duties were year-round responsibilities. Furthermore, his worries were compounded when indebtedness forced Heidenstam to relinquish ownership of Health and Strength. Then it was resold. The uncertainty that I even had a job, the bouncing wage cheques, the loss of Universe ticket takings to the other company were concerns he expressed to Grimek. But he needed to persevere and show no signs of weakness to the Weiders. The impending Olympia Contest, and the gloating over our possible demise was his greatest worry. By the early 1980s amateur bodybuilding was waning in fan appeal, and professionals were demanding monetary awards. Through fund-raising by his friends, Oscar was able to offer 5000 to professional winners, but it was still far less than IFBB awards.80 Eventually Heidenstams resentments toward Nubret boiled over at the 1983 world championships in Switzerland. It was a scandal, Oscar alleged, the proceedings being dominated by Serge Nubret and his wife. . . . No wonder people write me and ask me about Nubrets Association. Using the worst tricks of Weider, Nubret had manipulated a victory for himself in the professional class. Likewise the meeting of national delegates was a farce, spent mostly haggling over money. Therefore, Oscar withdrew NABBA from the World Amateur Bodybuilders Association, hoping other federations would follow Britain and join a new entity called NABBA International.81
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Heidenstam to Terpak, 2 February 1976, Hoffman Papers. Bill Reynolds, Interview: Serge Nubret, Bodybuilding World, 1, September 1977, 57, and Oscar Heidenstam, NABBAs Thirty-First Universe, Health and Strength, 108/8 (1979), 7. 80 Heidenstam to Grimek, 22 October 1982, Hoffman Papers. 81 Ibid., 21 December 1983 and Oscar Heidenstam, Resignation from W.A.B.B.A. Great Britain., 15 December 1983, Hoffman Papers.
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Key to this departure was the position of Cliff Sawyer, chairman of the revived AAU Physique Committee. Heidenstam assumed that the American and most other WABBA affiliates would follow NABBA lead. According to Oscar, Sawyer even told me quite emphatically that he would be guided by us.82 But Sawyer had second thoughts, and by February 1984 seventeen WABBA countries were following the lead of the United States rather than Britain. Ostensibly the reason for Sawyers retreat was the need for unity against Weider. But the underlying explanation, Oscar insisted, was money, a subject he held in contempt. Indeed the recent WABBA rift revolved round money for the professionals. It was all Nubret ever thinks of, he told Grimek, mainly so he could wangle a cut from earnings of contestants. Talks had broken down in Switzerland over Nubrets opposition to a Jugoslav bid to hold the 1984 Mr World Contest in Belgrade because they could not guarantee the amount for pros! That prospects for personal gain also influenced Sawyers decision to stay with the World Amateur Bodybuilders Association indicating he would receive a $1070 seemed clear in a communique reimbursement for his air fare to Switzerland. In 1984, we have the opportunity to knock the IFBB out of GAIF and the World Games and put WABBA in, Sawyer reassured Nubret. Notwithstanding this anti-Weider fac ade, it appeared to be a corrupt bargain, where Sawyers support was contingent upon a personal financial consideration.83 Thus Heidenstam had taken the moral high ground. But his staunch defence of amateur principles over so many years was taking its toll. Although he still had support from many NABBA mainstays in Britain, he had alienated the new AAU leadership and split amateur bodybuilding worldwide. Ironically, by his disdain for money, Heidenstam had fatally weakened the very cause he was most committed to uphold. That Oscar continued to use Grimek as a source of consolation and to view York as a power shows how much he was living in the past. By 1984 Hoffman was on his deathbed, Grimek was about to retire, and the company was going into a spiral of decline, relinquishing its share of the burgeoning physical culture industry to Weider and other enterprises. Thus Oscar had to bear the consequences alone of the schism he had brought about. In 1984 there were two Mr World and Mr Europe contests, with each amateur federation trying to upstage the other. With all the burdens attendant upon these new contests, added to his responsibilities for the Universe, Britain and other NABBA shows, it is hardly surprising that Oscars
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Heidenstam to Grimek, 17 February 1984, ibid. Ibid., and Sawyer to Nubret, 28 December 1983, Hoffman Papers.
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health broke down.84 But he refused to abandon his principles and consider options that might relieve his beleaguered state. Such an opportunity arose in 1985 when Sawyer made a polite enquiry about the status of the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association, hinting that his WABBA plans had not worked out as well as expected. Though his mention of the $50 000 in prize money that he was offering professional winners at a forthcoming Mr World Contest in Massachusetts was a blunder, his letter was clearly an olive branch. Heidenstam responded to Sawyers contrite gesture with a stream of invective that was condescending and cruel. In a seven page singlespaced screed, Oscar detailed the sins of Sawyer and the World Amateur Bodybuilders Association over the past six years, his core complaint being their preoccupation with money. More than once I have said is it not called World Amateur Bodybuilders Association, why do we always have to pin everything on a handful of professionals, when there are about 50 amateurs competing! As for Oscars inability to support the Mr World Contest, he blamed Sawyer. Its not a question of our NOT supporting you but a question of our not belonging to WABBA any more. Had you come with us, as we hoped, then we would have been there. Beyond his grudge over Sawyers betrayal, it was the emphasis being placed on professionalism in bodybuilding that distressed Oscar.85 It was a direct result, owing to the Weiders, of the biggest and best competitors being drawn into those contests where the most money and prestige was available. Although NABBA physiques, owing to widespread steroid use, were better than ever, they received little public acclaim, and amateurs, for all of Heidenstams efforts to the contrary, were overshadowed by professionals. By the mid-1980s the impact of the International Federation of Bodybuilders was evident in the absence of big-name bodybuilders in Oscars show. Henceforth none of the winners achieved widespread name recognition, not to mention legendary status, in bodybuilding. Gone were the days of glory. Gone were the days of Grimek, Park, Pearl, Maynard and Schwarzenegger; gone to the IFBB. The Mr Universe Contest, along with NABBA and NABBA International, became a shadow of its former self. It is easy to ascribe the demise of British bodybuilding simply to the traditionalism and lack of vision of Oscar. But there were other factors, the most important of which was the collapse of Health and Strength, without which the
Ibid. Sawyer to Heidenstam, 28 December 1984, ibid. and Heidenstam to Sawyer, 23 January 1985, ibid.
85 84
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National Amateur Bodybuilders Association had no way to generate interest in its contests and stars. After decades of financial woes, it degenerated from one of the worlds leading physical culture journals to a medium largely for contest reports. In 1985 it was absorbed by Sport and Fitness, a German magazine. After regaining its independence, Health and Strength ceased publication, then re-emerged in the 1990s as a muscle magazine of modest proportions with a nostalgic appeal. Another problem plaguing NABBA, more systemic in nature, was finding a suitable venue for the Mr Universe Contest. For over three decades it was possible to hold it in central London where there were lots of hotels and restaurants and opportunities to frequent the sex dens of Soho and bookshops on Charing Cross Road on contest mornings. London was the Mecca, recalls Whyatt. The camaraderie was there. But rising costs, even for matinee rentals, forced the contest to leave theaterland in 1981 for the Wembley Conference Centre in the suburbs where there were fewer amenities. People didnt come out to Wembley, and attendance remained a problem in succeeding years as the contest was shunted round the country, from Wembley to Harrogate, Birmingham, Croydon, Southport, Newcastle and Kidderminsterin an effort to cut overheads.86 Such was the legacy of parsimony left by Oscar. By this time too a culture of lower expectations prevailed among NABBA loyalists. Each year raising the meagre sum of 5000 for Mr Universe professionals was a struggle. Contrary to hopes of organizers, the event did not draw higher quality contestants. At the moment the worlds top professionals are tied to the pro circuit run by IFBB concluded Ivan Dunbar in 1983. It would take very substantial funding indeed to entice them to enter, and even then I doubt if they would risk banishment for a one-off contest. So we would probably end up with the disgruntled or the disillusioned.87 Dunbars reckoning constituted, in essence, an admission of defeat. Unlike the thrilling days of yesteryear, the NABBA Universe could no longer attract the worlds finest physiques. Now the IFBB ruled a bodybuilding universe that was dominated by big money and size, especially after the inception in 1989 of the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic, an annual event in Columbus, Ohio, that would soon rival the Mr Olympia Contest. By the time Joe Weider sold his magazine empire for an estimated $350 million in 2002 he was widely recognized as the undisputed monarch of muscledom.
Interview with Whyatt. Ivan Dunbar, Thoughts on the Universe, Health and Strength, 113, December 1983, 34.
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When Oscar Heidenstam died in March 1991 with few worldly assets there was an outpouring of grief and tributes to the man who, as the patriarch of British bodybuilding, had raised the Mr Universe Contest to the pinnacle of respect worldwide. Some, however, also focused on its demise. Alex McKenna, then owner of Health and Strength, related a story Oscar once told him about being wined and dined by the Weiders in attempt to get him to work for them. I think Oscar viewed their ideas as much too American and commercial for an amateur sport, although he must have realized they would win in the end. More self-serving were the comments of Ben Weider. He recognized the NABBA Universe as once the sports number one contest, with the worlds leading bodybuilders flocking to London, but its prestige and importance had faded, largely because of Heidenstams lack of international vision. Nevertheless he played a critical role . . . in the sports evolution.88 But one must ask: an evolution to what? A 1999 editorial in a North American muscle magazine laments the loss of romantic idealism. . . . Mankinds collective need for bigger and better has in the case of bodybuilding been reduced to bigger and better at any cost. Bodybuilders, having lost all sense of proportion, concern for aesthetics, and respect for human dignity, display physiques contaminated with foreign objects, polluted by synthetic chemicals, deformed via injected oils, and degraded by the demand for and acceptance of hideous wobbling pot-bellied caricatures of well-muscled men. How the hell did calf implants, pec-padding, Synthol-filled biceps and triceps, roid guts and GH [growth hormone]-distended organs ever win acceptance from judges and paying public alike?89 While all bodybuilding promoters must share responsibility for this unhealthy state of affairs, it was larger factors in societycommercial, American and modernthat were forcing change. It could be argued, however, that Oscar was less culpable inasmuch as he spent his entire career fighting the evils of big money and the size complex. His failure may be attributed to an inability to realize that NABBA could only succeed by having a firm financial base and keeping up with modern tastes. Oscars amateurism, reflecting the elitist sporting culture of his youth, increasingly left him in isolation from the real world of bodybuilding. What seems remarkable is that his movement achieved
88 89
Heidenstam, Oscar: 19111991, A Tribute, Pumping Press, 4, June 1991, 10. Johnny Fitness, Editorial, Musclemag International (December 1999), 98, 122.
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so much and lasted so long while clinging to an outmoded Victorian ideology. While the ideal of the gentleman amateur has withered away, the monumental achievements of Oscar have been memorialized in the Oscar Heidenstam Foundation which supports the publication of Health and Strength, honours exceptional people in sport, and recognizes individuals for outstanding contributions to bodybuilding at its annual banquet. Oscars well-intentioned friends, however, could hardly have realized the irony entailed by their decision to honor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2002 and Joe Weider in 2003, the commercial giants whose principles were most at variance with those of Oscar Heidenstam and the Corinthian tradition of physical culture in Britain.

Oscar Heidenstam, The MR Universe Contest, and The Amateur Ideal in British Bodybuilding

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Oscar Heidenstam, The MR Universe Contest, and The Amateur Ideal in British Bodybuilding

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JOHN D. FAIR* Georgia College & State University ............................................

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