2006 OCB Charm City Classic Bodybuilding, Figure & Fitness Model Contest by Aleksey Kashtelyan

Tiffany Moore

When you think of Baltimore Maryland, bodybuilding is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind…the Ravens, yes, blue crabs, yes, close proximity to the lobbying and corruption center of the country, yes…but bodybuilding... Of course Maryland is(or was) home to bodybuilding greats like Lisa Aukland and Kevin Lavrone, as well as other pros, it is however not exactly known to be a hotbed of bodybuilding…or so I thought. 

Tina Peratino

NPC competitions attracting quality competitors are well established in Maryland, however there is another organization OCB (Organization of Competitive Bodybuilders) which supports and promotes natural bodybuilding competitions throughout the country.  It is a recently formed organization founded in 2003 by Matt Sheppley, and its an armature component of the IFPA (International Fitness & Physique Association) where competitors can gain pro status.  You can find more information about OCB on their website www.theocbwebsite.com

Heather Malone

OCB Charm City Classic is and event that started in 2003 and this year it took place just outside Baltimore in a local college.  The show was promoted by John Puskarich (a well know fitness expert as well as a strong-man competitor) and his wife Blythe (who is an OCB competitor herself).  It took place in spacious auditorium housing several hundred people, there was a good audience turnout, but I still managed to find a decent seat….which does not happen very often to me, lol.  There were a few vendors on hand, offering drinks, workout clothing and other fitness related products.  Among the many event sponsors was bodybuilding.com

Monica Maines

This show had a new division that I have not seen before, called the Fitness Model division.  This wasn’t actually a fitness event, there were no routines.  The idea of this division seems to be displaying fit girls with the more mainstream society look, with modeling opportunities in mind.  This division had girls displaying various levels of physiques, however the judges (with mainstream marketability in mind it seams) picked a competitor that had great shape and looks: Monica Maines was the winner of the Fitness Model Contest.

Eva Williams

For the figure division there were various novice and open classes.  Classes divide the competitors in groups of 4 or 8 (number of competitors permitting) according to height and age.  There can be crossover between classes where a novice can compete in the open class as well.
The Figure Novice 1 class was won by Heather Malone, she had a great physique with classic lines and an awesome stage presence.  Cheryl
Keppler, with a lean and tight physique and won the Figure Novice 2 class.  Tiffany Moore had a very lean and streamlined physique and took the Figure 35+ class.  In the Figure Open 1 class Heather Malone edged out Lisa McKeog (who won the

Cheryl Klepper

Bodybuilding 40+ category), Eva Williams edge out a very lean and symmetric Laura Fontana in the Figure Open 2 class, while  Cheryl Keppler edged out  Monica Maines to take the Figure Open 3 class.  The Figure overall title went to Heather Malone who was not to be beat that day.  Heather was actually competing for the first time in a Figure competition, however, she is a personal trainer and has a ballet background. She carried herself very gracefully on stage and commanded your attention in the lineup, she is definitely the one to watch for in the future.
On the bodybuilding side, Tina Peratino brought a very tight and symmetric package to the stage and was able to beat Marcia
Thorpe-Johnson who was taller and leaner but did not quiet have as much muscle for her frame. In the Women’s Bodybuilding Open class, Tina Peratino also took the overall title by edging out Paula Franklin, a long time OCB competitor.

Top 3 Best Biceps

This year the show introduced a few novelties.  First, there was a best biceps contest where the ladies competing in the show and the ladies from the audience battled it out to see who had the best set of guns.  The winner is declared by the loudest response from the audience.  It was a deep field but in the end it came down to a umm….posedown between a well know competitor from DC Rachelle Cannon (a.k.a. the queen of quads)  and a long time OCB competitor and Debbie Samuels (who was actually a pro in the IFPA and was  judging this event).  It was a very close call, but Debbie emerged the winner as the crowd’s favorite.
Another novelty event was the pushup contest, where the contestants have to follow a sequence of commands from the host, like full rep, partial rep, half way hold, and so forth, until there is but one contestant left, having outlasted everyone else.  The twist was the fact that man and women will compete against each other and the ladies did not disappoint, where a girl was beat by only two of the dozen or so guys!

The 2006 brought another great show to the Baltimore area and the field promises to be even better in the future.

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