TRENDS
Exodus?
Jodi’s ready to flex those guns.
Well, maybe just a trickle
Dobbins \ www.BillDobbins.com
One unintended consequence of Tinnelle’s the popularity of bodybuilding figure at the prodebut—not qualifying level is too shabby. that crowd-weary competitors are beginning to consider other routes to physique stardom. For years I, and a few others, have been whining that more of the figure athletes who “look like lightweight bodybuilders” should switch to bodybuilding and give the judges more of a choice there in terms of athletes who are not excessively muscular. (Plus, you get to do something onstage besides quarter-turns.) Lately, the idea seems to be gaining in popularity—and not just among women who got their start in bodybuilding. Arizona’s Diana Tatiana Tinnelle, last seen in June, landing out of the top 10 in her figure class at the ’06 Junior Nationals, entered the USA as a middleweight and nailed a third-place finish in a good-looking class. Also at the USA was Jodi Leigh Miller, who, after moving all the way up to ninth from an 11th-place finish at the Figure Nationals, threw in her one-piece and made plans to put her what’s-not-to-like physique onstage at the NPC Eu-
ropa Championships four weeks later—as a lightweight. Introduced with her figure class at the USA finals, Miller boldly flexed her baseballsize biceps (on a 4’11 1/2” body) as a P.S.: She symbol of her deciwon the lightsion. weights “I’m stubborn,” at the said Jodi, a one-time Europa. Texas powerlifting champ who started in physique competition doing bodybuilding as well as figure (she won the Novice Lightweight and Overall titles and took fourth in figure at the ’01 Texas Championships). It’s time to refocus on what she originally set out to do, said the Chicago-born resident of Dallas, who noted that Amanda Dunbar, the gal with the less-is-more physique who beat Heather Policky for the women’s overall at the ’05 USA, was among those who encouraged her to do it. “I want to bring back that ’80s look of Cory Everson and Sharon Bruneau.” To competitors who are even thinking about helping put the bod back into bodybuilding, I say, You go, girls! I’m for saving all the sports (see the item on Tanji Johnson on the next page). If that many women S C E N E AT want to compete THE USA in the NPC, they should have the full range of women’s physique sports to choose from. And if more of them wanted to migrate out of figure, some people wouldn’t complain.
Speaking of pointers, here’s Steve Wennerstrom with soon-to-be lightweight champ Clare RohrbackerO’Connell. Question is, Who’s coaching whom?
More posing rehearsal. Melissa Alvarado (fourth lightweight) brought dramatic moves and a rather feminine package to the stage.
Canadian ball of fire NANCY DI NINO has been popping up all over the U.S. physique scene for a year or so, and next time I see her, I promise not to say, “Now, who are you again?” A professional salsa dancer and instructor with a figure résumé that includes second place at the ’04 Canadian National World Qualifier, the 5’4” Di Nino snagged a co-host gig on the “Road to the Pros,” a reality show that’s centered on the ’06 NPC Nationals. Having recently gotten back on her own road to the pros, she was headed to Cleveland for the IFBB North American Championships in mid-September. Here’s hoping the NAC does the trick.
www.ironmanmagazine.com \ NOVEMBER 2006 261
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