The
National Physique Committee (NPC) established the Figure division in
2004. This division provides an opportunity for women who
train hard and have a feminine and athletic look, an arena in which
to compete. Figure competitors are not required to perform any
type of routine. The competitors are judged in a two-piece
Figure competition suit and high heels.
The morning of the event, all
competitors (figure and fitness competitors as well as bodybuilders)
arrive at the venue around 8:00 for an athlete brief. If you
have never been to a show, this meeting is important for you.
The head judge and the expeditor will state the order of events and
tell you if the timing of any events have changed. The
expeditor will explain how the event will be run backstage and show
you the markings on the floor so you know where to do your turns on
stage. After the briefing, the athletes wait for their group to be
called to register. During this time you can fill out your NPC
registration card if you don't already have one, and fill out any
other forms for picture or video vendors. Competitors are
called to register based on their division and height group.
Once you are in the registration area, your height will be measured
and you will receive a height card that you must present at
registration at all of your events. You must have an NPC card to
compete.
Most of the men and women at the the
registration table are also judges. So you want to look good
during registration as this is their first glimpse of what the day's
competition will be like. It is good to make contact with the
judges at some point before you go on stage to ask them to give you feedback after
the show. If you ask them before they see you on stage, most will
take more thorough notes for you and give you straightforward
feedback. If you can wait until the end of the show, you can
usually talk to the head judge as well. The feedback you get is
extremely valuable as it will help you dial in your physique for your
next shows. The judges don't sugar-coat their critiques so brace
yourself for their honesty. It's worth the wait to hear what they have to
say as it will only make you better!
Registration for the entire field of
athletes usually takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Make sure you have
your food with you at all times so you can stay on your eating
schedule. Once you've registered and you have your competitor
number, you can take your suitcase back to the pump-up area and
start making new friends while you prepare to walk on stage. Time
can go by fast so have your hair, make-up, and tanner touched up and
then put on your bikini bite last. Listen for the
expeditor to call your height group and be sure you've got your
number on.
Pre-judging
When it's your time to shine, competitors walk
individually onto the stage and perform model turns in front of the
judges, then proceed to the side of the stage and stand in a left or
right model pose. After all competitors have performed their
individual turns, the judges call out the top competitors in what is
called the "first call-out". This group then performs the quarter
turns at the same time so the judges can compare the physiques.
The top competitor will be placed in the center of the group and the
remaining competitors will also be moved into different positions.
The head judge will continue to call out the remaining competitors
until they have all been compared. If you are registered for
more than one group, i.e. Masters (35 and over) as well as Height
Class B, then you will need to go back on the stage for each of your
groups. Most of the time if you were previously seen in
another group you will not be required to do your model turns the
second time you go on stage. Once you have presented in all of
your groups, you are free until the night show. Some athletes
like to go eat a real meal since they've been on their competition
diet for 8-12 weeks. Remember that you still have the night
show and you could be your class winner. So if you overeat and have
a bloated body you could ruin your chance of winning the overall
trophy. It's a good idea to save the pig-out session till
tomorrow.
Night Show The
night show is basically that, a show - and a trophy ceremony.
The judging, except for the overall winners, was done during the
pre-judging. Also during the night show, the bodybuilders will
do their 90 second routines so this can take a long time.
Figure is typically the last event so be sure you've still got your
food with you so you have energy when it's your turn to step on that
stage again. Feel free to sit in the audience and enjoy the show -
just be sure to listen for the expeditor to call your group.
If you miss your group, that's it for you. So stay alert!
The night show is similar to the pre-judging. You may or may
not do your model turns but everyone is seen on stage. The
quarter turns go very quickly since the judging is already done.
So when you are on the side of the stage, focus on presenting a
confident package, smile and make eye contact with the judges. Also
remember that there is a professional photographer just in front of
the center stage. So smile, smile, smile and keep that tummy sucked
in so you'll have perfect pictures! Now, hopefully you are one
of the top five competitors called to the center of the stage. The
top five are called out in no particular order. Once the top
five are in the center of the stage, the master of ceremony will
announce the winner of each place. As your name is called, the
presenter will take your trophy to the position on the stage at
which you need to stand. You can place your trophy on the
floor in front of you and resume your model pose. Once all
trophies have been presented, there will be a group photo of the top
five winners. Then off you go to the side of the stage and can
either go home or wait if you have another group to compete in.
If you were the winner of your class, you will need to stay until
the end of the show in order to compete in the overall with the
other class winners. The overall winner gets another trophy
and more pictures.
Once the show is over, try to connect
with as many judges as you can and ask for feedback on areas for
improvement. Now, go home and rest as it has been a very long
day!
If you have questions regarding
figure competitions, feel free to email me directly at
sherry@sherrywinslow.com.
Good luck!
