Bodybuilder's Guide to the Olympia
Print
Bodybuilder’s Guide to the Olympia
By John Romano
When I first got this assignment, it was basically to let you know what every fan of bodybuilding should do in Vegas surrounding the 50th anniversary of the Mr. Olympia. Immediately, visions popped up in my mind of posh hotel suites, lavish prime rib dinners at any of Vegas’ ultimate steak houses, tickets to Cirque du Soleil, world-famous strip clubs, partying until dawn, and … oh, yeah, the Olympia. But then I thought about it.…
Since most bodybuilding fans are bodybuilders, and most bodybuilders are usually 99 cents short of a buck, you’re probably going to want to concentrate on the Olympia and get your money’s worth. The promoters do a really good job of keeping the action flowing from Thursday through Saturday, so I figured I’d better limit my commentary to the show and how best to enjoy it, along with maybe a little of what Vegas has to offer on the side.
But, first I should warn you: While the Olympia is the greatest bodybuilding show on earth, maybe Vegas isn’t the best place in the world to host it. From $7 coffees at the airport Starbucks to $200 for what amounts to a snack at a sushi bar, today it seems Vegas’ aim is to bend you over and break it off up in you. I suppose that’s so anywhere, but especially in Vegas. It used to be one of the cheapest places to go, but not anymore. These days, it’s probably one of the most expensive. But it doesn’t have to be prohibitive. Just pay attention.
Another thing you have to be wary of in Vegas in September— especially when you’re Canadian—is the weather. The arid climate is nothing short of brutal. Every time I’m there, my throat is constantly parched, my lips crack, and I become inundated with phlegm the consistency of wallpaper paste that has me pulling things out of my nose I could walk on a leash. We all normally drink tons of water—at least, we should. When in Vegas, double it. You’ll need every drop.
I also usually bitch about the host hotel. I think I went as far once as to describe the Orleans hotel as being “three cigarette burns short of a flop house” or “decorated by the Salvation Army.” Well, to some degree it is, but aside from the aging, cigarette-smoking, oxygen tank-wheeling clientele, it’s really not that bad. At least the place is clean and relatively modernized. There are certainly cheaper and nastier places to stay, but when booking your hotel, you have to think logistics.
The Olympia press conference and “Meet the Olympians,” (Thursday); Fitness, Bikini, and Ms. Olympia Finals and Mr. Olympia Judging, (Friday); Figure, 212 Showdown and Mr. Olympia Finals and the Olympia Gala (Saturday) are all held at the Orleans Arena or at the hotel connected to it. All the other events— and there are a ton of them—are held at the Las Vegas Convention Center completely and diagonally across town. Unlike the Mandalay Bay days, you’re going to have to travel.
With the paucity of cabs, incredible traffic, expense, and brutally long lines in which you must wait for them—in the scorching heat—taking advantage of other means of transportation is really important. For that reason alone, staying at the Orleans is worth the extra money. Not only is the main event held right there, but they also offer free shuttle bus service in really nice motor coaches every 15 minutes between the convention center and the Orleans. So, staying there is definitely a viable option—actually, it’s the best option.
Of course you can stay at any of Vegas’ premiere hotels and do so on the cheap. I think it was the last year I went that we booked the trip in April and I was able to get three nights at the Venetian plus airfare from Fort Lauderdale for less than 500 bucks. That’s seriously cheap for that level hotel, plus airfare, but I was still stuck with the added expense of getting to both the Orleans and the Convention Center—not to mention the gym (which is a really stupid idea. If you’re going to Olympia weekend, you can handle not training for three days. Just getting around is workout enough. So, I’m not going to give you a rundown on the best gyms in Vegas here). Those $20+ cab rides really add up.
Once you get yourself to Vegas with a place to stay, food is your next biggest problem. Option one is an olfactory nightmare, but if you can handle the interminable flatulence, you can pretty much survive all day on the $10 breakfast buffet offered at most hotels and the copious samples of protein bars and drinks at the expo. You’re going to spew noxious fumes all day, but you’ll survive—the people around you might not! You can always jump on the Monorail and go just two stops from the convention center to Hara’s and eat at their fairly reasonable restaurants. Or, you can eat the brown rice and emaciated chicken breast at the expo concession. At least the concession has chicken breasts. What other expo does?
Okay, now the only thing left to buy are show tickets. There is no way to save on these. They are what they are. The prices are listed on the Olympia website (mrolympia.com). Forget about VIP packages; they’re sold out. At least that’s what the Olympia website says. If you really have a pile of the folding green burning a hole in your pocket, your friendly Vegas scalpers will surely help you. For the rest of us, the prices are fixed. So, I’ll just give you my opinion on what you should attend:
If you sprung for the VIP package, included in it are tickets to the Olympia press conference and the “Meet the Olympians,” both held Thursday at the Orleans. If this is your first time attending the Olympia, I strongly suggest you experience these events. However, if you’ve been before, these are the only events I would deem optional. My reason has nothing to do with their worthiness, but rather the simple fact that you can watch the press conference online, and if you’ve met the Olympians before, you don’t really need to meet them again. It might be a tough choice, but if you opt not to attend, Thursday night is the only night you can get out and see or do anything “Vegas.” If you want to see a Vegas show, have dinner out at one of the many incredible restaurants unique to Vegas, walk the strip, sight see, or even ride the elevator to the top of the Stratosphere and ride the rollercoaster, Thursday afternoon and evening is the only time you will have the chance. The rest of the weekend is going to be jam-packed with all things “Olympia.”
Definitely go for the $25 expo ticket. You really only need to go on one of the days. I’d suggest Friday if you plan on attending the women’s events. Their prejudging is held right at the expo in the morning. You do need a VIP wrist band to sit in the audience, but you can see all you need to see standing in the back. After the judging, you can easily walk the entire expo floor before closing. If you do that, there’s really nothing left to see on Saturday unless you plan on attending some of the other expo events—of which there are a great many. Personally, I’d splurge and go both days. The expo is really well attended, there are tons of vendors, and there is something constantly going on up on the stage. There’s never a dull moment at the expo, and it really is probably the best part of the weekend, and that’s saying something.
As far as the main event goes, unless you’re sitting in the first 10 rows, it really doesn’t matter where you sit. You’re not going to see much detail or be able to determine who looks better than whom. There are several huge TV monitors behind and to either side of the stage and out in the audience. Most people are looking to the monitors. Unfortunately only one of them is in HD, so on the rest of the monitors everyone looks grainy. But at least you get to see what’s going on. Many people in the audience use their laptops to watch the webcast and participate on the forums. I think this is a great idea and certainly enriches the experience. So, my suggestion is to buy the cheapest tickets available for either night (Friday night, $61; Saturday night, $78), or both nights depending on your preference for either the men’s or women’s events, and bring your laptop or your iPad.
Even if you do it just once, the Olympia is the experience of a lifetime. I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to go for so many years. The Olympia is nothing short of awesome. Save for it, plan for it, and go—especially this year. The 50th anniversary promises to be something special. You’ll be raving about it to your grandchildren.
Missed the action last year? Check out the free stream of the 2013 Olympia here!