By Emmerson Campbell
Despite being the shortest bodybuilder to grace the National Cultural Centre’s stage on Saturday night, Mr. Suriname, Soepe Koese, stood head and shoulders above the competition by flexing and posing his way to the Mr. Flex Night overall title.
Standing at four feet, 11 inches, Koese was the David among the Goliaths but he possessed a superior level of detail and his 153-pound frame was a mass of striated muscle.
With chiselled arms, deltoids, glutes, legs, a barn-door back and a washboard mid section, the Surinamese, used his sharp physique to slice through the competition to become the first ever Mr. Flex Night International.
After relegating four-time Central American and Caribbean (CAC) gold medallist, Sylvan Gardner and Marlon Bennet to second and third place respectively in the under 154-pound division, Koese, returned to the stage for the overall pose down with the champions of champions.
The muscle man, posed and flexed his physique with 2011 Natural Mr. America champion Rawle Greene (Saturday night’s 176 pounds and over champion), Delon Harlequin (Mr. Flex Night 166 to 176 pound-winner) and reigning Hugh Ross Classic (HRC) overall winner and this year’s CAC bronze medallist, Kerwin ‘Chisel’ Clarke, who won the 155 to 165-pound class on Saturday.
The sizeable crowd made up of mostly women was dazzled as the four chiselled athletes put on a show in a free posing routine, jostling for the judges’ attention as they displayed rippling abdominals, well-defined quadriceps and sculpted arms.
When it was time to crown the King of the inaugural Flex Night International tri nation event, many patrons thought crowd favourite, Clarke, would have gotten the judges’ nod but it was Koese, who placed seventh out of 150 bodybuilders at this year’s Arnold Classic for Amateurs, who was announced the winner.
Greene was second overall followed by Clarke, then Harlequin.
Those bodybuilders and others enabled Guyana to win the Digicel Best Country award.
Meanwhile, multi-talented athlete, three-time HRC winner and sprint queen, Alisha Fortune, lifted the Ms. Flex Night title ahead of Candacy Lynch.
This year’s HRC Female Figure winner, Nadina Taharally took the Miss Best Legs Trophy, relegating Stacy Small, Chelan Yhap, Marissa Lowden and Shawnell Warner to respective runners-up spots.
In the Miss Bikini competition, however, Warner donned a gold two-piece bathing suit and lifted the first place trophy. She won ahead of her Fitness Paradise Gym mate, Yhap. Taharally placed third followed by Small.
Former Dutch Fitness champion, Gisa Ter Haar was the guest poser at the event.
Full results are as follows: under 154 pounds category Koese, (1st) Gardner (2nd), Devon Davis (3rd), Donnel Perry (4th), Andy Rogers (5th) and Melroy Grant (6th). 155 to 165 pounds category, Clarke (1st), Jurgen Tjoekoemba (2nd from Suriname), Rudolph Blackman (3rd), Rawle Cole (4th), Richard Bynoe (5th) and Orlando Dublin (6th).
In the 166 to 176 pound category Harlequin topped Abdool Shahir while Greene was adjudged the winner ahead of two Surinamese, Wendell Setropawiro and Melvin Tolud, 2008 HRC overall winner, Royston Booker, Dwayne Mars, Ron Loncke and Shawn Henry in the 176 pounds and over category.
The organizers who dubbed the event ‘Raising the Bar’ declared that it was a success and thanked the sponsors for their support.
Former Mr. Universe Master’s champion, Hugh Ross was in attendance.
Major sponsors for the event included, Digicel, Banks DIH Limited, Fitness Express, Geddes Grant, Planet Fitness Pro, Giftland Office Max, The Gift Centre, IPA and others.
