Photo courtesy of Logan Riely
Given the size and scope of the Arnold Sports Festival, it may be tough to imagine anything could be added to its line-up.
But organizers have once again expanded the festival’s offerings, with lacrosse, competitive yoga and paraplegic powerlifting among the additions for the 2017 event, slated for March 2-5.
It’s a long way from the inaugural 1989 Arnold Classic, a professional bodybuilding competition with only 24 athletes. This year will feature more than 20,000 athletes from 80 countries competing in more than 70 events.
The variety of events – from fencing to ballroom dancing – has played a major role in the Arnold’s widespread appeal and increasing popularity, says Brent LaLonde, festival director of communications.
Put simply, “It is more than just bodybuilding,” LaLonde says.
Lacrosse’s position as the fastest growing sport in America, particularly in the Midwest, is partially what has led to its eventual inclusion at the Arnold, says Todd Miller, festival lacrosse coordinator.
At the NCAA level, lacrosse saw a 109 percent increase in female programs and 95 percent increase in men’s programs from 2000-2014. Additionally, from 2009-2014, the sport experienced a 31.2 percent and 27.8 percent growth rates in the number of high schools sponsoring women’s and men’s teams, respectively.
Photo courtesy of Emery Photography
Miller, who started playing lacrosse in high school and was a member of the Ohio Machine professional lacrosse team for a few years, says the event will be split into two different portions.
The first portion will be a tournament for local 3-6 graders. The second will be a professional indoor box-style game, different from regular lacrosse in that it is played with six players instead of the usual 10 and “is a lot more brutal,” Miller says.
Paraplegic powerlifting is a twist on the festival’s strength-heavy line-up.
Dan Dague, paraplegic powerlifting coordinator and owner of Grove City’s Lexen Xtreme private gym, has been involved with the Arnold since 2013. The idea is that those without the proper use of their legs or with only one arm can have a venue to compete.
“I wanted to create something for these lifters because they don’t really get the chance,” Dague says. “If these guys can lift weights, it might inspire someone else with a disability.”
He hopes the event will bring some awareness to those who deal with these disabilities. Many of the athletes suffered them while in the military or from accidents, so physical strains can be coupled with mental ones, too.
Coming up on his team’s five-year anniversary at the festival, Dague says the media attention that comes along with it is like nothing else.
“Once you get to this level as a local person, if you are involved with Arnold, the Arnold sells itself,” Dague says.
Other New Events This Year
Photo courtesy of Calvin Mattheis
- Arnold Transformation Challenge, March 5: Results of a physical fitness transformation
- Yoga at the Arnold, March 3-5: Youth and adult competitions, demonstrations, classes, fashion show
- Arnold Pro Strongwoman, March 4: Step up from previous years’ amateur strongwoman
Zachary Konno is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
