Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Nike Tribes challenge final

Saturday night was the night everyone wasing eagerly anticipating... final of the Nike Tribes Challenge. After my RPM class at Fitness First Wisma SPK, gf and I went to Tesco to buy some titbits to eat while watching the final at Fitness First Menara Axis.

tranquility before the war
Tranquility before the war...Check out the stage area!


Your judges(seated L-R), Dave Nuku, Tracy Minnoch-Nuku, and Gary Tan(of Nike Malaysia)

The competition was held OUTSIDE the gym and the place was packed by the time we reached there at about 6.15pm. The first challenge was BodyStep and warm up was led by FF's BodyStep head teacher Suaimi Husin.


"Oh wait, I think I need to pee...."

Steppers unite!
Let's get it started... HOT!

What a great way to kickstart the challenge! After the warm up tracks were done, it was time to do business! The tribes, led by their respective instructors, took turns to present their tracks and the members off the stage were having a ball with the tribes.


Apparently this tribe started with a Maori Haka, but I missed it because I went to the loo...


Yup, some were pretty creative with their tirbe costumes...

I have to admit, I wasn't paying much attention to the BodyStep challenge since I was more into BodyCombat and I wanted to support Terence, Renee and Penang's tribe led by Celia(All of us trained together and I had always got a nice feel with them). However, even from the inside I could hear the members shouting their lungs out throughout the class.

The gym member who blogs decided to drop by to attend the BodyCombat challenge, by the way. It was his first time visiting the Menara Axis gym and so, my gf and I played sales consultants and took him around the gym to see the main studio, the cycling studio and the body & mind studio(special studio BodyBalance, Pilate, Yoga, etc). It was so touching that he also had the opportunity to introduce himself PROPERLY to Jacq... truly a Kodak moment(If only I had a camera then!).


wet, wet, wet...

Towards the end of the BodyStep challenge, the dreaded thing happened- it started raining!! Though it rained only for a while, the floor was too wet and slippery for the BodyCombat challenge. So the organisers decided to have the challenge in the main studio. The unfortunate thing was the studio is less than a quarter the size of the open space outside. So we had to do "shifts"; the first group of members would start the class and after 3 tracks, they would leave the studio and let the second group to come in, and so forth. The idea somewhat curbed the enthusiasm of the members but that was the only solution to the rain.


Earlier, some of the tribes were spotted discussing whether to call a bomoh to do stop the rain...


the Penang BodyCombat tribe

Nevertheless, the show must go on and after about 20 mins' delay, BodyCombat Challenge is on! Leng lui did the warm up and passed the stage to the tribes to work the crowd.


Kesian the people watching from the outside....


I was helping a participant with the video camera and boy, the room was oozing with body odour energy! I've never seen instructor and members alike worked so hard before! The power and energy was so overwhelming, I regretted for not bringing my workout clothes with me...


Insert your own caption here...

By the time BodyCombat challenge was over, the organisers had managed to get the ground mopped dry and immediately BodyJam Melissa got the crowd moving with a simple dance routine. And judging from the people there, I think nobody left since BodyStep-in fact I think more people came later to dance their way into the night!


It's party time!

If you were driving on the Federal Highway, you would have been able to see the disco light and even hear people screaming to the music. My hands and legs cannot tahan anymore and decided to join in the workout as well.


The Penang BodyJam tribe in action

About 1 hour later, I was soaking wet with sweat- it was absolutely fantastic to end the Tribes Challenge! Finally, it came to the moment everyone was waiting for- RESULTS!!


The top 3 BodyStep Challenge tribes


The top 3 BodyJam Challenge tribes

Sorry, since I don't do BodyJam and BodyStep, I do not know most of the instructors' names so I shall not attempt to name the winners and embarassed myself. However for BodyCombat, the 3rd place was won by Wai Hoong's tribe(Night Wings I think) while Terence's tribe("something-something" Troopers- sorry, didn't catch the name) while the 1st place went to Renee's aptly named Hooligans(they really looked like hooligans especially after they took off their top halfway through their presentation).

It was a crazy night.... so crazy that after dropping off my gf, I only realised that we had not take dinner yet and it was already 11pm. We didn't even munch on our titbits till after the results. It was a fanstastic weekend and it was sure one heck of a time for the members who were there. Kudos to the tribes who took their time off to practise together and got everything right for the members off stage. Thanks to Nike for sponsoring this wonderful event- let's do it again... I WANNA WIN TOO!!!

Finally from all the Fitness First group-x instructors and the coordinators...



SEE YOU IN THE NEXT CLASS!!!