Sports

Photos: Backstage at Alaska championships for bodybuilding, fitness

Backstage at the Alaska State Pro-Am Natural Bodybuilding, Fitness, Figure Bikini and Physique Championships at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium Saturday, about 20 competitors prepared for the 32nd annual event. The men and women stood in a booth to have a spray tan applied, struck poses for friends to critique and warmed up with weights directly behind the black curtain.

Shannon Foland, of Ketchikan, was back where he'd been before. It had been 31 years since the lifelong Alaskan last competed, and he wondered if he could get into that condition again. He looked ready as he stood chatting with Walter Barr, who traveled with his wife from Manhattan, Kansas, to compete.

Whatever the outcome, Foland said he was glad he was back in the mix. "Win, lose or draw, I get to take this home with me," he said, gesturing to his physique.

Derek Snelson, the event's promoter, said the the event celebrates competitors that take a drug-free approach to their physique. It was one of two bodybuilding competitions that took place in Anchorage on Saturday, April 4, 2015. Take a look around behind the scenes as the men and women of the competition get ready to take the stage.

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