Muscle Builder, Vol 10, Num 3, Page 29, December 1968
IT was common knowledge for observers at the 1968 A.A.U. Mr. U.S.A. Contest that the pre-judging was held at the Downtown Y.M.C.A. earlier that same afternoon. Was the winner also pre-picked? If this was the case, it may be said that the contest was not held or judged at the Embassy Auditorium but at the "Y' . . . as it is usually the case.
Well maybe it's for the best. Maybe that's the way to judge it. I thought that the old fashioned way of getting up on the platform and each man going through his posing routine was the way to do it. It is not fair to all of the contestants that they should be pre-judged without being aware of this fact. By this we mean that each individual should be given the opportunity to be eliminated only after he has given his posing routine under the lights.
All that we can say is, that from the reaction of the audience, the eventual winner of the 1968 Mr. U.S.A. Contest was not really the winner. Granted the competition was good - but not that good!!!
On the lighter side, for a change, the cooperation and help of the A.A.U. officials, Don Haley presiding, made the contest one of the best ever held in that respect.
First of all, it should be said that all contestants were good! However, some of the athletes needed minor improvements before they could ever hope to possess the title of Mr. U.S.A.
Chris Dickerson of New York City was declared the winner over runner-up Boyer Coe of Lafayette, La.; Third place was taken by Ralph Kroger of Solana Beach, Calif. The big question was how did the judges overlook the great physique of Ken Waller of Jeffersonville, Ind. who finished in fourth place. Most Muscular was taken by Boyer Coe who eventually took the Best Arms and Best Legs sub-divisions. John Lynn Jr. of Denver, Col. won the Best Abdominals title. Ralph Kroger won the Best Chest title. Chris Dickerson took only one sub-division with the Best Back award. A Santa Claus title of Best Poser was given to William Grant of Orange, New Jersey. Was this fair judging? -- not to mention the other good bodies that were present.
Bill St. John looked extremely good -- with a little more abdominal work he will be a winner.
Ralph Kroger had a very outstanding color to his body "living in Southern California" but he looked a little gaunt. With a few more pounds added he should be a winner in a year or so.
Ken Waller, at 205 pounds, was very muscular and greatly proportioned but he lacked training time. he's been body building for only 6 months. He just needs the finishing touches.
William Grant, another 200-pounder, needs a bit more training plus some power lifting along with it and this should give him the finish that he needs.
Steve Reno, who won all of the California contests, was muscular with abs and definition but looked a little light in the arms and chest, in comparison to Coe, Dickerson, and Waller.
There is always one in every crowd, as if the A.A.U. didn't know it -- James Higgins needs at least 3 years of hard training in order to get into any contest not to mention the Mr. U.S.A. contest. With Higgins' presence on the posing platform, it makes one wonder why the absurdity of the pre-judging was necessary.
Boyer Coe was Most Muscular and won the Best Arms and Best Legs which he so richly deserved. In June of 1968, Boyer won the Best Back title in the Mr. "A" Contest which incidentally placed him ahead of Chris Dickerson in the Best Back sub-division and the entire contest; and now, Chris wins with less competition. How can a great back change so much? Let's hope that the truth will come out soon, on the stage, and not back stage or at the "Y"; but onstage, under lights, and in a posing routine. There, and there only.
It is getting very discouraging for athletes to train and sacrifice and then enter a contest knowing that the judging has already been done. Unless the athletes know that they will be judged individually the night of the contest we may end up with no athletes at all to enter these events -- even a rigged contest. The judging must be honest and fair or the Mr. U.S.A. Contest may turn out to be a Miss -.-.-. contest.
Readers? Do you realize that Chris Dickerson is MISTER UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; supposedly the best physique these 50 states have to offer???
- 1968 A.A.U. Mr. U.S.A. winners, left to right: Boyer Coe, 2nd; Chris Dickerson, 1st; and Ralph Kroger, 3rd. Not shown is 4th place winner Ken Waller, who, the author implies, should have been among the top three.
- The author strongly suggests that Boyer Coe should have won the overall title. In addition to placing 2nd he also won Most Muscular, Best Arms, and Best Legs.
- Chris Dickerson was not the popular winner, judging from audience reaction -- as discussed in this article. He also won the Best Back subdivision.
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