Originally published in the February 29, 2008 edition of The Lantern. It is posted here unedited.
Every year on the first weekend in March, the fitness universe focuses on Columbus, if only for the weekend.
The Arnold Sports Festival, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2008 as “the largest sports and fitness weekend in the world,” opens its doors this morning for three days of competition, exhibition and bronzed bodies aplenty.
“It’s the biggest one yet,” said Matt Lorz, communications director for the event. He figures some 150,000 people will come this weekend, up from 132,000 in 2007. That’s not counting the 17,000 athletes who will compete in any one of the 37 events planned for the festival, he said.
City tourism officials categorized the Arnold briefly: “It’s huge,” said Martin Postin of Experience Columbus, which figures some $39 million will change hands throughout the three-day period in restaurants, hotels and Columbus businesses.
“It’s definitely one of the top-five biggest events in Columbus, annually,” Postin said. “Maybe the biggest.”
Although it hosts international athletes the world over, several Ohio State groups will compete in the festival, and some will volunteer to work at the event, Lorz said.
Among the student competitors are gymnasts, fencers and table tennis players.
Doug Hurak, a senior in biology and president of the OSU Table Tennis Club, said he and his members have been involved with the event for the past two years.
“We’ve done everything from driving star players in from the airport, to scorekeeping during games, to putting together and taking apart the tables for the competition,” he said.
More than a dozen table tennis club members will compete this weekend in the Collegiate Team Championships, which OSU has won the last two years, Lorz said.
On Saturday, the OSU men’s gymnastics team will compete, and on Sunday patrons will get to see Alexander Smerdin, assistant coach for the OSU Men’s fencing team, compete against Olympians, Lorz said.
“At the Arnold, there’s something for everybody,” he said.
Area restaurants have taken note of that, and several said they anticipate the weekend year round.
“We treat this like a holiday,” said Bill Anderson, general manager of the Martini Italian Bistro that sits directly across from the Columbus Convention Center downtown. Anderson said his chefs and staff tailor their menu to the “athletic crowd,” offering high-protein and low-fat options, as well as cocktails using Red Bull, an energy drink popular in the world of bodybuilding.
“It’s our busiest weekend of the year, and it keeps getting bigger and bigger, too,” he said. In addition to the altered menu, Anderson said his restaurant will open early all three days to accommodate the crowd.
Marita Ramirez, who helps manage the Short North location of Cup O’ Joe, said the 2007′Arnold festival was “crazy.”
“Our business here pretty much relies on the (Columbus) Convention Center,” she said. “When they’re busy, we’re busy for sure.”
Ramirez said Cup O’ Joe doesn’t offer special deals for convention patrons but noted the size difference between the Arnold and other events.
“It’s definitely a bigger crowd than the average convention,” she said.
The increased size of the 2008 festival forced organizers to seek other sites outside of the convention center. New sites include the Schottenstein Center, which will host the Arnold Wrestling Challenge, and Franklin County Veterans Memorial.
Planning for the festival was stalled briefly Jan. 9 when a water main below the convention center broke, flooding three sections of meeting rooms, Lorz said.
“The only event that was affected was table tennis,” he said. “But now we have them moved, and everything’s good to go.”
But will Arnold himself be there?
“As of now, yes,” Lorz said. “He’ll be here.”
The festival runs today through Sunday, and tickets can be purchased for $10 at the door. Information is available atarnoldsportsfestival.com.
