Foust wants more after capturing bodybuilding title
By Baxter Cepeda
Advertiser Staff Writer
Daren Foust is the top amateur bodybuilder in Hawai'i, but the light heavyweight isn't planning to rest on his recent accomplishments.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
Foust was the overall winner of the men's open competition Saturday in the 25th Hawaiian Islands Bodybuilding Championships at Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall.
Daren Foust, a light heavyweight, won the open overall title of the 25th Annual Hawaiian Islands Bodybuilding Championships Saturday night.
"I'm never satisfied," said Foust, who added that he plans to work on his lower body in preparation for national competitions.
During the pose down, when the competitors show their stuff at the same time, the crowd showed that Foust was the favorite by cheering louder every time Foust flexed.
"It's an honor," said Foust, who won the light-heavyweight title over Ed Campbell prior to capturing the overall crown.
Guest poser Clifton Torres, who won the 2002 National Physique Committee bantamweight championship, said he was impressed by Foust's shape but added that Foust would get "slaughtered" at the national level in his current weight class.
Foust said, while posing outside the concert hall, that he planned on dropping weight to compete in the middleweight class.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
Event organizer Mits Kawashima liked what he saw from Foust.
Amanda Ashburn won the NPC Hawai'i Fitness Contest at the 25th Hawaiian Islands Bodybuilding Championships Saturday.
"He has muscularity, symmetry and striation (cuts)," Kawashima said. "He's very, very well-proportioned.
"You have to be hard to be good, which means you are in good shape."
Saturday's event was a qualifier for the NPC nationals.
The top two in each of the six weight classes qualified for the nationals.
The event also acted as a national qualifier for women's fitness and figure contests. The top five women in each height class qualified.
Ausage Emosi took the super-heavyweight division, Kalii Akana won the heavyweight class and Dillon Ching captured the bantamweight title. All three were unopposed.
Arleigh Bumanglag took the middleweight class over Larry Domingo and Ronald McKinney won the lightweight division over Chris Yelton.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
In the women's figure competition, Li Si Yang edged Lynn Racoma in the short class, while Michelle Dragon won the tall class over Courtney Correa.
Kaleo Timas, competing in the junior-heavyweight class, captured the Junior Hawaiian Islands bodybuilding championship at the Neil Blaisdell Concert Hall Saturday night.
Amanda Ashburn took the fitness short class over Amy Lynn.
There were no competitors in the fitness tall class.
The Junior Hawaiian Island men's bodybuilding championships and the over-35 masters were also a part of the event, although they did not serve as national qualifiers.
Ronald Justo won the junior-lightweight division, while Kaleo Timas took the junior-heavyweight title.
Chauncey Murakami won the over-35 masters lightweight division, while Nathan Alayon captured the heavyweight crown.
Kawashima, co-producer of Saturday's event along with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, was given an honorary plaque by guest poser Russ Testo for his 25 years of service to fitness.
Other guest posers included two-time Arnold Classic champion Jay Cutler and seven-time Miss Olympia winner Lenda Murray.
