Chuck Sipes - Bodybuilder:
Born August 22, 1932 in Sterling, Illinois.
Told he was underweight for high-school football, Chuck began lifting iron so he could pack on mass to play on the gridiron. He was schooled in the rudiments of weight lifting form by his neighbor Chuck Coker, who would become one of the founders of the Universal Equipment Company in 1961.
Bodybuilding fans knew they were seeing something special the first time Chuck Sipes tested himself and bested the competition at the 1958 AAU Mr. Northern California contest. It would be the first of many such triumphs for the then 26-year-old. physique star.
Chuck's next competition was in the Western section of the AAU Jr. Mr. America contest in Portland, Oregon. He again impressed the judges--but only enough to place third behind Ray Routledge, who flexed his way to a closely contested win over Earl Clark.
By 1959, Sipes had switched from the AAU to the IFBB. It proved to be an auspicious move, as he won that year's Mr. America contest, and then followed it up with a triumph at the Mr. Universe in 1960.
Having chosen to bypass the inaugural Mr. Olympia in 1965, Chuck jumped into the fray in 1966. In an era when only the winner was acknowledged, the inimitable Larry Scott was named that year's Mr. O. Sipes gave it another go in 1967. Unfortunately, he ran into the unstoppable force that was Sergio Oliva. The following year, Chuck and everyone else declined to compete against Sergio, who won by default.
The 1960s were a great decade for Chuck. He advanced from one contest win to another, including the 1967 NABBA World Championships, the 1968 Mr. Northern California and the '68 IFBB Mr. World.
Sipes bade his farewell to the sport the way every bodybuilder dreams: winning his last contest and then hanging it up. The occasion was the 1974 Mr. Pacific Coast, over-40 division. Chuck was 41.
In addition to his great physique, Chuck also possessed amazing strength. Sipes claimed a 570-pound unofficial bench press, and he often bent bars at contests, including the 1968 Mr. Universe show at which Frank Zane defeated Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Chuck devoted 20 years of his life working for the California Youth Authority. He would take troubled youths under his wing on trips to the mountains, where he would teach them lessons in trust and self-sufficiency. The vast majority of those who came under his tutelage changed their lives for the better and never returned to prison.
The bodybuilding world was greatly saddened by Chuck Sipes' death on February 24,1993. In the midst of depression, Chuck took his own life.
Born August 22, 1932 in Sterling, Illinois.
Told he was underweight for high-school football, Chuck began lifting iron so he could pack on mass to play on the gridiron. He was schooled in the rudiments of weight lifting form by his neighbor Chuck Coker, who would become one of the founders of the Universal Equipment Company in 1961.
Bodybuilding fans knew they were seeing something special the first time Chuck Sipes tested himself and bested the competition at the 1958 AAU Mr. Northern California contest. It would be the first of many such triumphs for the then 26-year-old. physique star.
Chuck's next competition was in the Western section of the AAU Jr. Mr. America contest in Portland, Oregon. He again impressed the judges--but only enough to place third behind Ray Routledge, who flexed his way to a closely contested win over Earl Clark.
By 1959, Sipes had switched from the AAU to the IFBB. It proved to be an auspicious move, as he won that year's Mr. America contest, and then followed it up with a triumph at the Mr. Universe in 1960.
Having chosen to bypass the inaugural Mr. Olympia in 1965, Chuck jumped into the fray in 1966. In an era when only the winner was acknowledged, the inimitable Larry Scott was named that year's Mr. O. Sipes gave it another go in 1967. Unfortunately, he ran into the unstoppable force that was Sergio Oliva. The following year, Chuck and everyone else declined to compete against Sergio, who won by default.
The 1960s were a great decade for Chuck. He advanced from one contest win to another, including the 1967 NABBA World Championships, the 1968 Mr. Northern California and the '68 IFBB Mr. World.
Sipes bade his farewell to the sport the way every bodybuilder dreams: winning his last contest and then hanging it up. The occasion was the 1974 Mr. Pacific Coast, over-40 division. Chuck was 41.
In addition to his great physique, Chuck also possessed amazing strength. Sipes claimed a 570-pound unofficial bench press, and he often bent bars at contests, including the 1968 Mr. Universe show at which Frank Zane defeated Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Chuck devoted 20 years of his life working for the California Youth Authority. He would take troubled youths under his wing on trips to the mountains, where he would teach them lessons in trust and self-sufficiency. The vast majority of those who came under his tutelage changed their lives for the better and never returned to prison.
The bodybuilding world was greatly saddened by Chuck Sipes' death on February 24,1993. In the midst of depression, Chuck took his own life.
Chuck Sipes Bodybuilding Contest History:
1958
Mr. Northern California - 1st
Jr. Mr. America - 3rd (Western section)
Mr. America - 9th
1959
IFBB Mr. America - 1st
1960
IFBB Mr. Universe - 1st
1966
Mr. Olympia - 3rd *
1967
Mr. Olympia - 2nd *
NABBA World Championships - 1st
1968
Mr. Northern California - 1st
IFBB Mr. World - 1st
1970
IFBB Mr. Universe - 2nd (medium class)
1974
Mr. Pacific Coast - 1st (over-40 class)
* Only the winner was acknowledged; this is the generally accepted placing for Sipes.