International Gymnast - October 2011

PROFESSIONAL gymnastics competitions have been around for years but usually fizzled quickly. But on Aug. 27, a fresh rendition of gymnastics-as-sheer-entertainment made a successful debut at Stabler Arena on the campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. Even the imminent arrival of Hurricane Irene couldn’t stop the show, which was called Evolution: Professional gymnastics like never before. The idea was conceived by Brent Klaus, a former gymnast-turned-rodeo- cowboy. After taking over the family business—International Gymnastics Camp—from his father, Bruno, Brent began injecting all sorts of new ideas into a sport that has had trouble draw- ing attention beyond Olympic years. “As most gymnasts do, you look for a way to hold onto things,” he told IG. After his competitive days ended, Klaus and friends used to compete at IGC in what they called the Retired Gymnastics League. “It was a skill-based competition, and we realized that it was a whole lot more than we expected,” he said. “It was really fun and was actually more competitive…. It was something that I felt had a lot greater potential.” More than 10 years later, Klaus finally put the finishing touches on a format hat was fast paced, music filled, and most importantly, easy to understand by the crowd. With sponsorship from IGC, Mancino Mats and Motionwear (uniforms), Evolution was a huge hit. “It’s the first competition I’ve ever seen where people were standing and cheer- ing and on the front of their seats,” Klaus said. New U.S. champion Danell Leyva agreed. “I thought Evolution was awesome!” he said. “It was so much fun, so exhila- rating, such an adrenaline pumper. I’m definitely looking forward to being invit- ed to it again.” The inaugural Evolution featured two teams: Fire, coached by Yin Alvarez, and Ice, coached by Rustam Sharipov. Each comprised five men and five
“It was such an
adrenaline pumper.”