OCB Hammer Forged 2025

OCB Hammer Forged is a pro qualifier. Per OCB rules, Pro cards are awarded when the minimum number of athletes register and compete in Open and Masters categories.

Date

Saturday, October 25, 2025

Location

Pell City CEPA (Center for Education and Performing Arts)
25 Williamson Dr, Pell City, AL 35125

Schedule

Estimated schedule: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm CST. Here is the tentative order of events:
--Men’s segment--
Taking place in the first half of the day, likely in this order, but may be subject to change:
Bodybuilding divisions: Novice, Masters, Open
Classic Physique: Novice, Masters, Open
Individual routines for bodybuilding and classic physique, followed by awards
Physique: Novice, Masters, Open
Individual routines for Physique, followed by awards

…intermission
--Women’s segment--
Taking place in the second half of the day, likely in this order, but may be subject to change:
Physique: Novice, Masters, Open
Figure: Novice, Masters, Open
Individual routines for both physique and figure, followed by awards
Wellness: Novice, Masters, Open
Bikini: Novice, Masters, Open
Individual routines for both wellness and bikini, followed by awards
A more detailed schedule will be posted as we get closer to competition day.

We prioritize our athletes’ comfort. We know our athletes are hungry and ready to enjoy their post-competition, celebration meal. So we strive to arrange the schedule and awards ceremony in a way that doesn’t hold up our athletes all day at the theater.

Tickets

***All tickets are nonrefundable.
Tickets can be purchased in advance online, at athlete registration on October 24, and at the door on competition day.
General admission tickets for men’s segment: $50
General admission tickets for women’s segment: $50
Kids under age 13 ticket price per segment: $25
Backstage: $100
Backstage Policy: Each competitor is allowed one person to purchase a backstage ticket to accompany them. Due to limited space, only one backstage ticket is allowed per athlete. Only buy a backstage pass if your athlete needs help or wants help backstage. A backstage ticket grants general theater admission for your competitor’s segment (either the men’s show or women’s show), plus access to the athletes’ backstage space. To protect the athletes safety, when you purchase a backstage ticket, you must provide your full name and your athlete’s full name. Anyone who buys a backstage pass is required to wear their pass and keep it visible at all times backstage. OCB staff security will be enforcing backstage tickets at all times for athletes’ privacy, safety, and to provide everyone as much room as possible to be comfortable.

Entry Fees & Deadlines

When you register, please provide a GOOD email address that you check OFTEN for official athlete-only announcements and instructions.
Registration cost and deadlines
If you register by Tuesday, September 30: $125 for on-time entry fee
For each additional Crossover you enter: $80
If you register after Tuesday, September 30, a late fee applies: $50 late fee
Final-entry deadline including late fee is: Monday, October 20 – this is the last day entries will be accepted
Each registered athlete in good standing will receive an OCB medal to recognize your hard work throughout competition prep and celebrate bringing your best self on stage for competition day. In addition, each athlete will receive a certificate of participation and small swag gifts at check-in to commemorate you competing in the 2025 OCB Hammer Forged. We appreciate you!
In addition, plenty of chairs will be provided backstage for athletes to sit while you wait to go on stage. Athletes will also have access to designated athlete-only bathrooms. Last, OCB Hammer Forged will provide complimentary bottled water in the backstage area.

Categories

Per OCB rules, a competitor may not participate in more than one category in a single competition. For example, an athlete may not compete in both bikini and figure, or both men’s bodybuilding and classic physique.
Women’s: Bikini, Wellness, Figure, Physique
Men’s: Classic Physique, Physique, Bodybuilding
If you decide you would rather compete in a different category, you may choose a different category at your next competition.

Amateur Division Offerings

All athletes are encouraged to compete in more than one division in their category. (See Crossovers.)
Women’s Divisions:
Bikini: Novice, Masters Age 35+, Open
Wellness: Novice, Masters Age 35+, Open
Figure: Novice, Masters Age 35+, Open
Physique: Novice, Masters Age 35+, Open

Men’s Divisions:
Physique: Novice, Masters Age 40+, Open
Classic Physique: Novice, Masters Age 40+, Open
Bodybuilding: Novice, Masters Age 40+, Open

Crossovers (Entering More than One Division)

A Crossover entry means competing more than once, aka in more than one Division (Novice, Masters Age 35+, Open). Each Division you enroll in means another opportunity to step on stage, and another chance to win an award. For example, a men’s Physique athlete may choose to enter into Open and crossover into Novice and Masters 35+.
--Open Division is considered the main event of the competition. All athletes are encouraged to enroll in Open Division. As long as there are enough competitors enrolled in your Open Division, you have a chance to win a Pro card. Open Division means competing against everyone in your category.
--Each additional Category is there to increase your chances of winning an award.
--Novice Category is for athletes who have never won a first place award in any bodybuilding events prior to this competition. Competing in Novice is an excellent chance to practice being on stage and shake off any nerves before competing in Open. It also give you a stronger chance to win another award and recognition.
--Masters age 35+ is for anyone age 35 and above. As long as there are enough competitors enrolled in your Masters age 35+ Division, you may have a chance to win a Pro card.

Classes

Classes are created by separating competitors into groups based on height. For example, Class A includes a group of the shortest athletes, and so-on.

Awards

All competitors in good standing will receive an OCB medal to recognize your hard work throughout competition prep and celebrate bringing your best physique on stage for competition day. We appreciate you!
The top 5 athletes in each class will receive additional, distinguishing awards to celebrate their accomplishment in placing top 5 in their class.
First place, overall winners in each Open category will receive an additional prestigious award. Follow @ocbhammerforged on Instagram for a preview of awards in the final weeks leading up to the competition.
Pro cards: OCB Pro cards will be awarded as long as the minimum number of athletes enroll and participate in Open and Masters, per OCB policies. Official Pro-athlete status is not granted until the overall winners pass additional urine, drug screening. Athletes who win Pro status at the 2025 OCB Hammer Forged will be presented an oversized, vanity poster pro card, great for photos and for display. Genuine, wallet-size OCB Pro cards will be mailed to all Pro winners after they purchase their OCB Membership and only after they pass the urine, drug screening.

OCB membership for athletes

All competitors are required to be current members of the OCB to participate in this event. If needing to obtain annual membership, please register no later than one week before the event. Memberships can be purchased on OCBonline.com.
This is a natural, 100% drug tested competition. All competitors must meet eligibility criteria listed in the OCB drug testing guidelines in order to participate. Prior to registering, competitors should review the procedures and list of banned substances posted on OCBonline.com and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Banned Substances Screening Methods

All competitors are required to take a polygraph test prior to competition day. In addition, all OCB Pro qualifying winners are required to provide a urine specimen immediately after the conclusion of the event for urinalysis. Official Pro status is not awarded until the results come back drug-free from the testing facility.

Host Hotel

The host hotel is TO BE DETERMINED and will be added here.

Check-Ins/Drug Screenings

Athlete check-in is mandatory and will take place at the host hotel on Friday October 24 from 10am to 6pm. Here, athletes will confirm their OCB membership, pick up their competitor number buttons, and purchase additional services.
Drug screenings will be completed by appointment throughout the day on Friday, October 24 at the host hotel. Instructions how to schedule your drug screening will be added here. Please provide us a good email address when you register so that you will receive all news and updates via email.
The fee is $60 and payable in CASH ONLY at the time of testing. Exact change is appreciated. Please schedule your polygraph appointment so it happens BEFORE your tanning appointment, if doing both the same day. You don’t want your tan to be smudged during assessments.

Music and Individual Routines

Competitors will complete their posing lineups and individual routines to house music. Individual routines do NOT count towards your overall placement and scoring. The purpose is to give you some solo time on stage, in the spotlight, and for the photographers and videographers to focus 100% on capturing your look.
Individual presentations will be done in an I-walk style, meaning the competitor will first walk out toward the back, center of the stage and complete 1 to 3 poses, then proceed by walking straight toward the front, center of the stage and completing another 1 to 3 poses, and then filing off stage. Individual presentations should be kept under 60 seconds long out of respect for your fellow competitors and to keep things on schedule.

Competitor Prep Area and Rules

Plenty of chairs will be provided backstage for athletes to lounge while you wait to go on stage. Athletes will also have access to designated athlete-only bathrooms. Last, OCB Hammer Forged will provide complimentary water bottles and disposable food utensils in the backstage area.

Pump routines: Many mirrors and resistance bands will be provided for you in the athlete space backstage. Competitors are welcome to bring their own bands and mirror as well. But please limit personal belongings to fit inside a backpack or a bag no larger than a small, carry-on-sized, rolling bag. Competitors please respect the venue -- do NOT bring heavy weights into the venue. Competitors who damage the venue with weights may be disqualified or even banned from the OCB.

Help us prevent stains: To protect the venue from athlete oil and tanning stains, competitors must arrive wearing long sleeves, long pants, and shoes, (ladies - the mini-robe alone is not enough) and competitors must remain fully clothed, including shoes, if you enter into in the audience or other areas with carpet or fabrics, such as furniture.

The backstage area and the backstage restrooms will be covered and protected with floor paper, wall plastic, and foil on toilet seats. Here, backstage, athletes are allowed to get ready and hang out in their competition suits, without extra, protective clothing.

Taking pictures in the lobby without being covered is allowed. But keep your shoes on in all carpeted areas. And please do not touch or let your body accidently touch walls, carpet, fabric furniture, and stage curtains. Competitors who deliberately cause stains or cause extensive staining in the venue may be disqualified or even banned from the OCB.

If you accidentally stain walls, furniture, or a lobby toilet seat that is not covered with foil, please immediately try to clean the stain with water before it has time to dry, and please immediately alert OCB staff. We want to be invited back to this beautiful venue.

Appropriate posing: We take the sport of natural bodybuilding very seriously, and we understand that most athletes wish to be taken seriously, as well. So please - keep all posing, individual routines, and gestures appropriate, non-sexual, and not vulgar. Remember, people’s mom’s, siblings, and little kids are in the audience supporting their family member who’s competing. Our judges will have to dock scores or disqualify any inappropriate behavior. Lastly, please ensure all competition suits are the right fit prior to show-day – let’s avoid wardrobe malfunctions.

Good sportsmanship: We understand how hard you worked to step on stage. Ultimately, bodybuilding is a competition with yourself – each athlete is always striving to put on more and more muscle and bring a better and better physique than last year. All the athletes you are competing against have worked hard, too. If you receive a placing that you are less-than satisfied with, congratulate the other athletes, be aware of your facial expressions and body language, and remain calm. Anger will not be tolerated. We do not want to have to disqualify or ban anyone, but we will in these cases.

Professional Photography

Athletes have trained for years and dieted for months to achieve a competitive, lean bodybuilder physique on show day. Quality photographs are the best way to remember your physique and showcase everything you’ve accomplished.
Professional, stage photography will be available from Visually Stunning Photography for $90. After the competition, competitors may download their photos from the photographer’s website, VisuallyStunningPhotography.zenfolio.com.
We will add details to this page how to purchase in advance closer to competition day. Photography order forms will also be available at the athlete check-in table at the host hotel on Friday, October 24.
Although athletes will be able to purchase professional photos after the event, we recommend purchasing photography services in advance. Photographers take tons of photos of all the athletes, however due to the sheer number of athletes competing, photographers focus much of their time and efforts on individuals who pre-order because we know who wants their photos. We focus on both quality and quantity of photos.

Audience, Photos, and Video Recording Policies

We encourage athletes to invite as many friends and family as possible, and we also encourage loud cheering! It makes the show much more comfortable for athletes and much more fun to have your loved ones there bringing great energy and showing support with lots of noise.
Guests in the audience are WELCOME to take photos and videos from their seats with cellphones or lightweight hand-held cameras. But professional photography equipment, including tripods that obstruct the other guests’ view, heavy/oversized cameras, and flash photography will not be allowed in the theater. Flash photography will ruin professional photography and videography by turning competitors blue in photos, and it is nearly impossible to correct, even with professional editing software. Violators will be asked to remove equipment from the theater or asked to leave.
To protect the judges’ scorecards and to protect the integrity of the judging process, no one will be allowed to approach the stage. The judges’ area and front row will be roped off and only accessible to judges, professional photographers, and other OCB staff. Please take this into consideration, and we encourage you to purchase professional photography services for this reason.

Spray Tanning Services

Our professional spray tanning teams are certified by the OCB to uphold STRICT privacy standards and quality standards for our athletes. Appointments will be available on Friday, October 24 at the host hotel and on show day. The spray tanning service is TO BE DETERMINED and will be added to this page. Please schedule your polygraph appointment so it happens BEFORE your tanning appointment, if doing both the same day - so that it doesn’t smear your tan.

Hair & Make-Up Services

Professional hair and make-up services will be available for purchase by appointment on show day. The professional services are TO BE DETERMINED and details will be added here.

Livestream

Livestreaming tickets will be available for purchase for this competition. Details are TO BE DETERMINED and will be added here.

Vendor opportunities

$200 booth fee – please contact the promoter at ocbhammerforged@gmail.com.

Contact

If you have questions, please email OCB Promoter, Alice Robeson, at ocbhammerforged@gmail.com. Please follow @OCBhammerforged on Instagram for news and updates as we get closer to show day. When you register, please provide a GOOD email address that you check OFTEN for official athlete-only news, announcements, and instructions.