The Fast Expo

Antonio Brown Meet & Greet

The FAST Expo — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:46:21 +0000

Kumite Classic is excited to announce that Pittsburgh Steeler Superstar Antonio Brown will be making an appearance at the Expo Saturday May 26th from Noon-1PM. The meet and greet will include autographs for fans on a first come first serve basis.

Brown is the first player in NFL history with at least 1,000 yards receiving (1,108) and at least 1,000 return yards (1,062) in the same season. The 2011 Pro Bowler was also named Steelers MVP by his teammates, an honor that Troy Polamalu held in 2010. We are honored to have Antonio Brown as our special guest, he is a proven leader and role model!

Hines Ward Positive Athlete

The FAST Expo — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:47:00 +0000

Kumite Classic is proud to support Hines Ward’s Positive Athlete Program. Kumite Classic Champion Dominic Leader was recently honored by Hines for his accomplishments in Martial Arts and his dedication to community service. Congrats Dom. Pictured below left to right: Pittsburgh Pirates Pitcher Jeff Karstens, Dominic Leader, and Hines Ward at the Heinz History Center.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Several young athletes were honored this weekend for their positivity both on and off the field.

The first ever Western Pennsylvania Positive Athlete Awards were held Saturday afternoon at the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the Heinz History Center. Retired Pittsburgh Steelers’ star Hines Ward and Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitcher Jeff Karstens were on hand for the festivities.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl also proclaimed April 21 as Positive Athlete Day in the city.

The 26 honorees, representing 23 area high schools, received an award certificate and a Positive Athlete Dedication t-shirt signed by Ward.

They will also be honored on May 9 at a Pittsburgh Pirates’ home game at PNC Park.

Each student-athlete nominee was required to show excellence on the field, an optimistic attitude, teammate encouragement, leadership, heart for others, an ability to admit imperfections, giving 100 percent and realizing the team is more important than the individual.

Here is the full list of winners for 2011-2012:

Baseball – Ben Swaby – Pittsburgh Allderdice (12th grade)
Basketball (Girls) – Brittany Jackson – Westinghouse (10th grade)
Basketball (Boys) – Christian Joiner – Pittsburgh Central Catholic (12th grade)
Cheerleading – Lauren O’Connor – Montour (12th grade)
Cross Country (Boys) – Dylan Anderer – South Side (11th grade)
Cross Country (Girls) – Emily Strohm – McKeesport (10th grade)
Football – Steven O’Hara – Blackhawk (12th grade)
Golf (Boys) – Austin Grieger – Quaker Valley (12th grade)
Golf (Girls) – Michelle Klein – South Side (10th grade)
Gymnastics – Abbie Porritt – North Allegheny (12th grade)
Ice Hockey – Koby Uhrig – Moon (11th grade)
Lacrosse (Boys) – Zach Simpson – Canon-McMillan (12th grade)
Lacrosse (Girls) – Emily Jamison – North Hills (12th grade)
Martial Arts – Dominic Leader – Norwin (12th grade)
Soccer (Boys) – Alex Burbules – General McLane – Erie (12th grade)
Soccer (Girls) – Victoria Fedora – Serra Catholic (12th grade)
Softball – Ali Chambers – Avonworth (12th grade)
Swimming (Boys) – Erik Brinkhoff – Bethel Park (11th grade)
Swimming (Girls) – Mia Pietropola – Plum (11th grade)
Tennis (Boys) – Paul Scherer – Hampton Township (12th grade)
Tennis (Girls) – Julia Vandrak – Seneca Valley (12th grade)
Track & Field (Boys) – Dominic Gibson – Uniontown Area (12th grade)
Track & Field (Girls) – Kasey Kemp – Norwin (12th grade)
Volleyball (Boys) – Tommy Keisling – North Allegheny (11th grade)
Volleyball (Girls) – Nicole Addleman – Indiana (12th grade)
Wrestling – Andrew Wood – Pine-Richland (12th grade)

Royce Gracie

Kumite Classic — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 03:59:39 +0000

Due to the overwhelming response, UFC Legend Royce Gracie will be hosting 2 seminars Friday May 25th 2012 @ The Kumite Classic. Reserve your spot. Space is limited and will sell out. Questions 724-861-5162

Rockwall

The FAST Expo — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:35:42 +0000

The Pittsburgh FAST Expo is proud to partner with the National Guard once again. The giant rockwall will be a featured attraction at the 2012 Expo. For more info on the National Guard, please click the logo below.

Kid Sport Magazine

The FAST Expo — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:19:12 +0000

Getting Fit F.A.S.T.

By Ken Boysen | Fri, 05/20/2011 – 13:06

The Twelfth Annual Fitness and Sports Tour (F.A.S.T.) Expo is coming to the Monroeville Convention Center Memorial Day weekend, May 27th-28th, and includes a slew of activities the whole family can enjoy. Read on for more information.

It’s becoming an increasing trend among today’s youth: a teenager drops back to pass, reads the defense, and suddenly begins to run for his life from the all-out blitz coming at him. It looks like he is about to take a sack, when out of nowhere, his receiver dashes out across the middle of the field. The teen eludes the blitz and fires the ball to the receiver for the touchdown.
The crowd falls into a state of mass hysteria, but there’s just one problem: that teen is sitting on the couch in his living room, celebrating a TD in a game of Madden NFL.

The scenario described above has become almost as popular as the game of football itself, but an upcoming sports expo is hoping to buck that trend.

The Twelfth Annual Fitness and Sports Tour (FAST) Expo comes to the Monroeville Convention Center Memorial Day weekend, which includes a slew of activities the whole family can enjoy.

The marquee events include the World Teen Football Combine and the Kidz of Steel competition. The World Teen Football Combine, sponsored by NFL Hall-of-Famer Franco Harris, encourages youth from western Pennsylvania and its surrounding areas to compete in a variety of football-related workouts. Teens aged 13-19 can compete in events ranging from bench-pressing to tire flipping.

“It really is a showcase for the kids, and it gives recognition to them,” said Bill Viola, director of events for the FAST Expo. “ It creates a good sense of camaraderie.”

The other youth-centered activity for the weekend, the Kidz of Steel competition, is focused more on elementary-aged youth, but is open to all kids. Participants have 60 seconds to do the most push-ups, sit-ups and chin-ups possible.

“The events really promote and encourage kids to get out there and give their best effort,” Viola said.

In addition to the youth-focused events, a variety of other activities and vendors will seek to educate and promote healthy, active lifestyles.

With more kids becoming increasingly sedentary, Viola believes it’s important to get kids to think about getting out and having fun—which is what the FAST Expo is really all about.

“Coaches, teachers and parents see a lot of kids, and see this as a very inactive generation. We want to get these inactive kids out there, so they can get encouraged by role models, by peers, and be able to say that they gave their best effort and had fun,” Viola said.

The Fitness and Sports Tour Expo takes place Memorial Day weekend, May 27th-28th. The Kidz of Steel event takes place on the 27th, while the World Teen Football Combine takes places on the 28th. More information can be found at www.thefastexpo.com.

The FAST Expo

The FAST Expo — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:39:07 +0000

Memorial Day Weekend May 25-26th Monroeville Convention Center. The media has dubbed The FAST Expo as a “One stop shop for everything fitness.” The expo showcases the latest fitness products, exercise equipment, sports gear, clothing, nutritional supplements, health foods, and cutting edge cosmetic advancements.

Health and wellness consultations are available with industry professionals and onsite evaluations are presented by doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, and natural health experts. The FAST Expo collaborates with health professionals and educators on comprehensive and sustainable approaches to preventing and reducing serious health problems from both conventional medical and holistic approaches. The expo provides spectators the opportunity to participate in workouts, seminars, certification courses, competitions, and challenges.

The general public can meet & greet with celebrities, professional athletes, Olympic champions, and fitness icons. The expo highlights sports performance athletes, strength competitors, and fitness experts though a multitude of athletic skills competitions and world class sport championships.

FITNESS AND SPORTS TOUR (FAST):

The Fitness And Sports Tour campaign is dedicated to promoting healthy active lifestyles through a full scale interactive consumer expo. The event is Pittsburgh’s most established fitness expo, celebrating its 13th annual season attracting thousands of fitness enthusiasts and health conscious consumers from across the country. The multifaceted expo is surrounded by “non-stop action” playing host to simultaneous championships, competitions, and demonstrations in one expansive area for spectators to enjoy. The audience is one of the most diverse (demographic & geographic) in the fitness industry attracting fans from over 15 different sports. The prestigious Kumite Classic brand is synonymous with athletic excellence.

WHY EXHIBIT:

If your target audience is health conscious fitness enthusiasts, than look no further! The 13th annual Kumite Classic is Pittsburgh’s largest and most established fitness expo, targeting a multi-billion dollar health and fitness industry. The FAST Expo offers maximum exposure into the most popular year round fitness and sports trends in America. The family oriented weekend is a very cost effective way to impact people from all walks of life. Over the past decade, our teams of professionals have paved the way for thousands of people to pursue healthy active lifestyles, building a loyal fan base! The multifaceted expo is surrounded by “non-stop action” playing host to simultaneous championships, competitions, and demonstrations all in one expansive area. The unique concept provides advertising opportunities within an untapped market. The FAST Expo is the only event of its kind in the Pittsburgh region providing the best opportunity to reach your target audience.

NATIONAL AWARENESS:

May is National Physical Fitness & Sports Month an initiative developed by The President’s Council on Physical Fitness in Sports. The expo collaborates with corporate leaders in an effort to help build a healthier strong community. The FAST Expo brings national awareness to many health related concerns and issues including the growing problem of childhood obesity! The events emphasize the importance of regular physical activity and healthy choices by featuring, “Kidz of Steel” a non-profit partnership program with Western PA Police Athletic League

2012 Memorial Day Weekend

The FAST Expo — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:14:17 +0000

The FAST Expo is bigger and better in 2012! Join us May 25-26^th at The Monroeville Convention Center for Pittsburgh’s most established fitness expo. The media has dubbed The FAST Expo as a “One stop shop for everything fitness.” The expo showcases the latest fitness products, exercise equipment, sports gear, clothing, nutritional supplements, health foods, and cutting edge cosmetic advancements.

The Fitness And Sports Tour campaign is dedicated to promoting healthy active lifestyles through a full scale interactive consumer expo. The event is Pittsburgh’s most established fitness expo, celebrating its 13^th annual season attracting thousands of fitness enthusiasts and health conscious consumers from across the country. The multifaceted expo is surrounded by “non-stop action” playing host to simultaneous championships, competitions, and demonstrations in one expansive area for spectators to enjoy. The audience is one of the most diverse (demographic & geographic) in the fitness industry attracting fans from over 15 different sports. The prestigious Kumite Classic brand is synonymous with athletic excellence.

City of Champions

Kumite Classic — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:10:07 +0000

The Champions Association presented the 36th Annual Pittsburgh M.V.P. awards at the Willie Stargell Memorial Awards Banquet, Monday December 5th. The distinguished ceremony honors industry leaders and professional athletes who are making a difference in the community.

North Huntington resident Bill Viola Sr. received the “Pittsburgh M.V.P.” award for his work as a Mixed Martial Arts pioneer. Viola co-founded CV Productions in 1979, a company which is credited with creating a new sport, known today as mixed martial arts.. The award brought recognition to the city of Pittsburgh and the Western PA region celebrating the true birthplace of modern Mixed Martial Arts in the United States. Most fight fans had believed that the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) established the first mixed martial arts competitions, however Viola and his partner Frank Caliguri actually developed the sport in 1979. They promoted 10 competitions across Pennsylvania in 1980 until the State Legislature banned mixed martial arts with the passage of SENATE BILL No. 632 Session 1983. The Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum of the Heinz History Center in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institute unveiled an exhibit on June 23rd 2011 to document Viola’s role in developing mixed martial arts in America. Dr. Fred Adams of Penn State University is currently writing a new book the history of Mixed Martial Arts that will chronicle Viola and Caliguri’s creation.

Over the past thirty years, The Willie Stargell Banquet has attracted some of the countries most prolific figures including basketball legend Michael Jordan and World Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali. Viola was honored to be recognized with such an elite alumni. Viola said, “Pittsburgh is known as the City of Champions and now they can have pride that the fastest growing sport in the World (MMA), was started here as well.” Dr. Fred Adams of Penn State University is currently writing a new book the history of Mixed Martial Arts that will chronicle Viola and Caliguri’s creation.

Other distinguished guests and honorees at the 2011 banquet included Pittsburgh County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Judge Dwayne Woodruff just to name a few. The event was co-sponsored by The Hillman Foundation and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The banquet was hosted by Champion Enterprises founder Bill Neal, who has dedicated his life to community service. Proceeds from the event support a Christmas Toy drive for underprivileged kids in Pittsburgh.

Health & Wellness

Bill Viola — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:30:14 +0000

Its a fitness expo, health expo, wellness expo, sports expo and martial arts expo all in one!

Keep your feet happy

Bill Viola — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:27:35 +0000

Not only do Zeko Shoes look good and feel great, they are great water shoes too. Whether you’re boating, kayaking, fishing or whatever your outdoor sport is, Zeko shoes dry quick and they’re lightweight. They don’t retain water either. The unique vented sole design allows water to run right out. Plus it doubles as a vent to keep your feet cool and comfortable.