this is not "bring your problems to work day", this is just "work day".

Now, today's rant is a topic near and dear to my heart.

BUTT SHELVES. 

Thank you to Spastia for starting me off on my journey to find all recent butt shelf offenders.  Which took me about 15 minutes, because they are fucking EVERYWHERE.

What is a butt shelf, you ask?  A butt shelf is the hottest beam pose in America.  You see it a lot on floor too, but for time's sake, we'll just focus on beam for today.

Still don't know which pose I'm talking about?  C'mon, you've seen it...  think legs crossed like you have to pee (thanks again Spastia!), thrusting your chest out, and of course, creating a shelf with your butt.  About 90% of the time, arms will jut out at random angles. 

Ah yes, the butt shelf.

This does not begin nor end with our current national team.  This has been an issue for the ages.

Example given: the 2004 Olympic Team.  And I even threw Annia Hatch on beam, for good measure.

Chellsie, although tragically left off of the 04 team, was also doing some shelf in 03.  It stayed all the way until 09.

Shelves are abused across club lines.  From GAGE to WOGA-

- and even NCAA too!

World and Olympic teams:

From veterans to newcomers...

And finally, the hopes for the future.

The butt shelf.

Now, I was able to find a butt shelf on EVERY SINGLE GIRL I looked for... sans one.

Rebecca Bross has no butt shelf.

I know, right?!  It's crazy.  Everyone bags on her for being from WOGA (threepeat ROMG) and for not being artistic enough.  Well, she gets bonus points from one Spanny F. Tampson, because she is artistic enough NOT to do a butt shelf. 

Hopefully, one day we will emerge from the shadows of butt shelves.  A day when [real] choreography will be prevalent in all routines, and we'll be bitching because we see too many pretty moves and not enough "skills."  One day...

*** I got most of my photos from John Cheng, who is a bomb gym photographer.  You should jump over to his site {http://cheng.photoshelter.com/gallery-list} and just look through all of his pics.  That's what I did, and it was AWESOME.