From the North American Strongman Championships to the Arnold to the World Championships

Next month is the North American Strongman Corporation (NAS) U.S. National Championships, a contest that has been held every year since 1997, NAS vice president Dione Wessels told IronMind - the top fifteen will go on the Arnold next year, where amateur strongman will debut in 2010.

North American Strongman (NAS) is building on its success.  Artwork courtesy of Dione Wessels.

It’s big news that Wessels is bringing amateur strongman to the Arnold in 2010 and Wessels said that the winner is guaranteed an invitation to the 2011 professional strongman contest at the Arnold, which has been run by Dr. Terry Todd since 2002.  What’s even bigger news, though, is that Wessels told IronMind she hopes her strongman contest at the 2011 Arnold will be the amateur strongman world championships.

Wessels has helped build NAS into an organization that holds over a hundred contests a year and is developing the international ties that will create the basis for the amateur strongman world championships Wessels envisions. 

Although Wessels said the events at the Arnold won’t be announced until next month, she told Ironmind they will parallel those used in the professional strongman contest, although in a scaled down and remixed form; and at least based on rumors, Wessels’ contest might inject some elements long seen as missing from the professional contest - aimed at making the contest more interesting to both casual spectators and hardcore strongman fans.
 
Stay tuned for more details.