IFSA USA president Jim Davis will be taking World's Strongest Man winners Magnus Ver Magnusson and Svend Karlsen around St. Louis next week, giving everyone a chance to meet these great strongmen. Next Tuesday, at about 7:00 pm, look for Jim, Magnus and Svend at Ruiz Mexican restaurant in Florrisant. On Wednesday, at about 6:00 or 7:00 pm, they will be at Blueberry Hill in Delmar Loop, before heading off to Hot Shots in O'Fallon at about 9:00 or 10:00 pm. On Thursday, the action starts at 6:00 pm with the Rolling Thunder National Championships (along with an amateur women's and amateur men's classes) at the Sports Café in Bridgeton, followed by more chances to mingle at the Dorsett Inn in Maryland Heights at about 9:00 or 10:00 pm. For more details, keep your eye on the official IFSA USA web site.

Finland, with some of the greatest roots in strongman, will host an IFSA Super Series event that promises to be spectacular. Mariusz Pudzianowski, Zydrunas Savickas, Hugo Girard, Jarno Hams, Svend Karlsen, Raimunds Bergmanis, Janne Virtanen and Juha-Pekka Aitala are scheduled to battle it out under the watchful eyes of referees Ilkka Kinnunen, Jamie Reeves, Marcel Mostert and Douglas Edmunds on August 16 in Imatra, Finland. This top-tier competition will have worldwide TV coverage and is expected to draw a substantial live audience as well.

IFSA USA president Jim Davis couldn't hide his excitement about the yoke that will be used at the upcoming US National Championships. "You've never seen anything like it," Davis said. "Wait until you see it!" Has strongman equipment ace Rick Stoehr outdone himself? Be in St. Louis August 7 - 9 and find out for yourself as America's top strongmen vie for invitations to this year's World's Strongest Man show.

The IronMind® Rolling Thunder® National Championships will be held at The Sports Café in Bridgeton, Missouri on August 7 as part of the kick-off festivities for the 2003 IFSA USA National Strongman Championships. Here's your chance to meet the top American strongman competitors, along with some very special guests, and test your grip at the same time. Guaranteed prize money is $500 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place in the Rolling Thunder® National Championships. There will also be a guaranteed $100 prize for the heaviest lift by an amateur man and $100 for the heaviest lift by any woman. The winner of the Rolling Thunder® National Championships will also get a full set of Captains of Crush® grippers and the Rolling Thunder® used in the competition. Anyone who breaks the world record will get a $250 IronMind® gift certificate. For full details of the IFSA USA National Strongman Championships, check the official IFSA USA website.

AOBS president Art Drechsler announced today that next year's dinner will be on June 12th, in Saddle Brook, New Jersey again. The 2003 AOBS dinner was held this past weekend and drew what reportedly was the largest turnout ever, as AOBS founder Vic Boff, along with weightlifter Clyde Emerich and bodybuilder Clarence Bass were honored. Drechsler said next year's event will be even bigger and better, and there will be a specific time and location for people to meet informally, demonstrate and/or try different feats of strength, etc. before the actual dinner and awards ceremony.