Saying that in all likelihood, one American would be going to this year's World's Strongest Man contest, IFSA founder Douglas Edmunds, Ph.D. also said that the selection decision would be based on a combination of results from Riga and the US Nationals. Explaining that it is both extremely important that "the right" American competitor is chosen and that the US Nationals are being held too late in the year to optimize their role in the WSM selection process, Edmunds was quick to underline the importance of the event, saying that representatives from the newly-formed IFSA Holdings would be present at the US Nationals to discuss how the sport is being restructured. Given the significance of the changes being discussed, Edmunds urged everyone who wants to be part of this process to be sure to be at the US Nationals.

IronMind has been given the proposed list of events for the upcoming World's Strongest Grip contest first announced here on March 24, and asked for our input, and while we have some definite thoughts, we would like to know what prospective competitors and others interested in grip strength think. Here are the events, and if you would like to comment on them, we welcome your thoughts: rjstrossen@ironmind.com . The proposed list of events is presented as it was given to IronMind, along with the proposed scoring system. 1. bending a six-inch nail (10 points) 2. bending a six-inch grade 8 bolt (15 points) 3. tearing one deck of plastic cards (10 points) 4. tearing one deck of plastic cards (10 points) 5. tearing two decks of cards (15 points) 6. tearing two decks of cards (15 points) 7. tearing two decks of cards (15 points) 8. grip power stairs, grabbing the plates by their lip (5, 10 and 15 points for the three steps) 9. banana dumbbell press (3 reps for 15 points) 10. one-finger curl (10 points) 11. mini-Atlas stone, lifted with a thumb's up pinch grip (5, 5 and 10 points for the three "stones") 12. holding onto a vertical bar with weight hanging from the wrist, done for time (10 points).

The West Coast Rolling Thunder Championships will be held at Muscle Beach (Venice, California) on July 17, and even though the contest is expected to draw some of the strongest-handed guys around, anyone who wants to join in the fun will be welcome. Run by Kevin Meskew in conjunction with a USPF deadlift contest, weigh-ins are from 10 to 11:30 am and the lifting is scheduled to start at about 12:30, with a flight of deadlifters likely to go before the Rolling Thunder kicks in. Open and Masters divisions will be run, with multiple body weight classes. The first person to pull a 300-pound lift on the Rolling Thunder will get a $300.00 gift certificate from IronMind Enterprises, Inc., plus Kevin Meskew is adding $100.00 cash if someone hits the magic 300 pounds. Even if not up at the mighty 300-pound level, top lifts will be rewarded: the biggest lift of the day will get a $50.00 IronMind� gift certificate plus a huge, five-foot trophy donated by Ascending Awards (Arleta, California), and Kevin Meskew is also offering $75.00 to anyone who lifts bodyweight. So come on down to the beach, have a great time and hoist a few heavy ones. For details, please contact Kevin Meskew: warrior01@earthlink.net .

"Despite giving away three inches in height and over 120 pounds of body weight to last year's champion, Dominic Filliou, Jessen 'The Myth' Paulin regained his title decisively, leaving no doubt as to the identity of the 'King of Quebec,'" reported Sam Dube, Ph.D. By virtue of their top-four finishing order, Paulin, along with Yannick Normandin, Steve Bourgeois, and Franky Bonneau qualified for the Canada's Strongest Man competition in September.

Commenting today on whether the 2005 Arnold Strongman Contest would again be the IFSA Super Series Final, Jim Lorimer said, "I met with Ulf Bengtsson [Super-Series president] yesterday and we are moving in that direction." The Arnold Strongman contest has been a tremendous success, representing a carefully-selected combination of truly-heavy strongman events, and it draws the top names on the international strongman circuit. The nature of the contest itself combined with having the richest purse in the sport and being affiliated with the world-renown Arnold Classic/Fitness Expo have made the Arnold Strongman an absolutely top-tier event. "Our plans are underway to follow the same successful approach we used last year," Jim Lormer said, and while it was left unsaid, the reasonable expectation is that next year will produce an even loftier event. Follow contest details at the official website http://www.arnoldclassic.com/ and plan to attend the 2005 event.

Although still subject to change, a list of the most likely qualifying events for the 2004 World's Strongest Man contest is under discussion. At the moment, the events considered most likely to be included are: Atlas Stones, Loading Race, Squat, Deadlift, and Fingal's Fingers. In the category of less certain at the moment but still on the shortlist are: Giant Farmer's Walk, Bike Yoke, Fridge Carry, Truck Pull, Stone Circle, Safe Lift, and Sumo. The Sumo event, if it takes place, is seen as pitting each competitor against a Sumo wrestler, and even though each member of each pair of strongmen would compete against the Sumo wrestler one at a time, the member of the each pair who lasted longer would be declared the winner in that pair. Bonus points in that event would follow the same logic as used in the other events, so, for example, after surviving the first 25 seconds, a competitor would get one extra point for each additional ten-second period he lasted, up to the event limit of 75 seconds. As currently envisioned, this year's WSM contest, with 12 athletes paired up differently for each of the eleven events, can be seen as a series of duals, which will provide a dramatically different format than has been used in the past. "Whoever thought this up deserves a lot of credit," said top strongman competitor and promoter Odd Haugen. "This should be very exciting."

Showing a brand new face, the 2004 World's Strongest Man contest will start off with twelve athletes in the qualifiers, and while the top scorers will once again go on to the finals, how the athletes accumulate their points will be dramatically different this year. With a maximum of six points per event, one point will be given to the winner and zero to the loser, as each athlete competes directly against one other athlete, with the pairs changing for each event. In addition, bonus points will be used, with one point given for designated levels reached in each event. For example, on the Atlas stones and Fingal's Fingers, the bonus is one point per stone or Finger lifted. In the yoke, refrigerator carry and fire truck pull, there is one point, for example, for every five meters the athlete covers (with the exact distance to be determined). Points awarded in events based on distance, for example, will have the different point zones marked in different colors (for example, the one-point zone will be blue, the two-point zone will be red, etc.) to make it easier for viewers to follow the action when the shows have been edited.

The 2004 World's Strongest Man competition will take on a dramatically different face, as twelve athletes will be competing in what is being described as the qualification events. Once again, every athlete will compete in each event, but in a bold innovation, the athletes will compete against each other in pairs. The pairings will be changed in each of the eleven events so that each athlete will compete once against each other athlete. With a maximum of six points per event, scoring will be one point for a win and zero for a loss.

Amid swirling rumors about what might and might not happen at this year's World's Strongest Man contest, the proposed format has just been released. Key points under discussion at the moment call for a field of twelve athletes, who would compete head-to-head, in pairs. Eleven events are being proposed, with a maximum of six points per event. These details are subject to revision and have been proposed for the qualifying rounds; no official details or comments are available yet on the finals.

Among other things, Charlie Biron brought a small pile of 10-pound plates to the AOBS dinner for all the grip guys to play with, and to kick things off, he toyed with pinch gripping five in each hand and standing up with them. Richard Sorin nailed five and gave six a boost, and had such a good time that he tried to buy the exact plates, so he could enjoy them at home. As things turned out, the importer didn't have any in stock, so Charlie, being a super nice guy, just sent Richard the very plates that he had brought to the AOBS dinner. On Monday, Richard pinched gripped six, something that perhaps only Wade Gillingham and Heath Sexton have done. Richard did that with five fingers, and then he did five of the tens with only two fingers plus his thumb. He repeated both of those feats earlier today, and just minutes ago, he attacked four 10-pound plates, hoisting them with his thumb and one finger! Richard says he wouldn't be surprised if he can snatch five of the 10-pound plates, and he said that if he can get his fingers around them, he'll see if he can give seven of the 10s a ride. Stay tuned!

With their top-three finishes as the 2004 Western Canada's Strongest Man competition (in Winnepeg, Manitoba), Brad Provick, Geoff Dolan and Gino Castonguay qualified for the Canada's Strongest Man contest to be held later this year. MC/TV commentator Sam Dube, Ph.D. said, "Geoffrey Dolan's effort to win his third Westerns was thwarted when he tore his left calf during the fifth event, the Super Yoke Eliminator (at 910 lbs.). Despite the injury, the 2003 WSM 10th place finisher chose to participate in and managed to complete the last event, the Medley, but was passed by his good friend and the new Western Canada's Strongest Man, Brad 'The Bus' Provick." Provick finished with 43-1/2 points, followed by Dolan at 42 and Castonguay at 38-1/2 points.

Four-time World's Strongest Man (WSM) winner Magnus Ver Magnusson banged out an impressive win at the Iceland's Strongest Man contest this weekend, and appears to be headed toward qualifying for yet another trip to WSM. Magnus Ver won five of the nine events and finished with 72 points out a maximum possible of 78. "My knees feel the best they have in years," Magnus Ver said, explaining that he had started squatting again, and had recently broken the IPF masters Nordic record in April with a lift of 353.5 kg (along with a 275-kg bench press). Incidentally, don't assume this represents anything less that brute strength, because Magnus Ver pulled 340 kg for a double in the deadlift a couple of weeks before that contest and figured he was good for about 370 if he needed it for the win. Qualifying for WSM will be based on the combined scores from this contest and the upcoming Iceland's Strongest Viking. Magnus Ver has won the coveted invitation to WSM the last two years, but has let the second-place finisher, Jon Valgeir, go instead. This year, Magnus Ver says, "I've thought about it and if I feel comfortable about being able to place in the top three, I will go. If my knees were good, I am sure that I could give these guys a run for their money."

John Brookfield would like to host the 2005 World Steel Bending Championships if there is sufficient interest, so if you are a world-class bender and would like to strut your stuff, we would like to hear from you. The World Steel Bending Championships would include five events: 1) coiling a 20-foot steel bar tightly enough to fit in a compact suitcase, with the best time winning the event 2) bending four-foot bars behind the neck or over the head, with the thickest bar bent winning the event 3) bending four-foot bars over the knee, with the thickest bar bent winning the event 4) bending 1/2" diameter bar, with the shortest length bent winning the event 5) bending IronMind Red Nails, with the most bent in the allotted time winning the event. John Brookfield would not compete in the contest, but he would demonstrate each event, showing what we would expect to be world-record levels of proficiency. To make something like this viable, there has to be sufficient interest from qualified competitors, so if you might be interested in participating in the 2005 World Steel Bending Championships, please email John Brookfield (John@samsonscroll.com) and watch his web site (http://www.samsonscroll.com/) for more details.

Highland Games World Champion and MILO author Kent "The Flying Geezer" Durso ripped a new age-group world record in the Scottish hammer this weekend. Competing at the Kansas City Highland Games, Durso hurled the 16-pound hammer a hefty 103 feet four inches, for a new world record in the 55+ age group. Durso, a versatile strength athlete, has the distinction of not only lifting at Notre Dame under the tutelage of Father Lange, but also is said to have once dumped a snatch on Bob Hoffman, who was the center referee at that unfortunate moment. Besides dominating Masters Highland Games in recent years, Durso - given his unique credentials, unbridled enthusiasm and notable hospitality - has been the official witness for some of the strongest-handed men in the great state of Tennessee, as they went for their Captains of Crush certification under his keen eye.

The 21st Reunion Banquet for the Association of Oldetime Barbell & Strongmen was a great success this weekend, boding well for the continued growth of the organization founded by Vic Boff and now headed by Artie Drechsler. In addition to this year's honorees � Doris Barrilleaux, Gary Cleveland, Dr. James George and Elmo Santiago - there was the usual collection of Iron Game big names and enthusiasts coming from near and far for this annual event. This year's dinner boasted near-record levels of attendance, which speaks to the organization's good health, and for more information, please check www.wlinfo.com/ so you can plan to attend yourself next year.

When Doug Smith, Strength Coach at Juniata College, organized this weekend's 5th Annual Pennsylvania State Strength & Conditioning Clinic, he included grip guys Jim Smith and Jedd Johnson on the program. By doing this, Coach Smith stepped outside the mainstream, and what he ended up with was a lot of excitement, interest and positive energy. Jim Smith and Jedd Johnson used both a presentation and a hands-on demonstration to make their points, and what they came up with was such a hit that they've already been signed up to return next year. Way to go, guys!

In what is best described as a progressive merger, IFSA has joined forces with Invest Group Sports Management to better develop the sport of strongman. Looking to their business expertise and their access to financial resources, IFSA founder Dr. Douglas Edmunds said this group has tremendous expertise in the areas needed to bring strongman forward, and that the new organization, IFSA Holdings UK Ltd., will help give the sport new levels of visibility, which will lead to significantly improved earnings opportunities for strongman competitors. Initially, there will be five directors, and top priorities in the new organization include developing a business plan and defining relationships with satellite organizations.

Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec - Taking it right down to the wire, Hugo Girard won the World Muscle Power Championship today. Coming into the final event, the Farmer's Walk, Girard trailed Vasyl Virastiuk by one-half point, so he had to beat Virastiuk to take the title. Girard and Virastiuk were paired, and they were the last to go: they both struggled to get the 362-pound implements down the 20-meter course, had dropped them, and were trying to pick them up to make the turn to come back. Time ran out, but because Girard had actually crossed the line, while one of Virastiuk's implements was about six inches shy of it, Girard beat Virastiuk and claimed the title, much to delight of all the fans in Hugo-Land.

Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec � Putting his legs to work on the final event of the first day, Zydrunas Savickas squatted his way into the lead at the World Muscle Power Championships. Coming into the squat, Hugo Girard had a solid lead, but what appeared to be poor foot placement held Girard to one rep in the squat, which dropped him into third place at the end of day one. Savickas, who banged out 11 reps in the squat, is in first place with 41.5 points, followed by Vasyl Virastiuk at 39 points, and Girard is in third place with 36.5 points. Defending World's Strongest Man winner Mariusz Pudzianowki is in fourth (29 points), Raimonds Bergmanis is in fifth place (26 points), and Mark Philippi, who won the squat with 12 reps, is in sixth place (24.5 points).

Dolbeau-Mistassini, Quebec - Zydrunas Savickas is here for the World Muscle Power Championships, and if you wonder about his strength, consider that at the IPF Lithuanian Powerlifting Championships in April, he did 425-265-400. Savickas said that he opened his squats with an easy 390 kg, moved to 412.5 for his second attempt, which was also easy, and then took 425 on this third, and even that was so easy that if he doesn't suffer any injuries, he expects to squat 450 kg in an IPF meet next year. Meantime, the two-winner of the Arnold Strongest Man competition said that after this year's World's Strongest Man contest, he will take a rest, and then begin the same serious preparation for the 2005 Arnold that he used with great success this year.

Top professional strongman Hugo Girard can't help but be excited about the back lift event at this weekend's World Muscle Power competition. "It's going to be quite an experience," Girard said, "to see how we compare to the old-time strongmen." Some of the biggest names in the history of strength, such as Louis Cyr and Paul Anderson, were known for their huge back lifts. Girard has taken this classic test of strength � a lift that few have ever seen performed � and brought it to a modern level with an apparatus designed to leave no doubt about the weight lifted or the style of the lift. "This event gives our modern strongmen a chance to pay respect to the greats like Louis Cyr and Paul Anderson, " Girard explained, "and at the same time build a name for yourself."