Direct from the Viking Mansion, deep in Norway, IronMind has received word that Viking Power Productions has launched a blog.


With projects galore underway, Viking Power Productions is looking toward a very fruitful year . . . contests, clothing, supplements . . . . Logo courtesy of Viking Power Productions.

"Here we will post every day from our daily life. You can see the progress in making new equipment for the contest, info, and private life of the Karlsens," said the ever-shy Lene Karlsen, adding, "NOT that private."

Here's the address: http://viking.mobilblogg.no/

In other Viking Power developments, Lene Karlsen also told IronMind, "The new film about Svend's whole life is coming together great now . . . today we saw footage from when Svend was 17�and doing curls with 100 kg! [Ace strongman presenter and filmmaker] Colin Bryce is doing the commentary."

We understand that this 1-1/2 hour DVD will be out later this year, so stay tuned for more developments.


It's on 07-07-07, or we just say 0007 for short . . . the mighty men will come to Norway to have at it in the Viking Power Challenge. Logo courtesy of Viking Power Productions.�

Looking forward to defending his title, 2006 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man winner Phil Pfister said, "It's time to get ready."


Phil Pfister was head and shoulders above the field on the overhead stone lift at the 2006 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man contest. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Pfister, whose unorthodox approach to strongman includes non-traditional training and a very limited competition schedule said that "two contests a year is plenty for me." Pfister explained that his formula of focussing on the Arnold and the World's Strongest Man contest is ideal, since, among other things, their timing gives him roughly half a year in between each for preparation.

"After five or six years of competing in six or eight contests a year," Pfister said he had to change things around because with that schedule, "it's hard to get stronger." Also, even though his considerations go beyond the short-term earnings, Pfister said that the number of pro-strongman contests in the US with decent prize lists has declined over the years . . . and he rattled off a more than a handful of promoters who used to put on contests like this, but who no longer do.

Pfister is still eying a victory at the Arnold strongman contest at some point down the road, but his real target is winning the World's Strongest Man contest . . . again. If you're going to focus on something, Pfister explained, "Why not concentrate on the one contest everybody knows about and watches"

Alexi Ni, head coach of the powerhouse Kazahk weightlifting team, told IronMind today that his superstar lifter Ilya Ilin is building his year around the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships.


Ilya Ilin (Kazakhstan) ripped this 175-kg snatch on his way to a gold medal performance in the 94-kg category at that 2006 Senior World Weightlifting Championships. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Last year, Ilya Ilin picked up gold medals at the Junior World Championships, the Senior World Championships and at the Asian Games - an incredible performance that seems perfectly suited to the extremely talented young lifter. Still, taking the long view of things and knowing their priorities, Ni said that Ilya Ilin will not compete, for example, in the Junior or the Senior Asian Championships this year, or even in the Junior World Championships, as they prefer instead to focus their efforts on producing a top performance at the Senior World Championships, which is an Olympic-qualifier - meaning that placement there determines how many weightlifters a country will be eligible to send to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The Diesel Crew's Jim Smith checked in with some exciting grip news.


With Jedd Johnson running the camera and Jim Smith on the clock, Scott George attacks the No. 3 Captains of Crush gripper at the 2006 Global Grip Challenge, held at Sorinex last year. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"First off, we are promoting a fund raiser for two top level grip athletes, Chad Woodall and Scott George, to go over and compete against the Europeans in the M�nsterland Grip Challenge on May 19, 2007. �The idea is to collect donations through the Diesel site with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the grip athletes to offset some of the costs of their travel.� We want to support these US Grip athletes at Diesel and we think this is the perfect opportunity.� It is very rare that the US and Europeans get to compete against each other in the sport of Grip."


Chad Woodall hit this 382.5-pound V-bar world record on his way to the large hands title at the 2006 Global Grip Challenge. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Scott George is the 2006 Global Grip Challenge small-hand champion and Chad Woodall is the 2006 Global Grip Challenge large-hand champion, and speaking of grip contests, Smith also said, "We decided on the date for the US Grip Championships - August 25, 2007.� They will be held in Pennsylvania this year and it looks like David Horne, the Grip Legend from Europe, will be traveling all the way over to compete in the Championships.� David is well known all across Europe and the United States as one of the pioneers in the sport of Grip and now he will get a chance to compete against some of the best in the United States."

For full details and other Diesel Crew developments, please check www.DieselCrew.com .

North American Strongman turns ten this year.


Jon Andersen, shown at the 2004 Battle of Muscle Beach, began in NAS and graduated to the pro strongman ranks. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"NAS is celebrating its ten-year anniversary this year," Dione Wessels told IronMind today, "and the NAS National Championships will be in Las Vegas November 16 - 17," with more details to follow.

He's the only lifter we know who has broken an arm on both the snatch and the clean and jerk, so when you talk quitters, this guy is not on the list.


Zlaten Vanev (Bulgaria) nailed this 200-kg jerk to win the 77-kg category at the 1998 European Weightlifting Championships. On his next attempt, Vanev took 205.5 kg, and instead of breaking the world record, he broke his left arm. Two years later, while training for the 2000 Olympics, he broke his right his right arm on a snatch. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation General Secretary Stefan Botev told IronMind that Zlaten Vanev might be starting at the upcoming European Weightlifting Championships in Strasbourg, France so the guy who came back from a broken arm on a world record attempt in the jerk at the 1998 European Weightlifting Championships and was in super condition leading up to the 2000 Olympics - only to get derailed again when he broke his other arm in the snatch shortly beforehand - has not thrown in the towel.

Think about that when you're training this week.

Georgian National Weightlifting Coach Ivane Grikurovi told IronMind today that it's true: Georgia will not be sending a team to the European Weightlifting Championships next month.


Top Georgian weightlifter Arsen Kasabiev starts his warmups at the 2006 European Weightlifting Championships. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"We only have five lifters," Grikurovi explained, "and four of them have contusions at the moment."

Although a small and hardly wealthy country, Georgia - under the coaching leadership of Grikurovi - has produced two Olympic gold medalists in weightlifting, Kahi Kahiashvili and George Asanidze, a stunning accomplishment considering the resources available to support the weightlifting program.

2005 Junior World Champion Arsen Kasabiev looks to be the next superstar Georgian weightlifter and Grikurovi said that Kasabiev is starting "slowly, slowly" to return to training and might start in the World Championships later this year.


After bombing in the snatch at the 2006 European Weightlifting Championships, Arsen Kasabiev bounced back and stuck this 220-kg jerk for the gold medal in the 94-kg category. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Bill Kazmaier will be flying in from an appearance at the Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska just in time for the WSMSS Mohegan Sun Grand Prix, but given how stoked he is about this contest, he shrugs off the effort.


Bill Kazmaier and IMG's Geoff Cochrane share a laugh at the 2006 WSMSS Mohegan Sun Grand Prix. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"With this being a World's Strongest Man Super Series event, leading up to the World's Strongest Man contest, I think this is on its way to becoming a classic event in America. This is a tremendous partnership with the Mohegan Sun," Bill Kazmaier told IronMind. "This is the only place in the US where you can see a strongman contest of this caliber in a world-class arena. I highly recommend that you go to this contest - the electricity generated by the crowd when these guys go head to head is going to be unbelievable."

World class certainly describes the Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort and what more needs to be said about the contest itself since it features such big names as three-time World's Strongest Man winner Mariusz Pudzianowski and local-kid-made-good Kevin Nee? This contest is the gateway to the 2007 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man contest, so the stakes are high . . . ensuring all-out performances that are sure to light up the arena.

Scheduled for April 22, please check the official Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort website for ticket details: www.mohegansun.com .

It began as a strongman contest, but it quickly became much more.

We arrived in Iran on Tuesday," Arild Haugen told IronMind, "and the contest should have started on Wednesday," speaking of the World Strongman Cup competition in Iran last week.

Wednesday morning, though, there was no equipment, Haugen said, so the competitors waited until Thursday, and still there was no equipment, and "Nobody told us anything," Haugen said. Friday morning, still no equipment, but then it finally showed up.

The money promised to competitors still had not materialized, Haugen said, and this was especially problematic since some of the competitors had paid their own way over, with the promise of reimbursement along with their prize money. In addition to these expenses, competitors such as Haugen were taking time off work, without pay, in order to compete.

At this point, the competitors said that either they got paid or they would not compete, but eventually a compromise was reached: The competitors offered to do one event on Friday, and then agreed to do two events, with the understanding that the money would then have to be produced or they would not continue, and so things began with the truck pull, followed by the log press. After the log press, though, things deteriorated rapidly.

"Two nice girls wanted a photo with me," Arild Haugen said, "so I lifted them up. The police grabbed the girls and put them straight in jail." None of the competitors were arrested, but Haugen was told that he had to copy in his own writing and then sign an apology that the contest organizer had written, which was then going to be delivered to the police, and he had to sign it "Arild Stupid Haugen." Asked if he was afraid that he might be arrested, too, Haugen said that he expected to be arrested, but he was never afraid: "I knew they wouldn't kill me," he said.

Not everyone had this confidence, because an Iranian citizen who had been talking to the competitors, and not saying the most favorable things about the current regime, received a phone call saying that he was about to be arrested. The man reportedly started crying and he told the competitors that he expected to be killed. A number of the competitors gave the man their business cards and offered to do whatever they could to help him.

It was an eye-opening experience, to say the least, for competitors who had never been to Iran before and there was a feeling that the very fact that the Iranian people were enjoying the contest and having a good time set the stage for the quick and harsh police reaction - a competitor who danced was reportedly censured, and another, who held a baby, was also reprimanded, because the baby was a girl. Competitors were approached by Iranian citizens who begged, "Please tell the world we need help," and the police and government were described as "crazy."

Svend Karlsen, President of Pro Strongman - Norway, told IronMind that as a result of this, "No Norweigan athletes will compete in Iran," and the whole episode has probably put World Strongman Cup on a prepaid or cash-on-delivery basis: Next up on the World Strongman Cup calendar is a competition in Dubai, and IronMind has heard more than once that unless the money due from Iran, along with some pre-payment or proof of funds for Dubai, materializes, competitors will not participate in that contest.

Andrus Murumets took home top honors at IFSA's Latvian Grand Prix over the weekend, adding to the stature he had gained with his strong performance at the recent Arnold strongman contest.


Jarno Hams digs in on the Truck Pull at the IFSA Latvian Grand Prix. Photo courtesy of Marcel Mostert.

"We had a completely packed stadium - around 8,000 spectators," IFSA's Marcel Mostert told IronMind. Unfortunately, hometown hero Raimunds Bergmanis "fell out after the first event, the truck pull. He suffered from the flu he had this week . . . Just not the right week!" Mostert said, explaining that a brutal flu strain had been sweeping through Europe. Other flu victims were Tomi Lotta, who could not make the trip, and Zydrunas Savickas, who came to the contest, but did not compete as he had been sick since returning from Columbus, Ohio.

Nonetheless, performances were at "quite an impressive standard," Mostert said: the Super Yoke, at 425 kg, was very heavy, and top lifts on the log were also noteworthy. "We used a 135-kg log and three guys did eight reps [Murumets, Bleikaitis and Pedan] and that was with strict judging by Jamie [Reeves], as usual," said Mostert.

Here are the top five:

1. Andrus Murumets 65 point
2. Vasyl Virastuk 55.5
3. Vidas Blekaitis 55
4. Igor Pedan 52
5. Agris Kazelniks 44.5

Summarizing the weekend, Mostert said, "We had a good contest. Everybody was happy!"

Please check the official IFSA website for complete results: http://www.ifsastrongman.com/

Want another shot at qualifying for the nationals or just want to see what you really can snatch or clean and jerk?


Yurik Vardanian, who totaled a staggering 400 kg as an 82.5-kg weightlifter at the 1980 Olympics, couldn't keep his hands off the bar 15 years later in Fresno - this was in the warmup room at the 1995 USA Weightlifting National Championships, where, just playing around, Vardanian cleaned and jerked 150 kg. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

The Pacific Weightlifting Association's 2007 Last Chance Seniors Qualifier & Junior Open is set for April 1 at Sacramento High School, and you can email meet director Paul Doherty for details: pdoherty@sachigh.org . Northern California has a tremendous tradition in the sport of weightlifting, so whether you want to lift, watch or help load, stop by and have a good time.

Things had started off well, but when two Iranian young women asked Arild Haugen to lift them, that was the beginning of the end of this weekend's World Strongman Cup competition.

The setting was scenic, Kish Island in the Persian Gulf, and the field was formidable, with a lot of World's Strongest Man competitors present, but things went south in a hurry when Arild Haugen obliged the young Iranian women by lifting them. As World Strongman Cup Manager Vlad Redkin explained it to IronMind, the lift was photographed and then the Iranian police stopped the contest, and arrested both the contest organizer and the two young women.

Although the forced cancellation of this contest "was very terrible" and posed "a big problem" for World Strongman Cup, Vlad Redkin told IronMind that he is expecting to bounce back from this. Also, Redkin said that all the athletes were okay and that he spoke with the local organizer the next day, and that he had been released by the police.

More details will follow.

World's Strongest Man Super Series Tour Director Jesper Albansson told IronMind, "We are very proud to once again return to classic strength and fitness ground."

"The 2005 Venice Beach Grand Prix became a huge success and our whole team is working full speed to top that show!" said Albansson. If you've been doing SUPER SQUATS or running hills, take a deep breath and you will be able to whip out the full contest name - "The World's Strongest Man Super Series Muscle Beach Grand Prix - Prevail Through Performance" - but let's make it simple and just say that the road to the 2007 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man heads for a great beach - Muscle Beach - on June 16, and if you want to see some of the biggest names in strongman, this is the place to be.

Event details have not been released yet, but Albansson said, "Our equipment team is working on the layouts right now in order to create an exiting mixture of events. One very pleasing fact is that the WSM Super Series sponsor Thule America has shown interest in utilizing its sponsorship more fully by moving their specially-designed stones platform (used in the 2006 WSMSS Mohegan Sun GP) down to Venice Beach, in order to deepen its tie to the WSMSS and the strongman community."

And as for the lineup, Albansson told IronMind, "Invites are being sent out and we have already received notice from two top names that they are planning their Super Series comeback for this event... ."

If you're a strongman fan, this contest should make your don't-miss-it list, so act fast because, as Albansson explained, "The only downside with the event is that we have limited access for the fans as the arena can only accommodate 250 spectators. For those who want to secure their ticket, they are welcome to send an e-mail to info@super-series.com and request ticketing information."

Pack a hat and your sunscreen - we'll see you there.

MILO guys know the story about how we first heard of Phil Pfister, as well as the things he did that caught our eye from the beginning, and how - when he lit up the Arnold strongman contest in 2006 - we plunked him on the cover of MILO and said: Watch out because Phil might do something very special at the World's Strongest Man Contest this year.


Phil Pfister, the 2006 World's Strongest Man winner - see how he really trained, with his coach, Nick Osborne, calling the shots blow by blow.

Phil, of course, made us look smart because he won the 2006 World's Strongest Man contest, so now everyone wants to know just how did this guy train to win the most coveted title in strongman? At IronMind, we're used to seeing guys train by doing snatches, clean and jerks, and squats - and that's about it. Mr. Pfister, though, marches to his own drummer, and in this case, that drummer is Nick Osborne.

No need to wonder or guess about Phil's training, because here it is - this what he drove from Charleston, West Virginia to Columbus, Ohio to do, and the result was the first American victory at the World's Strongest Man contest since the days of the great Kaz.

We've got the DVDs, so now you can get them, too: Phil Pfister DVDs



Phil's training featured a broad menu - you'll see it all in this two-DVD set, with the architect of his training program, Nick Osborne, doing the commentary.

Cadillac Jack's Gaming Resort in Deadwood, South Dakota wants armwrestlers and poker players.


If you think you've got a deadly forearm, or a deadly hand, come to Cadillac Jack's in Deadwood, South Dakota to pull hard and play a little poker, too. Top armwrestler John Brzenk, who is closing in on the No. 3 Captains of Crush gripper, sports a no-bluff forearm that combines plenty of show with even more go. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

USArmwrestling Executive Director Denise Wattles told IronMind that she had to pull a rabbit out of a hat when a major sponsor pulled out at the last minute, but thanks to her efforts and the folks at Cadillac Jack's, the Brawl For It All is all green lights. The contest is set for March 31 and April 1, with pro and amateur classes, for men and women.

For full details, please check USArmwrestling.com or call (406) 245-1560.

Saying, "I want to do to the Highland Games what I did to strongman," Dr. Douglas Edmunds outlined the Gododdin Games he is launching this year.


Kyrylo Chuprynin (Ukraine) comes to mind when considering the type of competitor Douglas Edmunds envisions for his Gododdin Games. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Supported by Event Scotland, the Gododdin Games will build on the theme of a warrior culture from ancient times and while the field might not smell of burned flesh, if Edmunds has his way, the drama and and spectacular of what unfolds will be quite unlike anything currently available.

"Strongman is a bit tired," Edmunds told IronMind, explaining that he wanted to move beyond the concept of "a big fat guy who lifts weights," and tap into the near-mythic level of warriors from ancient times. With strongman "becoming a procession" and the Highland Games "being all about throwing," Edmunds wants to inject new life into a contest that combines what he sees as the best elements of the Highland Games and strongman, laced with a substantial "retro factor," and the gladatorial element of which Edmunds has always been fond. Edmunds said that he is looking for that "rare breed," the type of person "who would survive an old-fashioned war."

His concept, Edmunds explained, "is to reinvent the Highland Games and sex them up for television." Asked whether his plan would rankle Highland Games traditionalists, Edmunds said, "They should give me a great award, but that's up to them."

Edmunds said that the Gododdin Games will use "the IFSA distribution platform" and the kickoff event is scheduled for May 27 at Scotland's Blair Castle.

IFSA kicks off its 2007 Grand Prix circuit this weekend in Latvia - this is a big contest and IFSA's Marcel Mostert told IronMind that he expects a live crowd of 7,000 to 8,000 people returning to the same arena in Riga that was used for last year's contest.


Top strongman competitor Vasyl Virastyuk, always in the hunt for a top position, will be in Latvia this weekend. Photo courtesy of Christian Fennell.

Organized by the the Latvian Federation, the field of competitors features hometown hero Raimonds Bergmanis, not to mention the top three from this year's Arnold strongman contest: Zydrunas "I Own that Contest" Savickas, the always in contention Vasyl Virastyuk, and the man who will no longer fly under the radar, Andrus Murumets.

Here is the official start list:

Raimonds Bergmanis - Latvia
Agris Kazelniks -�Latvia
Zydrunas Savickas - Lithuania
Andrus Murumets - Estonia
Igor Pedan - Russia
Vasyl Virastyuk -Ukraine
Tomi Lotta -Finland
Jarno Hams - Holland
Adam Darazs - Hungary
Etienne Smit - South Africa
Steve McDonald - USA

At first glance, the events might not appear to be overly heavy by IFSA's ponderous standards, but as Marcel Mostert pointed out, this is the first time IFSA will be using 135 kg for the repetition log lift: "It's quite heavy . . . normally, we use 120 - 125 kg . . . we are setting a new standard," Mostert told IronMind.

1. Medley � farmer walk and loading
2. Log for reps � 135 kg
3. Super yoke 25-30 m 380 kg
4. Truck Pull
5. Power stairs - 225, 250, 275 kg - 6�stairs
6. Stones - 100, 120, 140, 160 and 180 kg

Signifying the stature of his contest, IFSA has rolled out its all-star referees: Jamie Reeves, Ilkka Kinnunen and Marcel Mostert.

Prize money was reported to IronMind as being 12,000 euros (about US$16,000).

All Ford F-150 owners know that this workhorse truck can do just about whatever you ask of it and when Ford wanted a commercial that emphasized the F-150's superior payload, they took one look at Odd Haugen when he was competing at the FitExpo a few weeks ago and decided that he was the right guy for the job.


Trucking . . . Odd Haugen takes the Super Yoke for a ride at the All-American Strongman Challenge. Ford saw Odd and decided they had to have him for a commercial featuring their F-150 truck. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Haugen told IronMind that he wasn't sure when the commercial was set to air, but if you see a Ford F-150 commercial with a big guy pretending he's a forklift, you can say, "That's Odd . . . he made it look so light."

Ending speculation about who the Russian team would be entering in the +105 kg category at the European Weightlifting Championships next month, national coach David Rigert told IronMind that Evgeni Chigishev is the man.


"Competing at the 2005 European Weightlifting Championships, Evgeni Chigishev (Russia), weighing a little under 122 kg, snatched 205 kg like a hot knife cutting through butter . . . He also cleaned and jerked this 242.5 kg . . . . ." Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Chigishev, a MILO cover guy and poster boy whose lifting credentials include some of the most searing snatches you will ever see, silenced the partisan crowd at the 2005 World Weightlifting Championships when, amidst a chorus of boos from the Iranians there to support their hero Hossein Rezazadeh, the far-outweighed Chigishev smoked a 210-kg snatch for the gold medal . . . His lift itself and his subsequent look to the crowd are indelible memories for all weightlifting fans lucky enough to have been in Doha that day.

Mikhail Koklyaev, while highly touted in IFSA strongman circles as a top weightlifting prospect for the Beijing Olympics, has yet to do big lifts in a major, drug-tested contest, and while Rigert told IronMind that Koklyaev trains with strongmen, not the Russian national weightlifting team, he added that the 2008 Olympics are still a long way off.

World Strongman Cup (WSMC) Manager Vlad Redkin told IronMind, " The first stage of the World Strongman Cup 2007 Season of Strength takes place on March 15 - 16 on the Iranian Kish Island in the Persian Gulf."

Once again, WSMC has drawn a field of top international strongman competitors:

1. Mariusz Pudzianowski - Poland
2. Jeremy Hogg - Australia
3. Tarmo Mitt - Estonia
4. Raivis Vidzis - Latvia
5. Pavel Soroka - Belarus
6. Sergei Rjumin - Belarus
7. Elbrus Nigmatullin - Russia
8. Dmitry Kononec - Russia
9. Florian Trimpl - Germany
10. Boris Haraldsson - Iceland
11. Raymon Merckx - Netherlands
12. Stojan Todorchev - Bulgaria
13. Mark Felix - Grenada
14. Dominic Filiou - Canada
15. Olegs Dudkins - Latvia
16. Ren� Minkwitz - Denmark
17. Arild Haugen - Norway
18. Ralf Ber - Austria
19. Reza Gharaei - Iran
20. Mojtaba Maleki - Iran
21. Majid Dejbarar - Iran
22. Farzad Mosakhani - Iran

Day one events are: truck pull, farmer's walk (2 x 140 kg, 40 meters for time), log lift (130 kg for reps), and tire flip. Day two events are: medley, wheelbarrow, super yoke and loading. All athletes will compete on both days.

This should be a spectacular contest, not just because of the size and quality of the field but also because of the setting: For everyone not familiar with it, Vlad Redkin explained, "Kish Island used to be the holiday paradise of the Iranian people."

With great sadness, we received word from Steve Jeck that Peter Martin passed away.


Peter Martin with the testing stone of the Fianna. Photo courtesy of Peter Martin.

Steve Jeck introduced IronMind to Peter Martin, which in turn allowed us to share his knowledge and passion for the world of manhood stones with others - not just their physical challenge, but also their history and enchantment.

"Through my love of strength I was drawn to stone lifting," Steve Jeck said, "and through my love of stone lifting I was drawn to Peter Martin. Knowing Peter and being able to call him my friend is one of the great honors of my life. I know Peter was as humbled and grateful as I have been to see so many hearty souls seek out and lift some large rock - and point to Of Stones and Strength as the inspiration. It is stated in our book: �Because stones last, the stories of the men who lift them last as well.' To which I now offer a sincerest and heart-felt �Amen.' The best tribute to Peter is to tell someone to get Of Stones and Strength," so that they can experience firsthand the wonder and joy he felt for these great stones."


Of Stones and Strength by Steve Jeck and Peter Martin is a lasting monument to Peter Martin's bond with the magical world of the world's great manhood stones. IronMind photo.

IronMind production editor Elizabeth Hammond said, "We have been richly blessed knowing Peter. We'll greatly miss his correspondence and photos and MILO articles and will be forever thankful for his enlightening us about manhood stones, the Fianna, Ossian, and all their surrounding mystery and romance. He has touched the lives and awakened the spirits of so many through MILO and Of Stones and Strength and inspired not an insignificant number of journeys to Scotland."

Rest in peace.

How many times have you asked for World's Strongest Man videos?


Don Pope hammered out a podium finish at the 2006 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man contest . . . Pretty soon, you could have the chance to buy an official DVD of the contest. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Not quick and dirty bootleg jobs, but legitimate professional versions of the mother of all strongman contests . . . want to see everyone from Bruce Wilhelm to Bill Kazmaier to Jon Pall to Magnus Ver to Mariusz to Phil Pfister?

TWI has just told IronMind that, in fact, they will be exploring this possibility and an upcoming feature on the official World's Strongest Man website (http://www.theworldsstrongestman.com/) will ask just how much you - the hardcore World's Strongest Man fan - would like these and which years you would most prefer.

Watch the official World's Strongest Man website for this announcement and once it goes live, this column will also have an announcement.

The long awaited Jon Pall Sigmarsson DVD is coming to the USA . . . soon!


Here it is, the US version of the Jon Pall DVD. Courtesy of Hjalti Arnason.

Hjalti Arnason has given IronMind a copy of the USA version of the Jon Pall Sigmarsson DVD cover and said that, "We have finished the US version and now it is going to be printed in the USA." Arnason said that "7.000 copies [have been] sold in Iceland," and while Rocky did great in the movie, the box office results, at least in Iceland, give the decision to Jon Pall, because Hjalti reported, "The Jon Pall movie brought in 50% more guests than Rocky Balboa . . . ."

Noting Zydrundas Savickas's fifth consecutive victory in the Arnold strongman contest, IFSA founder Dr. Douglas Edmunds said, "The king's got to be Zydrunas Savickas."

More than even on the Arnold strongman contest, Edmunds was commenting on Savikas' stature among strongmen. "The Arnold is known as being a tough, heavy contest," Edmunds said. "Zydrunas is the man and people must accept that."

Edmunds was also quick to laud the performance of Andrus Murumets, a last-minute replacement for Benedikt Magnusson. Murumets, a former world record holder in the Rolling Thunder, is known in strongman circles for his ferocious grip, and his performance at the Arnold this past weekend validates Edmunds' feeling that Andrus Murumets has always been a bit of a darkhorse - his performance at the Arnold will mean that Murumets will have to be considered a top prospect for the podium in any heavy strongman contest.

Sparing no praise for the performance of Zydrunas Savickas, Edmunds called him "unbelievable" and in reviewing all the great strongmen he has had the privilege of knowing, Edmunds summed things up by saying of Savickas, "He's the strongest man of the generation."

Zydrunas Savickas was first at the Arnold, followed by Vasyl Virastyuk and then Andrus Murumets. Phil Pfister was fourth; Oleksander Pekanov and Mikhail Koklyaev (who was guarding a possible hamstring injury) were tied for fifth place. Brian Siders was seventh, Steve MacDonald eighth, Karl Gillingham ninth and Travis Ortmayer tenth.

Has the world become too virtual . . . are you in need of something substantial?

Read this month's installment of Steve Jeck's From The Quarry and return to terra firma:

From The Quarry

Rock solid!

t began in 1995, a reflection of John Brookfield's short-bending legacy: The IronMind Red Nail Roster.

Since then, interest in steel bending has grown tremendously and certification on the IronMind Red Nail remains the highly sought after distinction it's always been.

Performing in front of Wade Gillingham at the GNC Grip Gauntlet at the 2007 FitExpo, Adam Demnowicz, William McCaslin and Aaron Corcorran did their stuff and succeeded. Congratulations, guys - you're on the Red Nail Roster!

Television in Europe Executive Producer David Goldstrom presented his thoughts on weightlifting and television today at the IWF symposium in Rome.


Weightlifting is a naturally exciting sport and David Goldstrom sees large, as yet untapped, potential in terms of television coverage. Here, Nizami Pashaev (Azerbaijan) celebrates at the 2006 European Weightlifting Championships (Wadyslawowo, Poland). Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Goldstrom, who first became involved with televising international weightlifting when he covered the the 1995 World Championships, has been very successful in his programming of the European Weightlifting Championships, where he is ably assisted with expert commentary by former top lifter and now a fitness-book author, Dave "Be Your Best" Morgan.

Goldstrom stepped down from World Weightlifting Championships coverage in 2003, but he told IronMind today that after what he viewed as the "dismal" coverage in 2005 and 2006, he is in active discussions to return to the Worlds this year.

Goldstrom said turning things around for weightlifting coverage on television cannot be seen as a short-term project, but rather he is focussed on making significant progress in the next Olympic cycle, a challenge that Goldstrom is eager to accept.

Next up for Goldstrom is coverage of the European Weightlifting Championships in Strasbourg, France next month: "Since I am bringing in my own TV crew," Goldstrom said, "there's a bit of pressure on me to do a really good job."

Referring to the upcoming Arnold strongman contest as the "IFSA Open Championship," Dr. Douglas Edmunds, said the contest sets the stage for "non-IFSA strongmen to get their reputations destroyed."


Dr. Douglas Edmunds, shown relaxing in Reykjavik last year at the Jon Pall premiere, told IronMind today that he was joking as he portrayed the Arnold as a showcase for the supremacy of IFSA competitors. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Saying that he was joking, Dr. Edmunds expanded on his thinking, saying that the non-IFSA strongmen "would get publicly humiliated," which is why "there was no percentage in them showing up." Instead of squaring off with the top guys as he sees them, Dr. Edmunds said that the non-IFSA athletes focus on "a second-division competition with a big title," but the Arnold strongman contest, he said, "is a platform for the best guys" and that it would "vindicate IFSA's position as the premier [strongman] federation."