After months of buildup in the strongman world, Fortissimus 2008 came down to the final stone - with Derek Poundstone trailing Zydrunas Savickas by one-half point, the world’s strongest cop had only to load the 517-pound Louis Cyr stone to beat Savickas and claim the coveted title.

When Derek Poundstone loaded this final stone, he won Fortissimus 2008.  Now, the stone has been revealed to weigh more than the 517 lb. originally reported and Poundstone’s name will be added to the stone.  Randall J. Strossen photo; MILO cover courtesy of IronMind.

To most it was a long shot, but resembling a human forklift, Poundstone proved worthy of his name, loaded the stone and basked in the glory of having won the contest - and was crowned “the modern day successor to Louis Cyr” by the Fortissimus organizing committee.

“But the story does not end with that amazing lift,” Paul Ohl, the president of Fortissimus, reported to IronMind.

“By the 2008 tale of the tape, the Stone replica was reported at a weight of 517 lb. (235 kg).  That is until Saturday, May 30, 2009, when Marc Lauzon, the 2009 Fortissimus Supervisor, had all the implements of the coming competition weighed in, using two different electronic scales, with Nancy Labrecque, the Staff Manager, and two technicians on hand as witnesses.  With one astounding result: the Louis Cyr 1883 Stone was officially recorded at 530 lb. (241 kg), in excess of 13 lb. over last year's reported poundage.”
 
"A decision had to be made based on this information and that decision was unanimous: The Louis Cyr Stone will bear the name of Derek Poundstone next to the legendary strongman's own.  It will be engraved with its actual weight of 530 lb. (241 kg) and it will be part of an exhibit on strongman that will open soon.  The other option would have been to bring the weight down to 517 lb. (235 kg).
That would have been unfair to Poundstone's huge accomplishment.  It was ruled out, considering the principle of ethics and the respect and truth we owe to the world strength community and above all to the concerned athlete."
 
"I immediately investigated the matter,” said Ohl, “and found out that last year the man in charge of bringing five Natural Stones of Strength down to the exact required poundage did the job on four of them with the exception of the now famous Louis Cyr Stone.  Not knowing this at the time, we took the poundage for granted and reported it accordingly.  This will never happen again.  In fact, all the stones will be engraved after the elecronic weighing.  That said, we are  absolutely proud to report  that Derek Poundstone has earned an all-time strongman record."

While competing on the log lift in the German Championships yesterday, 105-kg strongman Patrik Babournian “set a new world record: He did 162.5 kg perfectly,” Heinz Ollesch reported to IronMind.

105-kg strongman competitor Patrik Babournian opened with this 155-kg in the log lift yesterday and on his second attempt, Babournian made a world record of 162.5 kg.  Photo courtesy of Heinz Ollesch.

“In his first attempt he took 155 kg; that was 10 kg above his German record.  Then, on the second attempt he did the 162.5 kg.  But this was not enough: he asked for 170 kg and cleaned it easily, and only the lockout was a little bit too heavy.”

“I am sure we will see a few more records in the near future,” Ollesch said.
 

“It took a while to find the trucking company that would sponsor Fortissimus' colors for a full month but it is now done,” Fortissimus president Paul Ohl told IronMind.

“Look at those guys!”  Gilmyr Express Van Canada/USA will be carrying an extra load.  Photo courtesy of Fortissimus 2009.

 
“Gilmyr Express Van Canada/USA will hit the highways with the faces of Zydrunas Savickas, Derek Poundstone and Canada's own Louis-Philippe Jean well in evidence,” Ohl said.  "This will look like a huge road trip for Fortissimus.”

“Ideally I would have liked to see three or four of these monsters going from the Atlantic to the Pacific with all 14 competitors featured on them, but we had to start with one and we made a comprehensive choice: the winner and runner-up of 2008 and the best Canadian,” said Ohl.  “In any event, the Fortissimus Rider will draw the attention wherever it will travel to."

Ace referee, fearsome master competitor and one funny emcee, Mr. Everything in armwrestling, Bill Collins has announced three armwrestling contests in California.

Californian Eric Woelfel (left) locks up with Brazil’s Marcio Barboza (Boomtown, NV 2004).  Randall J. Strossen photo.

On May 30, at the Bud Light/Patterson Apricot Fiesta, there will be a Pro/Am armwrestling championships in Patterson, California.  The Nevada Country Fair Armwrestling Championships will be held on August 8 (Grass Valley, California), and on September 5, it’s the Newman Fall Festival Armwrestling Championships (Newman, California).

The 2009 IronMind Rolling Thunder® World Championships are confirmed for Friday night, June 26, when they will set the stage for Fortissimus, the top-tier strongman contest.

It’s the all-time high water mark: In 2008 Mark Felix set this sensational 301-pound world record on the Rolling Thunder at the Mohegan Sun.  Will this number be challenged at the 2009 Rolling Thunder World Championships next month?  Randall J. Strossen photo.

“Since IronMind developed it in 1993, the Rolling Thunder has established itself as a worldwide standard of grip strength: it is one of the three elements that make up the world’s top grip event - the GNC Grip Gauntlet - and it has an unrivaled record as a jousting ground for the world’s strongest men to test their grip strength,” said IronMind founder and president Randall Strossen.  “The Rolling Thunder is rooted in the great tradition of thick-handled one-hand deadlifts and because of this lineage, IronMind is particularly pleased to partner with Fortissimus as the host for the 2009 Rolling Thunder® World Championships.”

“Amongst the great feats of strength, the one-hand deadlift has been a favorite for more than a century.  It made many a strongman famous, as we think of Donald Dinnie, Louis Cyr, Hermann Goerner, to name the few that reached fame with memorable lifts,” said Paul Ohl, president of Fortissimus 2009, the man who was pivotal in creating for Quebec a world-class strongman contest that was true to history, turning a dream into a reality.

“With the introduction of the Rolling Thunder, IronMind has linked with the roots of strongman and revived a very significant test of strength: the mighty grip,” continued Ohl.  “Fortissimus is happy to join IronMind and stage the IronMind Rolling Thunder World Championships.  It will be the prelude to 2009 Fortissimus Strongest Man on Earth, with the top of the class at hand to face the mighty challenge.”

"I was fortunate to witness Mark Felix's world record of 301 lb. last year at the Mohegan Sun,” said Ohl.  “I sincerely wish that the city of Montmagny will be the place where the record could be equalled or even surpassed."

IronMind is putting up US$500 for first place, US$300 for second place and US$200 for third place, all paid in cash, as well as a bonus IronMind gift certificate that will match in US dollars the poundage of the top lift that exceeds the 301-pound world record lift done by Mark Felix at the Mohegan Sun in 2008.  Lift 308 pounds, for example, and take home a US$308 IronMind gift certificate, along with the prize money.

More details will follow.

301 pounds - the best ever in the Rolling Thunder.  Break that record at the world championships and you will pocket an IronMind gift certificate equal in US$ to what you lifted in pounds.

Al Thompson and Footballstories, Inc. will be presenting the MHP Liberty Strongman Classic in a three-stage event in the Philadelphia area July 3 - 4.

“Come see some of the top strongmen in the world perform amazing feats of strength . . . from the ‘World’s Strongest Man’ TV show: Mark Philippi, Don Pope, Karl Gillingham, Glenn Ross, Kevin Nee and Josh Thigpen,” according to the official press release.  Also on the card are Steve MacDonald, Chad Coy, Walt Gogola, Gerard Benderoth, Sam McMahon and John Conner, with Callie Marunde as the MC.

Here’s the schedule:

July 3, after the game: U.S. Army Atlas Stones Challenge at the Daniel S. Frawley Stadium (Wilmington, Delaware)

July 4, 2 p.m.: ABF-U-Pack Truck Pull, U.S. Army Arm-Over-Arm Humvee Pull, Tire Flip - Sled Drag Medley at the Franklin Institute (Center City, Pennsylvania)

July 4, 8:30 p.m: Overhead Log Press (reps) and The Mighty Muffler Tire Deadlift (last man standing) at the The Deck (Essington, Pennsylvania)

Confirming an earlier report, the Arnold Sports Festival has announced that North American Strongman (NAS) “will join forces with The Arnold Sports Festival to present the 2010 Arnold Amateur Strongman.”

According to the press release, “The competition will feature a selection of up to 50 amateur strongman athletes from around the world.  Ten top amateur strongmen from the United States and Canada are expected to compete, including Texas’s Ryan Bracewell and Dan Harrison of California.”

Dr. Terry Todd was quoted as being “in full support of this new event” and saying, “We intend to invite the winner of the event to take part in the 2011 Arnold Strongman Classic.”

NAS president and CEO Dione Wessels said, “Athletes will qualify for the Arnold Amateur Strongman at July’s America’s Strongest Man contest in Bangor, Maine and October’s Amateur National Championships in Lafayette, Louisiana.  Additional spots will be determined in partnership with sanctioning bodies across the world.”

Martin “The Deadlift Kid” Wildauer, the latest big Austrian to make a splash in the strength world, pulled a world record on the Bavarian Stone.

Martin “The Deadlift Kid” Wildauer broke the world record in the Bavarian Stone Lift.  Is he headed toward the World’s Strongest Man contest?  Photo courtesy of Heinz Ollesch.

“In the Bavarian Stone Lift, you have to pull a weight of 254 kg up to one meter, and if you do so 25 kg will be added,” Juergen Scherer explained when he first reported Wildauer’s most recent success to IronMind. 

“So he pulled:

254 kg - 1 m
275 kg - 1 m
300 kg - 1 m
325 kg - 1 m
350 kg - 94 cm - New World Record,” Scherer continued.

Heinz Ollesch, himself the 1991 German Stone Lifting champion and the 12-time winner of Germany’s Strongest Man contest told IronMind that he is “training and coaching” Wildauer, so the Deadlift Kid’s youth and talent are backed up by the knowledge and experience of a seasoned professional.

“This guy is unbelievable.  I hope he will get a chance to compete in a qualifier for World’s Strongest Man,” Ollesch said.

Under the leadership of veteran professional strongman organizer Vlad Redkin, amateur strongman and Rolling Thunder® contests continue to grow in Latvia.

Roberts Kieperszo (Latvia) on the farmer’s walk in Jelgava, where he won the third stage of the Latvian Amateur Strongman Championships.  Photo courtesy of Vlad Redkin.

Last weekend, in Jelgava, the third stage of the Latvian Amateur Strongman Championships was held, with Roberts Kieperszo taking the top honors:

1.   Roberts Kieperszo – 45 points
2.   Lauris Gabrans – 39.5
3.   Agris Ozols – 36.5
4.   Māris Ostrovskis – 36
5.   Oskars Laksa – 32
6.   Sergejs Makarenko – 24
7.   Andris Lusis – 15
8.   Vismants Treisners – 13
9.   Kaspars Didzis – 12
10. Rolands Jerkunkovs – 9

“Our amateur [strongman]athletes continue to act and gain in strength . . . farmer’s walk already with 2 x110 kg!!” Redkin reported to IronMind.

Also this weekend, Daugavpils, Lativa was the site of a mixed strongman competition, featuring both amateur and elite competitors from Latvia and Belarus.

Here are the results:

Amateurs-
1.  Sergejs Vačinskijs (Baltkrievija)  42 points,
2.  Viktors Blohins (Rezekne)  29
3.  Aleksandrs Grigorjevs (Aizkraukle)  24
4.  Olegs Kočmarevs (Daugavpils)  22
5.  Edgars Ratnieks (Rezekne)  15
6.  Aleksandrs Nikitins (Rezekne)  9
7.  Jevgenijs Ostrovskis (Rezekne)  2

Elite-
1.  Rolands Gulbis (Rīga)  47 points
2.  Sergejs Rjumins (Baltkrievija)  40
3.  Aleksandrs Lapirevs (Baltkrievija)  38

Artis Plivda won the Open Latvian Rolling Thunder® Championships - Daugavipils stage.  Photo courtesy of Vlad Redkin.
 

There’s a story about how one morning the Bulgarian weightlifting team came to breakfast and found Naim Suleymanoglu asleep at the table, head by his plate, fork in hand - just where he’d passed out from fatigue while eating dinner the night before.

This month, Steve Jeck digs in his quarry for a little wisdom on fate: LIfting heavy, training hard - is it your destiny?  Logo courtesy of IronMind.

True or not, this is quite an image of commitment and the inevitability of one’s fate: speaking of his star pupil’s success, Suleymanoglu’s original weightlifting coach - Enver Turkileri -  once told IronMind’s Randall Strossen, “Naim came into this world to do this.  He had this destiny.”

How about you?  Are your knees weak?  Are you ready to throw in the towel before you even start? 

To consider what Steve Jeck says about following your path, follow the menu from the Training Articles button at the top of the IronMind homepage to Steve Jeck’s “From the Quarry” or click here.

With big performances from some of the top name in professional strongman, England’s Strongest Man contest had plenty of action.

Terry Hollands, who won the 2009 England’s Strongest Man contest, on the 320-kg Whiskey Barrel Carry.  Photo courtesy of Dayo Audi.

Colin Bryce filed this report with IronMind.

2009 England’s Strongest Man
by Colin Bryce

The show was England's Strongest Man at the Doncaster Dome. Over 1200 people turned up to watch the contest, which came down to the wire on the last event, the stones. Hollands came first, Mark Felix second, Darren Sadler third, and Mark Westaby fourth overall, with Rob Frampton of Portsmouth rounding out the top five. Hollands remarked that it was his consistency that proved to be crucial in the end. His weakest lift, shoulders, wasn’t a problem as he nailed a 160-kg wooden log.  Add that to his 8 reps with 320 kg in the deadlift and phenomenal stone lifting performance and he was just too good for the others on the day.

Darren Sadler, who has been out of competition for almost a year, was a big surprise. Leading until the last event, he looked in great shape if a little competition rusty. Also fans of the "Deadlift King" Mark Felix will be pleased to hear he mashed the deadlift with an easy 10 reps at 320 kg and did almost twice the time of anyone else in the car deadlift hold. The world champion in the Rolling Thunder is the man to beat in any form of grip strength.

“Watch out again for England’s Strongest Man 2010 at the Doncaster Dome, with a projected date of February,” said contest organiser Dayo Audi.

Sean Betz held on for the win at the Costa Mesa Highland Games, where some big throws fired up the fans.  Francis Brebner filed this report with IronMind:
 

2009 Costa Mesa Highland Games - Day Two
by Francis Brebner

The second day of heavy events competition at Costa Mesa saw some huge throws by the professional athletes, which thrilled the crowds.
 
In the 16-lb. open stone, Rusty Price stole the show with a winning distance of 54’ 8”; in second place was Mike Pockoski with 53’ 10” and in third was Ryan Vierra with 52’ 6”.  With extra attempts, Rusty upped his distance to 56’ 6”.
 
On the 28-lb. weight for distance, Sean Betz was in a league of his own, blasting out a winning throw of 83’ 5”; with extra attempts he increased this distance to 88’ 5”.  In second was place was Larry Brock at 82’ 10”, and in third was Vierra at 81’ 6”.
 
Going in to the final scoring event of the day, the 20-lb. sheaf toss, it was the mighty Dave Brown who satisfied the height-hungry crowd with a winning height of 30’; second and third equal were Sean Betz and Andrew Hobson at 28’.
 
In the California State Challenge Caber Championships, with an 18’-11”, 115-lb. caber, Mike Pockoski was the star with three 12 o’clock tosses.  In second place was Brock and in third, Dave Brown.
 
The overall points were as follows:

1.  Sean Betz  23.5
2.  Mike Pockoski  32.5
3.  Dan McKim  35
4.  Ryan Vierra  35
5.  Larry Brock  42
6.  Dave Brown  45
7.  Rusty Price  51.5
8.  Andrew Hobson  59.5
 
In the woman’s division, Mindy Pockoski had a clean sweep in all events and came very close to establishing two new world records in the weight-over-the-bar and the light weight for distance.

In the master’s category, Vern Alexander set a new world record in the 42-lb. weight for distance with a throw of 35’ 5”, beating the old record set by himself last year by 4”.

The Viking Power Challenge, set for June 6, is part of the Giants Live tour, meaning that it’s also an official qualifier for the World’s Strongest Man contest.

The Viking Power Challenge - it’s a World’s Strongest Man qualifier.  Artwork courtesy of Svend   Karlsen/Viking Power Productions.

With so much on the line, getting an invitation to the 2009 Viking Power Challenge was one of the hottest tickets in strongman.  Here’s the starting field:

Jarek Dymek
Derek Poundstone
Travis Ortmayer
Misha Koklyaev
Kevin Nee
Slawomir Toczek
Johannes Orsjo
Stefan Solvi Petursson
Jimmy Marku
Richard Skog
Lars Rorbakken
Andre Solvang

Events are:

Yoke race
Log lift (last man standing),
Deadlift
Fingal’s Fingers
Atlas Stones
Loading (in a wheelbarow)
 
“After the best Norway’s Strongest Man contest in history, we are really looking forward to the VPC,” Svend Karlsen told IronMind, and with three World’s Strongest Man invitations on the line, a lot is riding on the outcome of this competition, which is also the second stop on the 2009 Giants Live tour.

Making another piece of strongman history, FORTISSIMUS has won the 2009 Pleiades Award of Excellence, the first time Canada has so honored strongman.

(left to right) Jean-Pierre Bernier (sponsor from Ultramar), Marcel Catellier (chairman of the FORTISSIMUS board of director) and Paul Ohl (president of FORTISSIMUS 2009) accept the Pleiades award.  Image courtesy of the Board of Trade of Lévis.

Following is the official statement released by FORTISSIMUS:

“Selected in March as a finalist amongst a strong field of valued cultural and sport-promoting organisms such as the Québec International Marathon, the Lévis Symphonic Orchestra and the Lévis International Jazz Festival, FORTISSIMUS got top honors at the annual prize-awarding gala sponsored by the Board of Trade of Lévis.”
 
“With more than 800 in attendance from political, business, cultural and social horizons, FORTISSIMUS won the 2009 PLEIADES AWARD OF EXCELLENCE, rewarding the creative and promotion efforts of the group that brought Fortissimus international recognition.”
 
"’This award belongs to the volunteers who gave birth to FORTISSIMUS in 2008, said Marcel  Catellier, Chairman of the Board of Directors.  Our task is now to make it worthy of the reputation it has earned since.’"
 
"’We owe much of this highly-valued reward to the world-class strength athletes who stood by us in 2008, to IronMind who supported our concept from the beginning and to Mayor Carl Dubé's dream,’ commented Paul Ohl, president of FORTISSIMUS.
‘Back in November 2007, Derek Poundstone's given word became for us the key to building up the first edition.  And when Zydrunas Savickas accepted the challenge, we knew that we had something of a kind going for us.  I want them to know that they have earned a part of this award,’ added Paul Ohl.”
 
“It is the first time ever that a corporation promoting the sport of Strongman wins such a prize in Canada.”

The 2009 Costa Mesa Highland Games opened yesterday and Francis Brebner filed this report with IronMind.

2009 Costa Mesa Highland Games: Day 1

by Francis Brebner

More than 20,000 spectators at the 77th Annual Costa Mesa Highland Games were treated to some fine weather Saturday and with that came some fine throwing from all athletic categories. 

Here are the results after day one in the professional division. 

In the 22 Braemar standing stone putt, Rusty Price claimed the first event with a personal best of 41’ 11”; right behind him was Dan McKim, with a throw of 41’ 9-3/4”, and Sean Betz was in third with 39’ 8”.
 
In the 56-lb. weight for distance, Sean Betz snatched the win from Ryan Vierra on his last attempt with a distance of 43” 9-1/2”, with Vierra landing in second place at 43’ 7-1/2” and Larry Brock in third at 42’ 9”.
 


The 16-lb. hammer was dominated by Mike Pockoski with an awesome distance of 138’ 1”; Betz came in second with 134’ 11”, and Dan McKim took third with 130’ 6”.
 


Moving to the 22-lb. hammer, the outcome was in the same order as the 16, with Mike Pockoski showing great form with a winning distance of 114’ 3”.  Betz once again had to settle for second place at 113’ 11” and McKim followed in third at 111’ 3-1/2.”
 


In the weight-over-the-bar, Dave Brown was the worthy winner with a winning height of 17’ 6”, with Sean Betz and Dan McKim both clearing 17’ and Betz taking the win on countback with fewer attempts.  However, I must add that McKim and Andrew Hobson were very impressive throughout this event using the traditional standing style as opposed to the spin technique that most were using and that gives them a huge advantage over the others.
 


In the last event of day one, the caber toss, Dan McKim thrilled the crowds with three 12 o’clock tosses; in second was Larry Brock and in third, Mike Pockoski.
  


Points after day one are as follows:

Sean Betz           16


Dan McKim         19


Mike Pockoski     19.5


Ryan Vierra         25


Larry Brock         26.5


Dave Brown        32


Rusty Price         36


Andrew Hobson  42
 

Sac High (Sacramento) is one of the reasons a tidal wave of weightlifting is rolling over Northern California, and yesterday’s Werksan Springfest was another step forward for a program that thinks big. 

Keylin Mackey stuck this 152-kg clean and jerk as part of his perfect performance as an extra lifter at yesterday’s Werksan Springfest hosted by Sac High.  Randall J. Strossen photo.

Thailand Triumphs take Backseat to Werksan Fireworks...For a Day

By Paul Doherty
Hassle Free Barbell Club
 
In a week that has seen some impressive lifting from America's best youth weightlifters in Thailand, the local level of competition has not dropped a beat.  Playing respectfully in their first internationals as now-legitimate weightlifters, Hassle Free's Sae Vang, Jenny Lam and Krislyn Li all shattered their personal bests at the first ever World Youth Championships held this week in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
 
While short six of its best local lifters, Hassle Free Barbell Club still managed to light the fire at yesterday's Werksan Springfest.  Sac High played host to a full men’s and women's team from East Coast Gold's Moorestown High School, as well as Lincoln High School of San Francisco and Florin High School of Sacramento.  With very tight competition in many weight classes, the Sac High half of Hassle Free managed to win the overall men and women's team titles over the competition.  The prize for the sweep?  Fully loaded Werksan competition sets for each team that will proudly be added to the ever expanding weightroom.
 
Of special note for the women was standout Sac High senior Sydney Munsey, who broke the PWA Junior records in the snatch and total in a six-for-six performance that boasted lifts of 73 kg  in the snatch and 94 kg in the clean and jerk, for a 167-kg final tally.
 
To give you an idea how deep the men's roster is at Sac HIgh, look no further than 77-kg lifter Kyle Saelee.  As if on cue, Kyle hit PWA records in the Jerk and total with lifts of 102 kg in the snatch and 132 kg in the clean and jerk for a 234-kg total.  This outdistanced the top USA total in Thailand this week.  If not for an unfortunate wrist injury, Kyle would have been in his second international competition since picking up a barbell just two short years ago.
 
Kyle's counterpart in the 85-kilo class, Clinton Johnson, was most impressive in the snatch hitting three perfect lifts and finishing with 112 kg.  Clinton capped off his day with a 130-kg clean and jerk and close miss at 140 kg before taking home the gold in the 85s.
 
Also, lifting as an extra lifter, London-hopeful Keylin Mackey also knocked off six perfect lifts for a much improved total of 277 kg with 125 kg in the snatch and 152 kg in the clean and jerk.  This 277-kg total would have put Keylin on the U.S.A. Junior World team if only done a few short weeks ago.

It was a close, excellent battle, Odd Haugen told IronMind, and in the end, Richard Skog prevailed, winning Norway's Strongest Man contest today.

With three events remaining, the field was cut to the top six competitors and at that point, Arild Haugen was in fourth place, Richard Skog was in second place. Richard Skog won the Fingal's Fingers and then Arild Haugen came back and won the Atlas Stones, which included a 200-kg final stone. Now, Arild Haugen was within one point of Richard Skog, and he set the fastest time on the final event (loading) . . . until Richard Skog, as the last competitor, beat it by one second and claimed the title of 2009 Norway's Strongest Man.

By virtue of his victory, Richard Skog is guaranteed an invitation to this year's World's Strongest Man contest.

“In this month’s Grip Tip you will learn a simple way to develop explosive power and hand–eye coordination at the same time,” says John Brookfield, the man who wrote the book on grip training.


This month, John Brookfield’s Grip Tip gives you an engaging challenge that will “develop explosive power and hand-eye coordination at the same time.”


“This simple training method will greatly help you develop athletic strength which will transfer quickly to any athletic endeavor.” 

Sound good to you? Then follow the link to John Brookfield’s Grip Tip from the Training Articles button at the top of the IronMind homepage or click here.

“Derek Boyer, winner of the 2009 Australia Strongest Man contest, has joined the starting field of the 2009 Fortissimus Strongest Man on Earth,” Paul Ohl reported to IronMind today.


Derek Boyer has been added to the field at Fortissimus. Photo courtesy of Bill Lyndon/FASC.


Using a prepared statement, Fortissimus made the following announcement:

“Veteran of a number of WSM contests and new WR holder of the 160-kg Farmer's Walk on a 50 m course, Derek Boyer, the Fiji Islands native widely known as the ‘Island Warrior,’ has been confirmed as the ‘14th warrior’ by Fortissmus World Strength, Aussie Power, and the Federation of Australia Strength Competitors ( FASC).”

"’Back in May 2008, we had an agreement with Australia's strength sports officials. We had agreed that the Fortissimus all-inclusive concept would recognize the best strongman of Australia/Asia. It took a year to make it happen and we are happy that all parties cooperated fully,’ explained Paul Ohl, president of Fortissimus World Strength. "Derek Boyer is more than a strongman of international caliber, he is the living symbol of a rich culture originated in the Pacific Islands and a worthy spokesman of the values of the sport of strongman," added Paul Ohl, as he made reference to the battle Derek Boyer sustained against diabetes.”

“Aussie Power and the FASC released the following statement under the signature of their president, Bill Lyndon:

‘Aussie Power and FASC are proud to announce that Derek Boyer was selected to compete at this year's Fortissimus, as a direct result of Derek winning the Australia's Strongest Man this month in Lismore, NSW. Derek is in the best shape of his life. He said: “It is a great honour to be selected for such a prestigious event and I will do  Australia and Asia Pacific proud showing that they build them strong Down Under.” As a veteran strongman athlete Derek looks forward to competing against the new breed of strongman and has no disillusions [sic] about how tough the challenge will be and looks forward to the battle.’"

It was an international Highland Games battle, pitting Team Canada against Team USA, and Victoria Highland Association Athletic Director Carl Jensen filed this report with IronMind. 


Highland Games Heavy Events with an international, team format. Emily Armstrong Design.

Strongman organizer Vlad Redkin has brought Rolling Thunder® contests to Latvia, and on May 16 he began a series of competitions, with strongman Rolands Gulbis taking the victory in the opening event.


Vlad Redkin (left) presents a prize to Rolands Gulbis (right), who won the Open Latvian Rolling Thunder® Championships last weekend in Liepaja, Latvia. Photo courtesy of Vlad Redkin.


Here are the results: 

1. Rolands Gulbis(Latvia) 103 kg
2. Rolands Fersters (Latvia) 93 kg
3. Nerius Liobikas (Lithuania) 83 kg
4. Antabas Abrutis (Lithuania) 73 kg (tie)
4. Vilius Petrauskas (Lithuania) 73 kg (tie)
4. Ingus Feldmanis (Latvia) - 73 kg (tie)

This contest was sponsored by BioTech USA, FITHOPLY and IronMind®, and is the first in a series organized by Vlad Redkins.

How’s this for an adrenaline-fueling situation: Shortly before the Giants Live - Mohegan Sun strongman contest started, John Retkowski stepped onto the edge of the arena floor so that he could lock up with the IronMind® Red Nail™.


Who knows whether he needed the added excitement of being at a top drawer strongman contest in a world class facility, but John Retkowski made short work of the IronMind® Red Nail™ at the Giants Live - Mohegan Sun strongman competition on Sunday. Randall J. Strossen photo.


John won the battle and has been certified: Congratulations, John, your name has been added to the Red Nail™ Roster!

Andrus Murumets had come into the second day of competition at the Strongman Champions League competition in Ideapark, Finland 2-1/2 points behind Martin Wildauer, but by continuing to produce consistently-strong performances, he took the victory.


Andrus Murumets (center) won the Strongman Champions League contest in Ideapark - holding off top challengers Martin Wildauer (left), who finished third, and Vidas Blekaitis (right), who finished second. Photo courtesy of Ilkka Kinnunen.


The Log Lift for maximum weight kicked off the second day and although Vidas Blekaitis wasn’t able to make a new personal best of 205 kg, he still won with his 180-kg lift. Agris Kazelniks and Andrus Murumets were tied for second at 175 kg.

Next up was the Crane Pull with a harness and a rope; the crane weighed 22 tons and the 15-meter course was said to be slightly uphill. Once again, Vidas Blekaitis won (34.13 seconds); Andrus Murumets was second (35.01 seconds) and Jani Kolehmainen was third (35.97 seconds).

Sack Loading was the final event, with the five 100-kg sacks being carried 8 meters. Martin Wildauer won (37.25 seconds), followed by Andrus Murumets (38.55 seconds) and Janne Hartikainen (38.88 seconds). 

Final results:

1. Andrus Murumets 51.5 points
2. Vidas Blekaitis 50.5
3. Martin Wildauer 44
4. Jani Kolehmainen 38.5
5. Agris Kazelniks  35.5
6. Janne Hartikainen 33.5
7. Ville Vihola 25.5
8. Matt Wanat
9. Jarno Hams 15 (injured)
10. Simon Sulaimon 14.5

Coming into the debut of the Giants Live tour, Derek Poundstone told IronMind that he thought he could win every event at the Mohegan Sun - in the end, only Travis Ortmayer stopped that prediction from coming true.


Using a reverse grip to continental the unwieldy weight, Poundstone then pressed this 414 pounds for a new world record on the IronMind® Apollon’s Axle. Presenter Colin Bryce called it the highlight of the contest and said that he wished there had been a decibel meter to measure the crowd’s response as they roared for Poundstone as he made this lift. Randall J. Strossen photo.


Poundstone is developing a history of making bold predictions about his performances at the Mohegan Sun and then backing them up. Last year, he said that he was the man to beat Mariusz Pudzianowski, and that’s just what he did. This year, coming in heavier, stronger and in better condition, Poundstone was something of a runaway train - rolling through the events and looking like nothing in his path could slow him down.

In the end, though, on the last stone on the last event, it was Travis Ortmayer who did not one, but two things that nobody else had done: Ortmayer loaded all five Atlas stones and he beat Poundstone on an event, leaving him with a five-for-six day.

Here are the top eight and their final points:

1. Derek Poundstone 59 points
2. Travis Ortmayer 51.5
3. Brian Shaw 39
4. Louis-Philippe Jean 39
5. Johannes Arsjo 32
6. Mikhail Koklyaev 28
7. Mark Felix 25.5
8. Terry Hollands 22.5

Poundstone, Ortmayer and Shaw qualified for the 2009 World’s Strongest Man contest by virtue of their top three finishing positions.

In 1993, Big Ben Plucknett hit a whopping 18’ 3” in the 56-pound weight for height - a record that stood until yesterday, when Mike Zolkiewicz broke it.

Throwing at the Fair Hill, Maryland Highland Games, Zolkiewicz hit 18’ 4” in the standing weight for height - talk about punching a hole in the sky!

Many thanks to Steve Pulcinella and David Barron for making sure that we knew about this huge throw.

Steve Schmidt didn’t just close the No. 3 Captains of Crush® gripper with complete domination last night at the Mohegan Sun - he did it three times.


Steve Schmidt nailed the No. 3 Captains of Crush® gripper last night at the Mohegan Sun. Randall J. Strossen photo.


Yesterday morning, Steve Schmidt mentioned to Randall Strossen that he had just closed a No. 3 Captains of Crush gripper and was interested in possibly trying an official attempt for certification - which then took place right after the Rolling Thunder® competition last night.

Kidding Steve before his attempt, Strossen said, “You have the easy part - you just have to close the gripper . . . I have to get the picture.” It turned out to be no joke because Steve Schmidt walked through the gripper with complete command, while Strossen only managed to get a crummy, out of focus picture. Strossen asked Schmidt if he were willing to try it again, just for the photo, and they moved to the side where the light looked a little better.

Schmidt did the same thing again with the gripper - destroyed it - and Strossen did the same thing again with the photo - fumbled it. So, once again they moved and once again Schmidt slammed the No. 3 shut - with two warmups under his belt, this time Strossen managed to get a sharp photo documenting Steve Schmidt’s third successful close in a matter of a minutes.

Many thanks for your patience, Steve and welcome to the club: you have just been certified on the Captains of Crush® No. 3 Gripper. Congratulations!

Mark Felix made short work of it, easily winning the Mohegan Sun Rolling Thunder™ Championships II with a nonchalant lift of 120 kg.


Mark Felix attacks 305 pounds on the Rolling Thunder™. Randall J. Strossen photo.


After Terry Hollands missed the same 120 kg, it was all Mark Felix. Although he had barely stepped off the plane from his transatlantic flight and still hadn't had a chance to eat, Mark Felix was unfazed and he took a huge jump to 305 pounds in an attempt to surpass the 301-pound world record he had set here last year. Felix cracked it off the ground, but could not complete the lift - yet the way he attacked the weight showed that he has no fear of the huge number and it seems likely that it is within his grasp.)

"There were some great performances in the first day," at the Strongman Champions League - Ideapark competition in Finland, Illka Kinnunen reported to IronMind.


Andrus Murumets was the only competitor at the Strongman Champions League competition in Ideapark who could complete the arm-over-arm truck pull within the time limit. Photo courtesy of Ilkka Kinnunen.


Leading things off, Andrus Murumets won the farmer's walk (150 kg/50 m) with a time of 28.79 seconds, followed by Martin Wildaurer (29.59 seconds) and Vidas Blekaitis (34.59 seconds).

Next up was a heavy arm-over-arm truck pull (17-ton truck, 15 m). Adding to the difficulty, the course was uphill, Kinnunen said, and the event proved so challenging that only Andrus Murumets managed to pull the truck the entire distance within the time limit. Andrus Murumets won the event with a time of 27.22 seconds; Martin Wildauer was second (13.15 m), and Jani Kolehmainen was third (13.02 m).

The third event was a 350-kg deadlift for reps, with Martin Wildauer and Vidas Blekaitis hitting an amazing 10 reps, followed by Agris Kazelniks, who made 9 reps.

Here are the top five, overall, after the first day:

1. Martin Wildauer, 27.5 points
2. Andrus Murumets, 25 points
3. Vidas Blekaitis, 23.5 points
4. Jani Koklehmainen, 20 points
5. Janne Hartikainen, 18 points

The competition starts again at noon tomorrow, with the Log lift for reps, Crane pull with a harness and rope, and sack loading.)

It's the scene of last year's huge 301-pound world record by Mark Felix: at 7:30 p.m. tonight the Rolling Thunder™ returns to the Mohegan Sun as some of the world's strongest hands will lock up with this popular test of grip strength.

The Mohegan Sun Rolling Thunder™ Championships II will be held in the Spring Gateway, by the Casino of the Earth sign inside the Mohegan Sun, and admission is free.

This is also a chance to meet and greet the competitors in tomorrow's Giants Live strongman competition and official Giants Live T-shirts will be for sale; so here's an excellent opportunity to walk away with your favorite strongman's autograph on the event shirt, as well see some top performances on the Rolling Thunder™.)

It had never been done before: Derek Poundstone pulled two full size motor coaches yesterday at the Mohegan Sun, setting a new world record for his efforts.


Two full size buses weren't a match for Derek Poundstone's muscles yesterday afternoon at the Mohegan Sun. Matt Holliday photo.


As challenging as it was to pull the 56,000-pound payload 100 feet in 44.6 seconds, Poundstone is ready for more, telling IronMind, "It wasn't a walk in the park, but I never doubted I could do it. Next year I'll have to try three buses!"

Poundstone's big pull was verified by the Mohegan Department of Athletic Regulation, and it was well received by the spectators who had gathered to cheer on the local hero who also happens to be one of the favorites for tomorrow's Giants Live strongman competition at the Mohegan Sun. ESPN Sports Center, Fox, Channel 3 and a number of local media representatives covered the event, giving it wide exposure.



Surrounded by media crews, Derek Poundstone describes his world record bus pull for ESPN, Fox, and Channel 3, as well as local media. Matt Holliday photo.)

Well-known strongman organizer Vlad Redkin has announced the Open Latvian Rolling Thunder™ Championships, with the first stage set for May 16 in Liepaja, Latvia.


Vlad Redkin (left) told IronMind that he expects Rolands Gulbis to produce a strong performance this weekend, in the first stage of the Open Latvian Rolling Thunder™ Championships. Photo courtesy of Vlad Redkin.


"With support from Bio Tech USA - FITHOPLY and IronMind, the Latvian and Lithuanian athletes can compete for a rank of the strongest grip and try to beat Mark Felix's record in this discipline," said Vlad.

Here is the starting field for the first stage of the Open Latvian Rolling Thunder™ Championships:

Rolands Gulbis (Latvia)
Rolands Fersters (Latvia)
Ingus Feldmanis (Latvia)
Antabas Abrutis (Lithuania)
Vilius Petrauskas (Lithuania)
Nerius Liobikas (Lithuania)

"I think Rolands Gulbis can show good results - he was second after Janne Virtanen and beat Mariusz [Pudzianowski] in the car hold in the World Cup in Moscow," Vlad added.)

American Strongman Corporation (ASC) is hosting a big weekend in Battle Creek, Michigan: Friday evening is the ASC-IronMind® Grip Challenge and Saturday is the big ASC strongman event that is the last qualifier for the America's Strongest Man™ contest.


ASC Live and more - coming to Battle Creek, Michigan this weekend. Logo courtesy of Dione Wessels/ASC.


On Friday night, Dione Wessels told IronMind that she and her crew will be hitting "some of the local bars to do demos and have ticket giveaways. We are having the Rolling Thunder™ contest at a bar called Lakeview Lounge on Friday, as well. We will have Captains of Crush® grippers set up during the entire time of the show (7 - 10 p.m.) for anyone to give them a try." Incidentally, the Lakeview Lounge will also be the site of the strongman contest's after party, so here's your chance to warm up.

On Saturday, it's "the last ASC qualifier for the America's Strongest Man™ contest, which will be held in Morgantown, West Virginia on July 25 - 26," Wessels said.

"Tickets for the American Strongman 'Live' competition are on sale at the Kellogg Arena Box Office, Ticketmaster locations and Ticketmaster.com. Athletes that compete will qualify for America's Strongest Man™, where the top ten will qualify for the first ever MHP Olympia Strongman event," explained Wessels.

For more details on ASC and its full event schedule, please visit the official ASC website.)

The beginning point for all of this is Louis Uni's Apollon Railway Car Wheels, usually referred to as Apollon's Wheels, a challenge lift from the past, and with so much discussion about who has the record on modern-day descendants of this feat of strength, it's time to set the record straight.


The authentic Apollon Wheels. Randall J. Strossen photo.


In fact, Paul Ohl took on this challenge, with the following statement, which he sent to IronMind to help foster further comment:

At IronMind, we agree with much, but not all, of what Paul Ohl has written - and this is a situation when the details, we think, make all the difference.

Typically, whether they give him credit or not, people addressing the subject call on what David P. Willoughby wrote about Apollon's Wheels in his classic book The Super Athletes, and Paul Ohl's statement follows in this tradition.

I never gave some of the details much thought until Craig Holle and his brothers pointed out that based on their calculations, the standard measurements everyone repeats for these most famous wheels did not compute. I was so intrigued by the Holles's analysis that Elizabeth Hammond and I arranged to see the actual object in question, the original Apollon's Wheels, in the flesh, with the objective of seeing who was right: the Holle brothers with their calculations or the oft-repeated numbers about 26-inch wheels, for example. And as one of the very few people in the world who has seen, touched and measured the actual Apollon's Wheels, I can attest that not all of the most commonly repeated dimensions are accurate . . . the Holles were right.

Incidentally, on numerous occasions, the Apollon's Wheels used at the Arnold are described with such phrases as "an exact replica," and then direct comparisons are made between the performance of that strongman contest's competitors and the historic performances on the actual set of wheels. Of course, even the most cursory comparison of what is used at the Arnold and the now-often-scanned photo of John Davis with the real deal overhead will show that they are about as similar in size and appearance as my upper arm and Bill Kazmaier's. Presumably, these comments about being "an exact replica" reflect Terry Todd in his role as the promoter, not Terry Todd as the student of iron game history, and these misstatements aside, I would find it hard to imagine Dr. Todd not being the first to agree that one is not a cookie cutter of the other.

Without getting sidetracked about whether or not Uni himself lifted them, let's focus on the key features that make the Apollon Wheels so hard to hoist: 1) the nearly 2-inch diameter of the bar 2) its smooth surface and 3) the fact that the weights (wheels) did not revolve.

It should also be noted that among both lifters and authorities in the field, the oversize diameter of the bar has frequently been cited as the biggest challenge for most people. That this is the case is reinforced by the fact that cleaning the weight has generally been regarded as much harder than jerking it. Notably, even though weighing under 180 pounds, Tommy Kono jerked the actual Apollon Wheels when they were placed on his shoulders (done because Tommy said he knew he couldn't clean the Apollon Wheels, but he thought he could jerk them).

After the Apollon Wheels were dropped and the bar bent, that added another level of complexity, but the real point is that to originally qualify as making the lift, the Apollon Wheels had to be cleaned and then jerked. Cleaned - as opposed to shouldered in the continental style - is the critical element here, and since there was no rule against using a switch grip, Davis's grip was nothing more than a thinking man's way to make up for having small hands. It should also be understood that many modern-day cleans would not pass muster in the days when the actual Apollon Wheels were being attempted . . . the bar touching the body on its way up to the shoulders was cause for disqualification back then.

Incidentally, although Charles Rigoulot was an Olympic champion and a world record holder, he was never a world champion in weightlifting - at least not as far as either the International Weightlifting Federation or I know. This is not central to this story, but it's another example of how what has been presented as fact is not.

In 1994, IronMind developed a straightforward way to recreate the basic challenge posed by the Apollon Wheels, while also providing all the benefits of thick bar training. IronMind specifically chose the name Apollon's Axle™ because while we certainly understood we were not replicating the Apollon Wheels, we just as certainly understood our historic link to that piece of equipment as we consciously replicated the most vital of the features that made the Apollon's Wheels such a challenge to lift.

And in the earliest days of people copying the name IronMind had coined, we defended the mark quite vigorously, but as time went on and as this piece of equipment proved its popularity from Latvia to Los Angeles, IronMind chose to sit back and enjoy the fact that what had begun as a proprietary (even if descriptive) product name had gained such a widespread following that it had become a generic: Kleenex, here we come.

For years, IronMind advertised with certainty that our Apollon's Axle™ was used in more strongman contests than all others combined, and while we no longer track this statistic, the fact remains that this bar - by any name - captures the essential qualities of what is an historic challenge of enduring interest.

Earlier, we had explained that the IFSA bar, introduced in 2007, is 1-3/8 inches in diameter and it is knurled. So, coming full circle on this, we find it more than curious that an apparatus (IFSA's) with such divergence from the original challenge object (Apollon's Wheels), and with such a faint track record, is put forth as the standard on this challenge. This seems inconsistent with Fortissimus's stated philosophy of being both familiar with and respectful of strongman history.

In the end, this is really very simple and straightforward: there is only one original set of Apollon's Wheels and while the set of wheels used at the Arnold differs in very significant ways from the original, the IFSA set has even less in common with the genuine article, and its already low comparative value is further eroded by its nearly non-existent history of use.

On the other hand, the Apollon's Axle™ - created by IronMind many years before either of these other pieces of apparatus saw the light of day - faithfully presents the smooth bar of such mighty dimensions that help make lifting the actual Apollon Wheels such a challenge. Lock on some weight and you're good to go, which is exactly why it fully merits the name it was christened with, Apollon's Axle™. And beyond the irrefutable fact that world records done on this bar are the world records for this lift, we also feel that they are very worthy descendants of the lift performed on the actual Apollon Wheels.

This Friday (May 15), Derek Poundstone will attempt to pull "two full-size coach buses at the same time," in what is billed as a world record attempt by the Naugatuck police officer who doubles as one of the world's top professional strongman.


Coming up for air after crossing the finish line at the 2008 World's Strongest Man contest, where Derek Poundstone pulled a Hercules C-130 military transport plane. On Friday, at the Mohegan Sun, the world's strongest cop is going to hook up to two full-sized motor coaches and give them a free ride. Randall J. Strossen photo.


Poundstone's massive pull will be the beginning of a full weekend of top strongman action at the Mohegan Sun, leading up to Sunday's Giants Live competition.Hailing from nearby Waterbury, Connecticut, Derek Poundstone lived up to his predictions when he beat then four-time World's Strongest Man winner Mariusz Pudzianowski for the Mohegan Sun crown, and this year he's back, stronger than ever, although once again he faces some top challengers from across the USA and around the world.

Be there on Friday and watch Poundstone go for broke at 3:00 p.m. in the Mohegan Sun's M parking lot (by the Thames Garage). Admission to this event and tickets are still available for Sunday's Giants Live competition. )

Picking up where he left off at this year's opener, Ingus Feldmanis won the second stage in the 2009 Latvian Strongman Amateur Federation (LSAF).


Two starts, two wins: Ingus Feldmanis is off to a perfect start in the 2009 LSAF series. Photo courtesy of Vlad Redkin.


Here are the events:

1. Farmer's walk (2 x 100 kg, 50 m)
2. Viking press (85 kg)
3. Conan's wheel (270 kg)
4. Super yoke (280 kg, 25 m)
5. Hercules hold (2 cars)
6. Tire flip (350 kg x 6)
 

Here are the final results:

1. Ingus Feldmanis (Kuldiga)   61 points
2. Agris Ozols (Cesis)   50
3. Roberts Kieperszo (Talsi)  48
4. Janis Berzins (Kuldiga)  41
5. Oskars Laksa (Talsi)  35
6. Maris Ostrovskis (Liepaja)  33
7. Ojars Zeltins (Valmiera)  31.5
8. Lauris Gabrāns ( Dobele)  26
9. Maris Korics (Gulbene)  24.5
10. Arturs Zeltins (Cesis)  22
11. Sergejs Makarenko (Riga)  21

After the first two stages, Ingus Feldmanis leads with 24 points, and Agris Ozols and Roberts Kieperszo are tied for second place with 21 points.)

Strongman Champions League (SCL) cofounder Marcel Mostert, freshly back from the SCL competition in Serbia, filed this report on Ervin Katona's torn biceps, and how strongman competitors should modify their training to avoid becoming the next casualty.


Ervin Katona, shown competing in Serbia last weekend, was the latest strongman to tear his biceps. SCL cofounder Marcel Mostert discusses the injury and how strongmen might avoid it. Photo courtesy of Marcel Mostert.
 

Ervin Katona gets operated on today in Hungary, as his left biceps was totally torn off during the Atlas Stones of the SCL competition in Serbia. The event, a 210-kg Atlas Stone for reps, was too much for his biceps and it was torn after the second rep. In his country, Serbia, he could not find a good specialist, so he went to Hungary [for the operation]. There, they assured him it will be 100% again, but it needs the normal recovery time of six months.

The season has just started and I have seen already three big biceps injuries these last few weeks. In the Holland Nationals Qualifications 2009, two weeks ago, an athlete's biceps went off with the wheel flip. At the FIBO SCL Qualification, Tobias Ide, the German champion, tore his biceps, which will take him out for 5 to 6 weeks. And last weekend it went wrong with the biceps of Ervin Katona.

The strongman sport is definitely a dangerous sport for biceps. But, also I see a lot of strongman competitors make the same mistakes. You should protect your biceps.

First of all, if you feel problems, little pain in your biceps for longer than two months, it's a sign that a fatal rupture might come. So, take a break!

Second, a real killer for strongman biceps is . . . biceps training! This is what some strongmen do too much. Strongmen are not bodybuilders, so please to all strongmen: stop training your biceps! It kills them!

Or, if you can't live without biceps training, then one time a week light biceps training, with also a full stretch - it's more than enough!

Because with all the events strongman competitors do, the biceps has a hard time anyway. So, please stick to that, and you can be free for any biceps problems. It's just a very good tip to remember . . . and you all out there are NOT bodybuilders!)

When Giants Live launches its World's Strongest Man qualifying tour at the Mohegan Sun this coming weekend, there is a good chance that history will be made: rumor has it that at least three competitors have a shot at breaking the world record in the Apollon's Axle - a feat of strength with roots in the 19th century, going back to the standout French strongman Louis 'Apollon' Uni.


Ryan Bakke hit this world record 185-kg lift on the Apollon's Axle at the FitExpo earlier this year. As formidable as it is, Bakke's world record is expected to be under serious attack at the Mohegan Sun this coming weekend when Giants Live brings in some of the world's premier strongmen, ready to lock horns with this classic test of strength. Randall J. Strossen photo.


The name Apollon conjures up an image of the imposing French strongman Louis Uni and his signature railroad wheels. Unliftable for most really strong men, the non-revolving nearly two-inch diameter bar proved much more difficult to lift than its 366-pound weight would have suggested, and in the following years some of the biggest names in the lifting world tried their hand at the challenge, with very few succeeding.

In 1994, responding to a customer request for a thick bar (how could we refuse such a request from longtime lifting guy Dan Martin, especially since Dan's hometown is Hercules - no kidding), IronMind developed and introduced the Apollon's Axle, a bar that, like the original, was smooth and about two inches in diameter.

Strongman competitor and promoter Odd Haugen was quick to realize the inherent challenge and magnetism of the IronMind® Apollon's Axle, and it has been a core event in Haugen's contests for nearly a decade. Asked about the bar's appeal, Haugen said, "The history, the tradition . . . the idea of using this established standard," and at the root of things was Haugen's feeling that the smooth, thick bar with locked on wheels/plates minimized the impact of technique when doing a continental/clean and press/push press/jerk, making it more of a test of brute strength.

Not to be confused with this bar is the bar that IFSA introduced in 2007, which unlike the original was knurled and substantially smaller in diameter, differences that would make this bar significantly easier to lift. Jamie Reeves, who designed the IFSA bar, has confirmed for IronMind that it was 35 mm (approximately 1-3/8"), which, interestingly, is exactly what four-time World's Strongest Man winner Magnus Ver Magnusson had estimated when we asked him on Saturday. Magnus Ver Magnusson also pointed out that he thought the top lifts done on this bar were called 'IFSA Apollon's Axle world records,' reinforcing the fact that they lacked the historical tie-in that, in fact, is a key to the lift's appeal.

Returning to the actual standard, as reflected in the IronMind Apollon's Axle, some of the breakthrough world records included Hugo Girard's 175-kg lift done at the 2003 IFSA Hawaii Grand Prix, Brian Schoonveld's 180-kg stunner at the 2005 FitExpo, and Ryan Bakke's 185-kg current world record done at the 2009 FitExpo. All of these lifts were substantial and Bakke's mark truly is the best known official lift and the accepted world record. But, the feeling is that this coming Sunday, when Giants Live opens its World's Strongest Man Qualifying Tour at the Mohegan Sun, this record could well be broken, making strongman history.

So if you have something bigger than a potential world record on the Apollon's Axle planned for next Sunday afternoon, have at it, but otherwise, come to the Mohegan Sun and see it for yourself.)

The Strongman Champions League (SCL) opened its 2009 season in Subotica, Serbia yesterday and after a hard-fought battle with some of the world's top strongman competitors, Misha Koklyaev won top honors.


Misha Koklyaev (center) won the Strongman Champions League 2009 season opener in Serbia. SCL cofounders Marcel Mostert (left) and Ilkka Kinnunen (right) flank the man who many see as a favorite to break the world record in the Apollon's Axle at the Giants Live Mohegan Sun contest next weekend and possibly go on to become the first Russian to win the World's Strongest Man contest later this year. Photo courtesy of Strongman Champions League.


Ilkka Kinnunen filed this report for IronMind:
 

The season's first Strongman Champions League contest took place on Saturday (May 5) in the Serbian city of Subotica. The competition was held in one day and there were a total of 6 events.

The competition started at 3 p.m. when the sun burned over +30 degrees C [over 86 degrees F], so the hot weather made the competition for the athletes even harder, but this did not stop them from making some great performances in front of the crowd of 5000 people.

The first event was the car pull arm-over-arm. The distance was 25 meters and the car weighed 8000 kg. The fastest puller was Ervin Katona; second, Misha Koklyaev; third was Martin Wildaur, the 21-year-old kid from Austria in his second international strongman competition.

The second event was the weight for height, using a 25-kg metal block. The highest throw Ervin Katona, 5.40 m; second Misha Koyklajev 5.20 m; third were Andrus Murumets and Simon Sulaiman, tied at 4.60 m.

The third event was log lift for reps; the weight was 135 kg and athletes had a 60-second time limit. The top three were Ervin Katona, 9 reps, Andrus Murumets 8 reps, and Misha Koyklajev and Travis Ortmayer (tied) at 7 reps.

The fourth event was the frame carry, with a weight of 340 kg and a distance of 40 m. The top three were Andrus Murumets (24.50 sec.), Ervin Katona (27.65 sec.), and Travis Ortmayer (35.62 sec.).

The fifth event was the mill stone lift, using either a 180-kg or a 210-kg stone; the height for the bar was 136 cm. Top three were Travis Ortmayer (5 lifts with 210 kg); Misha Koyklajev (3 lifts with 210 kg); and Agris Kazelniks, Andrus Murumets and Ervin Katona (2 lifts with 210 kg). In this event Ervin Katona tore his biceps and had to stop competition and maybe even the whole season is over for him. We all wish him all the best and hope he gets well soon and back to the competition field.

The last event was the deadlift with car. Top three were Martin Wildaur (23 reps), Travis Ortmayer (20 reps) and Misha Koklyaev (19 reps).

SCL wants to thank Ervin Katona, City of Subotica, all sponsors and athletes to make this competition happen and great SCL season opened.

Overall results top 8:

1. Misha Koklyajev 55.5 points
2. Andrus Murumets 51.5 points
3. Travis Ortmayer 51.5 points
4. Ervin Katona 51 points
5. Martin Wildaur 42.5 points
6. Agris Kazelniks 26.5 points
7. Szabo Zolt 24.5 points
8. Simon Sulaiman 22.5 points)

Last year at the Mohegan Sun, the Rolling Thunder® competition set the stage for the strongman contest in a very big way: it was the first time in the history of this venerable event that everyone on the podium exceeded 250 pounds, and Mark Felix nuked the world record with a massive 301-pound pull.


Mark Felix hauls up 301 pounds on the Rolling Thunder® at the Mohegan Sun in 2008. Could he go on to do even more on May 16? Be at the Mohegan Sun next weekend to find out. Randall J. Strossen photo.


Just confirmed, at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 16, the IronMind® Rolling Thunder - Mohegan Sun Championships II will take place, pitting the stars of the Giants Live strongman contest against this world standard of grip strength in what will also be a meet-and-greet opportunity for all strongman fans.

And if you think you've got what it takes, walk-ons are welcome, although be prepared to prove that you can pull at least 100 kg on the Rolling Thunder® before you can join this world-class field.

Although IronMind has not yet received confirmation of this, it is possible that the Giants Live - Mohegan Sun event T-shirts will be available for sale at Rolling Thunder® contest, so besides cheering on your favorite, fans might able to buy a shirt and get it autographed on the spot.

The beauty of the Rolling Thunder® is that it's fun to try and if you're strong, it gives you a chance to prove it - it's been a world standard in the grip world for over 17 years, and other than Captains of Crush® Grippers, it is undoubtedly the feat of grip strength that draws more World's Strongest Man winners and competitors than any other. No other grip contest can begin to approach the caliber of the field drawn to top Rolling Thunder® events and the Mohegan Sun is part of this grand tradition.

IronMind gift certificates will be awarded to the top three competitors: $200 for first place, $150 for second place and $100 for third place; plus if anyone breaks Mark Felix's world-record lift done at the Mohegan Sun last year (301 pounds), IronMind will match the lift dollars for pounds with an IronMind gift certificate: lift 308 pounds, for example, and you will win a $308 IronMind gift certificate.

If you want to see what world-class grip strength is all about, think you can run with the big dogs yourself, or just want to get a jump on Sunday's Giants Live event with this chance to meet the strongman stars who will be competing the next day, plan to be at the Mohegan Sun on Saturday night.

Please visit the Giants Live website for full details on the Giants Live strongman competition, and for Giants Live - Mohegan Sun ticket information, please click here.

Admission to the Rolling Thunder® contest is free. Stay tuned for more details.)

"In Latvia last year, the Latvian Strongmen Amateur Federation (LSAF) was created," Vlad Redkin told IronMind.


Ingus Feldmanis won the LSAF contest last weekend. Photo courtesy of Vlad Redkin.


"In October there were finals with the participation of 27 sportsmen. We have opened a season of 2009 on May 2. The second stage will take place on May 10 in Riga, the third stage on May, 23 in Yelgava, and the fourth stage on May 24 in Daugavpils." Saying that his plans call for continued development in this direction, Vlad Redkin said, "We are ready to join the world amateur [strongman] movement.")

In a prepared statement, Fortissimus World Strength announced its adoption of the "Louis Cyr trophy [as] the official symbol of the strongest man on earth," the label it applies to the winner of its strongman contest.


The Louis Cyr Trophy, as created by Michel Binette, goes to the winner of Fortissimus. Photo courtesy of Fortissimus World Strength.


Following is the statement in its entirety:

LOUIS CYR TROPHY NOW THE OFFICIAL SYMBOL OF THE STRONGEST MAN ON EARTH

According to Dr. Dudley Allen Sargent's official tale of the tape, Louis Cyr had a 20-1/2 inch neck, a 21-inch biceps, a 31-inch quad and a 60-1/2 inch chest, at a bodyweight of 324 pounds.

These measurements were taken in June 1895 by this professor emeritus of Harvard University. More than a century later, the renowned Canadian sculptor Michel Binette used these exact figures on a reduced scale and created the Louis Cyr memorial referred to as Fortissimus, the Strongest.

The bronze statuette shows the legendary strongman about to lock out a 273-pound iron-cast dumbbell, on the evening of January 19, 1892, at the Royal Aquartium Hall, in London UK.

Measuring 21 inches in height, at a weight of 13 1/2-pounds, this unique piece of art will now become the official symbol of the Fortissimus Strongest Man on Earth. So has it been decided by Fortissimus World Strength at its last Directors' meeting.

"Louis Cyr stands as a universal reference of ultimate strength," said Paul Ohl. "His feats have challenged over six generations and survived the test of time. Just as the Sandow trophy rewards the winner of the Mr. Olympia contest, the Louis Cyr trophy will be officially awarded to the winner of the Strongest Man on Earth's title. The trophy will bear no 146, since Louis Cyr was born in 1863."

The statuette is being casted at the Inverness Museum of Bronze, the only museum of sort in Canada.)

Introducing Oz Strongman, which he bills as "the first Australian and New Zealand strongman federation," managing director Chris Andrews told IronMind, "We have spent the last couple of years building a foundation of amateur and professional class athletes," noting that he followed the model established by the American Strongman Corporation (ASC).


Ryan Phillips tosses an Atlas Stone. Greg Morgan photo.


Andrews is quick to praise ASC president Dione Wessels and to say his goal "is to help build a stronger unity in the global strongman environment."

"We currently are in the middle of our national strongman state championships: Brisbane (March), Perth (May) and one of our biggest events, 'Sydney's Strongest Man.' In this huge show we will have five of our best pro class athletes competing, and over 50 lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight amateurs competing. This will all finish up in December in our OZ Strongman National Amateur Championships 2009."

"Within the last 18 months we have brought over 200 athletes into the federation and [we are] growing rapidly. This is a very exciting time for us in Australia and New Zealand because the wonderful sport of strongman is going off and has been received well. We have representatives in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Auckland (NZ)."

And speaking of Perth, Andrews said, "The next show 'Perth's Strongest Man,'" is being run by my Western Australian manager, who is an OZ Strongman pro class athlete, Big Matt van Beuningen." Andrews said the competition is set for May 16, and the categories include amateurs, heavyweight and lightweight classes. The events are farmer's walk, car deadlift, Atlas stones, log lift, super yoke and a medley.

"Our top athletes so far in the series are Marc Wells and Mike Jones in the heavies and the amazing Ryan Phillips (current national champion) in the 105-kg class: Ryan doesn't lift the Atlas stones - he makes them fly. In the 90-kg class, Scott Hipwell, Rabie Chehade and Matt Jackson are extremely fast competitors and have to be seen to be believed. Plus newcomer Joel Malone in the 105-kg class has proved to be a serious contender."

"Highlights so far in the series include Big Alan 'The Monster' Kliese doing a 780-lb. super yoke in 11 seconds. Alan is set to become the new face for Australia in the international strongman world; his performances and achievements so far are nothing short of amazing, with a 385-lb. log lift and rising, plus a 375-lb. farmer's walk completed, and 12 reps on the Arnold Classic 92-kg Monster Dumbbell. He has what it takes to take on the best. With his sights on the Fortissimus and the Arnold Classic in the near future, he will do Australia proud.")

If you're strong, you're good at lifting a lot of weight overhead and this month, three-time USA Olympic weightlifting team coach Jim Schmitz helps you in this quest by introducing the push press and power jerk.


Known for his power jerks, Akakios Kakiasvilis (nee Kakhi Kakhiashvili) had already edged out Anatoli Khrapati on bodyweight for the gold medal in the 99-kg class at the Atlanta Olympics, but nonetheless, he called for 235 kg - not because he needed to lift it, but because he could. Randall J. Strossen photo.


There was a time when these lifts were the special province of competitive weightlifters, throwers and all-around strong guys, but Jesse Marunde introduced the technique in strongman competitions, so now the power jerk has become an increasingly common way to get a big weight overhead.

Most important, the power jerk is a way for someone who might not have the strongest shoulders and triceps in the room to end up with the biggest weight overhead, since it teaches you how to effectively use the much larger muscles in your legs and hips to drive up the bar.

Get the inside story on how to put the push press and power jerk to good use in your own training by going to the Training Articles button at the top of the IronMind home page and selecting 'Schmitz on the Lifts,' or by clicking on this link.)

Director-producer Andre Frostad Hansen told IronMind today that he expects to be printing the DVD A Life in Power within the next two weeks.


A Life in Power, a DVD on Svend Karlson, is scheduled to come out shortly. Artwork courtesy of Andre Frostad Hansen.


Asked what drew him to make this film, Andre Frostad Hansen said that as child he was inspired by the Norwegian strongman Torkel Ravndal, best known for his deadlifting ability. Later, Hansen said he made a film about Torkel Ravndal's life, and then he wrote a book about Ravndal following that. And since Svend had a gym five minutes from where Hansen lives, he said it became a natural progression to also do a film on Svend 'Viking' Karlsen - especially since "Svend is the only Norwegian ever to win the World's Strongest Man contest." Narrated by Colin Bryce, click here for a trailer.

Not stumbling on his subject at random, strength is a passion for Andre Frostad Hansen, who told IronMind, "I love to work out . . . ever since I was a little kid."

Stay tuned for more details.


Covering Svend Karlsen's life as Aa powerlifter, bodybuilder and strongman, A Life in Poweris expected out shortly. Artwork courtesy of Andre Frostad Hansen.)

"With 40 junior lifters, Hassle Free Barbell Club dominated the NorCal Open," Hassle Free's Paul Doherty proudly reported.


Lifting in the 56-kg category, Sacramento High School student Sae Vang hit this 108-kg clean and jerk at the Northern California Weightlifting Championships yesterday. Randall J. Strossen photo.


"Most impressive for Hassle Free were Thailand-bound men Sae Vang, Ian Wilson, and Brandell Sampson," Doherty said, referring to the upcoming Youth World Weightlifting Championships. "Vang exceeded his gold medal mark from the Junior Nationals, hitting a 108-kg clean and jerk, while Brandell Sampson improved his snatch to 121 kg. Teammate Ian Wilson hit the trifecta with PRs in snatch, clean and jerk, and total. Ian went 6 for 6 with lifts of 120 kg and 150 kg for a 270-kg total. Not bad for just a freshman in high school," enthused Doherty.

"17 and under 77-kg lifter Kyle Saelee also hit the trifecta with lifts of 101 kg and 130 kg, for a 231-kg total. Just coming off of a devastating wrist injury, Kyle will not be able to join his teammates in Thailand but has his eyes on the upcoming 17 and under Pan Am Games," Doherty said.

These excellent performances reinforce the trend of Northern California once again reasserting itself as a hotbed for Olympic-style weightlifting, a tradition that goes back well into the last century. In recent years, such next-generation leaders as Kevin and Paul Doherty (Hassle Free Barbell Club), Rob Earwicker and Dave Corbin (FIT Barbell Club), and Niki and Freddy Myles (Myles Ahead have been developing teams and hosting Olympic-style weightlifting meets at their facilities.

Also clear is the influence of CrossFit, providing a much broader base for introducing people to the Olympic sport of weightlifting: Even if CrossFitters are best known for emphasizing lighter weights and higher reps, a knowledgeable weightlifting coach can quickly increase the athlete's technical skill and strength, producing much bigger numbers on maximum lifts, explained Jasha Faye. Faye, whose noteworthy competitive career included breaking Mark Henry's Junior American record in the snatch, is the Olympic weightlifting coach at TJ's Gym , which is both a CrossFit facility and the home to a competitive weightlifting team.)

American Strongman Corporation (ASC) president Dione Wessels has announced that "the first Platinum-Plus show for the 2010 season will be in Columbus, Ohio, during the Arnold Classic Weekend."

"We are very excited to be part of the Arnold Classic. Our athletes have competed there since the inception of the Arnold Strongman event. American Strongman Pro Derek Poundstone won the event this year," said Wessels.

According to the official ASC press release, this competition "will be open to NAS (North American Strongman) competitors and international amateurs," and ASC vice president Mike Johnston is quoted as saying, "This is just another opportunity for the American Strongman pro to amateur system to be on center stage. An amateur athlete will get a chance to win an ASC Pro-Card on the biggest fitness stage in the world." And here's the carrot: "The new ASC Pro will also get a guaranteed invite to the 2011 Arnold Strongman event," said Johnston.

IronMind asked how this would fit in with the Arnold Strongman contest run by Terry Todd and ASC president Dione Wessels explained, "It is in conjunction with Terry's contest. The amateurs will compete Friday morning and then on Sunday. The overall winner will get a guaranteed spot to the 2011 pro contest that Terry runs."

Asked if an invitation one year out was a little long, Wessels told IronMind, "Yes, but the winner would also get his pro card and be invited to compete in other shows through out the season."

Given the way ASC was positioned in the official statement, IronMind asked Wessels a follow-up question about whether ASC and NAS were becoming one organization and Wessels, said, "No, NAS will continue to be the feeder to ASC. Because of athletes such as Derek [Poundstone], Travis [Ortmayer], Van Hatfield, Brian Shaw, and many others, the system has proven that it works. I am not trying to take anything away from any promoter anywhere; we just want to see the sport grow globally while working with other promoters in giving their athletes some of the same opportunities that they extend to the American athletes. This time, it is just on an amateur level. Of course we will continue to do things on a merit basis."

Stay tuned for more details.

Derek Boyer captured the Australia's Strongest Man 2009 title this past weekend "with a stunning result, winning seven of eight events," Bill Lyndon reported to IronMind.


Derek Boyer swept through the Australia's Strongest Man contest this past weekend. Photo courtesy of Bill Lyndon.


"Showing his great strength and year's of experience, Derek breezed through the events for a comfortable win. The minor places were hard fought with some great performances from all the athletes," said Lyndon.

1. Derek Boyer
2. Ebin Le Roux
3. Luke Reynolds
4. Lance Holland Keen
5. Aaron Monks
6. Patrick Benson)

The Strongman Champions League (SCL) is all set for its Finnish contest, SCL co-founder Ilkka Kinnunen reported to IronMind.


Finland, with its tradition of holding top strongman contests, is ready to host the Strongman Champions League in Ideapark on May 16 - 17. Artwork courtesy of Ilkka Kinnunen/Strongman Champions League.


The competition in Finland is scheduled for May 16 - 17, "about 130 km from Helsinki. The arena is inside Finland's first commercial city, called Ideapark. The competition is done together with Fitness Media, SCL and Ideapark," explained Kinnunen.

Here is the official list of competitors: Ervin Katona, Matt Vanat, Saimon Sulaiman, Jarno Hams, Warrick Brant, Jani Kolehmainen, Janne Hartikainen, Vidas Blekaitis, Agris Kazelniks, Tobias Ide, and Andrus Murumets.

The events are: Log (maximum weight), Farmer's walk (150 kg), Crane pull, Sack loading, Medley, and Deadlift (reps).)

Four-time World's Strongest Man winner Magnus Ver Magnusson (Iceland), has just received the 2009 FORTISSIMUS Strongman Lifetime Achievement Award, as reported in an official statement IronMind received today.


Nathan 'Megaman' Jones was an intimidating figure at the 1995 World Muscle Power Championships - the weekend before, at the World Strength Championships, the 6' 10", 340-lb. Australian giant had slam dunked the No. 5 Atlas Stone with such force that he drove the stone through the barrel, in a jaw-dropping display of ferocity and power. The next weekend at the World Muscle Power Championships, Nathan (left) was matched with Magnus Ver Magnusson (right) in the pole push, a mano-a-mano matchup that had Douglas Edmunds licking his chops. Megaman was the obvious pick to many, but anyone who sold Magnus Ver short was in for a surprise. As called from the sideline, "Magnus Ver Magnusson tossed the Megaman around like a rag doll." Randall J. Strossen photo.


That statement read, "Magnus Ver Magnusson is mostly known for his quadruple win at WSM, one of three strongmen to have accomplished that incredible feat (Mariusz Pudzianowski now with five wins). But the career of Magnus Ver extends well beyond WSM competitions. He competed for almost 25 years, both in powerlifting and strongman. He was a medallist at the World Powerlifting Championships in 1985, won Europe's Strongest Man, World Muscle Power Championships and WSM in 1994 and 1995, and kept winning competitions up to 2005, as he was past the age of 40, a feat in itself. A few years ago, both David Webster OBE, and Dr. Douglas Edmunds, co-founders of modern strength athletics competitions, described Magnus Ver Magnusson as one of the best strongman of all-time. "Today he deserves full recognition," commented Paul Ohl, president of Fortissimus World Strength.

The statement continued, "Magnus Ver Magnusson will attend the 2009 Fortissimus Strongest Man on Earth, as a member of the Fortissimus Certification Board.")