Teemu Ilvesniemi appears poised to make grip history in Finland as he will be attempting to get certified on the No. 3 Captains of Crush® Gripper next month - and by all indications, the man known in Finland as Mr. Grip Strength is set to succeed.

Thanks to the good work of Sakari Selkainaho of SS Power, interest in grip has been growing steadily in Finland, home to many outstanding strength athletes. This summer, Teemu Ilvesniemi demonstrated his exceptional grip strength in Jarvenpaa, when, under the watchful eye of referee Kimmo Kokko, he fully closed a No. 3 Captains of Crush® Gripper - he did this under extremely strict conditions and will now be going for his certification attempt, which requires that a brand new Captains of Crush® Gripper will be opened on the spot, which is done to eliminate any possible questions about the authenticity of this outstanding feat of strength. Based on everything Teemu Ilvesniemi has already accomplished, expectations of his success are running high.

For almost five years, Sakari Selkainaho and his company SS Power have worked hard to promote grip strength in Finland - organizing contests, recognizing accomplishments and making Captains of Crush® Grippers and other IronMind® products available in his markets. Finnish strength athletes have won many honors at the highest levels, and with the work of Sakari and Kimmo, this trend has been increasing steadily in the area of grip strength. Showing how serious he is about encouraging the highest levels of accomplishment, Sakari has put up a one thousand euro prize for the first Finn to close the No. 4 Captains of Crush® Gripper at the Fitness Expo, the largest in Scandinavia, October 7- 8. A Rolling Thunder challenge will also be included. Please check the website for additional details.