Neese & Ahola Win in Hawaii...
by Randall J. Strossen, IronMind Enterprises, Inc. © 1999
Bryan Neese won the IFSA American Championship and Jouko Ahola won the IFSA Grand Prix at this weekend's "Beauty & the Beast" strongman contest in Honolulu, Hawaii. Both events largely turned into two-man battles, as Neese and Ken Brown fought it out for top honors in the American event, and Ahola and Magnus Samuelsson struggled for the international victory. Sponsored by 24 Hour Fitness, the event was extremely popular with the enthusiastic fans who enjoyed a storybook seaside setting filled with some of the top names on the professional strongman circuit, along with the Americans who are working to enter those ranks. Neese, by virtue of his victory, is assured three IFSA invitations, as well as an invitation to this year's "World's Strongest Man" competition.