Based on photos and our firsthand familiarity with the man behind the designs, IronMind was so impressed with the Jamie Reeves designed IFSA equipment that we immediately dubbed it "stunning," and now it's apparent that the Jamie Reeves Signature Equipment is not just another pretty face.

Freshly back from Brazil, where he qualified for the upcoming IFSA World Championships, Karl Gillingham said, "It's the best equipment I've ever used . . . top notch."

Crafted of stainless steel, this strongman equipment will be in use in Quebec - adding to the presence of each event, in a contest that IFSA CEO Jussi Laurimaa described as, "The climax of the 2005 Strongman season."

"Never before have we been able to announce an undisputed World Champion in Strongman," Laurimaa said, "using a system where only unbiased athletic performance counts at every level of the pyramid."

"And as a show," he added, "it will be a spectacle unlike anything seen before."

Earlier today, IFSA rocked the strongman world by confirming a $250,000 cash prize list for its upcoming World Championships in Quebec, and IronMind has been given the official event list now, as well.

IFSA CEO Jussi Laurimaa said that the events were selected with the goal of establishing, "a level playing field," balancing "static strength, overall athleticism, and power-endurance," using "all major muscle groups," while also keeping on eye on "historic relevance, and being spectacular for both the live audience and TV viewers."

Day One Events:

1. Yoke Race, 410 kg, 30 meters
2. Log Lift for maximum weight
3. Conan's Wheel, 280 kg
4. Louis Cyr Giant Dumbbell Memorial Deadlift, 320 kg for reps

Day Two Events:

1. Farmer's Walk 160 kg, 50 meters
2. Apollon's Wheels Overhead, for reps, 155kg with a 90-second time limit
3. Shield Walk for Distance
4. MHP Stones of Strength, 140-, 150,- 160-, 170-, 180-kg (Heavy Championship Set)

All "time limits are 75 seconds, unless stated otherwise," Laurmiaa added.

IFSA Strongman will have full tour packages for anyone interested:

http://www.ifsastrongman.com/

and tickets can be purchased from:

http://www.ocktober.com/bmg/ifsa/en/index.htm

IFSA CEO Jussi Laurimaa told IronMind today that the IFSA World Championships in Quebec next month will, in fact, have a $250,000 cash prize list - this is by far the largest ever for a strongman contest.

The lure of such a payday, though, is not what Laurimaa emphasized, as he concentrated instead on, "the status of the Event itself . . . the first ever true [Strongman]World Champion title with fairness guaranteed by a 100% meritocratic qualification system."

Not ignoring the pulling power of this much cash, Laurimaa added, "We feel, however, that an unprecedented prize purse is appropriate given the stature of the event."

Grab your chalk, get your favorite gripper and give it a hard squeeze - just because there's a lot going on in the grip world right now.

For starters, George Champlin said that his forum http://www.grippermania.com/ is approaching its one-year anniversary - we hear that it is the fastest-growing internet forum for the grip community and that it also has the most active members.

On the contest front, the Diesel Crew is getting ready to roll out its Global Grip Challenge on September 17 in what co-meet director Jim Smith is calling, "The biggest grip contest ever . . . Huge talent and a new champion will be crowned." Please check http://www.dieselcrew.com for full details.

Straight from the Heartland of America, Kevin Fulton, CoC3 '99, is holding his Super Grip Challenge - VI on October 22 on the Fulton Farm, near Litchfield, Nebraska, with a contest that focuses on classic and widely-recognized tests of hand strength, mixed in a with a touch of all-around lifting. Please email Kevin Fulton for details: kevinnamy@nctc.net.

And on November 12, longtime English grip enthusiast David Horne is hosting a contest called Champion of Champions, a high-level international invitational competition in Stafford, England which will focus on the grip events that have been the centerpiece of David Horne's grip contests for years.

Along with the Captains of Crush grippers, the Rolling Thunder is an established international standard for testing grip strength, and IronMind has received reports about a couple of guys who are banging out big numbers, although not yet under official conditions.

First, Southern California's Bruce Webster is continuing his casual but daunting attacks on this "let's see who's really strong" test of grip strength, and under the expert eyes of Starkie Sowers at Clark's Nutrition and Fitness Center in Riverside, Bruce has broken just under 260 pounds off the ground. Another fellow who is reportedly ripping big numbers on the Rolling Thunder is England's Laine Snook, who told IronMind that he has his eye on the magic 300-pound mark and is in the process of firming up the date for a big pull at Pullum Sports in Luton, England next month or so, where he hopes to do about 280 pounds.

And as a sign of the continued development of the grip world, Brian Carlton - of Blob Syndicate fame - and Bob Lipinski - who is coming off a string of successful grip contests in Michigan - are in discussion about the formation of a grip federation.

IronMind has a short list of people who have made what we see as substantial contributions to the development of strongman in the US over the last ten years and one of them is Jim Davis.


Jim Davis eyes his phone like it's a grenade about to go for a ride (St. Louis). Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

After helping to ramp up the sport, Jim retired from it a couple of years ago, and now he and some friends own Bird's Nest Lodge, the place to go if you want to go camping in the Ozarks or float down the Upper Meramec River, and wouldn't you guess it, Rick Fowler has convinced Jim that it's time to hold a strongman contest out there.

Set for September 10, this one will be a little different, because it's aimed at high school kids.

As Rick explained to IronMind, "The contest is being held in an effort to get new people involved, and as a way to generate some strongman interest in the area's high school aged kids. We're keeping the events a little lighter so that it will inspire newcomers to come in and test the waters. If they like it, maybe they'll want to try out a full blown NAS show in the future. Overall we are trying to make it fun by having it right on the Meremac River where the lodge and canoe rental are located. We will even take advantage of the river by making competitors go into the water for one leg of the medley."

For full contest details, please check:

http://www.usaplnationals.com/2005smor/index.html

and for full details on Bird's Nest Lodge, please check:

http://www.birdsnestlodge.com/

Raivis Vidzis won the World Strongman Cup competition in Ladysmith, British Columbia yesterday, with Ralf Ber coming in second place and Ed Brost getting third place.

World Strongman Cup Manager Martin Muhr was enthusiastic about the beautiful setting on Vancouver Island and he praised the organization.

Here are the final placings and points:

1. Raivis Vidzis 60 points
2. Ralf Ber 57
3. Ed Brost 50.5
4. Dave Ostlund 49
5. Chad Coy 45.5
6. Tarmo Mitt 43
7. Grant Higa 40
8. Simon Flint 39.5
9. Mike Bade 26.5
10. Franz Beil 26
11. Randy Davis 19
12. Antanas Abrutis 5 (injured)

We don't call Brad Johnson's column "Extreme Bodyweight Training" for nothing.

IronMind guys used to drive by quarries or stream beds, notice a big stone and say, "Wonder if Steve Jeck could lift that" Then it was a matter of cruising by a junkyard or seeing something formidable by the side of the road and asking, "Wonder if Steve Justa could lift that" And now, the question is, "What's the latest thing Brad Johnson is doing in his family's laundry room?," because that's the home of cutting edge pull-ups, among other extreme bodyweight exercises.

For the latest from Brad Johnson, please follow the link from the IronMind homepage or click here:

/ExtremePages/extremepage.html

Qatar is hosting the 2005 World Weightlifting Championships and the organizing committee will be offering prize money for both top-three placings, and for junior and senior world records.


Iran's superstar weightlifter Hossein Rezazadeh nailed this 213.5-kg world record snatch at the 2003 Asian Weightlifting Championships (Qinhuangdoa, China). Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

The prize money, which includes US$10,000 for each senior world record, is a first for the World Weightlifting Championships, IWF Director Aniko Nemeth-Mora confirmed today.

Since the reigning superstar of the sport - Iran's Hossein Rezazadeh - seems fully capable of breaking all three world records in the superheavyweight class, that means he could pocket US$33,000 for what would be a total of a few seconds of actual lifting time.

Not a bad rate for the two-time Olympic gold medalist, huh?

They were there to help out with the Yokota Air Base Strongman Challenge, and from the sound of things, Odd Haugen and Jesse Marunde made quite a splash.


Odd Haugen tearing up the pavement at the 2000 Beauty and the Beast strongman contest (Honolulu, Hawaii). Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

The exuberant Jesse Marunde, said it was, "Fun, fun," and how could you not agree: After dozens of spectators tried to lift the replica Inch dumbbell, with a US$500 cash incentive to succeed, and nobody could do it, Odd, "lifted it easily, carried it over to Jesse, who then effortlessly pressed it."

Jesse Marunde, the consummate strongman showman, was just warming up at this point, because he then walked with it held overhead as he high-fived the line of spectators.

Incidentally, don't think Odd was merely there as Jesse's bag-carrier: After none of the contestants could get the bus to budge, Odd harnessed up, and with a huge effort, he got the bus rolling. Odd kept churning with such ferocity that he accelerated the bus to the point that spectators at the finish line were fleeing from what they apparently thought was a runaway vehicle!

Sure Phil Pfister won the IFSA Pan American Championships today in Brazil, but how he did it was as important as the win itself.

First, just on the numbers, Pfister won all but one event - the MHP Stones of Strength - and even there, he was a close second.

But numbers alone do not tell the full story as the man once nicknamed "The Future Mayor of St. Louis" due to his crowd-pleasing antics, really hit his stride in Sao Paulo, revving up the crowd, which gave him its best end-of-day salute when he ripped off his shirt: They, "started a scream like Johnny Weissmuller in those classic Tarzan movies," IFSA CEO Jussi Laurimaa said.

Laurimaa, who has a cycling background, said that if strongman had something like a Patron de Peloton award (given to not just the fastest guy, but to the true leader of the group), Pfister would have gotten that today.

Here are the top five finishers in the IFSA Pan American Championships, all of whom qualify for the IFSA World Championships in Quebec:

1. Philip "Wolfman" Pfister (USA) 87.0 points
2. Travis Ortmayer (USA) 77.5
3. Karl "Gladiator" Gillingham (USA) 67.5
4. Geoff "Tiger" Dolan (Canada) 64.0
5. Mark "Spice Man" Felix (Grenada) 61.0

After today's performance, "Wolfman" as Pfister's nickname might come under review explained Laurimaa. Sure, you could go with something like "King of the Jungle," but how about just renaming the 'Wolfman" something simple, like "Alpha" instead?

He was coming off the leading performance in the qualifers, but Svend Karlsen miscued in the MHP Stones of Strength, which allowed Mikael Koklyeav to win the title.

Koklyaev added to the great impression he has made on those who have seen him perform in Europe because it is said that with all the exposure he has gotten, he "is now a household name in Brazil," and earlier in the contest, he had managed an impressive five reps on the Apollon's Wheels, an event so tough that only three athletes managed a single rep.

Here are the final offical placings and point:

1) Mikhail "Misha" Koklyaev (Russia), 90.0 points
2. Svend "Viking Power" Karlsen (Norway), 89.0 points
3. Robert Szczepanski (Poland), 75.0 points
4. Igor Pedan (Russia), 72.0 points
5. Vidas Blekaitis (Lithuania), 68.5 points
6. Vilius Petrauskas (Lithuania), 66.5 points
7. Jarno Hams (Holland), 64.5 points
8. Reza Gharaei (Iran), 55.0 points
9. Ettiene Smit (South Africa), 49.0 points
10. Jan "The Giant' Krehacek (Slovakia), 42.5 points

The top five finishers qualify for the IFSA World Championships in Quebec next month.

Even if he weighed less than 105 kg, "local hero Cristiano Souza was the revelation of the day," IFSA CEO Jussi Laurimaa said.

An injury would force Souza's retirement, and when the dust settled, it was Philip "Wolfman" Pfister who dominated the Pan American Championships qualifier. The official placing and points for the top five were:

1. Philip "Wolfman" Pfister (USA) 40.0 points
2. Travis Ortmayer (USA) 36.5
3. Mark "Spice Man" Felix (Grenada) 35.0
4. Geoff "Tiger" Dolan (Canada) 34.0
5. Karl "Gladiator" Gillingham (USA) 32.5

The finals are tomorrow.

In the first of IFSA's four competitions this weekend - two qualifiers and two finals - Svend "Viking Power" Karlsen took top honors last night, winning the IFSA World Open qualifier in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Here are the official results for the top ten from that contest:

1. Svend "Viking Power" Karlsen (Norway), 46.5 points
2. Mikhail "Misha" Koklyaev (Russia), 42.0 points
3. Vidas Blekaitis (Lithuania), 40.5 points
4. Robert Szczepanski (Poland), 40.0 points
5. Vilius Petrauskas (Lithuania), 35.5 points
6. Jarno Hams (Holland), 34.5 points
7. Igor Pedan (Russia), 32.5 points
8. Reza Gharaei (Iran), 30.0 Points
9. Jan "The Giant" Krehacek (Slovakia), 27.5 points
10. Etiene Smit (South-Africa), 26.0 points

IFSA CEO Jussi Laurimaa sees this weekend as a huge opportunity for expanding strongman, saying that, "among Brazil's 178 million sports-crazy inhabitants, one is bound to find not only a potential big strongman fan base, but also some new talent for the sport overall."

Next up on the IFSA dance card this weekend is the Pan American Championships qualifier.

"This weekend, the strongman world is focused on a new country, Brazil," IFSA CEO Jussi Laurimaa told IronMind, as the IFSA World Open and the IFSA Pan American Championships will be held in Sao Paulo today through Sunday.

Tonight, the action kicks off with the World Open qualifier, and the events are: Yoke race, Log for reps, Wheelbarrow medley and Deadlift. Tomorrow morning is the Pan Am qualifier, with these events: Farmer's walk, Deadlift, Log for reps, and Wheelbarrow medley.

Saturday afternoon is the World Open finals, with: Farmer's walk, Conan's wheel, Apollon's Axle, and Stones.

Wrapping up the action-packed weekend, Sunday afternoon is the Pan Am finals, with: the Shield walk, Conan's wheel, Apollon's Axle and Stones.

Phil "Wolfman" Pfister, who is competing in the Pan Ams, summed things up so far by saying, "Good food, good weather, nice people . . . Jamie's equipment looks great."

"Early morning mist swirled around the floor in the upper reaches of Huntly Castle as the three mighty men stood motionless, each holding a huge claymore . . .," to determine who was the strongest of all, because as the Kaz's T-shirt declared, "There can only be one."


Ten years after Huntly Castle, Bill Kazmaier, maybe looking mightier than ever, flexes his arm at the 1997 World's Strongest Man contest. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

It's been called the greatest strongman contest ever, and it took place in 1987, when there was a lapse in the World's Strongest Man contest, and it brought together Jon Pal Sigmarsson, Bill Kazmaier and Geoff Capes for the sole purpose of deciding who was the strongest. And as the book Sons of Samson - Volume 2 describes even the mere setting, you know that this was one dramatic strongman contest.

Hjalti Arnason, who just happened to be the tester for the historic Huntly Castle competition, told IronMind that he has just acquired the footage from this once-in-a-lifetime strongman competition, and that his upcoming documentary on the legendary Jon Pal will include several minutes of this epic battle.

Arnason confirmed that he is on schedule for a September 2006 release of his Jon Pal Sigmarsson film, and to give you and idea of how dense and action-packed this will be, Arnason said that, "over 100 hours of footage will be reduced to a film of less than 90 minutes."

Stay tuned to for more details.

1998 World's Strongest Man winner Magnus Samuelsson told IronMind that his training is going extremely well, and summing up the situation, he said, "I'm pretty much the strongest I've been."


Magnus Samuelsson on the truck deadlift at the 2004 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man contest (Paradise Island, Bahamas). Interestingly, Magnus says that the same training principle has helped him with both his deadlift and his grip training. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Magnus Samuelsson, one of the most popular and widely-recognized competitors on the professional strongman circuit is best known for his upper body strength, and particularly for his otherworldly levels of arm and grip strength. As an indication of what he meant in terms of his current strength levels, Samuelsson said that he recently bench pressed 280 kg in training - this was done touch and go, no bench shirt.

And while he said, "I haven't done it for a week or so," Magnus Samuelsson continues to close the No. 4 Captains of Crush gripper with regularity with his right hand, and his injured left hand is making progress he said, and at least it's now back to the point where he close a No. 3 Captains of Crush gripper for a few reps with it.

As another indication of his grip supremacy, Samuelsson, who was a top arm wrestler before he turned to strongman, is also known for lifting world record level poundages on the Rolling Thunder.

Magnus Samuelsson has a DVD on his arm and grip training, appropriately called "World's Strongest Arms," but don't think this means he isn't happy to discuss his training and pass along tips. And one thing he said that has really helped him lately, on everything from his deadlift to his grip work, is mixing short breaks with his hard training.

"If I focus on the deadlift and train it hard, first I make progress and then it starts to go down. If I rest at this point and then come back to,it, my results go up again."

"It is the same on grip training for me," Samuelsson said.

Fergus, Ontario - Call it Scottish Athletics, Heavy Events or just Highland Games, but Ryan Vierra won the World Championships today.


"Fly," Ryan Vierra says to the Braemar Stone (Fergus, Ontario). Nice vapor trail. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

They began in rain, finished with some sun, and at the end of the day, Ryan Vierra was crowned champion, with the top positions from yesterday holding through today's final order: Ryan Vierra, first; Sean Betz, second; and Harrison Bailey, third.

Fergus, Ontario - Ryan Vierra is known for consistency and the three-time Highland Games Heavy Events World Champion turned four second-place finishes today into first place after the first day of the World Championships.


Ryan Vierra finishes the first day of the Highland Games Heavy Events World Championships with second place in the caber and the overall lead (Fergus, Ontario). Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Sean Betz won the first two events today, the Braemar stone and the 28-pound weight for distance, with Vierra in second place both times. In the heavy hammer, Bruce Aitken won, followed by Vierra in second and Betz in third, so Betz had a one-point lead over Vierra going into the first day's final event, the caber. Alastair Gunn won the caber, followed by Vierra in second place and James Parman in third place.

Places and points after the first day are:

1. Ryan Vierra, 8.5 points
2. Sean Betz, 11
3. Harrison Bailey, 18
4. James Parman, 20.5
5. Bruce Aitken, 22
6. David Brown, 23
7. Alastair Gunn, 27
8. Joel Thiessen, 31
9. Stephen Aitken, 32
10. Greg Hadley, 32
11. Dirk Bishop, 39

The World Championships continue tomorrow, with another huge, enthusiastic crowd expected in Fergus, Ontario.

IFSA Strongman Managing Director Christian Fennell has announced details for the IFSA World Championships in Quebec City on September 24 - 25, and tickets go on sale tomorrow.

As previously reported here, Raimonds Bergmanis, Zydrunas Savickas, Tomi Lotta and Andrus Murumets have already qualified, and the remaining athletes will be selected at the IFSA Strongman World Open Championship on August 19, and at the IFSA Strongman Pan American Championships on August 20 - 21.

Although more events will be announced, so far, four have been named:

Farmer's walk: 160 kg per hand for the fastest time over 50 meters
Deadlift: 320 kg for maximum reps within 75 seconds
Apollon's Wheels: 155 kg for maximum repetitions within 75 seconds
Yoke walk: 410 kg for the best time over 35 meters

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, and tour packages are also available. For ticket details, please check:

http://www.expocite.com/cmafq/

They're not a veteran competitive arm wrestlers, but the Diesel Crew's Jim Smith and his partner Jedd Johnson aren't just into grip stuff � they like to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with others, and arm wrestlers seem to like what they are hearing.


It takes a lot of table time to develop the kind of arm-wrestling skills displayed by Simon Berriochoa (left) and Bill Brzenk (right), shown pulling at the 2005 Crystal Bay tournament, but it should go without saying that grip strength and arm wrestling go together like ham and eggs. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

The Diesel Crew has three articles that, "discuss non-conventional training for armwrestling utilizing a broad range of grip implements. [The articles] also talk about rehab / prehab considerations. Seems to be getting a great response," Smith said, and if you'd like to put some of their suggestions to use in your own training, here's where you will find them;

http://www.dieselcrew.com/articles.htm

Ulf Bengtsson, President of the WSMSS, finished last night's competition and without really missing a beat, he began planning the next step.

Earlier this year, few in strongman would have bet that Bengtsson and his group could pull this off, but in the last two months, the World's Strongest Man Super Series has held four grand prix contests around the world, each with a minimum of US25,000 in prize money, and besides crowning Mariusz Pudzianowski the 2005 WSMSS Champion last night at the Mohegan Sun Grand Prix, the series has succeeded in its role as the gateway to the 2005 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man contest.

"We broke new ground," Bengtsson said, pointing to the worldwide television exposure resulting from this series, and he proudly mentions the "new generation of athletes" WSMSS has uncovered.

While Bengtsson says that he wishes all top strongmen could compete under one umbrella, he is quick to say, "We are not priests," and that he is focused on providing commercial value to all the stakeholders, which includes the athletes, themselves.

Still, Bengtsson said, "It is hard to beat someone who has good intentions," and he acknowledges the role of passion for strongman in the mix of elements that contributed to the success of WSMSS in its first year.

"We kept our word," Bengtsson said, referring to the contest schedule and prize money that had been announced earlier in the year. "We had great success, but this is just the beginning."

Glenn "The Daddy" Ross fans will be happy to know that their man is home, doing well, and looking forward to being, "fully recovered within five to six months."


Glenn "The Daddy" Ross immediately distinguished himself when he debuted at the Arnold Strongman contest earlier this year - pounding the Inch replica as if it were a toy and pulling the winning deadlift as well. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Glenn said, "The operation was a success in Austria and the hospitality was fantastic. They really looked after me well right through to the World Strongman Cup booking me a Business class seat home. Within an hour of the injury happening, I was x-rayed, [had an] MRI scan, [was] assessed by the doctors and on the operating table. Within six hours I woke up in the recovery room. A1 service."

"For the next six weeks I cannot bend my knee and then my rehabilitation back to Daddy events begins. I hope to be fully recovered within five to six months."

Once again looking unstoppable, Mariusz Pudzianowski won the WSMSS Mohegan Sun Grand Prix tonight, with 54 points, followed by Jessen Paulen (44-1/2 points), Don Pope (43-1/2 points) and Josh Thigpen (39 points), so Paulen, Pope and Thigpen have automatically qualified for the 2005 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man contest.

He's the archetypal strongman, so when Bill Kazmaier calls tonight's competitors a "smooth and cool" group, that's a pretty big compliment to the guys who will be getting one last shot at qualifying for the 2005 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man contest when they go head to head tonight in the Mohegan Sun Grand Prix.


Bill Kazmaier gives tonight's Mohegan Sun Grand Prix the thumbs up, as guys get one last chance to qualify for the 2005 MET-Rx World's Strongest Man contest. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

With Odd Haugen involved in event design, you know this contest is heavy: It opens with a giant farmer's walk which loads each competitor with 400 pounds per hand, followed by the Apollon's Axle for a maxium weight, just so you know that they're not wasting any time getting into the thick of things.

In addition to the young American talent that will be showcased at this contest, look for former World's Strongest Man winners Janne Virtanten and Mariusz Pudzianowski, along with top Canadian strongmen Jessen Paulen and Dominic Filliou.

Bill Kazmaier said that Pudzianowski, "is in the prime of his life" and that this contest, "is just another easy workout for him."

Tickets are still available and besides seeing what promises to be a top strongman competition, you might be able to meet the Kaz in person because rumor has it that he has been milling around a lot, enjoying the Mohegan Sun hospitality:

http://www.mohegansun.com/index.jsp

AWF General Secretary Ali Moradi has just released the official timetable for the upcoming Asian Weightlifting Championships, where such powerhouse weightlifting countries as Iran, China, Korea and Kazakhstan are expected to produce world-record level performances.


Ilya Ilin (Kazakhstan) sinks the putt on this 168-kg snatch, as part of his riveting performance in the 85-kg category at the 2005 Junior World Championships (Busan, Korea). Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Set for Dubai, the lifting starts on September 26 and concludes on September 30.

Responding to direct questions about whether or not the IFSA Strongman World Championships scheduled for Quebec were still on, Dr. Douglas Edmunds, IFSA's founding father, said, "Yes."

At the moment, strongman seems to be going the way of powerlifting, with a federation to suit every fancy, and a rumor mill that runs at close to redline levels.

And unlike what you might hear on the street, Dr. Edmunds said that the IFSA Worlds are on.

As an indication of its commitment to the event, Dr. Edmunds said that the IFSA event equipment - the stunning stainless steel IFSA kit created by Jamie Reeves - is being shipped to Quebec next week, and he pointed out that the second and third qualifying events will take place in Brazil in less than two weeks.

"We have three semi-finals," Dr. Edmunds explained. "Zydrunas Savickas, Andrus Murumets, Raimonds Bergmanis and Tomi Lotta qualified at the Europeans," said Dr. Edmunds, noting that performances at the upcoming IFSA Pan American Championships and the IFSA World Open in Brazil would be the basis for winning the remaining slots for the IFSA World Championships, with one exception.

"Virastiuk gets a bye," Dr. Edmunds said. "He's the only one."

Currently recovering from an injury, Vasyl Virastiuk won the 2004 World's Strongest Man contest, a title that Dr. Edmunds says he recognizes since, "We were there," referring to IFSA's involvement in that contest.

In what was described as "a hard fight from the World Strongman Cup athletes against Mariusz," approximately 2,500 fans watched the Polish strongman machine prevail in Bad Haering, Austria yesterday, even though he hardly had a stroll in the park.

Final places and scores for the top five were:

1. Mariusz Pudzianowski 56.5 points
2. Michael Starov 47 points
3. Ralf Ber 36.5 points
4. Raivis Vidzis 34.5 points
5. Tarmo Mitt 29 points

Martin Muhr, World Strongman Cup Manager, said that it might have been "a perfect competition but for a bad injury to Glenn Ross," who tore his patella on the Conan's Wheel and after the surgery is looking at a six-month recovery.

Jesse Marunde is on his way home after literally going around the world for WSM in the last ten days.

Marunde left Seattle for Sweden, where he got third in the WSMSS Vulkan Grand Prix last weekend, despite being forced to sit out the final event due to a hamstring injury.

From Sweden, Marunde continued east, going to China for a pre-World's Strongest Man publicity tour which included two hours of live TV with Marunde's performance set to music.

A natural entertainer, Marunde must have been great because the Minister of Sport later asked him if he were an actor.

More photo shoots followed, and expect to see Jesse Marunde on billboards in China, as part of the media support for the 2005 World's Strongest Man contest.

It's on the homestretch now: the race to qualify for the 2005 World's Strongest Man is on its final leg next Wednesday, with the Mohegan Sun Grand Prix.


Don Pope takes the St. Louis Arch for a walk at Jim Davis's 2003 US Championships. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

This contest is the last chance to qualify for WSM '05 and this final grand prix event of the year will turn the spotlight on a number of American strongmen who have proven themselves as "forces to be reckoned with," said a WSMSS spokesperson.

Steve MacDonald, Josh Phigpen, Kevin Nee, Dave Ostlund, Chad Coy and Don Pope will be representing the US, and the big carrot, along with the title and a piece of the US$25,000 prize money, is an invitation to this year's World's Strongest Man contest.

The doors open at 6, the contest starts at 7, and for full details about tickets, please check:

http://www.mohegansun.com/index.jsp

We call him Steve "Inver Stone" Jeck because he's the guy who really put the Inver Stone on the map when he wrote to MILO over ten years ago and described his encounter with Scotland's most famous manhood stone.

Things have changed much since then, but a constant determinant of whether you succeed or fail, whatever challenge you are facing, is whether or not your willpower is up to the task.

Read Steve Jeck's latest gem, get inspired, and go set a PR:

/Main/fromthequarry.html

Overcompensation might be what you wish you got at work, and hope for as a result of your training, but as ace weightlifting coach Jim Schmitz explains in his latest column, it's not what you want on the competition platform.

You might not have a world-class weightlifting coach down the street from where you live, but with "Schmitz on the Lifts" you get the next best thing. Follow the link on the IronMind home page or click here to read Jim Schmitz's latest column:

/Lifts/lifts.html

Jesse Marunde, who is in China as an ambassador for the upcoming World's Strongest Man show, said that he being extremely well received and that he has even gotten traditional Chinese medical treatment for his injury.

Marunde, a former weightlifter, told IronMind that he visited the national training center. "What a treat! Amazing lifters," Marunde said.

Marunde, who injured his leg at the WSMSS Vulkan Grand Prix in Sweden last weekend, was very grateful to the team doctor, who treated him with acupuncture and massage. Concerned that his injury might be slow to heal, Marude said, "Anything I can do to speed it up at this point is critical. WSM is in September."

"This will be, without a doubt, the most entertaining WSM ever," Marunde said. "There is a great deal of support from the country of China in promoting this year's event. The people are very excited and I'm looking forward to the largest crowd the WSM contest has ever seen."

And to underline the scale of China's support for the 2005 World's Strongest Man contest, Marunde is doing a two-hour live television broadcast on national Chinese TV - this has got to be a record for pre-contest exposure by several orders of magnitude.

Straight from the Heartland of America, Kevin Fulton, CoC3 '99, is holding his Super Grip Challenge - VI on October 22 on the Fulton Farm, near Litchfield, Nebraska.


Did Kevin Fulton get frustrated looking up a phone number or was he just having some fun at the Grassland Beef booth at the 2004 GNC Show of Strength? Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Here are the events:

1. Two-hand Ciavattone deadlift
2. Captains of Crush Grippers (best hand holding a strap)
3. Rolling Thunder
4. Two-hand Plate Pinch
5. Farmer's Walk (maximum weight for a distance of one rod; the handles are 2-3/8 inches thick.)

Each competitor will be given three attempts in all events.

"As usual, a Thomas Inch Replica dumbbell will be on hand for those who are up the challenge," and there will be plenty of other interesting things for you to try lifting.

Hosted by the Braveheart Barbell Club, this meet will be run under US All-Around Weightlifting Association rules, so, time permitting, USAWA record attempts will be allowed. Please email Kevin Fulton for details: kevinnamy@nctc.net.

IFSA founder Dr. Douglas Edmunds makes no bones about it: He calls Callander "the birthplace" of modern strongman, and he points to the long procession of greats who have come through this Scottish town.



Manfred Hoeberl on his way to victory at the 1994 European Muscle Power Championships (Callander, Scotland). Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Sigmarsson, Kazmaier, Ver Magnusson, Ahola . . . . the list goes on and on: Nearly every great strongman in the last quarter century has competed at Callander, Dr. Edmunds said. "They all came through Callendar, through the Highland Games . . . it's a great Scottish tradition."

And this weekend continued down the same path, Dr.Edmunds said, with Geoff Dolan notching up an impressive overall victory and the new Russian phenom, Mikhael Koklyaev, making a big splash.

Mikhael Koklyaev became "one of the first to lift the 180-kg Alba Stone," Dr. Edmunds said, and "he astonished us all by throwing the 56-pound weight over 17 feet on his first attempt . . . of course dressed in the kilt."