"They are the strongest men of ten different countries," Paul Ohl said of the competitors who will be invited to Fortissimus 2008: The Louis Cyr World Strength Challenge, "and they have confirmed that they will challenge the decathlon of strength so to be recognized as the Mightiest Man on the Planet."


Paul Ohl, Chairman of FORTISSIMUS 2008,�at the Louis Cyr monument in Montreal, Canada. Photo courtesy of H�l�ne Leclerc and FORTISSIMUS.

After the latest planning sessions - which included a six-hour meeting - Fortissimus 2008 Chairman Paul Ohl confirmed the following points for IronMind, which we quote from his report:

1. FORTISSIMUS 2008 will be all-inclusive, and history in the making may be the main story.
2. The number of contestants has been raised to ten in order to make room for the best of best.
3. The total prize money has been increased to US$53,000.
4. All equipment of all events will be independent from any strongman organization, from local to international.
5. The equipment will be tested in the sole presence of members of the Steering Committee.
6. The testers' names (if more than one) will be kept anonymous. They will not be related in any way to any strongman organization or any individual competitor. They will be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
7. The referee will be appointed on the basis of total impartiality, deep knowledge of strongman contests, and total observance of the written rules that will be in force for the contest. These rules will be made available in at least four different languages.
8. The events will be officially released by March 15, 2008.
9. The official list of the ten confirmed competitors will be released by December 10, 2008, at the latest.

Fortissimus 2008 continues to capture the interest of the strongman world, as it promises to break the mold, and in a very interesting and positive way. "It will be history in the making," Paul Ohl told IronMind.

It's the moment that grip guys have been waiting for, the showdown between such top names as Laine Snook, Karl Gillingham, Mark "300-Pound" Felix, Odd Haugen, Magnus Samuelsson and . . . you?!


Big-time Rolling Thunder® contests were born here: This is Green Bay Packer great Gale Gillingham's garage gym and that's one of his mighty sons, Wade, doing the honors. The Gillingham's Festivus Rolling Thunder® contests featured the guys IronMind would later dub "The First Family of Strength," and as you would expect, this crowd produced some whopping numbers on the Rolling Thunder. The next stop was Odd Haugen's Beauty and the Beast strongman contests, where the IronMind Rolling Thunder® World Championships debuted, drawing the strongest hands from all the lands. Photo courtesy of Wade Gillingham.

Its roots go back to Green Bay Packer great Gale Gillingham's garage, no less, and the tradition of typically-but-not-always large men lifting huge weights on the Rolling Thunder® went on to become a signature kickoff event at Odd Haugen's Beauty and the Beast strongman competitions in Hawaii, where the IronMind Rolling Thunder® World Championships drew the mightiest competitors from around the planet.

On January 18, WSMSS will host the 2008 IronMind Rolling Thunder World Championships, setting the stage for the launch of the WSMSS 2008 tour, at the Mohegan Sun Grand Prix.

Consider that the field includes such proven top performers as Karl Gillingham and Mark "300-Pound" Felix, and you know that you can expect big things to happen. There's more, though, because with guys like Terry Hollands, Mariusz Pudzianowski, Jessen Paulin and Brian Shaw also set to compete in the WSMSS Mohegan Sun Grand Prix, there are some real threats to Rolling Thunder® supremacy. Also saying he will be on hand to join in the Rolling Thunder World Championships is Odd Haugen, and if that's not enough, Laine Snook, the current world record holder, said he will be coming over from England to defend his position as king of the hill.

Need more? World's Strongest Man winner Magnus Samuelsson, who is certified on the No. 4 Captains of Crush® gripper and who regularly includes the Rolling Thunder in his exhibitions - usually putting two 20-kg plates on top of the best lift by anyone in the audience - is going to try to be there, too.

We can't say for sure who will take away the title and major bragging rights in the grip world, but if the world record isn't threatened by this crowd, it never will be.

A good time is guaranteed for all and to show IronMind's confidence that the 300-pound barrier is going to be under extreme seige, the winner is going to take home US$300 cash. Second place gets US$200 and third place pays US$100.

And just because you're not a world-class strongman or a proven world-class grip guy, walk-ons will be allowed to compete: show us that you can haul up 220 pounds (100 kg) on site, and you can enter.

So how do you like that? Here's your chance to take the title, pick up the cash and be able to tell your wife and kids about the time you whipped Mariusz Pudzianowski and the rest of the guys.

Stay tuned for more details, but for now, remember this: WSMSS will host the 2008 IronMind Rolling Thunder World Championships on January 18 at the Mohegan Sun.

See you there!

Saying that the "the World's Strongest Man Super Series 2007 tour is done and dusted," WSMSS managing director Jesper Albansson summarized the year for IronMind, and also provided a schedule of the upcoming TV shows.


Dave Ostlund won the WSMSS Muscle Beach Grand Prix this year and went on to compete at the 2007 World's Strongest Man contest. See Dave Ostlund and other top competitors from the professional strongman circuit on the upcoming television shows, and mark your calendars for the January 19 at the Mohegan Sun. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"Three great events were held at three unique venues," Albansson reported. "First out was the classic Super Series venue, Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort. As always the atmosphere was amazing, with roaring Polish and American fans in the stands. At times it felt like we where in Poland, not in Connecticut, USA. Mariusz Pudzianowski once again walked away with the Grand Prix title, but Kevin Nee was not far behind. Moreover we also got to see an international breakthrough by Jason Bergman, who took one of the WSM qualifying spots in his first international competition - well done Jason!

The drama in the second Grand Prix played out on Venice Beach, or actually on Muscle Beach, which is a more accurate name of the place. Once again, great names in the sport had gathered to battle for the top spots. Most people probably put their money on the great Mariusz, but this time we were to see an American - Dave Ostlund - lift the golden trophy. In a very dramatic final event (Thule Atlas Stones), Dave beat Mariusz and walked away from the event as the Grand Prix winner.

The third and final Grand Prix of the season was held in the land of the Vikings, up north in Norway, organized and hosted by Svend & Lene Karlsen. This event was special because it was viewed as the big international comeback of two great strongmen - Magnus Samuelsson and Jarek Dymek. When the dust had settled, they had both reached the podium and were awarded spots in the 2007 World's Strongest Man.

We look back at a very interesting year with a lot of action on beautiful locations, impressive athlete performances by veterans and newcomers, all of which was shot for television and soon to be aired on a channel near you.

Despite all this, the passing of our dear friend Jesse Marunde overshadows the year 2007. He set an example to the rest of us and his spirit and inspirational persona will always be remembered by the Super Series team and the strength community."

And here is the broadcast schedule on Five and Eurosport:

November 30: The 2007 WSMSS tour will go on air on Five (UK) and Eurosport

November 30: Strongman fans in Europe can enjoy a double feature of the WSM Super Series Mohegan Sun Grand Prix as both Channel 5 (UK) and Eurosport will air the show.

Channel 5 will then continue to air the Super Series on prime time the following Fridays, and Eurosport will air and re-air the shows several times leading up to Christmas, Albansson told IronMind.


Jesper Albansson (left) and Andy Quinn (right), on location at Muscle Beach, look like they're not suffering too much as they make the very WSMSS TV show you are about to see. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

He's a four-time World's Strongest Man winner and is most likely the best-known, top-earning professional strongman on the circuit today, so what's he think about Fortissimus and are his knees shaking at the thought of competing against IFSA's top guys?


Mariusz Pudzianowski, on his way to winning the 2007 World's Strongest Man contest. This was Mariusz's fourth victory in, names aside, what has historically been considered the world championships in strongman. Hjalti Arnason photo.

IronMind/Randall Strossen: Mariusz, you are the one guy from World's Strongest Man that the IFSA� guys seem to have some respect for, but you can tell that the IFSA� guys think they have the strongest strongmen� - what does you� think about this, please?

Mariusz Pudzianowski: I think only one man can be the strongest and the IFSA guys avoid confrontation with me. We can find out how it is in the duel. I don't know who is the strongest now but I'm not afraid to stand up to the challenge for the title. Ask them what they think about it. I am ready! I hope their respect for me is real - I also respect them and watch them because they are my rivals and no one should be disregarded!

IronMind/Randall Strossen: Jarek [Dymek] explained to me about the 400-kg deadlift and we wrote about� this in the IronMind News column - why do you use this as a gauge of whether you in shape for the� Arnold, please?

Mariusz Pudzianowski: Yes, I'm using it because I practice [train] on it for that moment and it's recently been one of the favorite things I do - practice. Of course it doesn't matter that it's similar in weight like for the Arnold because when I practice something I do it until I am satisfied with the results and it's the same this time.

IronMind/Randall Strossen: A lot of people see you as being the strongman with the all-time� highest earnings, and with four World's� Strongest Man victories along with your other wins, you can also make�the argument that you are the most successful in competition, as� well. What motivates you to keep training and competing so hard?

Mariusz Pudzianowski: I'll tell you this - to make money I had to work hard for 10 years. I have never done anything because of the money! I always practiced to win the title or defeat others - that was my main motivation. People don't believe that a few years ago I drove a disintegrating Polish small Fiat which I could barely fit myself into. And now the truth is that the money found me so I'm trying to be a good businessman and not lose what I have. The desire to be better than others is the best way to success, not the desire for money. And if you have results the rest comes by itself!

IronMind/Randall Strossen: What are your overall goal(s) in strongman, please?

Mariusz Pudzianowski: My main goal in the whole strongman is to prove to myself it's possible to win the World's Strongest Man title for the fifth time and maybe more. When I set myself a goal, I have to achieve it and that's it. I just wouldn't like to get an injury and that's the trick because you only have one life and it's worth living to fight and win!

IronMind/Randall Strossen: Do you have any questions for us, or is there anything�that you would like to say that I didn't ask about, please?

Mariusz Pudzianowski: No, I have no questions, enough said! Thank you for the interview and see you at Fortissimus 2008!

"The sites for the next three Masters World Championships of highland athletics have been selected and announced," MILO author and top masters competitor Bill Scruggs reported, and just so you know how serious Bill is about this, he added, "Please get this in print."


Canada's Harvey Barkauskas was a top Highland Games competitor when he was a mere youth and now that he's had a chance to season a bit, don't think he's any less serious. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Here are the dates, so start training and be a part of these competitions:

2008: Saline Celtic Festival, Saline, Michigan, USA July 12, 2008
2009: Inverness Highland Games, Inverness, Scotland July 18-19, 2009
2010: Sarnia Highland Games, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada June 12, 2010

Hats off to Dr. Scruggs for all his good work supporting Highland Games for masters - we at IronMind appreciate his efforts and we know that a lot of other people do, too.

These are the guys who originally put the Rolling Thunder® through its paces at a family Thanksgiving gathering, and the Festivus was back in force yesterday as the Gillinghams put up some big numbers.


Careful with that bottle, Karl. He might look like he's just getting a little liquid refreshment at the 2007 WSMSS Venice Beach Grand Prix - where he qualified for the 2007 World's Strongest Man contest - but is Karl Gillingham really doing secret training for the Rolling Thunder®? Does beer work, too, or only sports drinks? Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Just when you think the Brits - in the form of Laine Snook and Mark Felix - are running off into the wild blue yonder with the Rolling Thunder®, who reasserts themselves, but the Gillinghams . . . in a return to the roots for this universally-recognized test of grip strength.

Karl Gillingham took top honors with a pull of 277.5 pounds, followed by Brad, at 267.5 pounds. Family patriarch and Green Bay Packer great Gale Gillingham was third, with 255.5 pounds, and the cousin Brian showed that he's no slouch either, hitting 232.5 pounds. Wade, Brad and Brian also nailed the Blob.

Karl Gillingham once told IronMind's Randall Strossen something like, "Dad and Wade are the top guys on grip; Brad and I just try to keep up." In this crowd, any place is a good place and being king of the hill is especially good.

Karl Gillingham's secret might sound to some like he just wisely avoided overtraining - the last time Karl touched a Rolling Thunder® was "nine months ago with Dave [Ostlund] and I hit 272," he told IronMind.

We think it comes back to what Odd Haugen said, though, because while you can fake closing a tough gripper with a deep set, the Rolling Thunder® grants no such hiding places . . . if you're strong, you'll lift a lot on it and if you're not, you won't.

There's a reason why we dubbed the Gillinghams, "The first family of strength."

Mark Felix's wife, Denny, is about to post a clip on YouTube of Mark doing 300 pounds on the IronMind Rolling Thunder® Deadlift Handle . . . and wait until you see how easily Mark hauls up the weight.


Mark Felix lofts 300 pounds on the IronMind Rolling Thunder®. Denny Felix photo.

Three hundred pounds has been the magic mark that grip guys have been chasing on the Rolling Thunder® for some time now, and while Mark's lift on this clip is not official, it certainly shows how incredibly strong he is on this lift.

"Time to adjust your training cycle, increase your intensity, lay in some extra protein powder and crank it up in the gym because the Pittsburgh Open Weightlifting Championships are right around the corner!"


Rege Becker, shown in the warmup room at the 2007 USA Weightlifting National Championships, is inviting lifters, coaches, officials and fans to the 2008 Pittsburgh Open Weightlifting Championships on January 27. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Rege Becker is beating the drum, and for good reason: "This event has become a standard stop for some of the best weightlifters in the Midwest and an annual tune-up for the Arnold Classic.� Come on down and lift, coach, judge, load�or just�hang out with people who love weightlifting.

Once again, in deference to the football fanatics (this is Pittsburgh, after all)�the meet will be held on Sunday January 27th, the weekend between the NFC/AFC Championships and the Superbowl so you can enjoy it with out missing a down of your favorite team."

For full details, please call or email Rege Becker: (412) 276-7905; regis.becker@verizon.net

Edging closer to listing the official events to be used in the Louis Cyr World Strength Challenge, the head of the Fortissimus steering committee, Paul Ohl, gave IronMind a list of events that will not be included.


Karl Gillingham on the Timber Walk at the 2005 Arnold strongman contest. This event has become popular at a lot of strongman contests, but don't plan to see it at the Louis Cyr World Strength Challenge next year. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Given the goal of this contest - honoring the tradition of the great Louis Cyr with a set of events chosen to determine the most powerful man - Paul Ohl told IronMind that the following events will not be included in the Louis Cyr World Strength Challenge.

1. Tire Flip
2. Truck Pull
3. Fingal's Fingers
4. Rock/Ingot Overhead Lift
5. Conan's Wheel
6. Hercules Hold, "as we know it . . . with the two pillars"
7. "Toss of any kind" (no weight over a bar, for example)
8. Powerlifting tyle squat, deadlift or bench press
9. Timber walk/frame carry
10. Shield/Husafell Stone carry

Looking at the fact that there is no overhead rock lift, for example, do not assume that there will not be a test of overhead lifting, Paul Ohl explained. It's just that it will take another form, and before the exact disciplines are announced, remember that the guiding principles of honoring the tradition of Louis Cyr and identifying the most powerful man are what's driving event selection.

Stay tuned for more details.

"The Steering Committee of FORTISSIMUS 2008 announces that all of the world-class strength athletes whose names were on the premium list have been contacted," Paul Ohl reported to IronMind, "and explained in writing the profile and details of the decathlon of strength called THE LOUIS CYR WORLD STRENGTH CHALLENGE."


Just given to IronMind to release, this is the logo developed by the Fortissimus 2008 Steering Committee. Courtesy of Paul Ohl.

"The official line-up of competitors will be released, at the latest, on December 20, 2007," Ohl told IronMind. "The Committee also announces that the official dates of the competition will be June 27-28-29, 2008."

In response to IronMind's reports on FORTISSIMUS 2008, the potential impact on the world community of strongman appears huge. Paul Ohl, chairman of the organization, said: "We sense that we have rallied a huge number of strongman fans (more than 10,000 posts on nine international strongman forums). And we know for sure that we have got a wide if not a�unanimous approval from experts in the field.

They have praised the concept saying that it intends to bridge a gap between strongman organizations. We are pleased about this, but it is not for us to discuss that issue. Our aim remains to spread the legacy of Louis Cyr. �He was and remains�the world-wide reference when it comes to all-time feats of strength.

Since the concept of FORTISSIMUS has been thought of so to honor the legendary Louis Cyr, we are expecting a showing of sportsmanship, resilience and pursuit of excellence from today's top-ranked strongmen of any affiliation. This is why FORTISSIMUS 2008 welcomes those world-class strength athletes who believe, without any restrictions, that they can best all other competitors in a two-day ultimate strength challenge of strength.

In a few days, the world strongman community will discover�the selected few that are prepared to stand by Louis Cyr's motto: 'Never back down from any challenge.'"

The Andrzej Matusiak Memorial Tournament in Ciechanow, Poland this weekend produced some nice lifting, including a most unusual six-for-six performance by Ramunas Visniauskas (Lithuania), a lifter better known for big misses and melodramatic celebrations than for consistently posting good lifts.


Usually more of a showman than a consistet lifter, Ramunas Visniauskas (Lithuania) was rock solid in Ciechanow, Poland this weekend, going six-for-six and ending the day with 172/215. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

The contest used a team format, with each team comprising two men and one women, and in addition to local clubs, teams from France, Lithuania and Latvia participated. The field of Polish lifters included top women's lifter Dominika Misterska, who did 85/105.

Arsen Kasabiev (Georgia), in his first real lifting since the World Weightlifting Championships in September, snatched 155 and 160, before having a fairly close miss with 167. In the clean and jerk, Kasabiev really attacked the bar, and made three nice lifts: 195, 205 and 210. Kasabiev's performance was especially impressive because he was coming off top lifts of 150/190 since the world championships

The "NAS nationals that will be happening on the 16th and 17th of November this weekend in Las Vegas," Dione Wessels told IronMind today, and she's expecting big things.

"It is the largest National Championships to date and probably the largest strongman contest as well (150 athletes scheduled to compete)," said Wessels.

The contest is set for Circus Circus in Las Vegas, and along with the top amateurs, look for a number of professional strongmen to make guest appearances.

Want to see a world-class strongman contest in a world-class setting? Then plan on coming to the World's Strongest Man Super Series Mohegan Sun Grand Prix on January 19, 2008.


Local guy Kevin Nee - shown on the Apollon's Axle at the 2007 WSMSS Venice Beach Grand Prix - will be in the star studded lineup at the WSMSS Mohegan Sun Grand Prix on January 19, 2008. This is where the journey to World's Strongest Man 2008 begins. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

WSMSS managing director Jesper Albansson is quick to praise the Mohegan Sun and the strong relationship the two organizations share, and the Mohegan Sun is where the WSMSS kicks off its 2008 tour. And just who will you see there?

Here's the confirmed lineup, officially:

1. Mariusz Pudzianowski
2. Sebastian Wenta
3. Terry Hollands
4. Mark Felix
5. Kevin Nee
6. Karl Gillingham
7. Dave Ostlund
8. Jason Bergman
9. Marshall White
10. Brian Shaw
11. Jessen Paulin

Please check the official Mohegan Sun website for ticket details: http://www.mohegansun.com/

ISA and Asia Strongman Federation president Omid Amiri has given IronMind some more background on Farzad Mousakhani's best performances, to help us and others gauge Mousakhani's readiness to succeed at top levels in strongman, as Omid Amiri is predicting.


Omid Amiri sent IronMind this photo of Farzad Mousakhanian in what is described as a record-breaking performance in the yoke. Photo courtesy of Omid Amiri.

In response to IronMind's requests for additional details on Farzad Mousakhanian's best performances, here is the list of his strongman records, according to Omid Amiri:

1. Log lift for reps: 140 Kg for 9 repetitions in 60 seconds
2. Log lift for maximum weight: 195 Kg
3. Farmer's walk with 150 kg in each hand: 40 meters in 18.65 seconds
4. Yoke Race with 380 kg: 20 meters in 9.20 seconds
5. Yoke Race with 410 kg: 20 meters in 16.80 seconds
6. Deadlift: 360 kg for 7 repetitions
7.�Maximum Deadlift (powerlifting rules): 400 kg
8. Stones: 200 kg, 4 repetitions, 140 centimeters

Since a big deadlift was originally cited as an indication of Farzad Mousakhanian's readiness to wreak havoc at the highest levels in strongman, IronMind asked for any additional specifics Omid Amiri had available on Farzad Mousakhanian's powerlifting performances.

"Farzad Mousakhani is three times in Iran Power lifting in +125 Kg best Championship and winner," Omid Amiri told IronMind. "His record in deadlift: 400 kg; bench press: 280 kg; squat: 410 kg;��and� total: 1090 kg without used any drug and doping (natural) IPF Rules."


Iran's Omid Amir shown with his wife, Nansi, at the 2006 IFSA Dubai Grand Prix (won by Zydrunas Savickas, with Andrus Murumets second and Geoff Dolan third) has been predicting great things of Farzad Mousakhanian. Photo courtesy of Omid Amiri.

His father, Svend Karlsen, has won the World's Strongest Man contest, his mother, Lene Karlsen, is the world-famous MILO author, and now that Dad is running the Viking Power empire and Mom is heading back to school, looking to add the title Dr. to the front of her name, guess who needs a nanny?


Svend Alexander Karlsen, aka Mini Viking, gives his car a little air time while his dad, Svend Karlson, 2001 World's Strongest Man winner, cheers him on. Looks like Mini Viking is having an easier time of it than Maxi Viking. Photo courtesy of Lene Karlsen.

"Like to to spend a year abroad in the Viking land, and living with the Viking family of Svend Karlsen?," asks Lene Karlsen.

"Starting January/February 2008, the Viking family of three is looking for a female au pair, age 19-25 years old. MUST have driver's license. It will be an advantage if you are interested in strongman and sports in general, but this is not a must! If you are interested, please email us at wsm2001@losmail.no ."

Omid Amiri, ISA and Asia Strongman Federation president, continues to tout his athlete, Farzad Mousakhani, a man who he said is aiming to win both the 2008 IFSA World Championships and the 2008 World's Strongest Man contest.


Iran's Farzad Mousakhani: Will he be a major force on the professional strongman circuit in 2008 or will this prove to be wishful thinking? Certainly, there is no doubt whatsoever that his countryman Hossein Rezazadeh is the strongest weightlifter in the world, so Mousakhani lives in the right neighborhood for producing big numbers. Photo courtesy of Omid Amiri.

IronMind has no independent confirmation of Farzad Mousakhani's performances other than his win at Vlad Redkin's recent contest, but insiders will be quick to point out - correctly - that the field in that competition was not the same as you would find at either the IFSA World Championships or at the World's Strongest Man contest.

Omid Amiri told IronMind that Farzad Mousakhani has broken all of Mariusz Pudzianowski's records in such events as the stones, farmer's walk, deadlift and log lift, but once again, we have no additional details on this or any corroborative information.

Omid Amiri has requested that Farzad Mousakhani be considered for the 2008 Arnold strongman contest, and Terry Todd, who runs this contest for Jim Lorimer, is aware of this interest and will be making the decision as he assembles the field for the 2008 Arnold.

Paul Ohl, chairman of the Fortissimus steering committee, continues to develop the idea of an all-inclusive strongman contest and in addition to working closely with World's Strongest Man competitors, Ohl expressly said, "We do wish for a close and productive cooperation with IFSA."

Ohl's statement included the following points for clarification:

"1. FORTISSIMUS 2008 will invite strength athletes on a basis of merit alone.

2. The invited strength athletes will not officially represent their affiliated organization. They will be introduced by name, nationality and track record.

3. FORTISSIMUS 2008 will�NOT�get into any deal involving the selection of events and/or the usage of implements belonging to any organization.

4. FORTISSIMUS 2008 will lead and manage its own marketing, publicity and press relations.

5. FORTISSIMUS's code of ethics, with regards to strongman ultimate challenge, strongly values the roots of strength athletics symbolized by the memory of Louis Cyr. We wish that�to be �be acknowledged."

Stay tuned for more developments.

Jarek Dymek told IronMind that he had planned to retire from strongman competition, but because he was injured in this year's World's Strongest Man contest, he will be back again next year . . . so watch for Jarek to produce some big results in World's Strongest Man 2008.


Maybe if they ever get tired of competing in strongman, Jarek Dymek and Mariusz Pudzianowski could team up and write a book entitled Secrets of Polish Arm Training. Besides being very strong, these two guys can make a lot of bodybuilders look underdeveloped. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Incidentally, Jarek said, in his opinion, Mariusz Pudzianowski will use the deadlift as his gauge for deciding whether or not he will compete in the 2008 Arnold or similar contests that have more of an IFSA-style bent toward heavier, more static events than are traditionally featured in strongman contests such as the World's Strongest Man competition.

Jarek told IronMind that Mariusz's personal record in in the deadlift is 400 kg, but he has only done it once, and his guess is that Mariusz will test himself on this lift: If he can do 400 kg in a commanding style by mid-January, watch for Mariusz at the Arnold strongman contest.

It wasn't very long ago that an 800-pound deadlift was a watershed accomplishment - now, it seems that 400 kg (about 880 pounds) is the new 800 pounds.

Even though he said he "liked the first list better than the second one," because he sees Vidas Blekaitis and Derek Poundstone as definitely being top ten guys, IFSA managing director Christian Fennell supports Fortissimus 2008 as it has been described, and he said, "We'll clear the decks for our guys to come."


He's a four-time winner of World's Strongest Man and probably has the highest earnings ever in the field, so Mariusz Pudzianowski has no obvious need to compete in FORTISSIMUS 2008, leading IFSA's managing director Christian Fennell to say, "We hope he comes out to play." Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

The question for Fennell was whether Mariusz Pudzianowski will show up. "We hope he comes out to play," Fennell said, noting that the four-time World's Strongest Man winner needs neither the publicity nor the paycheck. There could be more going on, too, behind the question because Fennell pulls no punches when it comes to predicting the outcome.

Thinking along party lines, Fennell said that in the original list, "Our guys, in addition to sweeping the podium, would take five of the top six places." Now, with the revised list, Fennell said, he would back off a little.

"IFSA will still be on the the podium . . . definitely," he said.

"Be on it, or sweep it" we asked.

"Sweep it," was Fennell's swift reply.

In addition to predicting the results, Fennell was quick to praise the FORTISSIMUS 2008 Steering Committee for the novel way they gave the strongman community a way to voice its opinion on who should be included in the contest, saying that he was "quite intrigued by the concept of a public poll . . . very interesting."

"FORTISSIMUS 2008 is absolutely thrilled with the large response it received as a result of IronMind's poll," said Paul Ohl. "It went beyond all expectations."


Quebec's own Hugo Girard, embodying the very face and force of a traditional strongman, figured prominently in the recent poll of top strongmen worldwide. This is a particular strong testament to Girard's stature in the strongman world because this high ranking arose despite his limited ability to compete recently, following two very serious back-to-back injuries. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

"The results of the poll show that the strongman world, regardless of nationalities or organizations, has spoken loud and clear," Ohl continued. "It has massively recognized that strength athletics should seek new ways to revive the tradition of strength challenges, thus supporting the concept of engaging the top of the crop in an extreme strength meeting, with no limitations or restrains.

To that effect, FORTISSIMUS 2008 will do what has to be done in the coming weeks in order to offer the strongman world a brand of excellence in genuine Louis Cyr's fashion."

"The Steering Committee has decided the following, based on the results of IronMind's poll and an initial list of 20 world-class strongmen that it was already considering as potential competitors," Ohl said. "The list carries 12 names ( in alphabetical order) and one host's wild card to be named with the final selection. That final selection will be the result of a point system based on the following :

-Standings of the athlete at the WSM and IFSA Worlds;
-Standings at the WSM Super Series Championships;
-Standings at the World Muscle Power finals;
-Standings at any given Powerlifting World Championships;
-Standings at any IFSA Grand Prix and/or any given WSM Super Series;
-Standings at the Arnold Classic Strongman annual competition"

Here is the preliminary list, in alphabetical order:

Mark Felix
Hugo Girard
Terry Hollands
Misha Koklyaev
Andrus Murumets
Dave Ostlund
Phil Pfister
Mariusz Pudzianowski
Magnus Samuelsson
Zydrunas Savickas
Vasyl Virastyuck
Sebastian Wenta
Host's wild card

Paul Ohl also reported that FORTISSIMUS 2008 will release its final list before December 15, 2007.

Iranian strongman Farzad Mousakhani made a big splash at Vlad Redkin's strongman contest in Minsk, Belarus last week, and Redkin told IronMind, "I think we find new Iranian Star - Farzad Mousakhani."


Farzad Mousakhani (Iran) won Vlad Redkin's recent strongman contest, and he is drawing a lot of attention. Photo courtesy of Vlad Redkin.

The 26-year old Mousakhani is 190 cm tall (just under six feet three inches) and weighs 150 kg (330 pounds), Redkin told IronMind.

Also singing Farzad Mousakhani's praises is Omir Amiri, Asian Strongman Federation president. Amiri told IronMind that Mousakhani deadlifts 400 kg, among other things, and that he is now becoming a professional strongman.


Farzad Mousakhani, a 400-kg deadlifter, is joining the professional strongman ranks, Asian Strongman Federation president Omir Amiri told IronMind today. Photo courtesy of Omir Amiri.

The Fortissimus steering committee did something unprecedented in strongman, turning to the worldwide strongman community and asking for input on who should be invited to the contest . . . and as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says, "The people have spoken."


Misha Koklyaev - very popular and a top strongman - hit top numbers, along with Mariusz Pudzianowski and Zydrunas Savickas, in the worldwide poll on competitors for Fortissimus 2008. Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

In descending order, here is the rank order of votes for top tiers:

Zydrunas Savickas, Mariusz Pudzianowski, Misha Koklyaev (tie)
Vasyl Virastyuck
Phil Pfister, Terry Hollands (tie)
Hugo Girard
Magnus Samuelsson
Andrus Murumets
Mark Felix
Sebastian Wenta
Derek Poundstone
Dave Ostlund
Travis Ortmayer
Vidas Blekaitis
Dominic Filiou

Fortissimus 2008 is creating tremendous interest in the strongman community and IronMind will continue to follow and report on the major developments, so stay tuned.