Top professional strongman Hugo Girard is taking grip contests to a new level: The World's Strongest Grip Competition will have total prize money of CN$10,000 Girard announced today!

Run in conjunction with the IFSA strongman event at the Gatineau Balloon Festival (Gatineau, Quebec, Canada), the contest will include events to test bending, card tearing, pinch gripping and crushing grip. Hugo Girard said today that he is sending details on the proposed events to Randall Strossen (IronMind®) and Richard Sorin (Sorinex) for review and comment before finalizing them, and that based on their past performances, the ten top competitors would be invited.

These athletes will have the right of first refusal, and as slots become available, the same process will be applied to determine the final field. Girard emphasized that his aim is make this a fair contest, giving nobody an advantage: "It's not about being set up for someone to win; it's about finding out who is the strongest."