2015 September - National Capitol Grip Championship 1 - anwnate

[anwnate]

Gripsport's DC Metro Area's representative Tom Scibelli decided to hold a contest + CTD challenge. Although I'm pretty much just bending, I hadn't seen Tom in forever and leapt at the opportunity to see him again and meet some new grip-peeps. It doesn't hurt that we are fairly close.

My heart's been acting up and my companion bailed on the contest (not to name names…cough Anton cough)…so the wifey came along. #coughmissedagreattimecough Tom's Maryland home is about 2-2:15hours from me (South Jersey) depending on stops, speeding and traffic. We got on the road a little bit later than planned for what became an uneventful trip (which is good). I managed to blow by the exit, tacking on an extra 10 min or so.

I arrived and delivered two blobs and a small wedding gift for the newlyweds. Tom's a quiet guy…I had no idea til Friday that he got married 3 months ago. I'm kinda doubting he mentioned it to anyone else either…so make sure to hit him up with congrats. Having met Martina and the kids several times, I was so happy to hear it finally happened. Tom's also an amazing father…more on that later.

Boom boom boom…met 5 new gripsters all at once. Because of all the meds I'm on now, I'm having mini-moments of confusion, which doesn't help my short term memory much. I probably asked Chante's name like 6 times. Anyway…I met Gary, Josh (JHenze646) and Chante, Gil (Squeezus) and Maria for the first time. Then I got to see Wojo, Tom and the boys (Jacob {older brunette} and Andrew {younger blond) again.

I weighed in at 259lbs…apparently I dropped 6lbs the night before. I was a shoo-in to win the 120kg division since I was the only one in it. Tom had everything set up in a very organized manner. He even had his computer hooked up to a big screen so everyone could easily see the available weight jumps (which were down to 1/2kg I believe).

The Play:

Tom decided to kill two birds with one stone. He hosted a contest, that had a separate opportunity to certify on the Iron Mind's "Crushed to Dust Challenge." The "normal" part contested: Sanctioned Rated Grippers (CCS), Sanctioned 1HP, FBBC 2.5" Crusher, Blobtastic Pinch and Support Medley.

The Cast:

Gary Kessler. This was the first time I met Gary. I've heard he's an excellent Arm Wrestler. I know JR was wondering where he's been. We briefly spoke about his future son-in-law VA Dave, who couldn't attend this event. He's pretty new to grip but assured me via email he was going to train and show up next year. One thing I noticed about his events is that when he missed a lift, he didn't get discouraged, just regrouped and came back and nailed it. Like me in the 120kg division…he immediately had the Masters division sewed up.

Chante. Honestly I wasn't sure who she was for the longest time. It's possible Josh immediately told me that she was his wife, but as I mentioned, when I came into Tom's basement…I was a bit confuzzled. We didn't get into any deep conversations but we talked a little bit about her left arm. It's fairly covered with signs, symbols and quotes from her favorite books. Part of me has always wanted to get a bunch, but probably saving that for another life. Chante was the only one not competing. She was quite friendly but I have no idea whether she was bored. My own wife dropped me off and went shopping…meeting us for lunch later.

JHenze646. I've been watching Josh since he showed up on the Board. Since I returned in May, I've been following his progress. The first thing you notice about him is his eyes. I'd have to call them piercing. Whether he's attempting a lift or looking at you, he's got laser-like focus. Got to say I had underestimated his grip level right off. He's extremely strong and didn't seem to have a weak event. Basically, he has had tremendous improvement. I guess there is something to that whole "hard work" nonsense. We shot the shit here and there but I'd definitely like the opportunity to compete with him again. Since he lives on the other side of Pennsylvania, it was pretty cool that things worked out for him to attend. (BTW…The whole GripBoard needs to gang up on Brent and make sure he comes with too.) I'm a betting man, but wouldn't bet a dime against Josh succeeding on the CTD next year.

Squeezus. Gil introduced himself and I immediately made the connection to Squeezus. So right off, from the vids I've watched, I knew he was beastly with grippers. What I didn't know was that he was completely well rounded in Grip. Hell, I hadn't a clue about his NAGSC performance. I'm still kind of catching up from my absence. His physique is pretty impressive. He's the type of guy who could simply paint himself white on Halloween and go as a Greek statue. Now, I barely know him, but he seemed so very calm, cool and collected. His performance was very matter-of-fact. Kind of like…Now I'm going to Cert the CTD…Now I'm going to CCS a 169CPW…Now I’m going to throw a full sized INCH on the platform. lol Very freakin impressive.

Maria. The first two things you notice about Maria are…her smile and the fact that she's in shape. It wasn't surprising to find out she is some kind of strength coach. I was however pleasantly surprised to find out how encouraging and helpful she was. When she wasn't competing, she was either filming, cheering people on, or helping Tom with the weight transitions. Actually, pretty much everyone helped out here and there. Well…I kind of sat a lot (and cheered), but honestly I was feeling not-so-good. Anyway…she's new to GripSport too, but if she has half the focus that Gil does, in a couple of years she'll be breathing down Elizabeth Horne's neck. With this pair…Nashville may become a new grip epicenter.

Wojo. I was psyched to see John…it's been a long while for us. We are the same age and had a couple similar life events. I delivered a blob to him and he delivered a pair of York Deep Dish's (broken hubs) to me. That's been in the works for a long time. Thanks Brent! lol. I honestly don't see how Chad Woodall grabbed two pairs of these. It's nuts. Anyway, Woj has been transitioning into doing what he loves…training people in Strength. He is slowly filling up his site (bettersp.com) with excellent articles. Seeing him for the first time in a while was a shock. He gotten pretty cut and vascular…and I now outweigh him by like 25 pounds. His repaired bicep was a bit twingey so he worked mostly with his other arm. lol…he still managed to kick my butt in everything but Crush.

Tom. Jeez Tom's gotten even bigger. I can't believe he doesn't weigh more. He's been training the RT pretty hard and when it came time to attempt the CTD it really showed. He lost control of the apparatus at the top. Honestly, had he spread his legs wide and lifted he would have had a legal lift. But I know that 's not his way…he wanted to master it. He was just a slightly better CNS day away from that Cert. If he doesn't go for it before…he'll definitely own it next year. Tom organized this day very carefully. His computer was hooked up to a big screen so everyone could easily understand the weight jumps etc. The grippers were laid out nicely. He had homemade wooden uprights for the bar (modeled after Eric's)…and had built a pretty sweet loading platform. He made everyone feel at home and like their presence was really desired.

Jacob and Andrew. Tom pretty much treated them like any other gripster (which really showed them a lot of respect) and they responded like gold. Tom really is the epitome of the gentle giant…and no more so than with his kids. They are a great pair…and solid little athletes. I have a feeling that they very much would like to be like their father. There was no pouting, no excuses, no real horseplay, they took the day seriously and impressed me immensely. Tom needs to keep doing what he's doing with them.

My Grip Day.

Grippers.

I had warmed up barely making a 135 King Kong and decided to come in with it. Money. The narrow spread made the swipe funky…basically had to open all the way up. I took down a 138 GHP (had to have been a 6…didn't look) fairly easily. I fumbled with the set…dropping the card. I picked it up swiped and basically ended up TNSing it. There was a 141 and 142 sitting there…strategy wise I chose the 142 on the off chance someone else grabbed the lighter one. I didn't think it would really make a difference in effort. Honestly I could be confusing my attempts…but I think it went down like this. I pulled out the card from my pocket and found out there were two in my hand (I had grabbed someone elses lol). After dropping one, I again fumbled with the swipe and close. Not sure what happened but I managed to slam it shut and hold it like I was a badass (not). I tossed the gripper up in the air in victory and nearly took out the lightbulb on the ceiling. Broken glass everywhere would not have been something I'd have lived down in the near future. Tom then spoke to the assembled group and half-jokingly asked us to not smash any lightbulbs. Good times.

Since I went last, and knew I had 2nd sewed up (Squeezus had smashed a 169CCS…unbelievable considering he closed a 165@20mm at NAGSC. Hell he's got to be a 181 MMS now.) . I saw a narrow spread 148 and decided to get greedy. I don't think I actually fumbled this time (could be my downfall lol) and missed by an 1/8" or so. I had plenty in the tank but it was one of those grippers that just bind at the end (I've heard the MM#3 is that way) and have to be set perfectly if it's close to your top end. So…I felt pretty good about grippers. Aside for like 3 sessions in May…I pretty much haven't done anything with grippers since my cert (June '14). Again…Gil getting 169CCS was nuts…that's a low end #3.5 Cert!

1HP. I kind of glazed over during this event. I've done almost no Euro…1H or 2H. Even though Delmar had hooked me up with some sweet plates…I've just never found the time to train, let alone find my proper with. Josh and Wojo nailed this event, followed by Gil, Me and Tom. To be frank…the only reason I beat Tom is because he chose a narrower width than he should. Shhhhh don't tell him…I'd like to keep beating him in something. Gary looked at the apparatus like it was an alien. Since I've only used it in contests, I think he and Maria were the only ones with less experience than me.

2.5" FBBC Crusher.

Gil once again put on a Clinic, not a surprise since he destroyed the RT earlier. Tom, John, Josh and I followed. Actually, I only covered Gary by like 3.5kg…I have a feeling that he's gonna explode on this event next year. Maria set a new world record in the event…but I have a feeling she's gonna have to train hard to keep it hers. Nothing wrong with that though. She seems quite motivated.

Medley.

As the event was held, everyone pitched in and helped remove items from the platform…well I pretty much video taped actually. Gil took this event down also (only missing the Fatman). He was followed by John, Josh and Tom and I for 4th. Biggest highlight? Gil literally tossed a full sized INCH on the platform. Since I had trained with Tom before, I was familiar with his medley items. In theory, I should only have missed the INCH. That of course dismisses the fact that I haven't training anything but bending in over a year. I missed 5 items that I would have got at my peak. Que-sara-sara. Because of my heart, the Medley was like the longest 2 minutes of my life. I kept asking for the time…not believing it wasn't up. Eventually I just walked away from the event. My heart is good for about a minute of the Medley…possibly after my surgery (Oct.21st) I'll be able to start making strides in Cardio-land. If I ever make it to Nat's…I'm going to have to really pace myself. I can't even imagine what a 4 minute Medley would feel like. I think with GripNewbies and the Yoots (My Cousin Vinny) there, there probably should have been some lighter items to lift.

The Tally. While Tom was tallying things up, I sat on my butt and caught my breath. I was supposed to go over some bending stuff with Josh, but thankfully he saw my condition and let me collect myself. Gil took the overall, followed by Josh and Wojo for a tie for second, followed by Tom and I for a tie for 4th. Gary took Masters, Marie the woman's division and Jacob for the Youth. I was pleased that Tom singled out Jacob…despite him being older. It's only going to light the fire in Andrew…which in turn will make Jacob try harder to maintain his lead. Everyone got to pick out a prize from the goody box. I was going to pass on my choice (since I had the items) but Tom mentioned the keychain. I grabbed one. Before going outside, Andrew asked if I wanted to trade for his Zenith. Not thinking I said no…since I wasn't interested in the Zenith. He said thanks and calmly walked away. (I like these kids) This is the part of me that my wife calls Asberger-ish. I sometimes take things very literally. Thanks to being married to Maureen for 6 years, I woke up. I called Andrew back and just gave him the keychain. The smile that lit up his face made me feel great. I was so pleased that he was pleased. Similarly, Wojo gave Jacob the second Grandfather Clock Grip Sytem/V bar, so he would have a pair of them to do pullups with.

Pics and Pizza. We went outside for some group photos. Wojo and I stood on concrete blocks (no…I’m 6'4"…not 7' tall).

Tom suggested we go for pizza, and Gil, Maria, Wojo and myself were able to join him and the kids. He bought a couple of tasty pies and drinks around…wouldn't take a dime from anyone. Much appreciated lunch Tom! Maureen met us there and we all chatted before going our separate ways. Thankfully I got a few well lit pics at the pizza joint. I should have thought of it before Gil and Maria left…but hey…we can do that at the next event.

Overall. Man I had a great time. I think part of it was due to the complete lack of expectation on my part. I wasn't worried about whether my training would pay off or setting PR's. I just went and enjoyed myself. I enjoyed meeting everyone and was glad to reconnect with old friends.

Return Trip. Man I was glad Maureen insisted on coming. Thankfully, she drove home. She has said that like Andy Dufresne (Shawshank Redemption) I'm a hard man to know. She says this because I don't tend to talk a lot at home. lol …but apparently I don't have that problem around gripsters (or the gripboard for that matter). Anyway…she was very pleased that I obviously enjoyed myself so much and basically told me that since I've held an event the last two years, that I should continue to do so. She did make that suggestion that I hold it in April though. She's right…it was freakin brutal in my garage in June. Anyway…I'm gonna check the calendar and make sure I don't conflict with anything, then set something up. Since my gripper collection is almost complete…this time I'd like to get sanctioned for grippers (20mm). I'd also like to do a number of things I consider fun…like farmers walks. But not regular farmers walks with insane weights…grip ones. Like Rolling Thunder farmers walks, Little Big Horn farmers walks and IM Hub farmers walks. I've got a decent sized back yard where I can set up a measured track for it. Anyway…getting off track now. Big shout out to Tom for hosting the FIRST ANNUAL (hint hint) National Grip Championship and Crushed to Dust Challenge.

Kudos to those who made it to the end of this trip report.

[Durrs]

This looks like it was awesome. I'm going to make it to this next year.

[Tom Scibelli]

Great write up Nate! Thank you!

[bencrush]

Fantastic write-up, Nate! Sounds like a great time and a nice thoughtful gesture giving away the keychain.

Also, congrats on keeping a very solid level of CCS strength without training it!

Also, big congrats to Tom on a very well run contest!

[JHenze646]

"Gripsport's DC Metro Area's representative Tom Scibelli"

That should be his official title from now on.

Great write up Nate and thank you for your kind(dratically embellished) words.

[Geralt]

Great write up Nate! Thank you!

Dude congrats with your marriage. Also, a Brous' seal of approval is not a thing one easy obtains. It's like, the restaurant Michelin star equivelant for gripcomps. Congrats on that too.

[Tom Scibelli]

Great write up Nate! Thank you!

Dude congrats with your marriage. Also, a Brous' seal of approval is not a thing one easy obtains. It's like, the restaurant Michelin star equivelant for gripcomps. Congrats on that too.

Haha Thanks Geralt!

[wojo]

Great write up! Hope to get together again soon for a training session now that I'm a bit closer.

[Buccos1]

Awesome write-up Nate! Sounds and looks like everyone had a blast. When I first saw that picture, I was like, "Man they look huge!!" LOL Congratulations to everyone that competed … some sick numbers!

[anwnate]

This looks like it was awesome. I'm going to make it to this next year.

It was sweet. Will see you there.

Great write up Nate! Thank you!

Thank you Tom. Cool contest man.

Fantastic write-up, Nate! Sounds like a great time and a nice thoughtful gesture giving away the keychain.

Also, congrats on keeping a very solid level of CCS strength without training it!

Also, big congrats to Tom on a very well run contest!

Appreciate it Ben.

"Gripsport's DC Metro Area's representative Tom Scibelli"

That should be his official title from now on.

Great write up Nate and thank you for your kind(dratically embellished) words.

Thanks. Not at all man. You're on your way.

Great write up! Hope to get together again soon for a training session now that I'm a bit closer.

Appreciate it. Definitely. Once I get this heart thing squared, I'll be bugging you. lol

Awesome write-up Nate! Sounds and looks like everyone had a blast. When I first saw that picture, I was like, "Man they look huge!!" LOL Congratulations to everyone that competed … some sick numbers!

Haha. Thanks. Was a lot of fun. Next year I'm certing dammit.

[Anthony C.]

Great write-up, Nate. Are you going to come to the NY King Kong this year?

Edited September 23, 2015 by Anthony C.

[anwnate]

Great write-up, Nate. Are you going to come to the NY King Kong this year?

Ty sir. You know...I was just talking to Chris (Tank) about this. As fate would have it, they scheduled my heart thing for the 21st. While I should be out of the hospital on Saturday (hopefully...cause hospitals suck on the weekends), I'll be pretty restricted for about a week.

[Anthony C.]

Great write-up, Nate. Are you going to come to the NY King Kong this year?

Ty sir. You know...I was just talking to Chris (Tank) about this. As fate would have it, they scheduled my heart thing for the 21st. While I should be out of the hospital on Saturday (hopefully...cause hospitals suck on the weekends), I'll be pretty restricted for about a week.

Ah, darn. Recovery is definitely more important though.

[Frank Pizzo]

Loved the write-up Nate, sounds like it was an awesome contest!

Great results too.

[Anton.Torrella]

That sounded like such a great time! Reading this fine article makes me almost feel I was there. I'm even more regretful I couldn't join you but I'm glad Maureen was able to go with you. Sad I missed seeing Wojo again too. Been too long. Hopefully I can manage life better in the future and make the next mighty event!

[bencrush]

I was looking over the 2.5" Crusher numbers. Tom got the 200lbs (or 90kg) to almost full lockout on the Rolling Thunder before the contest started. And then got 156lbs on the 2.5" Crusher. From what I've heard that is a good performance on the 2.5" Crusher. And the RT, obviously.

Question to the competitors, and anyone that has a 2.5" Crusher: Would you say there's about a 50lb difference in what you can lift on the 2.5" Crusher vs. the Rolling Thunder? Specifically the new version of the RT.

[Tom Scibelli]

I was looking over the 2.5" Crusher numbers. Tom got the 200lbs (or 90kg) to almost full lockout on the Rolling Thunder before the contest started. And then got 156lbs on the 2.5" Crusher. From what I've heard that is a good performance on the 2.5" Crusher. And the RT, obviously.

Question to the competitors, and anyone that has a 2.5" Crusher: Would you say there's about a 50lb difference in what you can lift on the 2.5" Crusher vs. the Rolling Thunder? Specifically the new version of the RT.

I think for me the gap might be about 35-40lbs between the RT and 2.5 crusher. I did 156 on the crusher but I felt like I had more in the tank, maybe 160 ish.

[anwnate]

I was looking over the 2.5" Crusher numbers. Tom got the 200lbs (or 90kg) to almost full lockout on the Rolling Thunder before the contest started. And then got 156lbs on the 2.5" Crusher. From what I've heard that is a good performance on the 2.5" Crusher. And the RT, obviously.

Question to the competitors, and anyone that has a 2.5" Crusher: Would you say there's about a 50lb difference in what you can lift on the 2.5" Crusher vs. the Rolling Thunder? Specifically the new version of the RT.

I think for me the gap might be about 35-40lbs between the RT and 2.5 crusher. I did 156 on the crusher but I felt like I had more in the tank, maybe 160 ish.

I'm gonna guess it's like 35 lbs difference for me. I don't remember pulling more than 175 on the new RT. Then again...hand size could skew everything as the diameter increases.