Gripmas 2021 - Vinnie R Report

[Vinnie]

Yesterday I attended the third New Gripmas, hosted by Chris "Tank" and Amber Andrade at Charter Arms in Shelton, CT.  My hope and expectation was to get a silver bullet hold for any amount of time on a COC4 (I've done plenty of holds of 10 or more seconds on a 3.5 in comp), find out how I'd do on the other two events (Napalm 2-hand pinch and Napalm 2 3/8 rolling handle), and bomb the medley (as usual).  And in my weight class were Clint (who I knew would beat me) and a newbie who came with Chez.  As always, it was a fun and well-run comp, and as often is the case for me, I got the adrenalin rush and did better than I had a right to expect.

We started with silver bullet, which I knew would be my best event.  I drew number 2 however, unlike the last two years when I drew a later number and got to see how everyone else did on grippers before I went.  So I didn't know what I had to beat.  In the previous two Gripmases, I performed unexpectedly well on the gripper event AFTER Jedd had already gone, and just edged him out.  But this time I went first.  I got a WILD personal PR of 15 seconds on a COC 4, without even using my legs to set it (it was a light 4, and I am not great at leg setting anyway, so it was the perfect gripper for me to do this).  Then Chez went.  CHEZ.  And ... he also got 15 seconds.  Last year, it was a competition for second place to Chez on the gripper event.  But a tie with the King of Grippers?  I was salivating, but Jedd, the King of All Grip, had yet to go.  And this was Jedd's gripper we were using.  And Jedd had previously done well over 20 seconds on this gripper.  And Jedd knew what he had to beat.  And Jedd is a great competitor.  So my luck ran out.  He beat it.  No white tiger upsetting the Kings this time, but that was a massive PR for me nonetheless -- longer than I ever held the bullet even on a 3.5.

Well that was all I came to do; I had no right to expect that much on a COC4, and nothing else I could do at this comp would add or take away much from that.  But on the second event, 2-hand pinch, I was neck-and-neck with Clint.  I got 105kg for my third attempt and he got 107kg.  I gambled and went for 110kg for my last attempt.  I had never tried this implement before that day and 105 felt ok.  110 went up, but it wasn't easy.  Clint, wanting to beat me, waited for 112 and got air but missed.  I was now ahead in two of the three events.  But of course, the next event was the rolling handle.  Suffice to say, Clint was winning that one and, unlike the first two events, it would not be close.  I got 75kg for my fourth attempt, and Clint had not even taken his first attempt yet.  I am not even sure where he finished, but it was way more than that.

All that remained was the medley, an event where I never do well.  But there was still hope for a coup for me to beat Clint:  there were actually several medleys planned, and the person in last place at the end of the comp was going to be allowed to choose which medley would be run.  One of the options was grippers (can you say, "Vin"?), and one was blobs (can you say, "Clint"?).  And the person in last place was Chez's newbie.  And Chez was chanting "grippers."  He picked grippers.  I might actually beat Clint at a competition.  

But it was not to be.  At the last minute, the newbie looked at a bunch of blobs and got a hard-on fast.  "What are THOSE, big, beautiful balls?"  All of a sudden I heard, "The medley will be blobs."  And here I was, with four blobs in my car that I had just given to Tim Butler because I never use them.  Never.  I am a gripper snob.  And I guess I dabble in pinch.  A blob medley.

I got up to the half 90, but I could not get the 50-pound blob.  I budged it, but not going up.  I just don't DO blobs.  Clint repped it.

This was the way it was supposed to go.  Had the newbie chosen grippers, which really only Chez and I would have preferred, I might have beaten Clint, but it would have been a hollow victory, based on a good bet on the pinch by me and a bad bet by Clint, and two events out of four being my best implements.  This result was far better rounded, and the best men won.  Jedd won every event, Chez came in second, Luke in third, Tim fourth, and Clint fifth.  I finished just behind Clint, right in the middle of the pack -- but it was a tough pack!  

This was a fun, fun comp in a cool gun factory with cool hosts and excellent sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches and doughnuts.

Thanks, Tank and family, and to all the competitors.  Can't wait for more.

Edited December 14, 2021 by Vinnie

[Blacksmith513]

Sounds like it was a great time.  I wish I could have attended. Maybe next year or next event.  With good people like that and good food like donuts and breakfast sandwiches, everyone was a winner.

[climber511]

And the "New Gripmas Carol" is everything I knew it would be when Tank took it over - so proud of you Chris!

[Bigfoot Grip]

Awesome write up and Vinnie you should be crowned the new under 200lbs gripper champ! Between the 3 cert and the #4 sb hold you can take your place on the throne 

[Tom Flesher]

Vinnie is always an excellent travel companion! Great conversation, even better grippers.

Great writeup!

[Vinnie]

3 hours ago, Tom Flesher said:

Vinnie is always an excellent travel companion! Great conversation, even better grippers.

Great writeup!

Thanks, Bend Warlord!

[Vinnie]

14 hours ago, Bigfoot Grip said:

Awesome write up and Vinnie you should be crowned the new under 200lbs gripper champ! Between the 3 cert and the #4 sb hold you can take your place on the throne 

Thank you kindly, sir!  The sport is so much fun both for the events and the camaraderie.  See you at a comp soon I hope.

[liftyzig]

It was a great time and you made me laugh a few times,  great write up! 

 

A couple notes, IIRC, Luke got 3rd, Tim 4th, me 5th, and you 6th, a margin of only a half point separating you and I, well done Vinnie!

[liftyzig]

On 12/12/2021 at 12:21 PM, Vinnie said:

 the newbie looked at a bunch of blobs and got a hard-on fast.  "What are THOSE, big, beautiful balls?" 

[Vinnie]

3 hours ago, liftyzig said:

It was a great time and you made me laugh a few times,  great write up! 

 

A couple notes, IIRC, Luke got 3rd, Tim 4th, me 5th, and you 6th, a margin of only a half point separating you and I, well done Vinnie!

OMG apologies to Luke!  I forgot he was 3rd and not Tim.  And there is no shame finishing behind you 5, by any margin.

[Vinnie]

1 minute ago, Vinnie said:

And there is no shame finishing behind you 5, by any margin.

However:  if it was only half a point, I guess I wasted my chance!  If I had gone three more seconds on the SB, or got the blob, or done a little more for my last attempt at the Napalm rolling handle, I might have had ya!  But I can't complain.  I did way better than I expected on everything except the rolling handle, and about what I expected on that.  Very pleased.  I wanna play with that COC 4 some more.

[Vinnie]

6 hours ago, liftyzig said:

A couple notes, IIRC, Luke got 3rd, Tim 4th, me 5th, and you 6th

I edited to fix it.  Thanks again.  I can't wait to see the actual posted results.  I didn't see them Saturday.  It's fun to ruminate over them a bit.

[liftyzig]

15 hours ago, Vinnie said:

However:  if it was only half a point, I guess I wasted my chance!  If I had gone three more seconds on the SB, or got the blob, or done a little more for my last attempt at the Napalm rolling handle, I might have had ya!  But I can't complain.  I did way better than I expected on everything except the rolling handle, and about what I expected on that.  Very pleased.  I wanna play with that COC 4 some more.

I hear ya, its easy to play "what if", I could have beat Tim on SB if I held on for 2 seconds more! hehe

 

IIRC on the rolling handle I got 84kg, a 5lb PR for me, so you would have needed a decent jump to get me there, but I really should have tried to tie you on the 2hp instead of going for the kill! haha white tiger bit me instead!