2022 - Armhighland Gripstrongwrestling Powergames - Vinnie R (not F)

[Vinnie]

The Charlotte Pick-Up Artists hosted and won the 2022 ArmstronghighlandNomaswrestlingGripperfestpinchandalsodontforgetWristgodPowergames, but not without some fanfare due to a party crash by the New York Yankers (not to be confused with the New York Yankees, who are almost as strong and look almost as good as the Yankers, but for some reason seem to make more money).  The event was held in Hickory, NC's "Used Gym Store."  What an amazing place!  Worth a trek just to see this store.  The owner was onsite, helpful, and generous with sponsorship for the event.

So, here is the comp report from the perspective of one little old man who, as usual, did not steal anyone's thunder but had a really good time trying and not missing by too much, either.

OK, so Anthony C, Tim B, and I drove down from the northeast.  On Friday.  Into Ian.  Because James and Jason said the show was to go on despite the weather, we decided not to back out.  After all, it had been weeks since I nearly totaled my car skidding on a highway in the rain, and the best way to get past the fear that creates is to drive a few hundred miles into steadily increasing rain that you expect to be accompanied by high winds, on an interstate, around big trucks and crazy drivers, some of whom were in the big trucks.  But we survived.

The event itself was great.  We started at 11 on the dot with 20-mm grippers.  My best event!  I had checked out the competition set, which was one I had not seen (I am used to the 5-pound increments at the NAGS comps Jedd usually hosts).  My PR, from this June, was 155, but I have not been training and in my mind I should be deteriorating since my November 2021 IM cert, so I tried the 150 COC3 cold no chalk.  It wasn't too bad; MMS closed it without the block though, and the block gives me a little trouble.  I planned to open on that, because I checked out the 152 and 153, both GHPs if I recall, and they indeed seemed harder.  But then there was this 156 Tetting with a pretty narrow spread.  I was like, wait a minute - I might be just the right guy to close you, Sweet Tetting With an Easy Set.  So I opened with that, and got it.  No one else opened higher than 150, and the New York Yankers were telling me that I had the gripper event in the bag.  I had no expectation of such, and indeed Pork Chop, who has closed as high as 167 at these things I think, had yet to go.  But he opened at 150!  He said he wasn't working grippers much.  There were these awesome handmade wood plaques for the winner of each event.  Could it be that a 180-pound 53-year-old dude might win the opening event at a thing for strong people, that had strong people at it?  I became excited.  Not down there or anything, but some adrenalin.  It lasted until Pork Chop's second attempt, where he jumped up about 6 grippers and slammed the 160 Tetting.  Damn!  I had three attempts left and I've closed up to 165 MMS, but not with a block, and at the time I was at my peak.  I tried that dadburned 160 Tetting MM gripper for my last three attempts, and each attempt was closer than the last.  But no dice.  I finished with a comp PR of 156 and a decent gripper workout for the day, so maybe I should drive back down next week and see if I can close the 160 then ... but I didn't get the awesome wood plaque, dagnabbit.  Always the bridesmaid!

Then we did this weird thing called lever top.  James wanted to get some world record or something, like over 120 pounds.  So I figured, hey, I'm strong for my size and I am more than half James's size, so why not open at a little less than half what he was going for?  So I watched Garrett, this 17-year-old employee of the store, and figured I will open where he fails because I can do more than a 17-year-old; he got 50 but failed 60.  60 pounds, how hard could that be?  But I was cocky.  I don't think I had mastered the form, either, from what I saw of proper form once James got to doing his attempts somewhere up around 100.  I missed all four attempts at 60.  Damn!  I do think that I'd do a little more than that if I trained that implement for a couple of weeks and learned the best form, but whatever.  Zero for me.  Anthony got on the board with 40 or so and decided it was an injury event so he stopped.  Tim went for it though, and with his wristgod attributes, hit 90 ish on his first day seeing the implement.  And James nailed his 120-plus goal.  Wow.

Then to crusher, where my PR was 150-ish and I boldly figured hey, I am older than before, and haven't trained, so I should be able to do 150ish.  And I opened so I could hit 150 on my final attempt.  That worked, and I got it.  No PR, but can't complain that I matched my previous one when I had no business thinking I should.  But the fun in crusher was the upset victory on that event:  Pork Chop and Zach were everyone's favorite, but somewhere up around 170-180 they just barely missed their final attempts.  And Tim, on his final attempt at 188, shot his attempt up to the crossbar so fast that he just reflexively grunted once and then popped out two more quick reps that also hit the crossbar before dropping it and going, "unhgh!"  It was a sight to see!  So Tim finished at 188 on that, winning the wood plaque and barely missing a post-event attempt at 200 just to see if he could.  Wow.

Then we did the sledge choke, I think it was called.  Take an 18-pound sledge hammer and grab it as far from the head as you can, lift it to a table, and don't let the quarter fall off.  Tim and I opened at 11 and both got it solidly, then I tried 12 next and Tim tried 13.  I (barely) got the 12-inch mark and Tim missed the 13, and then I missed 13 for both of my final attempts.  James got 23, and I smugly reminded him that this was not double what I got.  He can't double me on EVERYTHING, after all.  It was double Tim, however, which might be the first time in history that any human outdid Tim on a grip event by double.  I mean, Tim is a famous beast.  He's usually the doubler, not the doublee.

I had never done sledge choke before, and I can only say that if I beat Tim at it, then I am happy with my result.

Finally, Euro.  This is not a bad event for me.  My comp PR is 194, so I opened at 171 in hopes of jumping by 10s and having a shot at 200.  I got 170 and 180 easily, and 191.5 solid but not easy, so I asked to have the final attempt be 200.  Scott, who helped load all night for no glory, got it to 199.9 and I said NO!  It must be 200!  Then he added and made it 200.28 and I said NO!  It must not be more than 200!  But I capitulated and made the attempt with the ridiculously overloaded Euro at 200.28.  I should have insisted on losing the quarter pound.  Oh who am I kidding, I didn't even get air.  I just wasn't hitting a PR that day, which of course I had no right to expect anyway.  Tim had an attempt left but didn't try to beat my 191 because he was afraid of tearing his webbing, and Bob Sundin, who has done as much as 220+ on Euro, tried the 200 but missed.  And I'm sorry he missed, but he has done 200 before so he can still say he did that, but now I can say I beat Bob Sundin at Euro at a comp and that is a badge of honor.  Maybe someday I can also approach his weight class record, but that's a long way off and he may well be safe from me on that.  But I take what I can get!  Zach blew us all away with 220 on the Euro, so in the end, I tied with Pork Chop for second on that event.

My end result was that I came in second in grippers and tied for second on Euro, and won two $30 gift cards to the Used Gym Store.  And I beat Tim in 3 out of 5 events, although he beat me by way more on the two he beat me on, so his comp finish had to be higher.  And I easily won my weight class, either because I am awesome or because I was the only one in it.  I think Bob Sundin beat me for Masters, but I got him on grippers and Euro, and I will take that.

Hats off to James, Jason, and the others who helped them, for throwing a terrific comp.  It was well worth the drive down there.  Apologies for not mentioning everyone or remembering everyone's scores.  I really enjoyed meeting y'all, including "other Vinny, with a y," from Brooklyn.  Look, I said y'all.  North Carolina slipping off on me!

Cheers.

Edited October 3, 2022 by Vinnie

[Vinny F]

Great write up!!! Glad you made the trip and getting to  meet you guys (no, I don't say y'all after being here in NC a decade).  No one got us mixed up with R and F which was a plus.

Each of you are super strong and it was a blast.

Highly recommend others come down

 

Special thanks to Jason & James for the pre-work and set up.  

UGS is a cool place with good people. 

 

 

[jasonotto]

Glad you were able to make the trek.  We always have a good time!  Hope you pin this on on your calendar every year now!  

[ZRMMA]

Awesome Venue and Crew to lift with. I thought one of the best things at the comp was the way several people had very tough lifts or even failed a lift… only to return and land the next attempt/jump when it mattered most. Jason’s 170 lift on the crusher comes to mind.

[jasonotto]

8 hours ago, ZRMMA said:

Awesome Venue and Crew to lift with. I thought one of the best things at the comp was the way several people had very tough lifts or even failed a lift… only to return and land the next attempt/jump when it mattered most. Jason’s 170 lift on the crusher comes to mind.

Yes I agree.  There was a good energy in the room that helped propel people to bigger lifts.  You had some beastly lifts.  I hope you focus on the 2hp because I can see you putting up some monster numbers, especially at a wide width! 

[Kluv#0]

Awesome contest for you Vinnie and very nice write-up as usual! I was doing some grippers this A.M. and was thinking about ya(In a gripper way) and came to this conclusion- With Grippers, you are the best in history of grip, 50 years and older. Your TNS in contest, SB holds in contests, 20MM in contests, MM1 and MM2 and the big daddy of all- Certified on the CoC# 3 - all of this done at 50 or older and such a light bodyweight- I salute you as that is freakin sensational. Indelible mark you have left no doubt about it.

[Vinnie]

1 hour ago, Kluv#0 said:

Awesome contest for you Vinnie and very nice write-up as usual! I was doing some grippers this A.M. and was thinking about ya(In a gripper way) and came to this conclusion- With Grippers, you are the best in history of grip, 50 years and older. Your TNS in contest, SB holds in contests, 20MM in contests, MM1 and MM2 and the big daddy of all- Certified on the CoC# 3 - all of this done at 50 or older and such a light bodyweight- I salute you as that is freakin sensational. Indelible mark you have left no doubt about it.

Wow, thank you!  That was nice to read, especially coming from a star like you.  I've worked hard at grippers, more than I have at most things outside work, so I am glad I hit some milestones along the way.  

[Vinnie]

On 10/2/2022 at 2:08 PM, jasonotto said:

Glad you were able to make the trek.  We always have a good time!  Hope you pin this on on your calendar every year now!  

Yeah, I will make an effort to hit this comp every year.  Well done!

[Vinnie]

On 10/2/2022 at 12:47 PM, Vinny F said:

Great write up!!! Glad you made the trip and getting to  meet you guys (no, I don't say y'all after being here in NC a decade).  No one got us mixed up with R and F which was a plus.

Each of you are super strong and it was a blast.

Highly recommend others come down

 

Special thanks to Jason & James for the pre-work and set up.  

UGS is a cool place with good people. 

 

 

Thanks!  Yes, I hope we can bring a few more with us next time, it was a great comp!