If you ever have another comp on the day my son graduates from high school, I will quit grip. I can see it was an amazing event.  I hope you do it again!  Won't miss it then.  Congrats to all!

For me, hosting and competing often works out better. I spend much less time thinking about my performance, which I think is good because it means I have less time to put pressure on myself. I've noticed the same thing in armwrestling contests that I organize.

Legend in the strength community.  His legacy will persist for generations.

Hey guys, my names Kody and I’ve been serious about grip training (mainly grippers) for about three months now… it’s quickly becoming a serious addiction haha! I am 32 years old, 6’3 and 270 lbs and have been playing sports and weight lifting on and off most of my adult life and can currently close a #2 CoC with both hands after grip focused training. My main goals are to certify on the #3 CoC and to get involved in this great community as much as possible! 

This news completely floored me, and I'm still spinning from it. Eric Roussin allowed me to do a dedication prior to the first event of Day 2 of the North American Grip Sport Championship. Here is the short speech I prepared. "I woke this morning to learn that our Lord needed someone with a strong Grip. He called Richard Sorin.  The man called Pops, the Grip Legend, himself, has passed away. Over 20 years ago, one of the first people I learned about in the world of Grip was Richard Sorin. The first Captain of Crush. The man who coined the term Blob, he the challenged himself to lift a half 100lb York Dumbbell with a pinch grip, and was successful in doing so. Richard was my main inspiration in Grip. He's the reason I fell in love with the practice of developing a well rounded strong grip.  Over the years, any time I accomplished a major goal, he was one of the first I shared the news with. The Double Old School York 45s pinch, the Thomas Inch Dumbbell Clean, just to name a couple. I had the honor of holding the Global Grip Challenge at his facility, Sorinex, in 2006 and I was the MC at Summer Strong at Sorinex in 2011.  Today, as we chalk our hands and take our Grips, remember that Richard Sorin was a pioneer and paved the way for us all. And remember that no matter how well we chalk up, and how good of a grip we think we have, the people we love and look up to can be taken away from us without warning. And now, I ask for a moment of silence as I perform a 10-bell salute to the great Richard Sorin. Thank you."   I then took a Silver Bullet disk and chimed it 10 times.