2002 us grip champs

[bseedot]

Alright folks, excluding myself and a couple of my friends, there is only one paid entry thus far.  Is there any interest in this contest?  Who is going to compete?  I can lift with my friends anytime so if that's all it's going to be we can call it a day and have a BBQ and beer on August 17th instead.

What's the verdict folks?

BC.

[RSW]

BC,

        I am sorry  I can't  make it this year, but I will be there next year if you hold a grip championship.  Maybe you should scale it back this year, rather than cancel it?

Robert

[Guest reid73]

I still plan on going ..I suppose I should send in my entry form and payment .I have just been procrastinating

James

[bseedot]

The response, or lack thereof, to this thread concerns me.  Is this where grip strength endeavors stand in the United States?  It’s very disconcerting to see that nobody is interested in competing in this contest or, really, any grip contest.  I, and two of my friends, comprised almost half of the male competitors at last year’s Super Grip Challenge.  The U.S. Grip Strength Championships, as stated before, is to be held at a venue in the middle of the country and only ten minutes away from a major international airport.  The events are standard and, personally, I think that the line-up is a well-rounded test of overall grip strength.  

I enjoy lower arm training, in part, for it’s hugely wide variety of exercises.  If all we want to do is discuss how many times we rep out with our grippers in the comfort of our basement that’s fine, but understand that that’s as far as grip will go in the U.S. if that’s the case.  Someone posts “my grippers came” and it’s now approaching 500 hits and 20 responses.  Why the willingness to fly to the AOBS dinner and not a grip contest?  Really, for those who went I’d like to know.

What do you think would happen if the Europeans decided to fly over here and compete in the Super Grip Challenge or the U.S. Grip Strength Championships some year?  I’ll tell you… they’d mop the floor with our ass is what they’d do.  Please do not misconstrue that statement.  I‘m not advocating an adverse stance toward international grip trainers.  I’m not even saying that they’d win because they’re stronger.  What I am asserting is the point that we have two major grip contests this year in the United States and nobody is interested.  What I am advocating is that we not let this happen.  We all want to see the promotion and development of lower arm strength as recreation and sport.  If grip contests are the wrong way to do this then what do you think would better help promote the sport?  That’s not a rhetorical question.  I’d really like to hear what people think about how to make this sport better.

I understand perfectly well that internet chatter can often be a bit overzealous and exaggerated.  But I don’t think that anyone who knows anything about lower arm strength training would deny that this board is the best place, in both virtual and physical reality, to share and learn about grip training.  If no one is interested in such contests here, at this board, who can be expected to care elsewhere?  Why should the uneducated folks in the world take an interest in something in which we apparently don’t take an interest?  How are they to even learn of the joy and power of grip training if no one cares enough to promote the sport?

I am at a loss.  What are your thoughts?

BC.

[Nathan Say]

I'd go but it's too far away. I'm on the west coast & I've also got school to take care of.   I thought for sure there would be a big turnout because when you first posted it before it sounded like lots were interested.  

[Bill Piche]

Maybe the "nationals" aspect of it is the problem?

I think maybe you have to build it at the local level first Brian if you are to get grip propagated.  Unless the "championing" is done actively first at the local level, forget it. It won't go IMO.  

Maybe we should get NASA to start including some grip events in their PL contests?  They put on enough contests around the U.S.

There's also a few potential top US guys who are training for specific "feats" of grip strength which waters things down as well.

[mobsterone]

I am very surprised that of 300 million plus and having had such a great turnout for the AOBS that you haven't had a better turnout. As for us coming over I suspect you're right - we'd kick butt by sheer numbers  :p

BTW 'nationals' is as importent a word as Novice or Intermediate. It means nowt without regionals etc. Don't be letting a name or title put you off. DH calls his comp the 'British Iron Grip Championships'. Call it what u like just compete.

[Guest OoklaTheMok]

I thought that I would chime in here not to answerfor Brian, but to give my own thoughts and answer his questions...

As the person asked to judge/ref at the competition, I talked to Brian a lot about the 'name' of it.  My response to the question of "should it actually be called the 'championships'" , which I think we have heard a number of times along the way, was this:  If it shouldn't be called the championships, what should?  

At the time (March?) I don't think I knew if Kevin was even going to hold the SuperGrip for sure or not, and if he wasn't, this would have been the ONLY grip comp in the US in 2002.  I guess if there is only one contest in the entire nation you can basically either choose to call it the 'Local 188 Tire Union's Grip-a-thon' or the 'U.S. Grip Championships', but if your intent was to try and help burdgeon a 'sport' that had *nothing* going on for it at the time, I think you take the bull by the horns.  Nobody besides Kevin was putting forth the effort to promote ANY competition, let alone anything that someone could call a championship of anything, so I don't think the name was out of line.  If you hold a powerlifting meet in your basement and call it the World Championships there are obviously some issues, but that was why Brian *put it on the internet* and tried to publicize it, so that it would bring the best quality people who were *willing to compete*.

I haven't actually talked to Brian in person about why *I* think nobody is signed up to compete, and I think it is sheer laziness.  Everyone talks a good game, but when it comes time to either compete or help out, the faces disappear back into the crowd.

If you don't have money, I think *that* is a legitimate claim.  I really do.  God knows that as a college student I had times where spending $30 for an entry fee plus some gas money would have broken me.  Even know, my *entire* 'entertainment' or 'fun money' budget for the year is devoted to equipment/competing/lifting, and sometimes I can't compete somewhere because I can't afford it.  But, just about anything else is pure excuse.  In the last few years, between PL and then strongman and now OL I have competed in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and on and on.  The fact is, if you have the money and the time, the only reason you don't go is that you don't care.  I KNOW there are people who live in Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, etc. who claim to be 'grip people', and who might even be members here for all I know, who would have no problem with the $25 entry fee and driving to the Twin Cities.  

What is frustrating for a promoter is all the people that say “Oh, I want to see some contests” or “I would go to a contest”, and then when it comes time they go into the “oh, I don’t want to compete until my lifts are up” or “I don’t drive more than 40 minutes”.  That’s fine.   It’s called the market.  If people don’t want to compete, there is no reason to go.  But the fact that these same people express all this interest to you and e-mail you and claim that they would be on board for any kind of institutionalized promotion of the sport, and then won’t drive to your contest where you purposefully set the entry fee at the bottom of the barrel to attract more entries, it will start to get to you.  If you are not willing or interested enough to break out of your holding pattern, don’t blow a lot of smoke and say you will.  I think that as a new promoter, Brian has now learned that happens the hard way.  It will be too bad when he holds his next contest and it is a strongman contest, because he gave the grip contest a fair shake and nobody cared.

The problem is, unless you are going to hold a meet in someone's backyard and use his favorite lifts, 9 times out of 10 he is not coming.  That's just the way it is now.  Everyone wants to be catered to, and everyone wants a trophy.

[mobsterone]

Taking your point regarding favourite lifts have spoken to David Horne on this subject in the past and felt as you inferred. Now I feel otherwise. I would not train for an all-round grip as I do now if it wasn't for the competitions favoring those I have a feel for over others. Its another reason TO compete as opposed to not.

[Guest davidmidtvedt]

I haven't actually talked to Brian in person about why *I* think nobody is signed up to compete, and I think it is sheer laziness.  Everyone talks a good game, but when it comes time to either compete or help out, the faces disappear back into the crowd.

I live in Minneapolis.  I'd be happy to help out if you guys need an extra hand.

As for competing, I just had a year away from any sort of lifting as I went through a grueling year at school and some health problems--e.g., torn cartilage in my left hip socket.  I probably couldn't even pick up two 190 lb. 'bells, let alone walk with them.  Heck, I wasn't even that strong last year.  So I don't even talk a good game.  (Not to mention, I don't have any of the IronMind toys.)  Anyway, I was looking forward to watching and learning, and if you want a hand, let me know.

David Midtvedt

midt0006@umn.edu

[Kevin Fulton]

Brian,

I understand your frustrations but don't let the lack of interest get you down.

I am planning on competing, I just haven't got my entry in yet.  Most likely I will be bringing one other competitor with me.  Also I will bring the Inch Replica if you want.  That may generate some curiosity.  I can't remember all the events but I guess it hardly matters as I haven't had time to train anyway.  We have been working 14-16 hr. days for weeks now.  I think it is about a 10 hr. drive from here to Minneapolis.  We'll probably drive all night and be there the morning of the competition, and then head back right after.  It is extremely dry here and all our irrigation wells are running non-stop.  If it doesn't start raining at some point I may have to cancel but otherwise I plan on being there.  I'm looking forward to getting away for a few days and hopefully meeting some grip enthusiast.  Actually a grip contest sounds kind of relaxing at this point!  Maybe you could combine the beer and BBQ along with the contest!  Best of luck with the contest preparation.

Kevin

[Kevin Fulton]

A couple of other things.....

I have no qualms about the name of your contest.  I see it as an opportunity to compete and for the most part the name of the contest is not that important to me.  I just reviewed the events and I think they are excellent for an all-round grip contest.  Not sure if I will be worth a darn at a few of them but I do like the event selection.

[bencrush]

I'll be lifting at the Super Grip Challenge this year, and I've tried (begged, pleaded, cajoled) to get some grip training friends of mine to compete.  All of them have said "I wouldn't have a chance of winning."  And of course I told them..."No you wouldn't, but the competition will be fun."  And that's what people need to realize, that they should go for some friendly competition, to meet other grip enthusiasts, to see some monstrous lifts, and to support grip training as a sport.  I honestly won't care if I place dead last in the overall results.  If I have a good time, and everybody is nice (doesn't tease me too much about placing last) then it's a trip and time/money well spent.  Hopefully this will convince some more people to enter the comps, especially the Super Grip.  If any of you are considering this comp and haven't checked out the website (www.usawa.com) then you are definitely missing out on a class contest.  See you all there.