British Hand Strength Association

[David Horne]

We have gone a long way today in sorting this out, and this will be up and running for 2008. It will be a great year here in Britain, with events nearly every month, records and matches, and finishing off with the annual dinner awards.

It's the start of something that should have happened a few years ago. Now it's up to you folks in the UK to support us. All contests will be run under the aegis of BHSA, and all competitors will have to be members of the BHSA to be eligible to compete in these events.

All for now, plenty to follow.

David

[mobsterone]

All input appreciated.

[pdfk20]

thats great news

[The Mac]

Sounds great, when can you post up some specifics?

[David Horne]

Most specs have been sorted, and soon as we are happy with them they will be up.

I'm looking forward to the annual dinner already!

David

[pdfk20]

Most specs have been sorted, and soon as we are happy with them they will be up.

I'm looking forward to the annual dinner already!

David

So will this mean that gripping in the uk could be considered a sport, once this is all set up?

[twig]

Will there be novice and open members? Or just Members?

[David Horne]

Pete,

It is a sport. Hell, if marbles and darts can be classed as sports so is hand strength sport.

It wasn't long ago that UFC and MMA was looked as freak entertainment, now it's a massive sport!

Neil,

There will be just one members package.

David

[Cunny]

Who are the people who agree on the rule etc and are they voted in?

[wscorpion]

Sounds nice!

Can foreigners become a member as well?

[boland magyar]

sounds good david

[David Horne]

Mark,

If you plan on competing in Britain then it would be useful.

Graeme,

Most contest rules are already in place, in fact we haven't even discussed this. For the time being it will be run by Steve and myself as we run the majority of the contests in Britain. We will certainly put important decisions out for voting by the members.

We are lucky in a way in the UK, that most of the old and new grip guys and strongmen know me or Steve. In this position we know we can do a good job for everyone. After all I've been running contests since the 80's.

David

[twig]

So will this mean that gripping in the uk could be considered a sport, once this is all set up?

Bog snorkelling and black pudding throwing are sports with governing bodies! It's about time grip had one.

Most contest rules are already in place, in fact we haven't even discussed this. For the time being it will be run by Steve and myself as we run the majority of the contests in Britain. We will certainly put important decisions out for voting by the members.

We are lucky in a way in the UK, that most of the old and new grip guys and strongmen know me or Steve. In this position we know we can do a good job for everyone. After all I've been running contests since the 80's.

David

Well, let's vote for the big guns, then, make it a democracy right from the start: I vote David and Steve, any objections? No? Motion carried

[mbcx6pmw]

Sounds good, I'll look forward to hearing more

[mobsterone]

Who are the people who agree on the rule etc and are they voted in?

First you found, then you create rules, then you allow voting. Voting has been included in ideas for events, comps etc. But of course you're asking and I'm looking for ideas and suggestions. Be one who does, not one who asks.

[Cunny]

My thoughts.

Any money made has to be re-invested into the sport.

Europeans should be allowed as probably not enough Brits will be intrested and there are some awesome Gripsters within Europe.

Competition equipment should be available to all for training purposes at cost with no one making any money on it.

[mobsterone]

Good stuff. Don't agree with all of it but we need more input like that (I suggested the same as your second suggestion but worded it for ALL overseas competitors wishing to compete).

[Stew]

I am really glad to see this happening, all sports should have some sort of governing body and hopefully the strongman in the UK will eventually get something set up along the same lines.

I will certainly want to join up as after enjoying the comp at the weekend I definetely want to compete in some more bending and grip comps in the future.

[David Horne]

Graeme,

I can't envisage IronMind selling their Rolling Thunder's, grippers or Red's, or Arne his LGC V bar, or FBBC bars, or Ivanko olympic bars, or even my pinch apparatus (which is my own business) at cost just because you want to train on them. These pieces of equipment are available now, before any set up of an organisation.

David

[MalachiMcMullen]

Graeme,

I can't envisage IronMind selling their Rolling Thunder's, grippers or Red's, or Arne his LGC V bar, or FBBC bars, or Ivanko olympic bars, or even my pinch apparatus (which is my own business) at cost just because you want to train on them. These pieces of equipment are available now, before any set up of an organization.

David

I agree 100%. Just like strongmen have to buy their own equipment, why should equipment manufacturers have to sell their products at cost?

[mobsterone]

My thoughts.

Any money made has to be re-invested into the sport.

Europeans should be allowed as probably not enough Brits will be intrested and there are some awesome Gripsters within Europe.

Competition equipment should be available to all for training purposes at cost with no one making any money on it.

As before agreed with second point. We debated the idea of a reduced fee but it was pointed out that if they were willing to pay fares and board to get here then a few more pounds would not be worth worrying over.

Given that some points have been thought of lets look at the first: Any money made has to be re-invested into the sport

Initially the only money will come from membership fees. There is, as with all orgs, some admin fees (paper, ink, stamps, envelopes etc). I suggested hat some money be set aside for media costs. This can come in the form of DVD's send to the press as well as drinks, food etc from BHSA funds if the press attends BHSA approved events. You don't want to invite a reporter down, hope for a nice write up, then let them buy their own cup of tea. Finally, as David mentioned there is a planned and hoped for annual award dinner. Which could have a nice trophy given out and this and other costs for the day could come from membership fees. A kind of reinvestment as is promotion via the media. That said I'd be quite happy for BHSA to have funds of it's own. Sales of BHSA t-shirts, for example, can generate monies over and above any membership fees. Somehow I think we will not have 1000's of members overnight and BHSA 'board' members caning it on members fees for a long while yet (next year ha ha).

Point three assumes that the BHSA would make and sell said equipment. It has not been discussed as yet but is a possibility. Instead it makes more sense to 1) approve official manufacturers (perhaps for an annual fee) who can sell 2) approved BHSA equipment. Be they BHSA members themselves (David and his pinch) or commercial companies such as IM, FBBC etc (these have not yet been approached and so are examples only). In the case of a company making said equipment now they would not be allowed to get BHSA approval without asking. At the same time members would support said company so as to be able to train on BHSA approved equipment for events. Be that all as it may makers would want to cover their costs as they do now. Very little would change for those buying said equipment. Makers on the other hand would be on a list of approved companies and could show a logo on their site as would be done on the BHSA site (proposal subject to approval).

[mobsterone]

Graeme,

I can't envisage IronMind selling their Rolling Thunder's, grippers or Red's, or Arne his LGC V bar, or FBBC bars, or Ivanko olympic bars, or even my pinch apparatus (which is my own business) at cost just because you want to train on them. These pieces of equipment are available now, before any set up of an organization.

David

I agree 100%. Just like strongmen have to buy their own equipment, why should equipment manufacturers have to sell their products at cost?

It's not an issue to use, for training purposes, a replica of an BHSA approved bit of kit by one company (although if not an approved company we might ask them not to use the BHSA name etc). But at the same time I cannot see why we'd want to limit it, initially at least, to one company.

It's a long way down the road but once the membership is of a decent size an org can tell makers that they would want a reasonable fee to allow that company sole rights to make a certain item. Using the MM grippers as an example Warren T is the man. Say we ask him to make BHSA approved grippers and he does so and in doing so gets a good number of new customers. As time goes on other companies might see it as being worth their while having a bite of the cherry. Now either BHSA and its members (cos not only have they paid to be members they'll also be buying equipment as we all do now) see some benefit to allowing approval or they do not. If not - no approval. The BHSA might 1) approve said items and 2) ask for a licensing fee.

At the same time and again as per the MM gripper you'd want any such company to produce an item to the same standard regardless of where it was brought - thus giving any such approval meaning. Now if some bugger wants to take me out for a big steak dinner and give me free equipment that's ok (too right ha ha) but said equipment STILL needs to be up to par. More than a few of us have badly made equipment among our many grip tools.

[Florian Kellersmann]

Very good start. I hope Germany will follow someday...

[Cunny]

Point three assumes that the BHSA would make and sell said equipment. It has not been discussed as yet but is a possibility. Instead it makes more sense to 1) approve official manufacturers (perhaps for an annual fee) who can sell 2) approved BHSA equipment. Be they BHSA members themselves (David and his pinch) or commercial companies such as IM, FBBC etc (these have not yet been approached and so are examples only). In the case of a company making said equipment now they would not be allowed to get BHSA approval without asking. At the same time members would support said company so as to be able to train on BHSA approved equipment for events. Be that all as it may makers would want to cover their costs as they do now. Very little would change for those buying said equipment. Makers on the other hand would be on a list of approved companies and could show a logo on their site as would be done on the BHSA site (proposal subject to approval).

This is more what I was getting at, that if the BHSA comes up with equipment for competitions then it should be made available at a relatively small cost, of course any would be equipment manufacturer will need to cover there own costs.

But if competition equipment is expensive and only a few people can afford it then they have advantage.

My original statement was to get the ball rolling as Mobster suggested in terms of conversation and was not intended as a dig at individuals or companies.

[mobsterone]

No probs. Given the current size of the sport it is likely that we will follow the pattern set by other strength orgs. Thus unless Bawla members get cheap barbells you're clean out of luck