2016 June - South Jersey 3 - Rich Cottrell

[richcottrell]

SJ3 “The Grip that Got Away”

While I was able to visit Nathaniel’s event last year, this year my work schedule just would not make it possible. 

I was working a big Copa Soccer game in Philadelphia and I was scheduled for 4 days work total, so I just could not cancel the gig.   I probably live the closest to Nate, so it was a real bummer too. 

For months, as Nate got more prizes from sponsors he made sure he tortured me with all the updates.  As a matter of fact, I was at Nathaniel’s house the day he got his Flask.  You all should have seen his face as he opened that box.

I think I put some pictures of that up on facebook.  You should have seen how excited Nate was for his event. 
Actually, I bought about 400lbs of used Olympic weights off Nate (at fire sale prices) as he dumped his old stuff for the calibrated weights he bought for this event.

Nate made sure he gave me all the details, and I even knew about the “special guests” ahead of time, but work is work; so as much as Nate busted my balls, he completely understood my work situation.

Sadly,

On the day of SJ3, instead of watching steel get bent and grip events,

I would be watching USA vs. Paraguay.

 

It would basically be yet another uneventful soccer game for myself; just another day in the life of a TV sports camera operator…

 

Luck was on my side a little -- as I would be working at the Philadelphia Eagles Football stadium.   That is only about 15min from Nate’s.  I totally planed on visiting for a few hours in the morning before work... 

Then my crew call kept getting pushed up.  First it was 1pm, then it was 12:30, and then it was 11:30am, so while I did get to SJ3, I was not able to stay long…

not long at all.

I was actually just at Nate’s house briefly the weekend before so I already saw the fine detail he put into this event.  Nate had previously loaned me his Little Big Horn and I was bringing it back to him for the SJ3 medley.   About a month or two earlier he had told me about the slight decline in his garage gym.  He already posted the photos of how he fixed that.  Amazing what a guy with a bum thumper is able to do.  I wish I was able to carry through with the passion and focus Nathaniel put into his competition.

Nate had made up clipboards for all the competitors so they could write down their own attempted weights for each event.  The paper had color ink with the name SJ3 and the date of the contest as well as all the sponsors listed.   The idea was it would be a small token of a take home item for each competitor so they could remember not only the event, but what they did or attempted to do.  Great idea!

These clipboards were all hung around the west side of the gym.  Above each clipboard there was a cool clip that also hung each competitor’s own 20mm set block.  I think those were gifts from Barrel Strength Systems.  More on those if I remember.

 

Anyway, on the morning of the SJ3, I was not able to stay long, but I did get there at 8am.  I should have tried to get there sooner as I already knew about some of the work Nate put into setting this SJ3 up.  I am sure he could have used some help, but Nate is not someone who asks for help, and he did not want to charge any money to anyone for his event.

Dude is relentless.

Nathaniel Brous deserves the title of:

“Official GripSport Ambassador.”

As I pulled up, the garage was already open and I saw a few familiar faces from the year before.  Already there was EJ, Jose, AAnton, and Anthony…

…I think…

Also, there was my good old -- yet very new friend-- Mike Krahling.  There is a good story here about Mike, but I will keep that aside for now, but just one note: Ambassador Brous gets all the credit.

I did also meet Nic Branson for the first time, first thing in the morning.  I recognized him right away.  We had actually done an equipment trade  years ago, but I knew who he was on sight because he posts some cool videos of himself doing Wooden Indian Club work.  I wish we had more time to talk clubs and meels.  I have a few sets collecting dust wishing I would use them…

After some warm welcomes and a fast hello to Nate’s wife Maureen, more people started to show up.  A lot of the actual morning is a blur for me as I kept looking at my watch.  Being late to work was NOT an option. 

I feel bad as I tried to keep many of my conversations with people brief, knowing I would be leaving fast.  As a matter of fact, I said my goodbyes to many people before the competition even started.

I would like to take a moment to tell everyone about another small detail that Nate and Maureen took care of.  They checked their dog into Doggy Day Care for this event.  I forgot Nate had a dog, until the week before when I visited to drop off the little big horn.  The Dog is nice and friendly, but big enough to cause headaches… And she was excited with just me knocking at the door. 

I joked with Nate’s father in-law that maybe the dog was super excited because the LBH looked like a weapon in my hand, but either way, I think we should all say thank you for that. 

I would thank your dog too, but I forget her name.  Tell her next year, maybe, just maybe, Anton will also spend the night in doggy day care too…

I had a chance to talk with the mystery special quest, Chris Schoeck.  I knew he would be at the SJ3 [insider trading with Nate] and after seeing the “Bending Steel” documentary a few months earlier, I made sure to say hello to Chris. 

It would have been great to have been a fly on the wall when EJ, Chris and Mike Krahling started talking about bending and such.  I did get a few moments to talk to Chris about the experience of having a film made about him.  I was a Film Major at Penn State University and I always loved the documentary film.  My senior thesis was a documentary on a professional wrestler.  I had so many questions for Chris, I just do not think the SJ3 and my limited time available made for an appropriate time and place…

At one point on the morning of the comp, I asked Nate how I could help before I jetted.  We agreed I would be the  “gripper bitch” (hand the gripper over to each contestant as they shouted out there next one)

Before the grippers started, we had a CTD cert. 

All I should say is congratulations to Tom Scibilli.  I can not do any one for those things…

and I do not think I got the chance to even talk with you, but great job.

Anyway, at some point the shirts were passed out.  I knew Nate made one up for me even though I would not compete, so I proudly put it on.  As we gathered to take the group photo I had forgotten that Jedd was not coming.  As we were all ready to take the group photo I was all ready to suggest we parody jedd’s Killer Kawalski pose when all of a sudden we hear hooting and hollering from outside.   Up rolls Jedd with his camera phone recording his surprise. 

While I did already know about Chris Schoeck’s guest appearance, I still want to know:

Did Nate know about Jedd or not?

As the competition finally got started at around 10:30am, I only had about 15min left so Anthony said he would be the gripper bitch.   It was a little funny as he was also competing and at one point he needed a set block. 

Like I already mentioned, all competitors were issued a set block with their names on it.   When Anthony first asked for one, I handed his one to Jedd who then gave it to Anthony. 

Later Anthony was still trying to give Jedd back that “loaner” while he tried to find his own one… the whole time not realizing the one in his hands had his name “Anthony” already on printed it.  Literally.

It was a funny way for me to exit, as I rushed off to my uneventful soccer match.

 

Anyway,
I am still jealous of all you guys who stayed the day.  But I am thankful I was even able to spent 2 and ½ hours  there before things got going.   Thank you sponsors as well…

Nate, seriously, you are a great Ambassador of Grip.

Thank you for your friendship.

Thank you for all your hard work in making the SJ3 into a premier event.  I am new to the grip world, but I think you just raised the bar.

After leaving just as the SJ3 got started, I worked an 11 hour day on my soccer game.

After work, traffic did not look too bad, so I drove back to Nathaniel’s.

I already knew from talking to Maureen that Nate did not sleep much the night before, but I just did not want to miss out. 

By the time I got there after 11pm, it was just a small handful [Nic, EJ, Jose, Mike, Anton and Nate and Anthony].

Anton made sure I did a shot of whiskey…. I was happy to have it.

Then we invaded the kitchen for the leftovers.  Wow.  Those ribs, even cold, were great.  Now granted I had not eaten sense 4pm, but wow, ohh wow!  Maureen’s ribs were great.  And I only got the leftovers!

Nic was soon off to bed as he had an early morning and a long drive ahead.  Anthony was also off to bed.

Another whiskey shot was required, then we returned to the gym.

 

Later, maybe around 12pm, Nate turned in for the night.  He asked EJ to lock up everything for him and I spent a while talking with Jose, EJ and Mike.  Anton was there too; he was sleeping on the gym floor.  Total gym rate that guy.

 

I think I left at 1am.  I thought I was awake, but the 50min ride home was hard.  I should have gotten coffee as the eyelids were heavy.  Real heavy.  I was glad I did not drink anything more, but the next day I was up at 7am with the children and was off to the pool with the family.

 

I missed so much, I look forward to reading everyone’s Trip Reports, and I also hope there is more video floating around out there.

 

Thanks again Mr. Ambassador. 

[canthar]

Glad you made it by for that little bit, was good to meet you. Hopefully next year you can come for the whole day. 

Edited June 16, 2016 by canthar

[Squeezus]

He truly is the Ambassador of Grip.

[MRabich]

Amazing reading everyones account, how everyone puts a certain detail that others miss, and you go "oh yeah, I remember that".

[anwnate]

Haha!  Thanks for the kind words man.  That's got to be the best write up of an event that someone didn't actually attend.  Nope...no clue Jedd was coming.  Very cool surprise...a shock actually...of course I was kind of frazzled the entire day.

[Anton.Torrella]

Truly the best non-combatant write up I ever read! I'm glad you managed to come before and after Rich, it was great talking and seeing you again. So much so I refused to go to bed and just passed out there on the floor trying to maximize our time together - I do sleep best when surrounded by an entire garage full of grip implements - nah I was just way drunk - definitely gotta get an off-site cage for me next time - I'll give you a shout about coming up to astoria one saturday this summer and hopefully see you then!

[Anton.Torrella]

And all praise to the Ambassador of Grip

[anwnate]

2 hours ago, Anton.Torrella said:

And all praise to the Ambassador of Grip

Oh Jesus.  Ummm. I mean Michael Phillips. 

[anwnate]

"I would thank your dog too, but I forget her name.  Tell her next year, maybe, just maybe, Anton will also spend the night in doggy day care too…"

Maureen laughed out loud at this.