Vinnie Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 On Friday evening, I drove myself the two hours from the parking lot near my office in Manhattan's Chinatown to the entrance of the Holland Tunnel nearly a mile away and figured, heck, I've come this far, I may as well drive the other 200 miles to the hotel and attend NAGS. Fortunately, and unlike Anton and Anthony, at no point during the remainder of the trip did it take me an hour to go a mile. But to their credit, when they had driven themselves the five hours from NYC to 7 miles out of NYC in North Jersey, they also decided to go the next 190 miles. The traffic simply could not deter us. It's a good thing, too, because if we hadn't shown up, there wouldn't have been that many people for everyone else at the comp to beat! This must be the only comp where someone PR'd on all four events and yet came in last (sorry Anthony!). And his PR's were not shabby - more than body weight on Euro and jug, around 250 on a 2 3/8 Napalm Nightmare, and several seconds on a COC 3.5 Silver Bullet. (Yeah, 3.5). But, at least he was the lightest guy there by quite a bit. Also occupying some of those coveted bottom spots: Anton Torella and me. Like Anthony, Anton and I pretty easily PR'd on our second attempts at the best seasoned jug we ever saw, at 173, and figured we'd take a 20 pound jump to 193 because of the antigravitational properties we had just observed at 173. We all got good air on 193, but failed it, and had to take our second attempts as the final. IN our defense, the three of us looked at Monstrous Dave-No-Last-Name and even more monstrous Abner of the Elite -- a guy who deadlifts FOUR TIMES BODY WEIGHT (180 x 4 = SEVEN FUGGIN HUNDRED TWENTY POUNDS!) -- and figured, ok, we either get to 200 or we lose anyway, so may as well be bold. Anton and I also did 3.5 on the silver bullet, for long enough to get a few bonus points, losing that event to Rindo only because Rindo managed to get the 4 for one second. Anton PR'd on the Euro, and I got body weight at 181 which was not a PR but I PR'd at 295 on the Napalm Nightmare 2 3/8, which made me pretty happy because I can barely do that on a 2-inch axle. On the medley, the three of us continued to pad the room for the big guns, scoring 8, 10, and 11 of the 20 possible points offered on 25 items to try. I can't remember the specific events for my buds, but I got my 11 points with: 2 25s to platform, hub 45 to platform, COC 3 silver bullet, COC 2 close, inch pinch 45 pounds to lockout, hub 45 pounds to lockout, shot loadable inch to above knee, stub to platform, 56-pound block to platform, 25-pound plate curl (that was harder than it should have been) and tearing a deck of cards. Thanks to Tim Butler, who was not there, for teaching me how to do the cards. I think I did it in 5 seconds, and if someone hadn't taken them out of the box already, I think I'd have done them in the box in 6. I ran out of time without trying the 12-lb sledge lever, which I did twice in warm up but just didn't get to, and without a second shot at the anvil to platform, which I also did twice during warm-up but missed and postponed during the medley because I wanted to get what I was sure of first. I was pleased with a total of 11, which tied the other two 83kgs who otherwise whooped me. Well, except on the SB they didn't whoop me, because Jedd's 3.5 remained my bitch ( I got the same 12 seconds I got at Cupid's). We don't know what the big guys got because they started their warmups after we were done with our 4th attempts and had gone out to drink I mean in the other room to warm up for the next events ... but seriously, Justin and Joe had a typical battle for the top spot, and Rindo put in a good word for us old guys in the 50 + club. Luke Raymond and Eric Roussain hit huge numbers as always, and Natasha from Canada chased some of her own PR's in between insisting to me that she was old enough to remember what she was doing "decades ago." Jedd, as always, ran a tight and fair comp, other than not giving me the COC 3 close in the medley, which I thought was close enough for medley lol. There might have been a hair's breadth, OK. But he was fair, because he called it the same way for all. At the end, I was surprised find out that there was a vote for most inspiring lifter at the comp. I voted for Anthony C, who PR'd on everything he touched, and I thought that brand-new Abner-of-the-720 and brand-old Rindo-of-the-AARP were close seconds. Yet somehow, the votes sent the $50 IM gift card to ME. Inspiring? Moi? Why thank you, now I can pay shipping on my next IM order ... I think I left out a couple of guys, sorry. I enjoyed this comp very much, felt like I got a decent workout doing it, and look forward to getting a little more serious for King KOng since my left wrist is healing and I see the light at the middle of the tunnel at work this summer. Be well everyone, see you all here or at comps, Vin 14 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Rinderle Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 Dude, fantastic comp! The contest would have been a lot less fun without the NY crew! And you're right about the SB. I needed to get that mini hold to beat you because I blew my gas tank on that attempt and would have been hard pressed to come back and out hold you on a 3.5. Again, great comp! Btw: my wife was the deciding vote on most inspirational. You and Anthony actually tied. Great job by both of ya! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donc101 Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 Great job and congrats! Tough comp! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedd Johnson Posted June 9, 2019 Share Posted June 9, 2019 I am so glad you guys all powered through. That would have been a nightmare to drive through, but I would have done it too. It was awesome having all you guys there and I'm glad you all had so many PRs! See you at more in the future. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abner Nazario Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 Vinnie it was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you so much for the advice and it was a pleasure competing with you. Truly an inspiration great job. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinnie Posted June 10, 2019 Author Share Posted June 10, 2019 9 hours ago, Abner Nazario said: Vinnie it was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you so much for the advice and it was a pleasure competing with you. Truly an inspiration great job. Pleasure all mine. I hope you stay in grip sports. I can't wait to see when you start whooping the big dudes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.