Heaviest Known Gripper Closes

[TrenGrip]

My 151RGC #3 TNS 

 

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLFqNYgQ/

Edited March 17 by TrenGrip

[dubyagrip]

2 hours ago, TrenGrip said:

My 151RGC #3 TNS 

 

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLFqNYgQ/

Haha i know who you are now.  You closed the gg6 at the arnold right?  I think i did shortly after you at their booth.

[TrenGrip]

13 minutes ago, dubyagrip said:

Haha i know who you are now.  You closed the gg6 at the arnold right?  I think i did shortly after you at their booth.

HAHA yea that was me!!! I hate how small that shirt I was wearing made me look

Edited March 18 by TrenGrip

[TrenGrip]

16 minutes ago, dubyagrip said:

Haha i know who you are now.  You closed the gg6 at the arnold right?  I think i did shortly after you at their booth.

Did that gg6 also feel like an easy gg6 to you? I can’t close my gg6 at home but I was able to close that one

[dubyagrip]

40 minutes ago, TrenGrip said:

Did that gg6 also feel like an easy gg6 to you? I can’t close my gg6 at home but I was able to close that one

Yeah, I closed it cold. It felt about 165-170.  The mount was really uneven, too.

[TrenGrip]

Just now, dubyagrip said:

Yeah, I closed it cold. It felt about 165-170.  The mount was really uneven, too.

Yea I also closed it cold. I closed the gg5 shortly after when I was meeting juji and it was like 10x harder. Definitely a very easy gg6. 

[Jared P]

List updated to top 30 heaviest known closes per category. Should be the final amount.

To make it onto the list currently, a person would basically need one of the following:

TNS - 142 lbs RGC or higher
CCS - 149 lbs RGC or higher
WS - 160 lbs RGC or higher
MMS - 172 lbs RGC or higher
DS - 188 lbs RGC or higher

 

[Jared P]

Interesting stat:

Only 13 people, confirmed on video, have ever closed a gripper rated 200 lbs RGC or higher. There may have been a few more, but their CoC 4s were unrated or the rating is unknown. Even including the unknowns, the number is still likely under 25 people though, all time.

They are:

Carl Myerscough
Nathan Holle
David Shamey
Ivan Cuk
Nikita Yurkovets
Youichi Okazaki
Martin Arildsson-Wahlström
Andrew Durniat
Paul Savage
Valery Tolstyh
Sergey Likhutyev
Artem Ushenko
Igor Kupinsky

There are a few more who were really close, with closes at 199 (such as Paul Knight and Chez), or estimated around 198 such as the MM7 and MM8 closers. But officially it's 13 people verified, so far.

Edited March 18 by Jared P

[TrenGrip]

9 minutes ago, Jared P said:

Interesting stat:

Only 13 people, confirmed on video, have ever closed a gripper rated 200 lbs RGC or higher. There may have been a few more, but their CoC 4s were unrated or the rating is unknown. Even including the unknowns, the number is still likely under 25 people though, all time.

They are:

Carl Myerscough
Nathan Holle
David Shamey
Ivan Cuk
Nikita Yurkovets
Youichi Okazaki
Martin Arildsson-Wahlström
Andrew Durniat
Paul Savage
Valery Tolstyh
Sergey Likhutyev
Artem Ushenko
Igor Kupinsky

There are a few more who were really close, with closes at 199 (such as Paul Knight and Chez), or estimated around 198 such as the MM7 closers. But officially it's 13 people verified, so far.

I just bought a 199 gripper. Ima needa find something at 200. Ima make it on that list

[stranger]

@Jared P 

CCS CoC #3 152 RGC 

 

 

[dubyagrip]

10 hours ago, Jared P said:

Interesting stat:

Only 13 people, confirmed on video, have ever closed a gripper rated 200 lbs RGC or higher. There may have been a few more, but their CoC 4s were unrated or the rating is unknown. Even including the unknowns, the number is still likely under 25 people though, all time.

They are:

Carl Myerscough
Nathan Holle
David Shamey
Ivan Cuk
Nikita Yurkovets
Youichi Okazaki
Martin Arildsson-Wahlström
Andrew Durniat
Paul Savage
Valery Tolstyh
Sergey Likhutyev
Artem Ushenko
Igor Kupinsky

There are a few more who were really close, with closes at 199 (such as Paul Knight and Chez), or estimated around 198 such as the MM7 and MM8 closers. But officially it's 13 people verified, so far.

So far!

[Jared P]

Someone asked me if I had data on how many people have ever closed a Captains of Crush No. 4 gripper. Here is what I was able to compile.

Confirmed on video, at competition, or with witness: 27 people

Aaron Corcorran
Andrew Durniat
Carl Myerscough
Cesare Ricchezza
Dave Morton
David Shamey
Gabriel Sum
Heath Sexton
Ivan Cuk
Jonathan D. Vogt
Josh Dale
Juha Harju
Magnus Samuelsson
Martin Arildsson-Wahlström
Nathan Holle
Nikita Yurkovets
Paul Knight
Paul Savage
Rob Vigeant Jr.
Sergey Daragan
Sergey Sankov
Simon Mahalsky
Steve Gardener
Steve McGranahan
Tim Struse
Tommy Heslep
Youichi Okazaki

Rumored to have closed a No. 4: 6 people

Clay Edgin
Gabriele Ferdinandi
Igor Kupinsky
Ioan Cristian Puscasu
Sl-Ghi Choi
Wes Peart

Alternative GHP 9 closers (virtually exact same RGC range as a CoC 4), confirmed on video: 4 people

Artem Ushenko
Qianchen Yang
Sergey Likhutyev
Valery Tolstyh

Total CoC 4 closers (verified+claimed): 27-33 people

GHP 9 closers (who didn't also close the CoC 4): 4 people

It's possible that I have missed a couple of people, or are unaware of them, but this is the most accurate count I was able to come up with. Leg set closes are not counted (Qianchen Yang), because they utilize the power of the legs which essentially act like a choker, especially when performing a deep set.

Even considering any unknowns, I'd wager the total count of people who have ever closed a Captains of Crush No. 4 gripper unassisted (no leg set or choker) is between 25-35 people in history.

Edited March 28 by Jared P

[C8Myotome]

So the above list includes known people that glued #4 handles onto a foreign spring and posted videos never showing the spring and then had nothing to back the claim up when questioned? I guess it's a good thing this isn't any sort of official list then.

[EmilBB]

Simon Mahalsky 
https://www.instagram.com/p/CrBkTp8oB7H/?img_index=1
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3M7W4fo4QC/?img_index=1

[Jared P]

5 hours ago, C8Myotome said:

So the above list includes known people that glued #4 handles onto a foreign spring and posted videos never showing the spring and then had nothing to back the claim up when questioned? I guess it's a good thing this isn't any sort of official list then.

Hence the asterisks, Doc.

But I'm happy to remove Joe Kinney from the list, and any lists, if people so desire.

And upon further research, I'm going to remove Panagiotis Kalamidas as well, after reading this thread. Quite clear that his No. 4 closes were fraudulent. Same exact grift as Tiziano, almost verbatim.

[Jared P]

Poll for the GripBoard:
https://take.supersurvey.com/poll5146290x55C1B79E-155

Should Joe Kinney's name be excluded or removed from any and all lists of known gripper closes on the GripBoard from here forward, including the recognition of his No. 4 certification, via GripBoard consensus (but not officially, which would solely be up to IronMind)?

[C8Myotome]

10 minutes ago, Jared P said:

Poll for the GripBoard:
https://take.supersurvey.com/poll5146290x55C1B79E-155

Should Joe Kinney's name be excluded or removed from any and all lists of known gripper closes on the GripBoard from here forward, including the recognition of his No. 4 certification, via GripBoard consensus (but not officially, which would solely be up to IronMind)?

During that time period from what I understand it was anything goes to certify on a gripper so leg sets, leg closes, and considering this list doesn't consider those to be valid closes and there's no known evidence as to what type of close he apparently did I wouldn't say that it belongs on this particular list just because of differences in what is considered an official close, even if it is an official IM cert from when the rules were much more broad and vague than what they are now. This list seems to be closes where there is video proof and as far as I know there's only word of mouth regarding his 4 closes/cert, but it is not something I have ever spent even 5 minutes researching. Either way I've never seen a video and this list is for videos

[Jared P]

Been doing further research on the GripBoard and came across these names as well:

- Steve McGranahan
- Josh Dale

(both said to have closed a No. 4 from parallel in a competition called the 'Backyard Bastard Bash', referenced here)

- Sl-ghi (Morgan) Choi
- Clay Edgin
- Igor Kupinsky

(also referenced here, though not sure whether in competition or video)

- Heath Sexton
- Tim Struse

(referenced here)

Edited March 24 by Jared P

[Cannon]

2 hours ago, C8Myotome said:

This list seems to be closes where there is video proof and as far as I know there's only word of mouth regarding his 4 closes/cert, but it is not something I have ever spent even 5 minutes researching. Either way I've never seen a video and this list is for videos

Maybe I misread your point, but there is a rather famous (infamous?) video. Maybe one of the most famous gripper videos? 

[Jared P]

9 hours ago, EmilBB said:

Simon Mahalsky 
https://www.instagram.com/p/CrBkTp8oB7H/?img_index=1
https://www.instagram.com/p/C3M7W4fo4QC/?img_index=1

Added these closes to the Heaviest closes list from Simon:

Wide Set
16. Simon Mahalsky - IronMind CoC 3.5 (175.9 lbs RGC) [source]
- Very nearly CCS, but slightly too narrow. Would not pass certification.

MMS
26. Simon Mahalsky - IronMind CoC 3.5 (182.7 lbs RGC) [source]
- He has several videos of heavier closes are that are almost MMS, upwards of 190-192 rgc, but they are slightly too narrow to qualify.

DS
10. Simon Mahalsky - Tetting Grand Elite (204.1 lbs RGC) [source]

[Jared P]

Found this video of Gabriel Sum deep setting a CoC 4, on Simon's Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQwEqEMIkpG/

[C8Myotome]

18 minutes ago, Cannon said:

Maybe I misread your point, but there is a rather famous (infamous?) video. Maybe one of the most famous gripper videos? 

.

Edited March 24 by C8Myotome

[Jared P]

@CANCRUSHER

Do you have any old videos of your CoC 4 closes, Gabriele?

[Cannon]

Maybe this should be it's own topic. @Jared P What precipitated the survey? It's an interesting move. Joe's video was shot in 1998 on a camcorder during a time that like 14 people were training grip. I don't know how much we can expect. He's on IM's official list. It's weird to make a "who closed the #4" list and not include the 6 people on the official list. 

As another example, what about Tommy Heslep? I'm not saying he should be scrutinized specifically for any particular reason. But is there a good video of him closing a #4? (There is a camcorder video taken of a VHS tape being played which is stated to show the only two closes he ever got on video. It is not good footage by today's standards. The sets take minimal effort, closes happen off camera, nothing is measured or shown clearly, and the closes looked insanely easy.) My only point here is that I think he's on the list above strictly because he's on IM's list. And in that light, how is Kinney different?   

I think this is a can of worms is mainly my point.     

[Cannon]

28 minutes ago, C8Myotome said:

plus the whole video looks really weird with tiziano style close where it looks too easy with no strain, i think if someone can talk turing a high level close it's probably a red flag

It's a slippery slope to start excluding stuff for this reason. I'm not saying there is no argument to discuss Kinney, but it has to be elevated over these points in my opinion. Adam Glass talked to me once about performing without the hype. He trained himself to do the hardest things you can think of while outwardly appearing cool as a cucumber. 

I'm not defending Kinney here. I'm more concerned about the can of worms when we start removing people from official lists on our own accord. It's weird to me.