2023 King Kong - NJ Venue - Vin's Report

[Vinnie]

I wasn't going to King Kong this year.  I was bummed.  I wanted to show up to support my good friend Tim Butler, and you know, it wouldn't be cool of me not to give him a chance to beat me after that Maine comp last week lol.  And I knew Will Reed (the California dude, in town for the weekend) was hoping I could pick him up in Jersey City on my way through NYC to the comp, which was a little deeper into NJ.

But this was my weekend with my son, so I couldn't make him go to another comp after he actually did Nationals with me last year.  And I had a brief due this coming Wednesday that was not close enough to being done.  I was so worried about the brief that I was even thinking of canceling my weekend with my son, which I have not done in the 5 years since I have been divorced.  If I didn't have the brief to do, I might have planned on bribing my son with steak dinner to come with me to the comp, because he will do all kinds of stuff for good steak.  Alas, the brief. 

But yesterday, wallowing in freakish misery over how much I still had left to do before this coming Wednesday, I had an idea:  the brief was supposed to be due November 1.  I knew the attorney on the other side was looking for extra time to answer my brief, and I had told her I was gonna agree to give her the time of one extra term to do so.  And the court usually has 4-week terms, so she'd be getting 4 extra weeks.  But I think the court doesn't like to have two due dates in the same calendar month, because instead of 4 weeks, the next term is 5 weeks, with a due date of December 6 (4 weeks after my November 1 date would be November 29).  So I emailed opposing counsel, and said hey, this term is 5 weeks.  You know I was gonna give you an extra term to do your reply.  How about I give you this term, but you let me file my brief a week late, since it is a 5-week term and you will still have the 4 extra weeks we were planning?  She was like, "Yeah, sure."

So just like that, yesterday, I found out I was free (well, free enough that I could take a weekend day to myself and not work).  To top it all off, I don't even have to spring for Ruth's Chris to bribe my son: because my absent-minded genius son forgot to tell me he was going to DC this weekend for a senior class trip with his high school (as an aside, since I do a lot of asides in these writeups, there is a fair chance my son will end up going to Georgetown for college, which would be awesome because I love DC and will visit him way too much for his liking; we should find that out in March 2024).

I immediately texted Tim and Will:  I was in for KK!  I picked Will up in Jersey City around 8:15 a.m., and we got to the comp by around 9.  Tim and Chaz Strange were already there.  I couldn't wait to see all the guys.  Wait.  That was it.  Just us four.

Naturally, expectations were low.  I'm a gripper guy, and no grippers.  I'm very much NOT a thick-bar, Finnish Ball, or vertical lift guy, and there was thick bar, Finnish Ball, and vertical lift.  My best thing other than grippers is pinch, but narrow better than wide.  So IM Block is wide.  I didn't train.  And to add insult to all that injury, I had, of my own volition, transported a guy to the comp who is in my weight class (83kg) but grips like he's Tim or something.  I was destined to Finnish last.  At least at this venue.

The events:

2.25 crusher:  My comp PR on this was from 2020 I think, when I got just over 74 kilos (163 pounds).  Ended with about 83 kilos this time (about 182 pounds).  Wow!  Big PR, and I tied Will and Chaz.  I did not expect that much.  I didn't beat Tim though lol.  I'm not sure how much over 200 he got, but he blew us all away with what he got.

IM block: My comp PR on this was from 2019, when I got about 32.something kilos (about 72 pounds).  This time I got - wait hold on - FORTY (40) kilos (88 pounds)?!?!?!!?  Huh?  I know there are going to be some big numbers coming out of this year's comp because IM block hasn't been contested in a while and a lot of people will get new PRs.  But wow, I did not expect that either!  I tied Will again, too.  I think WIll and I beat Chaz by a kilo or so, but Tim blew us all away with a lift close to 100 pounds.

Of course, my worst two events had yet to happen.  Well, then they happened.

Finnish Ball:  I never did this in comp before, but I had maxed at 65 pounds with friends a few years ago, when I used to train more than just grippers.  I ended at about 62 pounds this time.  Not horrible compared to my training PR, but everyone else at the venue (yes, ALL THREE OF THEM) blew me away on that.  I think Tim got the most of the four of us.

Jug: I did this in comp at Jedd's once and got 173 pounds, and it felt so easy that I jumped to 193, and got good air and almost got it but missed.  So my comp PR was 173 but I cockily (if that's a word) thought I could do over 180 easy.  So I got 171 pounds and it felt good, and Chaz suggested just adding a 5 kilo plate.  The cocky got me.  I could not do the 182.  Ended the comp with a lackluster 171 on the jug.  I think I'd have made the 5 pound jump had I been conservative, which I should have been, given that there were no limits to the number of attempts.  Live and learn.  The other three guys beat me again.  Chaz may have cracked 200.  Will got around 227.  And Tim: 278 I believe?  Just about the only criticism I can make of that lift is that it wasn't the world record lol.  But it was certainly the lift of the day at our venue.  Congrats on sweeping every event, Tim!

We'll always have Maine ...

Well after the comp, we (we meaning Tim, Will, and Chaz) did some feats.  I'm 54.  Lucky I was still walking.  Tim and Will lifted some slick heavy anvil by the horn, and all three of them did juggly trick thingies with the Next Gen blob.  And some 154-pound circus bell.  No not me -- I was too fried.  I did get air on both earlier in the day, but I'd have to go at them fresh and purposefully to have a shot.  Not spent.

As usual, the day was a blast just because grip dudes are good people.

I imagine my numbers might be enough to put me in the top half of my weight class, but nothing remarkable.  I know KK is not usually a comp with events in my wheelhouse, so that's fine.  It's a great concept and its run very well, so I will always try to be in it when I can.

Thanks Tim, for the venue, and Eric and the others who make it happen overall.  Peace!

Edited January 22 by Vinnie

[Vinny F]

Great write up Vin..and congrats...  awesome too that you were with a great crew

[Vinnie]

2 minutes ago, Vinny F said:

great crew

Yes.  I don't mind coming in last when it's against those guys and I got two PRs.

[Hubgeezer]

Great job on the Crusher improvement. Men of a certain age have some trouble improving on the RT for some reason.

Congratulations on being the ONLY person to do a trip report on the biggest contest in the world as well. 

[Vinnie]

1 minute ago, Hubgeezer said:

Great job on the Crusher improvement. Men of a certain age have some trouble improving on the RT for some reason.

Congratulations on being the ONLY person to do a trip report on the biggest contest in the world as well. 

I loves me my trip reports ...

[Hubgeezer]

19 minutes ago, Vinnie said:

I loves me my trip reports ...

Personally, I think they are a great way to think deeply, evaluate yourself, and take the time to reflect. Obviously this is not a common public process. If I skip it, I feel like I am missing an important part of attempts at self-improvement.