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Post by jamesgrahame on Sept 22, 2008 2:27:09 GMT
I was tidying up some stuff and came across these classics from a Melbourne grip comp. This is Chris Moore who used to compete in David Horne's comp back in the 90's but he now lives in Melbourne. Gotta love the intensity! Great guy. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fEblAhb5yMIt's my bald head in the foreground reffing. This is Dave Stiff, an excellent grip guy in Melbourne, giving his all but in a different way! www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4xZvR0yvcA |
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Post by jamesgrahame on Sept 28, 2008 12:26:36 GMT
The first of 3 single-event comps running from my yard..
A couple of late withdrawals and injuries to Chris and Mat reduced the numbers for this comp. The best one I received was a txt basically saying "mate's stagnight...temptation of the strippers too much..hope it goes well".
It was a close competition and Brendan was hampered a bit with a bicep injury but fronted anyway.
Final Standings in DO axle competition
1.Ivan Zovko 129.94kg
2.Tom Basic 120.35kg
3.Brendan Downes 109.96kg
4.James Grahame 130.94kg (Guest/Ref)
Ivan took some pics which i hope to post later.
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Post by jamesgrahame on Sept 29, 2008 10:00:26 GMT
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Post by jamesgrahame on Nov 2, 2008 10:24:16 GMT
One late call-off due to work commitments but five hardy blokes braved the rain.
It was Tristan's first comp and it was great to see a new face.
final Standings in 2HP
1st - Brendan 76.51Kg
2nd - Tom 70.63Kg
3rd - Ivan 67.84Kg
4th - Tristan 59.08Kg
Ref/Guest - James 75.80Kg
1st 2nd 3rd 4th attempts
==== ===== ===== ==========
Brendan 65.32... 70.63... 75.80... 76.51
Tom.... 59.08... 62.78... 67.84... 70.63
Tristan 54.03... 56.57... 59.08(F)... 59.08
Ivan... 54.03... 56.57... 62.78... 67.84
James.. 59.08... 65.32... 70.06... 75.80
After the comp there were a few final attempts, with 3 guys finding an extra something in the tank.
Brendan - 80
Ivan - 70.63
James - 76.51
Ivan shot some video which i will post in the next few days
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Post by Steve Gardener on Nov 2, 2008 12:49:17 GMT
If I can I'm moving this to competitions... just like someone, ahem!! Asked me to.
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Post by jamesgrahame on Nov 2, 2008 22:26:55 GMT
;D
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Post by jamesgrahame on Nov 4, 2008 12:51:34 GMT
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Post by Steve Gardener on Nov 4, 2008 14:40:03 GMT
And for those lacking the guess work... it's all 2 hand pinch ha ha
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Post by jamesgrahame on Nov 4, 2008 19:59:42 GMT
Oops!
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Post by jamesgrahame on Dec 7, 2008 13:03:34 GMT
I had hoped for 7 lifters but ended up with 5.
Unfortunately, Brendan was unable to attend due to injury and Tony was unable to find someone willing to cover his shift at work. There was a record attempt on the axle and then 2 grip comps. They were supposed to be on seperate days but there were too many clashes with strongman training.
DO Axle (Record Breaker)
Ivan wanted to increase his record and a few of us tried to keep him company.
Ivan Zovko....... 132.50kg, .......134.99kg, .....140.33kg (Fail), 140.33kg(Fail)
James Grahame 129.94kg,....... 134.99kg(Fail), 134.99kg(Fail), pass
Tristan Woods.. 129.94kg (Fail), ..129.94kg(Fail), pass, pass
134.99kg is a new Australian record. Congrats Ivan.
vulcan hand gripper. Set with non-gripping hand
Tom basic......................R= level 6 L = level 6 Tot = 12
Ivan Zovko.....................R= level 6 L = level 6 Tot = 12
Tristan Woods.................R= level 5 L = level 4 Tot = 8
Matthew Maddox.............. R= level 4 L = level 4 Tot = 8
James Grahame(Guest/Ref) R= level 8 L = level 7 Tot = 15
One Hand Lift
Tom basic......................R= 171.48kg
Ivan Zovko.....................L= 210.33kg *new Australian Record
Tristan Woods.................R= 210.33kg *new australian Record
Matthew Maddox...............R= 185.62kg
James Grahame(Guest/Ref)..L= 195.23kg
Final Placing for vulcan/1handLift comp
1st Ivan Zovko.....................180.00points
2nd Tom basic.....................161.52points
3rd Tristan Woods.................160.00points
4th Matthew Maddox ..............141.58points
5th James Grahame(Guest/Ref)..192.82points
After this first comp, ivan had lost 2 chunks of skin from his hand and could not continue and Matt wanted to try the newly purchased stones so there only remained 3 lifters for the 2nd scheduled comp, the Rolling thunder.
Tome did some refereeing so I got to compete.
Tom basic.........R=64.38kg L = 62.01
Tristan Woods....R=69.46kg L= 59.47
James Grahame..R=77.31kg L= 75.03
Final Placing for Rolling Thunder comp
1st James Grahame
2nd Tristan Woods
3rd Tom basic
Should be youtube footage soon.
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Post by jamesgrahame on Dec 14, 2008 10:23:09 GMT
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Post by Steve Gardener on Dec 14, 2008 15:45:22 GMT
First let me start by saying well done for putting on yet another competition. Add to that getting bods there. The world is full of those that might, say they will and so on but only a few dare put up and get chalked on the platform.
That said a small tweak for the axle. Get the guys to lift with their feet on the mats as well as the bar. It's a tiny distance I know but the bar is higher up than it should be because you all lifted with the plates on the mats and feet on the floor. Nowt wrong with shoes off although I've always used my shoes.
I lift sumo style because of the back issue and this also shortens the range but is quite legit. Also regardless of my attempts, success,whathaveyou in competition the difference between a successful lift and failure for me is a few kilos. That means between 170 and 190 I might jump 5-kilos or less. For a record, esp if I am winning/in the lead, I'm happy to take even less (ie: 2.5-kilos.
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Post by jamesgrahame on Dec 14, 2008 22:15:21 GMT
Well spotted  , I will sort that out for next time. The axle seems to be very popular with the guys willing to attend and I think they will want another crack at it before I leave. Or it could be that a pretty girl passes by the street and smiles at 3.30 every Sunday and they all want to look impressive and puff their chests out ;D Also thanks Steve/David for the advice on the record attempts and blood issues as there was plenty of both on the day. I copied the whole 'monthly comp' ideas from what I saw happening in the UK. I hoped the increased frequency would encourage more guys to compete. However, it seems to confirm that there are only a small number of guys willing to get on to the lifting platform. I can't understand the thinking behind that, as I have learned something from every competition and feel I am a better lifter because of competing. |
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Post by Steve Gardener on Dec 14, 2008 22:34:26 GMT
Too true. One suggestion here was for the novice class to be resurrected but I'm not that keen on it. I do not think we'd get that many more 'bums on seats' as it were merely because of an allowance for age, weight and sex. There is, naturally, the cost as an issue. Having spent a fair few quid travelling and competing in various comps I know this one all too well. Travelling from London to David's for various Brits cost me around £40-60.00 a time, add on 2 nights at the B&B costing around the same (then anyway) and a few quid on top for food and drink as well as entry fees etc and I had to be out £150.00 every time I competed. To come 2nd, 3rd whatever.
Even now with the limit of my travelling being walking across the road I've yet to see a brass penny in profit. The entry fees cover the cost of the shirts as were and the trophy. I've been VERY lucky with sponsors (LKB and one anon US donor) which has enabled me to give away some nice goodies and usually another nice trophy to the 2nd place spot. There's bugger all left over.
I'd imagine driving up from the coast, as per Andy Christie for example, is £40+ just to compete and that's again on top of an entry fee. Then to do ok, perhaps get a PB, before travelling home must be difficult. More so now with the 'credit crunch' affecting many.
What I have is similar to what David has in Stafford and that's a reasonable degree of local support. What is needed is those that might wish to travel to get others near to them involved. You then have a means of sponsorship - by fees placed for a local event one might raise the travelling expenses to compete at a higher level. You have local guys wishing to take part in the competition and so on.
The internet can make it easier to communicate, as we are, over 1000's of miles but can mean we don't go out to local gyms and get them on board too. It also requires a certain mentality to see if local events, fairs and the like might be ok with a strongman event.
As for the chest puffing... yeah. Hence why so much of the strongman training we do is done in the yard for most of the year ha ha.
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Post by jamesgrahame on Dec 15, 2008 0:57:57 GMT
Looks like we are not in this for the fame, fortune and women  Nothing like a competition to make you realise how different you are. Not just from the general population...but even within that subset of people who lift weights. Add to that, some personal expense , inconvenience and the chance of injury and you know you are an endangered species.  However, it does give you entry to an exclusive club of like minded individuals who understand you and the way you think. It is like an invisible tattoo that you recognise in one another. When you turn up at the gym and you see a bloke with a broken leg doing bench presses, you know you have found the gym worthy of your membership and a new best mate ;D |
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, I will sort that out for next time. The axle seems to be very popular with the guys willing to attend and I think they will want another crack at it before I leave.
