Events for British contests

Been thinking this for a while and wondered peoples opinions on this

We have numerous contests in Britain and the events are VERY different to what we see at WSM, is it everyones opinion that our contests should be more similar to what happens at WSM as surely this is where people want to be competing and would help our British guys when we go to Worlds

Examples are things like

Stone platforms being stupidly low when at WSM the lowest is 4' 8"
fingals fingers always being there yet they very rarely appear in comps in England
Lot's of Max Log's etc when at WSM it is always for reps

My opinion is that the events should be as close to at WSM as possible, I notice comps going on that are very static when at WSM they are more about mobility and carrying heavy weights.

Add to that the suit phobia the UK has when abroard they're part and parcel.

I think its because promoters put in events they think people will want to watch, and athletes will want to do, rather than what will prepare the elite for international competition.  after all how many guys get to go and compete abroad?  not many.

I'm not so much talking about novice comps etc. I am more talking top level British comps! Surely all the guys in the top 15 at least are aiming to compete at WSM one day! Do you not think though that they do the same at WSM, the events are put in as they are the most entertaining to watch! Maybe not so much for the real hardcore fans but I am talking about the general public

Yeah Tony that too!! Why ban suits when they can be used in pretty much every top level comp!

My best guess would be that promoters have their own view on the sport and how it should be, and that influences what events they put into their competitions. 

I suppose availability of equipment plays a part.

For example I probably have enough stuff at home to put on a decent basic show.  I wouldn't know where to start looking though for stuff like fingals fingers, conans etc.  Thats without mentioning the plane pull type events!

On the max log issue,  I think I've done as many comps with max log as I have done with log for reps.

WILL SAN


My best guess would be that promoters have their own view on the sport and how it should be, and that influences what events they put into their competitions. 

Of course that is the case and I too have my own views but I honestly feel that WSM is the top of our sport and that is the way events should go, for the stepping stone type affect.  You wouldn't have all the england footballers playing 5-a-side all year then throw them into a 11-a-side game and expect them to win.

Obviously this is just my opinion and was just curious as to what other people thought

Too many cooks in the kitchen. IMO

Strongman is getting pulled all over the place in good ways and bad.  People need to unite and come together to help make Strongman a real Sport and not just a pub car park event.

There needs to be some sort of "Offical status" ie rules, real pros and structure ect, like the USA have. 

I agree with you Shawn! Some people put on stuff that is positive and good for the sport! Some contests are being put on that don't make the sport have any appeal at all!

It would be good if we had some kind of governing body in the UK.  I thought the UKSC had it right at first and I think the idea is right, just perhaps need to get a few more people on the comitee

totally agree 100%

I would like to see the things you mentioned in more comps Terry. What about other top level shows like the Arnolds and Fortissimus though?

I think the only way for the sport to get big in the UK is to have a British winner. We have a few guys that have a chance of doing that, the obvious choice right now would  be Terry (but you need to put 100% in to do it buddy).

If we had a British winner it would be easier to get sponsors for comps at all levels. Strongman needs to be put on as a big show, not some comp with a few guys watching in a car park.

As for events, I think WSM type events are the way to go. With one or 2 comps going down the heavy static shows. In the UK we have the UKSM which is much more static with different events so people can choose what shows they do. I like doing both as I feel it’s important to be good around as a strength athlete.

I also think people need to stop looking at WSM as light. This year there was 155kg axle for reps, 160kg farmers for 50metres, 350kg Deadlift, and heavy squat. The only event that was light was the stones but doing them with a run and to the high platforms makes it harder. Maybe we should have more stone comps with a run? Also there was a 90+kg dumbbell for reps.

only 3brits get regular invites to internationals where as in the USA you have 10+guys doing internationals. WSM is our chance to shine and when you see WSM over Xmas you will see all the brits did well and show we can compete with the best. But I feel for us to make this popular in the UK we need a winner. Terry knows he has a chance, I believe I will be in with a chance in a few years, and im sure others out there Know they can get there, so if we can all help each other buy putting on a number of comps that will prepare you for WSM then we have a chance of winning the big one.

I think to draw a wider audience you need a better ranking structure (like the americans) and i would personally prefere events to look summit like the Arnold which i personally feel is a better all round strongman event but that brings us back to the point of if we had a structured rankings u could also have a good events list for mid level comps to follow and with that you could look at funding ect  in reality every comp shud have stones with decent platforms, a log (either max or reps) farmers, squat or deadlift (maybe both) pulling event  and a drag event the standard layout for a comp should look like this in my opinion BTW would be great to get fingers in regular comps but can't see it happening especially low level comps.

Terry_Hollands


I agree with you Shawn! Some people put on stuff that is positive and good for the sport! Some contests are being put on that don't make the sport have any appeal at all!

It would be good if we had some kind of governing body in the UK.  I thought the UKSC had it right at first and I think the idea is right, just perhaps need to get a few more people on the comitee

 
Hello Terry.
 
welldone at the worlds, look forward to watching it on TV
 
First as many people know I along with Glenn started the UKSC, as you said its the right idea wrong people. for this to work there should be a comitee with promotors and athletes,  not a few people whom at the time thougth we doing the best for the sport, I belive there is a place for as many top level competitions be it BSM, UKs or event another top competition, as their all have different types of events.
The other point you make of competitions being the same as worlds, I think if you are at that level you pick your competitions you enter, all competitions should be different.
 
I think Loz (welldone too mate, watch the first truck pull in Stoke you did, came a long way since than mate) has the answer, when an Brit/English man wins the WSM it with give the sport a boost that it had in the days when Capes won WSM.
 
As for Elite strongman promotions we will help anyone whom asked us to win WSM or any competition at that level, but our events are for the live fans not TV. So this is why must promotors have events that are easy to run and are fans frenidly.
 
Bob Daglish

elite strongman

Terry_Hollands


I agree with you Shawn! Some people put on stuff that is positive and good for the sport! Some contests are being put on that don't make the sport have any appeal at all!

It would be good if we had some kind of governing body in the UK.  I thought the UKSC had it right at first and I think the idea is right, just perhaps need to get a few more people on the comitee

 
Hello Terry.
 
welldone at the worlds, look forward to watching it on TV
 
First as many people know I along with Glenn started the UKSC, as you said its the right idea wrong people. for this to work there should be a comitee with promotors and athletes,  not a few people whom at the time thougth we doing the best for the sport, I belive there is a place for as many top level competitions be it BSM, UKs or event another top competition, as their all have different types of events.
The other point you make of competitions being the same as worlds, I think if you are at that level you pick your competitions you enter, all competitions should be different.
 
I think Loz (welldone too mate, watch the first truck pull in Stoke you did, came a long way since than mate) has the answer, when an Brit/English man wins the WSM it with give the sport a boost that it had in the days when Capes won WSM.
 
As for Elite strongman promotions we will help anyone whom asked us to win WSM or any competition at that level, but our events are for the live fans not TV. So this is why must promotors have events that are easy to run and are fans frenidly.
 
Bob Daglish

Bob I think you're doing a great job in getting comps to the level they need to be and also a good mixture of events! Your comps always have great attendance, venue, events and equipment so you're obviously doing something right!

I just feel these comps that are put on at crap venues with crap equipment etc are bad for the sport! 

I do feel if we can get all promotors working together and not having clashing dates and with some kind of structure we can take the sport on to the next level and as Loz said a British winner will help no end! 

I have plans to put on a few comps next year and hopefully we can all work togther to make all our contests better than ever in 2010

I think we just need time to catch up with the International scene.

As for crap comps in crap venues we just need the time to evolve.

I joint hosted Sugdens Strongest Man comp last year.  It wasn't an all star affair but we did ok for sponsors,  bit of TV coverage,  bit of press and did our best to look after the guys competing.

We put it on with no prior experience and seemed to do OK.  This year we plan to be bigger and better,  same applies to next year.  In 5 years time who knows we might be on BBC1 at Christmas!

What is promising is there are lots of guys willing to put the effort in to make these things happen and where necessary dig into their own pockets.

IMO the outlook is positive in this country,  we just need some time.

Terry and Loz...

It is also about selling yourselves to promoters and sponsors. Never leave that to other people, but take charge yourselves. Check out competitions in other places like Sweden, Norway and Iceland. Do not hold back and enter any competition that looks like it will have some value to you. I know in Norway that they are having some really good comeptitions mainly put on by the competitors them selves. If you want me to I can put you in contact with the promoters. Remember if you can get yourselv in papers and on tv it must be worth it. I do know that there might not always be moey to win, but contacts and sponsors are often at these competitions looking for people to work with!

Even I had a 2 Norwegian sponsors looking after us (my husband and I). One paying for hotels when we were there for competitions there and one supplement company giving me some of their products.

Best wishes
Hanne 

Terry_Hollands

elite strongman

Terry_Hollands


I agree with you Shawn! Some people put on stuff that is positive and good for the sport! Some contests are being put on that don't make the sport have any appeal at all!

It would be good if we had some kind of governing body in the UK.  I thought the UKSC had it right at first and I think the idea is right, just perhaps need to get a few more people on the comitee

Hello Terry.

welldone at the worlds, look forward to watching it on TV

First as many people know I along with Glenn started the UKSC, as you said its the right idea wrong people. for this to work there should be a comitee with promotors and athletes,  not a few people whom at the time thougth we doing the best for the sport, I belive there is a place for as many top level competitions be it BSM, UKs or event another top competition, as their all have different types of events.
The other point you make of competitions being the same as worlds, I think if you are at that level you pick your competitions you enter, all competitions should be different.

I think Loz (welldone too mate, watch the first truck pull in Stoke you did, came a long way since than mate) has the answer, when an Brit/English man wins the WSM it with give the sport a boost that it had in the days when Capes won WSM.

As for Elite strongman promotions we will help anyone whom asked us to win WSM or any competition at that level, but our events are for the live fans not TV. So this is why must promotors have events that are easy to run and are fans frenidly.

Bob Daglish

Bob I think you're doing a great job in getting comps to the level they need to be and also a good mixture of events! Your comps always have great attendance, venue, events and equipment so you're obviously doing something right!

I just feel these comps that are put on at crap venues with crap equipment etc are bad for the sport! 

I do feel if we can get all promotors working together and not having clashing dates and with some kind of structure we can take the sport on to the next level and as Loz said a British winner will help no end! 

I have plans to put on a few comps next year and hopefully we can all work togther to make all our contests better than ever in 2010

First thanks for the kind words Terry, its always hard to please everyone as you will know.
 
But as you should know by now, Elite strongman promotions do not have anything to do with the UKSC (UK strongest man).
 
Elite strongman will still be holding our England's strongest man competition and perhaps add a competition to our now high standing level of competition and events for 2010.
We at Elite will continue to runn novice, open, qualifiers and finals for all standard of athletes, we will run all our competitions at the highest level we can, we will also continue to support all athletes in any way we can.
 
Bob Daglish
 
 

My 10p's worth!

We have run IAWA strongman comps for 3 years now and the biggest single problem is lack of funds.  We are not short of entrants, 6 or 7 minimum and 16 at one comp (considering people have to join IAWA to compete thats not bad) and the venues are not bad, and get better as we learn each year however the overall problem is the cost.
We charge £30 per entry which goes a long way but making sure everyone gets a t shirt and trophy and a bit extra (of course) for the first 3 doesn't leave much for equipment, transportation etc etc.  I have been lucky every year to have some local support, without it shows just would not have been possible, but there is a limit to what you can do.
The option is to not do the events or to do what you can.
Hopefully once the recession is over sponsorship will come back, and the shows can deliver value for money to a sponsor, even the small comp I run in Cornwall gets on the radio and in the local press, and we are not looking at mega bucks to make the whole day slicker, it just needs a few people out there to take a chance on strongman at a grass roots level, as in other sports, and step forward to help.
The one thing I have learnt is the static events may play well with the athletes but the crowd (and for that the TV audience) like to see stuff chucked around and events can be adapted to suit a sponsor, it just needs the right one!



We looked at making a fingles finger but it was beyond what we could do without real help, a large truck to move it and then somewhere to store it! 

The UK qualifiers forcus on static strength and the benefit was seen at WSM this year with UK athletes won the deadlift/squat in their respective heat.


Although max log isn't currently in WSM (things can change tho), it is a great event. It also allows competitors of different pressing ability to participate as the weight generally starts light and moves up.

Terry_Hollands

I have plans to put on a few comps next year and hopefully we can all work togther to make all our contests better than ever in 2010

 

How about a comp based on WSM events?
Weights may need to adjusted slightly to make it more inclusive.
A big benefit is it will encourage guys that are training for the comp. will want to acquire equipment relevant to WSM.
This equipment will inevitably start to turn up in comps UK wide.


I'd agree with the general thrust of your point, which is we have plenty of strong guys in the UK, the next stage is better preparation using similar kit. The better the quality of the domestic competition the better we will perform internationally.


DS