Today's Project

[Al Myers]

My “today’s project” for the USAWA is something that I’m surprised ET hasn’t noticed yet, as he seems to have a keen eye for things missing on this website!!! (or maybe he has noticied and just doesn’t want to call me out on it again!!!!)

As I was looking thru back history of our Championship Events I noticed one Championship Event not included – THE OLD TIME STRONGMAN CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!!! The history of all the others is there, just not the OTSM.

So today I’m going to go back and research this to get everything up to date. That will be tomorrow’s Daily News Story.

Topic

[KCSTRONGMAN]

HAHAHA. I HAD noticed that. I just did not want to hurt your feelings (LOL). I figured you would get to it sometime, and I guess today is the day.

I'm the lyrical Jesse James

[Al Myers]

ET,
I was going to discuss this over email with you, but since nothing about it is confidential lets discuss it in the forum. This way we can get input from others if they want.

John Mahon of Australia contacted me the other day with a proposal. He really wants to see the IAWA embrace the OTSM and start hosting an annual IAWA OTSM World Championships. This would be a completely different event from the IAWA World Championships. 2 years ago in Australia John promoted an “unofficial” OTSM World Championships following the Gold Cup and it was alot of fun. He had several lifters compete in it that did not compete in the Gold Cup the day before.

I have thought this over, and I am all in favor of it. However, I told him I needed to first discuss this with the chairman of the OTSM in the USAWA – Eric Todd.

So what are your thoughts on going forward with this?

[KCSTRONGMAN]

I prefer the OTSM tsar or sensei, you can pick either. That being said, I am not oppsoed to the notion. I have studied on it, and have a couple thoughts. In order for it to draw maximum competition and truly be a world meet, I would propose that we either do it as a postal or hold it in conjunction with the World meet or the Gold cup. The Gold Cup would probably be better, as you are not already going throug a full meet. Just a few thoughts.
ET

I'm the lyrical Jesse James

[Al Myers]

ET,
Your views on this are exactly what I was initially thinking, that it would be good to combine the GC and the OTSM Worlds. This is what John did when he promoted the OTSM Worlds in 2015.

However, the more I have thought about it I have had a change of mind. The OTSM Champs would be better fitted to follow the GC than Worlds (since the GC is a one day event). But it would never work longterm, as it would not be right to expect that of every meet director of the GC. Several GC promoters are interested in only the GC, and not the OTSM. Now not saying occassionally it could be so. Also, the OTSM crowd is completely different from the GC crowd.

I would like to see this as a July World Championships which would allow lifters to travel to a IAWA event who can not make the Oct Worlds or the Nov Gold Cup. Now for numbers of overseas lifters attending – I doubt it will every be huge. But recently it has not been great for USAWA lifters attending overseas IAWA events either. I doubt it would be much different.

[KCSTRONGMAN]

Would you be opposed to the idea of at least starting it out as a postal? I am just thinking in terms of getting maximum participation from as many countries as possible. That way we could hopefully garner interest and get people involved, then move toward an actual world OTSM meet, where we could meet together and contestthe lifts? just some ideas.

I'm the lyrical Jesse James

[Al Myers]

I am not opposed to that (starting as a World OTSM Postal) at all.

When I’m at Worlds I will talk more with the Australians to gauge their interest.

[KCSTRONGMAN]

Sounds good Al.

I'm the lyrical Jesse James

[John Mahon]

There is a lot of interest in the Otsm here in Australia. Since I have been running Otsm meets I have noticed that they are our most popular meet. I get a lot of interest from people about the Otsm and all of the new lifters that have come into the sport have done so because they want to compete in the Otsm. The biggest surprise I found was how the ” old crew” have taken to the concept. Guy like John Patterson have really taken to it.

I am not opposed to the suggested dates or a postal. The thing is that we would take on the Otsm Worlds over the Gold Cup due to the fact that we do not get a lot of interest in the Gold Cup over here and it is also a long way to travel to do 1 lift. I would most likely do what I did in 2015 but take out the highlander meet and just have the GC and Otsm worlds. But that is unique to Australia’s situation and I wouldn’t expect other GC promotors to take on the Otsm.

[Al Myers]

John,
Totally agree with what you said.

I would bet if IAWA started hosting an OTSM World Championships half the time it would be held in conjunction with the Gold Cup, like the next day. This would make it a full two day weekend of competition, like the World Championships.

And WELCOME to the forum!!!!
Al

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