by Al Myers
One of the biggest and most prestigious meets of the USAWA is being held this weekend – the USAWA CLUB CHALLENGE. This meet pits “club against club” in a team competition. Each club provides three team members, whose scores are added up for a team score. This is not an individual competition.
It is still not to late to get your team entered this weekend. Just send me (amyers@usawa.com) or John McKean a shout!!!
It doesn't get any more MANLY than Pro World Champion Dan McKim in his Kilt. Come to the Strength Weekend, put on a kilt and compete in the Games on Saturday, then the Old Time Strongman Championships on Sunday! Dan has competed in Kirksville before and I hope to have him back this year.
by Thom Van Vleck
MEET ANNOUNCEMENT:
OLD TIME STRONGMAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Last year we had our inaugural OTSM Championship at the JWC Training Hall (AKA “Modern Day Torture Chamber” or “My basement”). I thought it went pretty well and as a result I want to make this an annual event. The date will be October 14, 2012, with the start time being 10:00am (weigh in’s will happen at 12:00am the morning of the meet or between 9 and 10am before the meet). The location for the meet will again be the JWC Training Hall. However, there may be an exception. Last year we had 10 strongmen show up. This year if I get enough signed up before hand I plan on returning to the venue we used for the 2011 USAWA Nationals (the old Williard School Gymnasium). I would say anything over 15 competitors would cause me to have to make that call as my gym was pretty crammed with 10 lifters. That will be a nice problem to have!
Now, a quick history lesson. This event will be held the day after my Scottish Highland Games. In 1999 when I first started that event I had a strongman contest the next day. If you competed both days you won an “Iron Man Award”. I did that for several years and at one point hit 33 competitors for the strongman event! Then I had a sharp decline and then dropped it until Al Myers and I talked about me holding an OTSM event. I thought “PERFECT”! I can bring back the Iron Man weekend! So, that is why this event will be held on a Sunday and on that date as my Highland Games will be held on October 13th. Setting dates locally is a real challenge for me due to several big events in Kirksville around that time. If I held it any other weekend there would be almost NO WAY anyone could get a motel room. So, that’s why I was limited to that date.
Since this event is the day after my Highland Games it’s a chance to compete in both! You know you always wanted to dress up in a kilt! Now’s your chance! So sign up for both! Special Iron Man award for those who survive both days. This isn’t a “participation award” this is a SURVIVED IT award!
Now, for the meet information. I plan on having shirts and awards, plus water and drinks available to the lifters. I plan on the following events:
Anderson Squat
Cyr Press
Apollons Lift
Bob People’s Deadlift
Lifts will be finalized after Nationals in June after the USAWA Nationals and the annual meeting. Entry is $25, but if you enter both the Highland Games ($25) and the OTSM you get both entries for $40 (saving $10). Three attempts per event, total poundage will determine weight class winners. Overall best lifter will be determined by weight and age formula per USAWA rules.
OTSM entry form – 2012 Old Time Strongman Entry Form
Kirksville Games entry form – 2012 Kirksville Highland Games Entry Form
Contact Thom Van Vleck at tvanvleck@yahoo.com or 660 341 1755 for details.
by Thom Van Vleck
Thom Van Vleck accepting his Ambassador of the Year Award from the Kirksville Chamber of Commerce. (photo courtesy of KTVO)
Thanks to the USAWA, I was greatly honored by the Kirksville Chamber of Commerce the other night. For the past 15 years I have held dozens of Highland Games, strongman contests, and helped the Irondogs with powerlifting and olympic lifting meets that have brought a lot of people to Kirksville. I never really thought about it until this award came up, but many would have never come to Kirksville had these events not been held. To be honest, I just wanted to host meets and have some fun! My goal financially has always been to break even….and even that goal isn’t always met! Those of you who have run meets know what I’m talking about! I never thought about the fact I was bringing tourism to my hometown.
So why do I want to thank the USAWA? Because promoting the Nationals in Kirksville last year seems to be the event that got me recognized by the C of C! Some of you that attended were kind enough to write a thank you letter to the C of C as they helped me out with the meet. Those letters were so good, they put me up for the award and I won! There were about 200 of Kirksville’s best at the annual banquet where I got my award. Debi Boughton, head of tourism for the C of C introduced me, talked of the games and the meets I have promoted, and then read a couple of the letters send by USAWA letters. The first letter was from Chad Ullom and the second one was from Denny Habecker and his wife. These letters mentioned business that had several representatives in the crowd. I gave a little speech, plugged my events for the coming year, and thanked the C of C for helping me as well as the local sponsors who’ve been so good to me over the years.
Afterwards, I was interviewed by the local paper and the local television station. I also was asked to speak at the local Rotary clubs (there are two in town) and do an hour long interview at a local radio station! I have to say, I felt like a real BIG SHOT! I was just a great opportunity to promote my Highland Games (that’s my real passion), but also to solicit new volunteers, sponsors, and competitors. One of the people that approached me after the award ceremony wants to try his hand at the Highland Games! New blood is always a good thing.
Afterwards some friends took me to the Dukum Inn for a celebratory round of drinks and soon I was home in time to catch the evening news with a story on my. Leave it to one of my kids to bring “Ol’ Dad” back down to earth. After the news showed me giving my speech and talking about the award my youngest son said, “Yeah, Dad….now can we turn it back to my show”!
So, thanks USAWA for “putting me over the top”. I think a lot of good things will come out of this award, some new sponsorship, some new help, some new spectators, and maybe even a new competitor or two! I am hosting the Old Time Strongman Championships again this year and the Chamber wants to help me on that one, too. So come back to Kirksville, or come for the first time! More USAWA events are to come!
by Al Myers
As promised, I will do a “wrap-up” story today on the highlights of the 2011 USAWA year. This is one story I always look forward to writing, as it summarizes the past year of USAWA events and competitions, along with other top stories. 2011 was a great year for the USAWA – arguably one of the best years ever! I’m going to “go out on a limb” here, and RANK the top 10 stories of 2011 as I see them. I’m sure there will be those who don’t agree – but TOUGH LUCK cause I’m the one writing the story!!! Here it goes, with the count-down beginning at number 10.
10. NUMBER OF STORIES IN THE USAWA DAILY NEWS
This website continues to grow at a steady pace and accumulating information all the time. Last year there were 305 blogs produced in the USAWA DAILY NEWS. I have just finished the 2011 Year In Review, which contains all the information placed on the website within the past year. This book (or should I say novel?) is over 500 pages in length and contains over 20,000 words. Numerous authors have written stories for the Daily News. These were the top 5 writers in number of stories contributed – Thom Van Vleck, John McKean, Dennis Mitchell, Dave Glasgow, and myself. Next to myself, Thom had the most with 76 stories! I want to thank EVERYONE who has contributed stories to the website, because that is what makes it an organization’s publication.
9. NUMBER OF USAWA RECORDS
I have already reported on 2011 being a record year in number of USAWA records set. A total of 758 records by 72 lifters were established in the USAWA record list, which is ahead of the second place year (2005) by 83 records. A truly record record-breaking year! Also, 2011 saw the entry of two more lifters into the CENTURY CLUB (for lifters who have over 100 USAWA records) – Rudy Bletscher and Chad Ullom. This list now stands at 21 USAWA lifters of all time.
8. USAWA ONLINE STORE
The development of the USAWA Online Store has been discussed for a couple of years now, but at the 2011 USAWA National Meeting the membership voted to allocate funds for its development. Several items are offered for sale to promote the USAWA -tshirts, sweatshirts, patches, water bottles and judging shirts, and all of these items are available to be purchased online. All profits go into the bank account of the USAWA. So far, several orders have been filled.
7. DALE FRIESZ RETURNS TO THE PLATFORM
Most of you know Dale “the Miracle Man” Friesz has faced probably the most difficult physical difficulty any lifter could be dealt – the amputation of a leg. Dale did the “impossible” and returned to the lifting platform at Art’s Birthday Bash in October, and proceeded to break several USAWA records. His ring fingers deadlift of 122 pounds is exceptional, especially considering he did it on a prosthetic leg that has not been fitted properly yet! Dale is has been the USAWA Award Winner for the Courage Award these past two years, and after this feat he has my vote again for 2012!!!! If Dale is able to make it to Vegas for Nationals, he’ll make next years TOP TEN stories as well.
6. THE USAWA FIRST GRIP CHAMPIONSHIPS
Grip competitions have been tested in USAWA competitions for many years, but till this meet there has never been a Grip Championships within the USAWA. Kevin Fulton was the early promoter of many of the organizations grip competitions, with his famous grip challenges at his gym under the sanction of the USAWA. In 2010, the Dino Gym hosted a grip challenge that was the precursor of this past year’s Grip Championships (notice I say “Championships” and not “Nationals”, because as Dale has said there can be only ONE NATIONALS, the GRANDDADDY of them all the National Championships, which I agree with him on). Eight lifters took part this past year – Al Myers, Ben Edwards, Dave Glasgow, Denny Habecker, Mark Mitchell, Rudy Bletscher and Felecia Simms. These lifters took part in the FIRST YEAR of something “big to come” in future years in the USAWA.
5. THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN KIRKSVILLE
Thom Van Vleck, of the JWC, promoted one of the BEST National Championships of ALL-TIME in the USAWA this past year in Kirksville, Missouri. This, without a doubt, was a highlight meet of the year in the USAWA. 18 lifters took part from all parts of the country. Team Ledaig Heavy Athletics walked away with the team title and most of the other main awards. Team members Amber Glasgow won the Overall Womens Best Lifter Award and Larry Traub won the Overall Mens Best Lifter Award. It was the first big win for both of these two lifters in the USAWA’s premier yearly competition (and from now on will be known as THE ONE AND ONLY NATIONALS).
4. BILL CLARK – LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
As has been covered in detail by Joe Garcia this week in the USAWA Daily News, Bill Clark receiving the very first Lifetime Achievement Award ranks “right at the top” of highlights during this past year. This is an award Bill TRULY DESERVED, as without him we would not even have an organization. No one knows the amount of time Bill has invested in the USAWA during his lifetime to make it the lifting organization it is now. It is only right that Bill be the FIRST ONE to receive this prestigious award, and the honorary lifetime membership in the USAWA that comes with it.
3. HEAVY LIFT CHAMPIONSHIPS IN YORK, PA
I really felt like we hit “the BIG TIME” when we were able to be part of York Barbell’s Strength Festival last May. We hosted our USAWA Heavy Lift Championships in conjunction with all the other activities that were going on at York Barbell that day. It was a meet I will never forget – lifting on the “big stage” in front of strength athletes from all over the country. It was an honor for our organization to be part of something like that, and gave us National exposure like we have never seen before. Of course Chad Ullom hitting that WORLD RECORD Neck Lift of 900 pounds was the highlight of the show!
2. OLD TIME STRONGMAN
The year 2011 saw the introduction of Old Time Strongman within the USAWA. It started with the first OTSM competition hosted by the Dino Gym in January, and ended with the OTSM Championships in Kirksville, hosted by Thom Van Vleck. OTSM brought several new members to the USAWA this past year and I can see it continuing to grow.
1. USAWA PARTICIPATION
This was a “no brainer” for the NUMBER ONE highlight of the year. The USAWA would not be the USAWA without the participation of membership. This past year we accomplished something we have not done for over 20 years, and that is to exceed 100 members. The final count was 103 members in 2011. On top of this, we hosted a RECORD NUMBER of events/competitions with 25, and now have more registered clubs at 14 than anytime in the history of the USAWA. This is ALL BECAUSE OF YOU, and the the support you have given to the USAWA. I personally want to thank everyone who has contributed to these numbers. The USAWA is “alive and growing” , and I predict 2012 will even be a better year yet!!!
by Thom Van Vleck
Thom enjoying a post-competition "hydrotherapy" session following last summers Ledaig Highland Games. A cold group bath with your sweaty buddies is a great way to enhance recovery following a hard day of competition! (photo courtesy of Al Myers)
Ok, I’m sure by now half of you are thinking I mean beer….but I mean your body! I’m talking about what some call “hydrotherapy” or the used of heat and coolness to reduce inflammation, soreness, and recovery times between workouts. Now, there’s a ton of stuff out there on the good, ol’ world wide web and if you found this, you can find that. I’m just gonna give you some basics.
First, what led to this was me getting old. After numerous injuries over the years, broken bones, etc. it’s all catching up to me. when I was young I just worried about working out, now I feel I have a pretty good understanding of how to develop a good work out routine so now I’m more focused on how I can recover more quickly….especially with age! I remember Mickey Mantle once saying he wished he’d taken better care of himself when he was younger. Well, Mickey was past his playing career when he said that but for those in the USAWA our playing career is never over. You can make a big difference.
Before your workout, be sure and spend some time warming up. My warm up time has probably tripled from my 20’s. I have a special routine that I do and I pay attention more to my preworkout diet, load up on fluids all day, and I don’t push the time…..when I’m ready and I’m ready and not before. I also use anti-inflammatory type medication (Ibuprofen, sodium naproxen, etc.).
After the workout, ice the areas you’ve worked out down. My knees (especially my right one) tend to swell after my squats. I have found that after the workout I have a heat pad and an ice pack that I alternate back and forth it does wonders. I will also take a hot and cold shower, start warm, take it down, the up, then down. I end it with cold water. In the winter, I’ll take a snow bath alternating with the hot tube or sauna. If you don’t have a hot tub or sauna, get a chair for you shower and do the “poor man’s sauna”. Throw a large beach towel over you, you can get that water incredibly hot without burning and the hot steam will fog the mirrors for a square mile!
I also bought something called “the stick”. Basically, it’s a human rolling pin. I work the areas I can myself and then I recruit my wife to get the areas I can’t. I use this thing to the point of it being painful, but afterwards I feel like a million bucks….kind of the poor man’s deep tissue massage.
Well, I hope these few things get you to thinking……and if all else fails…..ice that beer down while you ice down!