Monthly Archives: April 2010

Five Decades

by Thom Van Vleck

Wayne Jackson & Bill Clark in front of "Clark's Championship Gym" in Columbia, Missouri.

Recently, Al and I went to Clark’s Gym to compete in the Deanna Meet with Joe Garcia. My Uncle Wayne Jackson came along. It has been some time since he had seen Bill and along the way we talked about him and Bill’s relationship.

It was in 1962 Wayne told me they first met, it was hard for him to believe that it had been nearly 50 years! It was a 3 hour round trip for us and during that time Wayne shared many stories of taking trips with Bill back in the day. Some were pretty long and believe me, I’m going to write these down. But a couple of short one’s:

One time Bill gave Wayne, Phil Jackson, and Bill Fellows a ride to a meet in Kansas. Bill had an old hearse that he used as his personal vehicle. On the way back, the lights went out and they stopped at a truck stop but could not get them to work again. So Bill talked a trucker in to letting them tailgate him all the way from Kansas City to Columbia. As they left and the next 100 miles revolved around Bill staying glued to the back bumper of this truck…..Wayne said him and Phil got to laughing as they contemplated the irony of being killed in a HEARSE.

Another time, Wayne shared a the story of a write up that Clark did on him in the forerunner of the USAWA newsletter, the MO Valley Lifting News. Wayne had broke the state record in the clean and press and the age of 18 and Bill wrote, “Look out Russians, here comes Wayne Jackson”. Wayne’s brother Phil was excited about the headline, Wayne has always been a modest person and said he was actually embarrassed by it!

Wayne and Bill go way back, and Wayne got Bill’s newsletter from 1962 until the last one and read it religiously. In a way, it almost seemed like a chance to say goodbye for Wayne as his health has not been the best and if that is the case, I’m glad he came…..but I don’t think guys as tough as Bill and Wayne ever give up the ghost quite so easily!!!!!

Nice Rack!!!

by Thom Van Vleck

Rack of York Globe Dumbbells at Clark's Gym

I know a lot of guys will conjure up a different image when another guy yell’s out “nice rack”. But if you are a real ironhead like myself, a different image may come to mind (like the one in the above photo!). Of all the cool stuff at the “Mecca” of the USAWA, Clark’s Gym, this has got to be the coolest. There’s a small fortune there and if it weren’t for my fear of judgement day (both this world and the next!)…..I’d break in and steal those!

I don’t know what it is about globe DB’s, but I like’m. No, I love’m. Maybe it’s their resemblance to something you would find on a nice rack….this time I’m talking the metaphorical “rack” that any real man would admire (Ok, maybe that’s getting a little weird). Maybe it’s because every picture I’ve ever seen of an old timer they are lifting a globe DB (and by old timer, I don’t mean Bill Clark or Art, or Dale, or Denny….they are “new” compared to Saxon, Sandow, and my favorite, Louis Uni). Or maybe it’s just because form follows function and that is the perfect shape! Hex DB’s and Cylinder shaped DB’s just don’t look cool.

Last year, Al Myers and I made a crazy road trip to Denver to see legendary Highland Games Athlete Russ Murphy. Russ was getting up in years and selling his house, and needing to get rid of some equipment which Al and I bought. Russ also entrusted us with some of his “finer” possessions. Things he knew that we would appreciate and take care of and most people wouldn’t understand the value. While there, I spied a set of 95lb York Globe DB’s. I pulled Al aside and explained that a fight was about to break out. He asked why, and I pointed to them and said, I know you are going to want those…..but I saw them first!!! Al smiled, looked at me, and explained he had already “called them” and Russ had promised them to Al! Al had beat me to the punch!!!!! Russ did give me the original RMSA 22lb hammer and it is in a place of honor in my gym and for that I’m very grateful.

The sad part of that story is that Russ had bought them years before and was cutting them up to use the globe parts as throwing weights for the Highland Games!!!! OH, the humanity!!!! Only the 95’s remained and one 60lb DB….which I thought maybe Al would throw me a bone and let me keep that one….but evidently, he’s as greedy as me when it comes to Globe DB’s!!!

I do have one Globe DB, it’s a 40lber. A few years ago, I got a call from a friend who had a guy contact him about some “rare” equipment. Evidently, there was a female professional wrestler back in the day named Ada Ash. She, and her husband, traveled for many years and were also known as Mr. and Mrs. Wrestling. She had never had children and had given this guy her equipment when she was up in years in back in the 70’s. This guy had kept all of this stuff, most of it homemade, and now that he was getting up in years wanted someone to have it that would appreciate it and take care of it. That DB was in that stuff! It also occupies an place of honor in my gym!

So, every time I go to Clark’s I have to peruse the DB rack and if you make the trip to Clark’s Gym…..be sure and check out that NICE RACK!

Grandpa Jackson’s Anvil

by Thom Van Vleck

Thom Van Vleck lifting Grandpa Jackson's Anvil

A little over a decade ago I wrote a story about my Grandpa Jackson’s Anvil and it appeared in Milo, the Strength Journal. I had wrote the article about how 4 generations in my family had lifted this anvil and how it was kind of a “rite of passage” into manhood. I recall almost not sending it in to the publisher of Milo, Randy Strossen, as I thought it was pretty corny and who would care outside my family. Well, Randy not only published it, but it started a relationship that has allowed me to publish about 25 more articles and allowed me to have a bit of a writing career. It wasn’t until recently that I wrote an article on Al Feuerbach (shot putter) that Randy told me I had finally topped that first story. I owe that anvil a lot and not just for my writing career!!!!

Grandpa Jackson was actually my great-grandfather, Arthur Jackson. He was an “old school” farmer that ran about 500 head of cattle and lived from 1880 to 1957. He had this Anvil, an English “Peter Wright” anvil made at the legendary “Mouse Hole” forge where anvils were made from around 1200 A.D. to 1969. It reportedly belonged to my Great-Great Grandfather, and who know, maybe further back as I have since dated it to being made between 1830 and 1865. He used to lift this anvil to impress his kids. It is not huge, but it is around 150lbs. He so impressed my grandfather that he would tell this story to his kids later about how he thought if he could lift that anvil, he’d be a “real man”. So, his desire to lift that anvil started his weight lifting career, which let to my Uncle’s lifting, and on to me, and now my kids…who I hope will be the fifth generation to lift that anvil! We have all lifted that Anvil and each has their own story which was detailed in that original Milo article.

That anvil inspired the formation of the Jackson Weightlifting Club and out of that Club came guys like Wayne Smith, Wayne Gardner, Phil Jackson, Wayne Jackson, Gene Thudium, and others that formed the foundation of the modern day USAWA as well as current or recent USAWA members and record holders like John O’Brien, Thom, Tedd, Morgan & Dalton Van Vleck (and soon, Ethan), Josh Hettinger, and others.

I have also had the privilege of having a bit of a strongman evangelism career, as inspired by Paul Anderson and his work. Both my Uncle’s saw Paul years ago (at different times) and this in turn inspired me. The Anvil has been a central part of our show. I not only lift it, but I lay on a bed of nails and have the guys pound it with sledge hammers (yes, that hurts). We estimate we have done 250 shows and been seen by over 25,000 people to date and almost all of them have heard the story of the Anvil.

Recently, we had our Highlander contest (combines strongman and Highland Games events) and we lifted the Anvil for reps as an event. Again, I told the story and shared a little bit of my family with everyone.

When the anvil is not in use, it rests in a place of honor in my gym, resting on top of a section of a huge I-Beam I “rescued” from a legendary bridge that used to cross the Chariton River near where I grew up. They were tearing the old Archangel Bridge down and replacing it with a boring reinforced concrete bridge and I spied this I-beam, with old style rivets and all, and thought it would be the perfect stand for my Anvil. It weighed around 400lbs and I had to haul it out of a ditch…..that was a workout by itself!

The anvil itself is just a chunk of steel, but it symbolized a lot for me and my family. A love of strength in all it’s forms, a passion for hard work, and a desire to seek out the challenges that life has to offer. If you ever come to the JWC Training Hall (AKA “Modern Day Torture Chamber), stop by and check it out…..and join the club of those that have lifted the “American Manhood Stone”.

Lee Gesbeck Passes Away

SPECIAL NEWS FLASH

by Thom Van Vleck

I just read on the Ironmind website that Lee Gesbeck passed away. This word came from his family that he passed yesterday. Lee was a fellow Milo writer and he provided crucial coverage for the USAWA that reached thousands of readers. I always enjoyed reading his coverage of USAWA events and he will be missed.

I hope some of his friends will take the time to remember him on the message board. I never had the privilege to know him personally, but by all accounts, he was top notch and loved the iron game, Randy Strossen said he “had iron in his veins”. God Bless and God Speed, Lee and a prayer for your family!

Interview with Scott Schmidt – Part 4

by Al Myers

Scott's best official lift in the Hip Lift is 2000 pounds.

Al: I was glad to see you recently register your club with the USAWA and help with the growth of the USAWA Club Program.  Could you tell me the history of your club?

Scott: My club, The Schmidt Bar Bell Club, was founded in March, 1967. I was 14 years old at the time, lifting with my friends in my parents garage. We registered with the AAU later to be eligible to compete with the other clubs in the Cleveland, Ohio area. Our goal was to win team trophies, and that’s what we got good at! Our toughest competitor during our early years was the famous Olympic Health Club. Old Scotty Boy had to get some good talent to beat those guys! Ultimately, our winning strategy was boiled down to prepping our guys to be in the right weight class at the right time to have the best shot at winning. With weight control knowledge learned from High School Wrestling, our young guys in the light classes often scored more team points then their big guys. And if we were good enough to win the head to head battles, we often walked away with the title. As we got older and gained weight, by now we could still put up a good fight, because we had gained experience. One of our greatest accomplishments was winning the Ohio State Teen Age Weightlifting Championships. Believe it or not, when we won in 1971, it was the last year they held that specific tournament in our State. So, 39 years later, we are still the defending Champs!!

We stayed active as a club until the early 80’s. Since The Schmidt Bar Bell Club was not competing actively as a team, I personally have represented The Westpark YMCA for Olympic Weightlifting and The Prechtel AC  for All Round events since then.

But after a conversation with Al Myers, who is doing everything he can to grow our organization, I decided to resurrect the old club name for competing again in team competition. I love to train other folks to help them reach their potential. I have coached my family members and friends to World Titles and Records over the years, and my new goal is to repeat that process under the Schmidt Bar Bell Club banner!

Scott is doing a Zercher Lift at the 2009 IAWA World Championships. At this meet Scott was the Open 120 kg Champion and the Best Master 55+.

Al: What do you think the future of the USAWA will be?  What does the organization need to do in order to grow?

Scott: The future for the USAWA looks promising. I think it’s all about telling others of our activity, and engaging them to have fun with us.

I think we are on an outstanding track of communication methods to have the best shot at growth. As in most endeavors, the best way to grow is by word of mouth. If we can all encourage others face to face in addition to our event postings, I feel we have a great chance to attract more members.

I thought of this idea the other day: As you know, the fitness industry is booming with participants. Moving weights is no longer looked down at, like when weight training was in it’s infancy. So to appeal to that audience, with the intent of drawing them into a few of our “exercises” , here’s my thought. What if we touted the prestige of becoming a “World Record Holder” to those folks who haven’t jumped on board yet?

In other words, stress the honor a new comer could achieve by setting a record in one of our over 200 events.  I’m sure there are a lot of folks out there who are good at some of the events we have. And to encourage them to try to obtain a “World Record” may just be the spark to get them to try our All Round Lifting.  The details of how, when and where we post this type of “advertising” would need to be figured out.  But it might spur some interest, in someone who trains hard at a fitness place and finally wants to test themselves against the record books.

Al: I agree!!  We have a great sport and all it takes is getting the word out. Thanks Scott for doing this interview.

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