Dates: Between December 1st and December 31st, 2010
Entry form must be postmarked by January 5th, 2011
Must be a current USAWA member to be eligible for competition
Entry Fee: None
Official USAWA rules apply as outlined in the Rule Book
Lifts:
Clean and Press – Heels Together
Curl – Cheat
Deadlift – 12” Base
Entry Form pdf – National Postal
Dates: Between September 1st and September 30th, 2010
Entry form must be postmarked by October 5th, 2010
Must be a current USAWA member to be eligible for competition
Entry Fee: None
Official USAWA rules apply as outlined in the Rule Book
Lifts:
Bench Press – Reverse Grip
Squat – Front
Continental to Chest
Entry Form pdf – Delaware Valley Open Postal Meet Entry Form
by Dennis Mitchell
Luigi "Milo" Borra posing at around 28 years of age.
Luigi Borra was born in Milan Italy, January 14, 1866. As a young man he was active in gymnastics, wrestling and weightlifting. At the age of twenty three, he gave up employment as a telegraph instrument maker and joined the circus as a wrestler. From there he joined the Folies Bergere also as a wrestler. He had a good physique and was a good poser. He performed throughout Europe in music halls and theaters, combining gymnastics, posing, and feats of strength. It was while performing that he met Louis Attila. Attila convinced Luigi to return to England with him so that Attilla could manage and promote him and arrange for bookings. However, Attila’s motives were not only for Luigi’s benefit. Louis Attila had been traveling and performing with Eugene Sandow. A quarrel between Sandow and Attila caused their break up. Attila went to Paris and later returned to England with Luigi. He intended to use Luigi as a new performer to dethrone Sandow. Luigi was a small man and unknown in England. Attila knew that Sandow would not meet any well known performer and hoped to get revenge by having Luigi challenge Sandow in wrestling and in feats of strength. Sandow, after his defeat by the McKann brothers was not accepting any challenges, and there were quite a few of them. Attila claimed that Sandow would not meet Luigi, as Luigi had defeated Sandow in wrestling in Italy. However Attila could not show any proof of this. Some years later (1894) when Attila opened his Broadway gym, they became friends again.
One of Luigi’s acts was to place a 200 pound barbell on his shoulders. Six 56 pound block weights were attached to a harness that Luigi was wearing, and two men would hang onto the ends of the barbell. The total weight being over 1,000 pounds. Luigi would turn around three times while supporting the weight. He would also hang by his teeth while doing a crucifix with a pair of 50 pound dumbbells. He would juggle an 80 pound kettlebell and with the left hand, would clean and bent press 225 pounds. He only weighed 160 pounds. He would press up into a hand stand while lifting 200 pounds with his teeth.
Brinn "the Cannon Ball King", aka Luigi Borra, supporting a a 500 pound motorcycle by a chin pole.
He continued performing under Attila’s management, and as many strongmen did, changed his name to Milo. For a short time he did some exhibitions with Louis Cyr. With the rising popularity of the Saxon Trio, Luigi stopped performing for a while, but later reappeared as Brinn – The Cannon Ball King. His act opened December 28, 1903 at the Hippodrome Theater in Liverpool. His act consisted of juggling, hand balancing and balancing a cannon or a motorcycle at the end of a pole on his chin. He was able to do this with a 400 pound cannon. He not only performed in England but also in Germany and Italy. He was an excellent performer, and showman, well liked, and performed for many years. After retiring from performing he ran a bar called the Grafton Arms. At the weight of 167 pounds he stood 5’5.25″, chest 46.5″, biceps 15.75″, thigh 23.5″, and calf 15.75″. He died January 19, 1955 at Twyford in Berkshire, England. He was 89 years old.
by Al Myers
Dino Gym - 2009 USAWA Club of the Year. Left to Right: Scott Tully, Al Myers, and Mark Mitchell
The USAWA Awards program got off to a great start at the 2010 Nationals with the presentations of the 2009 Awards. All of these awards, with the exception of the Club Awards, were based on membership nominations and votes. I determined the Club Awards using a very simple point system, that recognizes USAWA participation and meet promotions. I like how this system is set up and plan to use it again for next year. I am going to outline the particulars of it here so there will be no mystery how the Club of the Year is selected for 2010. To be eligible, a club must have paid their club dues for the year and be listed as “current” on the Member Clubs page. Another stipulation is that the previous year’s Club of the Year is not eligible the following year. This club will have the honor of presenting the new Club of the Year Awards at the National Meeting.
Club Awards are determined by adding up club points using this 4-Step System:
1. One point awarded to the club for EACH USAWA registered member that lists the club as their affiliated club on their membership application. This designation is also listed beside the members name on the membership roster.
2. Two points awarded to the club for EACH club member that participates in the National Championships, World Championships, and Gold Cup. Points are awarded for each competition, so if one club athlete competes in all three of these big meets it would generate 6 points for the club.
3. Three points are awarded to the club for EACH USAWA sanctioned event or competition the club promotes.
4. Four bonus points are awarded to the club for promotion of the National Championships, World Championships, and Gold Cup.
This is a very simple system yet covers all the basics of a club being involved in the USAWA. It encourages clubs to host competitions and recruit members to the USAWA. It gives incentive to clubs to encourage club members to attend our big meets. Plus – this system will be easy for me to calculate each club’s points at the end of the year since all these things are recorded on the website. I believe the future growth of the USAWA will be driven by clubs. All it takes is one new club that has an interest in All-Round Weightlifting. First the club hosts a few local gym meets, second the club gets their lifters involved in these meets, and third the USAWA grows! It couldn’t get any more simple than that.
I want to welcome new USAWA member Stephen Santangelo, from Las Vegas Nevada, to the USAWA!
by Al Myers
Level 2 USAWA Certified Official Frank Ciavattone officiating at the 2010 USAWA National Championships.
One of the big changes this past year in the USAWA was the development of an Officials Program. This started at the 2009 Annual Meeting with the approval of the new improved Rulebook that outlined the new Officials Program, and by electing Joe Garcia as the Officials Director for the USAWA. Improvements were made to the Officials Program at the 2010 Annual Meeting last month. I am going to describe and explain the USAWA Officials Program so everyone will be more knowledgeable of it. Everything I say here is outlined in the Rulebook or on the website.
The USAWA has two levels of Certified Officials – Level 1 and Level 2. Level 1 has been split into two subdivisions – Level 1 Test Qualified and Level 1 Experience Qualified. The Rulebook (Section VII. 9) explains these two levels as follows:
There will be two levels of classification for Certified USAWA officials.
• Level 1 Test Qualified – The official has passed the USAWA Rules Test.
• Level 1 Experience Qualified – The official has the experience of officiating in 25 or more competitions or events.
• Level 2 – The official has passed the USAWA Rules Test and has the experience of officiating in 25 or more competitions or events.
I want to emphasize that ALL OFFICIALS (Level 1 and Level 2) have the same authority as a Certified USAWA Official. Nothing in the Rulebook says different. It is simply a classification that details HOW one became certified. These classifications are recorded for each official in the “Officials” section of the website and are kept up to date at all times. To become a Certified Official (if you are not Experience Qualified) requires taking and passing an Open Book Exam of the USAWA Rulebook. It must be sent to the Officials Director Joe Garcia for grading. You must score over 90% correct answers to pass. Once you pass, Joe informs me to list you on the website as a current official. All of this is detailed in the “Officials” section and the Rules Test is available in several different formats, so hopefully, one will work for you to download.
One of the big changes to the Officials Programs is adding time limits to the Official Cards. The membership agreed to a 3-year Officials Card before re-certification is required. The new Rulebook (available August 1st on the website) will have this information in it. Section VII. 12 and Section VII.13 have been added to the Rulebook, as stated below:
12. Once an official has passed the Rules Test, the Officials Director will issue an Officials card that will be valid for 3 years from the date the official passed the test. Level 1 Test Qualified Officials will be required to retake the Rules Test after 3 years to maintain Certified Official Status. Level 1 Experience Qualified Officials will receive an Officials card that is valid for 3 years and will be automatically renewed unless the official has been inactive as an official during the previous three year period, in which a new Officials Card will not be issued unless the individual makes a written request to the Officials Director. Level 2 Officials are exempt from recertification, and are issued a lifetime officials card.
13. An individual must make a written request to the Officials Director in order to apply for Level 1 Experience Qualified Certified Status or to show proof of officiating experience in order to change their level of certification.
Level 1 Experience Qualified Officials were developed originally as a “Grandfather Clause” to allow those VERY experienced qualified officials not to have to take a Rules Test. These officials have always been the backbone of officiating in the USAWA and have proven their worth as a good official. However, now, if they have not been active as an official for 3 years (and officiating ONLY ONE meet in this time keeps them active) they will be dropped from the list and must make a written request to Officials Director to regain Certified Officials Status. I think this is very reasonable. Why keep someone on our Officials List if they haven’t been contributing to the USAWA as an official?? Also, if someone IS Experience Qualified and hasn’t been officiating for several years, requiring a written request from them to become active as an official again in the USAWA doesn’t seem out of line to me. It’s not much to ask of them to drop Joe or me a short letter or email about their intentions of wanting to officiate in the USAWA again. Joe and I have no way of knowing who is “Experience Qualified” without someone telling us and giving us proof. Most old meet results in the Strength Journal didn’t list the Officials. Truthfully, I really don’t understand why Level 1 Experience Qualified Officials don’t want to take the Rules Test and become Level 2 Officials. Lots has changed in the Rulebook and I’m sure they would learn something new as well as giving support to our new Officials Program.
Another new addition to the Rulebook involving officials is adding the minimum age of 16 years. Section VII.2 states The minimum age for a Certified Official is 16 years of age. Much debate arose at the meeting when this was discussed. Some felt like it should be a higher age requirement. Myself, I think 16 is a good minimum age to be an official. Afterall, I’m meeting kids on the road that age when I’m driving! I still think that at big meets (like Nationals and Worlds) more seasoned officials should be used.
I am pleased how the USAWA Officials Program is going. We started it last year with a simple system, and as time goes we are adding more requirements to make it better. I feel the reason the USAWA Official Programs have failed in the past is because they were too complicated and required too much to start with. They failed before they had the time to succeed. We still have a long ways to go before we have a great Officials Program – but at least we have SOMETHING. So as of now to become a Certified USAWA Official – all you have to do is take and pass a test!