USAWA

Interested in hearing more about this!
ET

Chad, GREAT SHOWING!!!

That is something that someone walked the distance of the bridge. Truly impressive! And you got to be there to see it firsthand, AND PARTICIPATE!!

It’s really a great thing that a couple of allrounders (you and Mark) were able to represent in this world stone challenge. I’m sure I can speak on behalf of the entire organization (the USAWA and the IAWA) here that we are very proud of your accomplishments.

Please keep us posted on how the rest of the challenge goes, and how you do in Berlin. Al

Pretty impressive you were invited to participate. Way to represent!!!
ET

Good job Mark and Chad….I am a wee bit envious!!

O Chad – I would have NEVER said anything here till Francis officially gave the report and results on the IronMind site! You know that! I’m fully aware of all the “backstage drama” that has been behind this coming to fruition. I’ll cut you a little slack here on accusing me of something like that since I know you have to be totally exhausted by now and your mind is probably foggy since you don’t have me along to keep you awake while you drive. haha Here’s the Ironmind report by Francis:

http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/Articles/2013/Jun/IHGF_Scottish_Stones_of_Strength_World_Challenge-Dinnie_Stones_Go_for_a_Walk.html

That pretty good that you made the picture on the IM site by the way!!! I gotta love the shirt you are wearing!!!

BTW – the dinnie stone hate monger is already at work on the IM forum bashing this great performance of you guys. Again – GREAT JOB! Al

That’s too bad a broken strap occurred and then not getting an extra try. But 2 feet is better than what you were telling me your guess was last week.

That’s his problem, he may have good ideas, serious concerns…but none of that will ever come out because he immediately goes on the attack against people without trying to talk with them or even knowing who they are or what they’re doing.

There will always be critics of great performances for a variety of reasons, most of which are personally motivated (like in this case). This joker doesn’t even deserve a response because that is what he wants, someone to argue with. He’s just looking for a forum fight, so he can take the argument into the gutter and then win it with experience.

He’s obviously passionate about the subject and does have a wealth of information (which he arrogantly preaches nonstop to the forum crowd), but all this is lost with his pompous attitude. No one cares about what he has to say except his handful of “followers” who think he is someone important in the stone lifting world.

I actually find humor in all of this. His actions which he thinks are “serving his cause” are actually doing the opposite. It’s just drawing more attention to the outstanding performances that were done both this week and the week we visited the Dinnies in November. Any sensible person can “read through” his nonsense, and see him for the fool he is. Why hasn’t Randy banned him from the IM forum??? Simple answer – he’s creating attention with his negative attacks and the IM website is getting more “hits” than ever. So he’s doing Randy some good as well!!!! Al

[b]Quote from dinoman on June 20, 2013, 08:57[/b]
His actions which he thinks are “serving his cause” are actually doing the opposite.

This exactly. I was supposed to meet up with him when I go over there next year to do some stone lifting, but with the way he’s been handling things, I just don’t want to be associated with it. I’ve talked with him quite a bit over the years and he’s never done anything to me, but just his attitude this last year has turned me off.

He threw a fit about straps, but I don’t think anyone would really debate that. Even with straps it was quite a feat and it should be left at that, quite a feat.

The drug part is just uncalled for.

Leave it to the USAWA forum to have a rational discussion…

Travis, I sure agree with you on the straps thing, and like said in a previous blog story, “lifting the stones with straps is nothing like lifting them without.” It takes someone with a very strong back/pull to lift them period, but having a grip to hold the rings is the limiting factor. I don’t think anyone would argue that.

But by using straps in this competition is NOT the issue at all. They were clearly allowed by the rules of the competition. The issue that “the critic” is trying to make is that somehow this is a violation of stone lifting etiquette, and is insulting to the tradition of the Dinnie Stones. That’s what I think is a bunch of hogwash! He’s so wrapped up in the idea of Scottish Stone lifting culture that he is blinded by the truth. The stones are there to lift!!! Plus all he does is “blah blah blah” in his writing about how he seems to be the only one who understands this and everyone else is violating the dinnie stones in some way. AND I might add that none of his rambling comments and insults are EVER backed by any authentic proof. They are simply his narrow minded opinion. Why doesn’t he show some proof, like some writings of Donald Dinnie in how he felt the stones should be lifted? Is it because he doesn’t have any??

He’s so against lifting the stones for multiple repetitions because he feels like it is not traditional. Does he have proof that Dinnie never lifted the stones multiple times in a day because of some cultural mindset? Anyone who is strong enough to carry both stones over 15 feet without setting them down surely could have picked them up several times. I would guess Dinnie did a few “reps” with them just to warm up for the bridge walk!!!! It’s not a far stretch of the mind to think that “for show” he lifted them more than once in a day. But my proof of that is no more than he was against reps with them!!! Add in the long history (over the last 50 years) of lifters testing themselves with multiple reps with the stones (some just a few reps), why would ANYONE think that this was wrong in some way. The critics good buddy who he follows around on stone lifting tours even lifted them more than once on a visit!! Where was the criticism then???

But what would I know – I’m just a stupid American according the self-proclaimed Dinnie Stone expert. That’s his response to anyone who disagrees with him. Al

PS. Now I’ve got a couple of questions for Chad.

1. I thought you were banned from Scotland by the King of Scotland after you violated the Dinnie Stones last fall. How did you get in?

2. I thought the critic had banned this event from happening because of some code violation? Yet the TV crew was there and it was done in broad daylight for everyone to see. So I take it there was no tussles with the law?

3. Your strap broke????? Didn’t Francis supply you with a new indestructible IronMind strap before the event??? Or were you using those ole flimsy battered ones you have in your gym bag??

Oh I agree Al, the strap thing is a non-issue that Martin brought up. That was kind of my point, because I don’t think anyone but him is arguing about it. It’s out in the open and everyone knows it, thus it’s not an issue. The only issue is I know Chad wasn’t practicing with them and apparently he should have. LOL

And I hate to admit it, but I do not believe it’s possible, by Dinnie or anyone, to have walked them that far on one lift. Thus, multiple reps are a must.

Am world champs in what? HG? Great opportunity for you, yet again. Great ambassador!
ET

And don’t forget you got the USAWA Nationals the NEXT WEEKEND!!!

Geez – you are really superman. I don’t see how you are getting all this done. I’ll be thinking about you on Saturday and wishing you great throws!!! Al

And after competing both days at the KC games weekend before last.

Hope to hear good results from Germany as well. Sounds like an epic trip.

[b]Quote from KCSTRONGMAN on June 20, 2013, 13:50[/b]
Leave it to the USAWA forum to have a rational discussion…

That’s because I haven’t been on here…hahahahaha

Thom – I’ve “cut you some slack” for not responding here on this thread because of your efforts on the other forums in “keeping people in line”. haha

If anyone is interested in a little light reading on this subject, or just don’t have time to watch Oprah today for a stimulating controversial subject, here is the link to the discussion on the IM forum:

http://ironmind-forum.com/showthread.php?2316-Dinnie-Stones-IHGF-Scottish-Stones-of-Strength-World-Challenge

I might add that the last comments in that thread by Francis Brebner are some of the BEST I have ever read on the Dinnie Stones in a forum post. Al

Great job Chad!

Let me just say that I’m disappointed that you didn’t have some “flesh-tone” lifting straps made specially for the Dinnie Stone Smoke & Mirror Show. When people on forums complain about lifting straps being used it’s almost like they’re saying – “Ah ha! Caught ya trying to fool me into thinking you were doing that barehanded!” Even though the lifting straps are not hidden. Right there in plain sight. So next time, make it harder on them. Use flesh-tone straps and then sit back and enjoy a good chuckle.

And you could wear a flesh tone body suit as well, and they would think you were lifting completely raw. Until they noticed it was a body suit, at which time you would be known as “body suit man”