I’m in for the 2024 Grip Champs

[Ben Edwards]

As the title says, I’ll be there unless I get really sick or have a slipped disk again. Went on two weeks vacation to Oregon about a month ago. A WEEK before we flew out, I slipped a disk in my back while lifting. THEN a day after we got there, I tested positive for COVID for the first time. I was bedridden for three days while recuperating from the ‘rona. I think it actually helped my back recover a bit quicker though. Side note: In 2021, I worked 24 hours (in 12 hour shifts) in a place where there were over two dozen COVID positive cases. Didn’t catch it then. I’ve thought since then that I had an immunity to COVID, because I’ve been around it quite a bit at work. Anyway, it turns out I’m not special at all, lol. I’m wondering if being weak from my back injury was enough for my immune system to open the door and welcome the ‘rona in with open arms.

I hope we can get Kevin Fulton back again at the Grip Champs! And it would be great to see Mary McConnaughey again too! I’m trying to talk my daughter Josie into competing. She’s 10 now and has done 3 consecutive years of the King Kong grip contest. No “actual training” as most parents will understand. Just messing around a few times with the implements and then doing the contest and still improving year-to-year mostly because she is getting older and stronger just from growing. She laughs at me because I tell her I’m on the other side of that coin. Where getting older is definitely not going to make me stronger.

I’m trying to keep my back in one piece by being very careful in my workouts.

Looking forward to catching up and seeing you all again soon!

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." -Mike Tyson

[Lance Foster]

Hi Ben, It’s great to hear from you. Let Josie know that KCStrongman’s youth division may be in attendance.

Take care of your back, and hopefully you’ve seen the last of the CV.

The Gloved One

[Sanjiv Gupta]

When and where will the 2024 Grip Championships be held?

[Ben Edwards]

Hello, Sanjiv. The date hasn’t been announced yet. But it’ll be sometime close to Valentine’s Day at Al’s Dino Gym in Abilene, Kansas. Al puts out the announcement in late December and it will list the events and date.

The Dino Gym is TOP NOTCH entertainment and history. I hope you can make it out for the Grip Champs. They are a lot of fun! Good job on your (and Beth’s) KK performance, by the way. I enjoyed your writeup. I have competed in the last 3 King Kongs and this year got to witness and judge Chad Gustin breaking the IronMind Rolling Thunder total weight pullup world record. He held the record a few years ago. Then someone else got it for a bit. He also did the Crushed to Dust after the contest and pretty much melted the #2 fresh out of the package.

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." -Mike Tyson

[Sanjiv Gupta]

Perfect. I have been wanting to visit the Dino Gym. There is a lot of history there. It will probably be a game day decision depending on weather as I will be driving out from Colorado.

Ideally, I could judge alongside some folks to get closer to being a certified official.

I had a lot of fun at King Kong just getting to know some of the strength athletes in Colorado and Wyoming. I learned quite a bit from them as well. I am still trying to appreciate some of the benchmarks like Crushed to Dust and the Captains of Crush series.

[Sanjiv Gupta]

Ben, can I add your results to a revised King Kong write up? Which venue did you compete at? Do you have any pictures?

[Ben Edwards]

Sanjiv Gupta wrote:

Ben, can I add your results to a revised King Kong write up? Which venue did you compete at? Do you have any pictures?

I’m going to politely decline. My presence was going to be purely as a judge if my back didn’t hold up. I babied it (my back), and my performance reflected that. We were at the Lecompton venue. Chad is a former Highland Games pro.

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." -Mike Tyson

[Ben Edwards]

I found myself curious (as usual) about what the contest events will be when they are announced. Sometimes, events are contested two years in a row. So that takes away the method of just listing all the events out on paper and crossing off the ones that have been contested the year before. I do enjoy not knowing until about 8 weeks or less before the contest. Although it would make for higher numbers overall if we knew 10 months out what they were going to be.

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." -Mike Tyson

[Ben Edwards]

LaVerne has been the top guy 6 years in total at the Grip Champs. And I won’t be the one who changes that! It’s hard to compete with him. But I did some calculations and it looks like with the age percentage I get vs the one he gets I would need to better all of his lifts by about 37%. That will be my goal. Get as close to that number as possible on all the events. On my “good” event that might be doable. 2″ vbar. On most other events there’s no way to outdo bull strong LaVerne. But I always enjoy a good challenge.

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." -Mike Tyson

[KCSTRONGMAN]

Yeah, LaVerne is hard to beat at this meet. He has that old farmer grip

I'm the lyrical Jesse James

[Ben Edwards]

My back is healthy (knock on wood) and I’ve been trying to convince a few coworkers to compete in the Grip Champs. I’m not very hopeful. Guess I’m cynical from the years of people saying they’re “interested”…until it’s go time and they are suddenly helping an elderly relative move heavy furniture a few states away on a weekend, lol. Really looking forward to seeing everyone at the Dino Gym next month!

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." -Mike Tyson

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