Flour Packing Contest

by Al Myers

Uwe Meyer training for a flour packing contest. This takes the Inman Mile to the extreme!

All of the recent talk on the Inman Mile in the USAWA Discussion Forum brought up another topic.  Longtime USAWA member Tom Ryan brought up a competition I had never heard of before – Flour Packing.  He posted a video of this competition in the forum, but I’m going to include it here as well for those of you that don’t follow the forum –Video of Flour Packing Contest.   The rules of the contest is to carry a max load of flour over a 50 foot course.  This event is part of the annual Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous held in  Whitehorse, Canada.  This dates for this year’s competition is February 23-26, 2012.  Many other events are contested throughout the several days of this festival, including: sled dog races, a dog pull, a wilderness survival contest, a trapping contest, chainsaw competitions, a partner pack competition, and even things like a beard growing contest and tattoo competition!

The above photo with newspaper caption was sent to me by Tom Ryan.  I would guess it was taken in the 1970’s because Uwe Meyer held the record in flour packing at that time, with his carry of 850 pounds of flour.  Tom must keep everything that interests him because I don’t know of too many people who keep clips from newspapers that long! (also it shows your age Tom!!).  But I’m glad he did – because it gives us something to talk about today in the USAWA Daily News.  Since that time, Richard Chipett has raised the record to 1002 pounds.

If you are further interested in the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous, they do have a quite extensive website covering the festival (Yukon Festival Website).

Club Certificates

by Al Myers

This is an example of the new USAWA Club Certificates for 2011. This certificate is for Habeckers Gym - the 2010 USAWA Club of the Year.

I have spent some time lately updating the Club page on the website.   We now have 13 registered clubs in the USAWA.  This is the most of any year to date.   On this page I included 2011 Member Club Certificates for each club.  The certificate is a pdf, so if you are interested in printing it off you may do so as many times as you like!  Some of our clubs now have multiple locations (i.e. Ledaig Club, the JWC, and the Dino Gym), so this way each location can have it’s own certificate for the wall.  Plus, now all club members can have a copy if they want to.

I was curious how the “CLUB RACE” for the 2011 Club of the Year was going, so I calculated the points for each club “to date”.  As per the rules of this competition, the defending Club of the Year is ineligible the next year, thus Habecker’s Gym was not included in this years tally.  There are still a couple of big competitions coming up (the Gold Cup and the World Championships) where club members can generate big points for their club.  Let this be motivation to show up and support these competitions, and in turn represent your club in the USAWA Club Race!

Club Rankings to Date

1.  Dino Gym –  48 pts
2.  Ledaig Heavy Athletics – 21 pts
3.  Clark’s Gym – 14 pts
4.  JWC – 12 pts
5.  Atomic Athletic – 9 pts

The Day I Met Al Myers

by Thom Van Vleck

Al Myers breaking the World Record in the sheaf toss in the professional division

Al Myers and I have been friends for a LONG time.  Well, at least 16 years anyways.  I was digging through some old photos the other day and came across this gem.  It was the Highlands Ranch Highland Games in 1995.  My first competition ever in the Highland Games.  I was competing in the Novice Division with 12 other throwers and got 2nd overall that day, winning 4 of 7 events outright.  Who beat me?  Brian Myers, Al’s brother!

Here’s what I recall that day.  You have to understand first that most Highland Games has “classes” of throwers. There’s a C class (usually for beginners), B class, A class (top amateur) and Pro class (the best of the best).  Also masters and women.  Al was there in the pro class and won it that day, so he was a top pro thrower at the top of his game at that time.  You also have to understand that the groups will rotate events all day, so that when one group is on the hammer, another might be on the caber so in between throws you can watch the other groups throw.  I recall watching Al hit some big numbers that day.  But most of all, the last event for him was the sheaf toss.  And boy, did Al give a clinic!

The Sheaf is a 16lb simulated “hay” bale, usually rope or twine wrapped in a burlap bag.  You use a pitch fork to launch it up and over a crossbar for height.  Al was a 300lber then and had about 30lbs on me back then (how things have changed!).  I was done with all my events and went over to watch the action.  The bar kept going higher and higher and soon the only one left was Al.  I remember my wife was wanting to go, but then I heard that Al would attempt a WORLD RECORD in the sheaf toss!  I had to see that, but I also had been eyeing his attempts and really doubted he had that much in him.  The sheaf standards were raised as high as they would go!  In other words, the bar would go no higher and there was only one other time I’ve seen the standards “topped out” like that and the second time was just this year when Dan McKim, the current Pro National and World  Champ, topped them out in Wichita.  Al got set, began to swing the bar back and forth and with a mighty swing launched that sheaf up and over the bar.  Al probably doesn’t remember this, but I went over and shook his hand and congratulated him….along with 5o other people!

I left that day not really sure if I’d ever compete in a highland games again, and not realizing that Al would some day be one of my best friends.  I also didn’t realize that Al’s brother in law was somebody I had already competed against in the predecessor of the USAWA, Clark’s Odd lift meets.  None other than Bob Burtzloff!  It really is a small world.  I have never forgotten that day because here was Al, at the top of the heap, the winner of the Pro class and me competing (and almost beating) his brother in the lowest group of all.  But each time I talked to Al during the day, he was friendly, encouraging, and offered advice.  A true sportsman!  So, becoming his friend was easy because he was my kind of guy right from the start.  It also sold me on highland games!

So, be nice to everyone.  You never know when you’ll run into them again.  And thanks Al, your encouragement that day set the standard for myself and brought me into a sport I truly love!

Dino Strength Training Center

by Scott Tully

The front of the newly opened Dino Strength Training Center.

We are proud to announce the opening of the new Dino Strength Training Center at 703 Bishop street in Salina, KS.  This is the version of our training facility that was formerly in Lon Beffort’s basement.   These past 5 years we have acquired so much equipment and training partners we needed a much larger area. We found a commercial space in Salina that is 3200 square foot, with a large overhead door in the back and open lot to train strongman,  GPP, or bbq, with the third being our favorite!  The other interesting thing about the space is that it has been a gym of some sorts for over 30 years, starting out as salina weight training, then bensons, and until recently reps and sets.  This also was the first gym Lon, Mark, Chuck and myself belonged to in Salina. When Chuck and I walked in it looked like someone tossed in a grenade and ran, but after 300+ hours and 3 tons of construction waste removed we feel we have put together a top notch training center for powerlifting, strongman, oly lifting, all around or to just get in better shape. 

We consider this a extension of the Dino Gym in Holland in purpose, as the goal is to come here and get stronger. Our core group is Chuck, Tyler, and Matt Cookson, Lon Beffort, Mark Mitchell,  Al Myers, Stephan Kency, Darren Barnhart, Allan English and myself.  We also have as of now about 30 other members who actively train here.  Our rates are very reasonable:  30 for a single, 35 for a couple, or 40 for a family.  Members also get a key so they can train when they like. We are currently looking at dates to host an all around competition, and will be holding strongman and powerlifting comps in the near future.

Check us out on facebook – with search words being Dino Strength Training Center.

Wilf Chapman RIP

by Al Myers

I just recently learned that Wilf Chapman, of Australia, had passed away this summer.  I have had the honor of competing against Wilf in a few competitions, with the first one being the 2006 IAWA World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.  The above tribute appeared in  the publication, “The All-Round Strength Athlete”.   This is the official written publication of the ARWLWA. 

I will never forget meeting Wilf the first time.  Myself being a newcomer to the International scene of All Round Weightlifting at the time, I didn’t know very many of the other lifters in attendance.  Wilf IMMEDIATELY “struck up” a conversation with me at the night before get together, and we spent a long time talking.  He made me feel quite welcomed, and in turn I was tremendously impressed with his outgoing friendly personality.  I had my Dad with me at this meet as well, and Wilf thought my father was my brother.  We all found this funny (especially Dad and Wilf) and ever since that time when I would see Wilf he would ask me “how my brother was doing”.  That was just his personality.  I will miss him.  REST IN PEACE WILF!!

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