World's Strongest Man competition continues in Charleston
Capital city gives strongmen a strong showing as host
Strongman competitors shouldered the weight of West Virginia on Sunday during the second day of competition in Charleston, in pursuit of the World's Strongest Man title.
Strongman competitors shouldered the weight of West Virginia on Sunday during the second day of competition in Charleston, in pursuit of the World's Strongest Man title.
Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008 - Brian Siders of Clendenin gets a rousing greeting from the crowd as he gets ready to start the Fingal's Fingers in the Met Rx Strong Man competition's preliminary rounds.
Thirty participants from around the globe heaved and pulled over the weekend, attempting to qualify for the final rounds of the 2008 Met-Rx World's Strongest Man competition next weekend in the capital city.
Sunday afternoon, several thousand spectators gathered on Kanawha Boulevard to watch competitors pull a loaded coal or timber truck weighing between 40,000 and 50,000 pounds.
The second day of competition opened with the Fingal's Fingers challenge, where strongmen pushed five weighted poles in 180-degree arcs.
City and event organizers said the preliminary competition is off to a good start, with more excitement early this week leading up to the finals, beginning Friday.
Although past events have been held at secluded resorts in countries like Zambia and Morocco, the Charleston community is bringing an original flavor to the 2008 competition, said Bill Kazmaier, ESPN commen-
tator and three-time World's Strongest Man.
"To come here, to [2006 World's Strongest Man] Phil Pfister's hometown, with the towering rocks and the beautiful bridges ... it's just wonderful. It's the best I've been to, even more than in some so-called exotic places," he said.
The overcast skies and steady breeze that flapped the U.S. flags along Haddad Riverfront Park on Sunday were ideal conditions for keeping the athletes at peak performance.
"The athletes love this, and they're at their best," Kazmaier said. "They're enjoying the culture and the support from the crowds, which we expect to grow in number. It's just a festival atmosphere."
Although physical problems were minimal during the first two days, Mariusz Pudianowski, four-time champion, re-injured his calf muscle during the morning's Fingal's Fingers. Pudianowski of Poland arrived with a bandaged leg in time for the timber-truck pull, but the injury might take him out of the competition, Kazmaier said.
The strongmen interacted with the crowd that lined both sides of the Boulevard and filled the roof of a nearby parking garage, signing autographs and posing for pictures with kids while camera crews from ESPN set up.
Strongman competitors shouldered the weight of West Virginia on Sunday during the second day of competition in Charleston, in pursuit of the World's Strongest Man title.
Thirty participants from around the globe heaved and pulled over the weekend, attempting to qualify for the final rounds of the 2008 Met-Rx World's Strongest Man competition next weekend in the capital city.
Sunday afternoon, several thousand spectators gathered on Kanawha Boulevard to watch competitors pull a loaded coal or timber truck weighing between 40,000 and 50,000 pounds.
The second day of competition opened with the Fingal's Fingers challenge, where strongmen pushed five weighted poles in 180-degree arcs.
City and event organizers said the preliminary competition is off to a good start, with more excitement early this week leading up to the finals, beginning Friday.
Although past events have been held at secluded resorts in countries like Zambia and Morocco, the Charleston community is bringing an original flavor to the 2008 competition, said Bill Kazmaier, ESPN commen-
tator and three-time World's Strongest Man.
"To come here, to [2006 World's Strongest Man] Phil Pfister's hometown, with the towering rocks and the beautiful bridges ... it's just wonderful. It's the best I've been to, even more than in some so-called exotic places," he said.
The overcast skies and steady breeze that flapped the U.S. flags along Haddad Riverfront Park on Sunday were ideal conditions for keeping the athletes at peak performance.
"The athletes love this, and they're at their best," Kazmaier said. "They're enjoying the culture and the support from the crowds, which we expect to grow in number. It's just a festival atmosphere."
Although physical problems were minimal during the first two days, Mariusz Pudianowski, four-time champion, re-injured his calf muscle during the morning's Fingal's Fingers. Pudianowski of Poland arrived with a bandaged leg in time for the timber-truck pull, but the injury might take him out of the competition, Kazmaier said.
The strongmen interacted with the crowd that lined both sides of the Boulevard and filled the roof of a nearby parking garage, signing autographs and posing for pictures with kids while camera crews from ESPN set up.
The competition is being taped to air on ESPN in late December and will be rebroadcast hundreds of times over the next year, giving publicity to the city and state.
"This will be a great introduction to West Virginia," said Ron Blackstone, Charleston's mayoral assistant. "It will showcase West Virginia in a way people may have never before seen. It puts us on the map, nationally and internationally, in a big way."
Cheers were especially enthusiastic for American competitors, but the crowd cheered loudly for all athletes, including those who struggled to move the truck.
"It's true West Virginia hospitality," Blackstone said. "It's been great seeing how the spectators are throwing their energy and support behind everybody."
Cheryl Green of Scott Depot, her sister, Brandi Perry, and their four children waved signs supporting the two local competitors, 2006 champion Phil Pfister of Charleston and Brian Siders of Clendenin.
"Our kids were just so excited to see the big strong men," Green said. "They've been showing off their muscles all week."
During the truck pull, five teams of six competitors tried to move the truck down the course in the shortest amount of time, picking up points that will qualify the top two in every team for this weekend.
Pfister was leading his team going into the truck pull and managed to move the truck, loaded with pine timber from Greenbrier County, the length of the course in a little over 40 seconds, to the delighted cheers of the Charleston audience.
The competition will continue today at the state Capitol Complex, with the squat lift, dead lift and giant log lift. Organizers said spectators might be able to get an even closer view of the athletes if they watch the events during the workday.
Siders, a world-record holder for power lifting, said he has his eyes on those competitions to move ahead in the preliminaries.
"I've not been really familiar with some of the events so far, but it's wonderful," Siders said. "Everybody's all about doing their best, and there's great camaraderie between the athletes."
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Slideshow: The World's Strongest Man competition in Charleston
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