Only the strongest will survive on Saturday, as the Ute Mountain Recreation Center in Towaoc welcomes all comers 15-older to its first-ever strong man competition.
Size doesnt matter, just strength, because there are no weight divisions in the five-event competition to claim the Ute Mountain Strong Man Champion title.
Everybody is welcome. Theres only one division. The strongest man wins, said Rob Robson, who will judge the competition, and is also a trainer and nutritionist at the Ute Mountain Recreation Center. A 150-pound guy can be going up against a 450-pound guy. It doesnt matter. It will be a lot of fun and you get to workout at the same time.
The events featured are unique and fun. They include a tire flip, car pull, dead lift, keg toss and farmers walk (walking with 150-pound iron cemented weights).
In the car pull, participants will wear a harness thats attached to an ambulance. One must then pull the vehicle on all fours up the Rec. Center parking lot. Whoever crosses the finish line the fastest or if no one makes the finish line, the greatest distance will win the event. If an ambulance cant be reserved, then a Jeep will be used for the car pull.
In the tire flip, competitors will flip a large tire weighing as much as 300 pounds. The fastest time across the finish line wins, or the most flips wins if people cant cross the finish line.
A 10-foot wall is the obstacle in the keg toss where a 30-pound keg must be heaved over the wall. The most kegs the clear the wall wins.
The farmers walk will test endurance as much as strength. Contestants will carry 150-pound wights in each hand 30 to 40 yards before turning around back to the finish line. Fastest time wins or greatest distance, if no one finishes.
The final event is the dead lift, which will take place in the Rec. Center weight room. The goal is to dead lift 300 pounds as many times possible in 75 seconds. The most repetitions wins.
In the iron weighted events (dead lift and farmers walk), if a participant drops the weights, he or she will be disqualified from the event. This rule applies in power lifting competitions, according to Robson, who has won both the 2006 American and 2007 National Power Lifting Championships.
Its like a real power lifting meet. You cant drop the weights, Robson said.
The other rule is that no straps are allowed. People are free to use body braces, belts, bands and wraps, and can wear gloves. Chalk will be provided as well.
Robson feels the purpose of the strong man competition is mainly to get people active in exercise. With a strong turnout, he hopes to make the strong man competition an annual event.
Its just getting the people out here, Robson said. Even is they dont complete the course or whatever, you still get a workout out of it. The camaraderie should be pretty good. Everybody should be backing everybody. I think well have some pretty good competition.
Registration is at 9 a.m. at the Ute Mountain Recreation Center and entry fee is $10. Competition begins at 10 a.m. The winner will receive a cash prize, which will be all of the entry fees, and a bronze trophy. All participants get a T-shirt. For more information, please call Robson or Nick Traweek at 564-5360.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at [email protected]
