Friday, April 25th , 5:30am, I picked Tim Stallings and Jon Andersen up for an early morning TV interview. They were featured in a live TV promotion for the Azalea Festival on Channel 13. Than we were off to do another TV show to be aired on another TV station. This one was at the Norfolk Naval Base. Afterwards we were given the tour of the new gym/fitness-activity center and than lunch chow at the mess hall. The entire morning all I heard from Jon was when he be able to eat again and where was the rest room. It was great fun, and an opportunity to familiarize the public on our sport..
Friday evening all 22 strongman competitors met for the pre meet dinner provided by our gracious sponsor Outback Steakhouse. Following the meal the lot drawing was held and a rules briefing by head judge Geoff Dolan.
Saturday, April 26th: The weather reports continue to look very bad for us, predicting torrential rains and thunderstorms. I would not except the idea of getting rained out but realized we had to work with great speed to get this done as quickly as possible before the storm front arrived. At 11 a.m. Miss Teen Virginia Beach, Chelsea Darling opened the meet with the singing of the National Anthem.
First event was the Arm Over Arm. This event was preformed on the Board Walk, which is a brick surface, for a distance of 80 feet. As if was iffy that the Vintage Fire Truck would be able to make it from the parade to the Venue in time, we used a big tire for the pull. First time competitor Jeff Crane, who is a Virginia State Trooper, showed some incredible hand speed and pulling technique. Crane got the win with 17.81 seconds. Jon Andersen placed 2nd at 21.07; Fred Cardova placed 3rd with 22.19 and in 4th was Travis Mongold 23.95.
Second event was The Deadlift for Max Reps. We were all looking for a new National Record to be set. Tony Harris was the lifter. The crowd was going nuts as Harris cranked out 20 reps. Andersen was ready to meet the challenge and did what he needed to do to take the record and the win for this event with 21 reps. Mongold pulled 18 for 3rd and Oslund with 16 for 4th.
Sad story about my stones for the Stone Lifting event, but not to worry as I will have them for the East Coast Strongman Challenge on September the 13th. Log Lift for Max Reps was the third event of the day. Again another National Record was ready to be broken. James Henry, NASS Chair for Delaware and a corrections officer, took 4th with a 290 lb press. Harris with a strong 300 earned a 3rd place spot and Jeff Hannum placed 2nd with 310 lbs. Once again doing what he had to do to take the win and the record, Andersen with a clean and easy 330 pound lift.
The last event for the elimination round: The Norfolk Fire Department Truck Pull.
This event is preformed on the Board Walk for a distance of 80 feet. The truck was a light one this year of only 27,000 pounds. But don?t think it was a cake walk. This event turned out to be the mother of all events this year. Hannum pulled for 46'4". Oslund showed incredible resolution and pulled it for a gut retching 48'4". Taking 2nd and 1st place were training partners Cardova with 51'6.5" and Andersen with 65'9".
With the first four events completed we took the top ten to continue on to the final two events.
Ruse, Kavulic, Hannum, Crane, Henry, Oslund, Mongold, Harris, Cardova and Andersen.
The good weather did not hold, as it started to rain. The Medley: Carry and Farmers Walk
consisted of running down field with a 240 pound stone for 80 feet than carrying the 240 pound cylinders back across the starting line. Henry took 4th at 26.29; Mongold at 25.74 in 3rd; Andersen in second with 23.62. In first place in this event was Dave Oslund with 21.30 seconds.
Going into the final event: The Conan?s Wheel, Mongold is in 4th, Cardova in 3rd, Oslund in 2nd and Andersen in 1st. These guys have heart, as it is now a full out down pour. Guess no records will be broken in this event today. In 4th Place, Henry with 90'5". Third went to Mongold with 102'10". Second to Oslund with 113'5". Going for 2 revolutions for 134'3" to take first place was Andersen.
Special thanks to my buddy Tim Stallings, North Carolina State NASS Chair, for letting us use his Conan?s Wheel and big tire. To Jon Andersen and to Tim for getting up so early on Friday to participate in the strongman PR..
We were privileged to have had Geoff Dolan add his expertise to the day as our head judge. It was great to have Willie & Dione as officials. Dione and Jill Mitchum expedited and kept score. Our top notch field staff busted ass all day long and in the pouring rain to make this meet run efficiently in good time.
Troy and I thank all who participated as competitors, officials and staff. You are
the Best!
Gayle Schroeder
co promoter Azalea Festival Strongman Challenge
Azalea Festival Strongman Chair
NASS Virginia State Chair