2024 - Stronghold 3 - Vinnie R's Report

[Vinnie]

This past Saturday @Anthony C. and I drove from NYC up to Fort Fairfield, Maine, to compete in Ronni Bossie's (@Aroostook Barbell) third Stronghold Grip competition: 20mm grippers, 2HP Euro, 2 3/8" Napalm Nightmare, Double Shallow Inch Pinch, and a medley. 

Last year at Stronghold 2, by a fluke, I edged out Tim Butler, mainly because the events were perfect for me and I had a great day and he had a bad day.  But this year, I did not expect to win even though Tim was not going, because @dubyagrip (Jaland) was on the list of competitors.  I figured that @Emitt Samon (who placed a close 3rd last year) and I would duke it out for 2nd place--if I was lucky, anyway.

But Jaland had to cancel.  Something about real life being more important than gallivanting across the country to squeeze stuff and win a $40 gift card to Ferris BBQ Restaurant.  Which was a shame because he's a great guy and would have made some great lifts -- but it sure made things interesting, and potentially very, very lucrative, because up in northern Maine, unlike Long Island/NYC where I am from, you can get an entree' AND a beer for $40! 

Game on, Emitt!

So anyway, I had been watching my weight since January, when I struggled to get down to 183 pounds for Chris Rice's (@climber511) comp to make my usual 83kg weight.  I figured I should lose my pot belly and get down to the 74kg class, and do the same lifts as when I was 83kg, and they'd be better in the top 100 lists.  In particular, I wanted to take a crack at the 20mm block set grippers weight class world record:  Eric Milfeld's (@EricMilfeld) record from more than 10 years ago was 157, and I did 170 in October, so it seemed like beating 157 would be possible.  I also thought that I'd have a shot at Eric's Euro record in that weight class, which was 200.  I did 213 when I was heavier in January.

Well, I lost the weight.  I just forgot that losing over 20 pounds while not training was not a great plan for keeping my strength.  Even keeping your weight ON and not training is a sort of silly plan lol.  So I checked out my gripper status in May, not having trained since I did 170 in October at Stronghold 2 (that close, which was 2nd best in the 83kg class on the grip sports top 100, was why I squeaked out the win that year).  And my status was:  I could not even MMS close my COC 3s.  When I was closing 170 with a block, I was repping my 3s without chalk or warm up.  Wow did I lose a lot!  So, since May, as I lost the last 5 to 10 pounds on my way to weighing 160-ish, I was doing grippers in my office twice a week again like the old days.  On Monday six days before the comp, I finally was back to closing all my COC 3s for an MMS rep or 2, and I just missed my easy 3.5.  The crush felt like it was coming back, but I was still nowhere near closing 170 with a block set like last year.  And I had no idea what would be up with the other events.

COMP DAY:

I weighed in at 159.  This was a good start, because not only did that put me in the 74kg weight class as I had hoped, but the gripper I was hoping to close (and the one I opened on last year) was rated 159.  If I could get that, not only would it be the weight class world record, but it would be only the second time a person closed a gripper rated as high as his body weight with a 20mm block in competition (and the first time by a Master 50+), Philip Koshaba having closed 179 in Arizona in 2017 when he weighed 173.  And grippers were first.

Grippers:

To be safe, I opened on 142, which I figured would win the event because Jaland and Tim were not there.  But I knew I would need a decent lead on grippers to have a shot at winning the comp, because I am not as strong on the other events as Emitt and there were some big new guys doing some scary stuff with the blobs and bells sitting there waiting for the medley.  I decided to skip 149 and 153 and go for the 159 right away, to have two more options after if I missed.

BAM!  Got it.  A body weight close in comp, and the 74kg world record for 20mm block set.  For my 3rd try, I could go for a 165-rated COC 3.5, a 170-ish GHP, or some weird brand gripper rated 176 but narrower than anything I had ever tried at a comp.  Didn't even check the brand, just figured I'd give it a go because it would be so easy to set.  It was so narrow it was almost a no set.  Of course, it was still 176.  No close.  And it wasn't close to closed, nor did I want to waste myself trying for more than 159 at this point.  I had what I came for (with apologies to Eric M., but he did hold it for over a decade!).  And Emitt finished at about 120, so I had a good lead like I would need, especially because Ronni did scoring by adding the total number in pounds for each lift (and items for medley).  A big lead on grippers would be my only shot at the comp.  Anthony and Matt Beaton beat Emitt on grippers, but they weren't going to destroy me on Napalm Nightmare like I knew Emitt would, so I did not need to destroy them on grippers.  I skipped my 4th attempt.

EURO:

This Euro used to be mine; I sold it to Ronni last year.  So I knew it was kind of slick.  I also knew that Eric Milfeld had the 74kg record for that, too, at 200 even.  I had just gotten 213 on Chris Rice's Euro in January, but I weighed 183 then and also, it was not slick at all and I was in the presence of The Euro Whisperer at the time.  Here, I was on my own, slick Euro, no Rice Effect, and 24 pounds less body weight behind me.  I opened at 170, easy; and I got 185 pretty solid for my 2nd, but on my third attempt, I got 195 almost to the crossbar and then dropped it.  Dang it!  Do I go for it again and give up on trying 201 for the record?  I didn't know how Emitt would do on Euro, so I was not sure whether I needed to go for 195 to stay enough ahead before my bad events.  I opted to go for the 201, even though I had missed 195, in hopes that I could force my way up with it.  Well, I hopped it, but no luck.  185 final for that.  But, Emitt ended with 180.  So now I had two events and a good lead going into my bad events.

Napalm Nightmare 2 3/8:

I opened on 285 because I got it in practice, but I failed 295 for my next three attempts.  I had done 300 in comp at my heavier body weight, but I just couldn't hit it this time.  Emitt ended up with 310 I think, and I think one of the bigger newbies may have taken that event over Emitt.  But I was still in the lead.

Double Shallow Inch Pinch:

Last year when I won Stronghold 2, Emitt won the single Inch Pinch event (I was second in it).  And I had never even tried this implement, which Emitt had just done well on at the North American championship.  I opened at 60, then did 70, then 75.  It was getting hard, and I felt like I was bruising my fingers trying harder!  But I went for 80 next.  Hopped it, but also really hurt my left pointer finger.  Ended with 75, and Emitt got 85, catching up still more but leaving me 9 points ahead going into the medley.

Medley:

I'm not a blobs and bells kinda guy, so I didn't expect to win this, but it turned out that Emitt and I tied on this medley, each missing only 4 feats--the same 4!  We both failed the half 105 blob, the Inch dumbbell and a slightly smaller circus bell, and tearing a deck of Aviators.  And we both got a start on the Aviators we couldn't tear.  It was a great tie, but for me, it meant the overall win!  Thank you, crush strength!  It was the 159 close that got me the title this year. 

Shout out to teenager Gage (16) who weighs but 135 but puts up numbers more like a larger, older guy.

Shout out to Anthony C, who is a great friend and roadtrip buddy, and grip advisor/mentor for me since 2017 when I got into it.

Ronni and his family threw a great comp, and everyone seemed to have a great time.  Afterwards, we all went out to Ferris BBQ--and I had a $40 gift card to waste there, so I did it up:  Entree,' beer, AND appetizer, and all it cost me was the tip!

Peace to you all,

Vin

 

  

Edited August 19 by Vinnie

[Douglas Carney]

Congrats Vinnie!  Overall win AND a gripper record.  That's awesome!

And thanks for the write up.  Sounds like a great comp!

[Kluv#0]

Congratulations Vinnie on another victory! Also, HUGE props on being 1st or 2nd man in GSI History to 20 MM Block Set your Bodyweight in a sanctioned competition! The legend continues to grow! Happy for you and enjoy!

[dubyagrip]

Congrats Vinnie, great numbers!

[climber511]

Way to go Vinnie!  Or should I call you "skinny"?

[Emitt Samon]

Great write up Vinnie! It was a great battle the whole way but I just couldn't get ahead of you! Very fun, see ya at the next one!

[PinchByPinch]

Great to see a lighter weight guy win overall in comp  

[Aroostook Barbell]

Thank you so much Vinnie and Tony for coming out again! Very grateful for you guys, and a big congratulations for winning this competition for the second year in a row!

[TeamGupta]

Great write up.  Very impressive weight cut and thanks for sharing your experience on grip strength (grippers, implements, feats) with drop in body weight.  I am cruising right at the 93kg cut off, but a healthy body weight for me would be 83kg.

[Matt Beaton]

It was great having you there Vinnie! Hope to see you and anthony next year!