Samson-Power

2001 WASHINGTON STATE STRONGMAN CHAMPIONSHIPS by JV Askem

THE 2nd WASHINGTON STATE STRONGMAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
AT: Alki Beach, Seattle, Washington
August 18th, 2001
Reported by: J.V. Askem
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The Winners
Left: Women's Champion, Patty Steele-Smith
Center: Heavyweight Champion, Jesse Marunde
Right: Lightweight Champion, Tim Howe

There were 23 contestants in this affair spread over 3 divisions!!! 10 heavyweight men (over 210 lbs), 9 lightweight men, and 4 women.

The star of this show was Jesse Marunde, who easily won 5 of his 6 events in the heavyweight class. The Lightweights also put on a good show! Right down to the last second there was a three way battle between Tim Howe, defending champion Scott Hughes, and Jeff Theorell. Tim and Scott finished by tying, but Tim won by virtue of higher placings.

The order of events went as follows:
1-Women's Farmer's Walk with a pair of 112 lb weights (200 feet/ 90 seconds)
2-Women's Truck Pull using a harness to pull a brand new Cadillac Escalade (50 feet)
3-Lightweight Men's Farmer's Walk with a pair of 222 lb weights (200 feet)
4-Heavyweight Men's Farmer's Walk with a pair of 272 lb. weights (200 feet)
5- Women's Tire Flip with a 350 lb Tire (100 feet/ 90 seconds))
6- Lightweight Men's Log Lift for 1RM
7- Women Beer Keg Clean and Press for reps with a 44 lb beer keg
8- Heavyweight Men's Log Lift for 1RM
9- Lightweight Men's Tire Flip with a 600 lb tire (100 feet)
10- Heavyweight Men's Tire Flip with a 750 lb tire (100 feet)
11- Lightweight Men's Truck Pull seated with a rope pulling the Escalade (about 40 feet)
12- Heavyweight Men's Truck Pull with a rope and harness (20,000 lb Kenworth 75 feet)
13- Keg Toss for height (lightweight 33 lbs) (heavyweights 44 lbs)
14- Lightweight Men's Loading Medley (160 lb keg, 120 lb chain, and two rough stones)
15- Heavyweight Men's Loading Medley (275 lb round stone, 160 lb keg, 120 lb chain, and the two rough stones)

THE WOMEN
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Left to right: Kelly Hernandez pulls the truck. Courteney Schurman lifts the Keg.
And Tamara Tennison on the Farmers Walk.
Women's Individual Results
Farmers Walk
Patty Smith-----------38.5 sec
Courteney Schurman---46.2
Kelly Hernandez------199.5 feet
Tamara Tennison------103
Truck Pull
Kelly Hernandez-------1 min 16.13 sec
Tamara Tennison-------3 feet
Courteney Schurman-----no distance
Patty Smith-------------no distance
Women's Tire Flip
Patty Smith------------51 feet 10 inches
Kelly Hernandez-------32 feet
Tamara Tennison-------no distance
Courteney Schurman-----no show because of injury
Keg Clean and Press for reps
Patty Smith-------------26 reps
Kelly Hernandez--------25
Courteney Schurman-----25
Tamara Tennison--------24
MEN'S FARMERS WALK
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Left: Lightweight, Steve Spellman    Right: Heavyweight Cory St Clair

Lightweight Farmers Walk
Jeff Theorell------------41.32 sec
Scott Hughes-----------44.17
Steve Spellman---------180 feet
Heavyweight Farmers Walk
Jesse Marunde----------35 sec
Cory St Clair------------50.47
Arron Anderton---------191 feet 4 inches

THE MEN'S LOG LIFT
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Left: Lightweight winner, Jeff Theorell shows good form with a split jerk.
Right: Heavyweight, Grant Higa gets set to heft 322 lbs.
.
Lightweight Log Lift
Jeff Theorell--------------237 lbs
Scott Hughes-------------227
Jeff Preston---------------227
Heavyweight Log Lift
Jesse Marunde------------322lbs (3 attempts)
Grant Higa----------------322      (4 attempts)
Arron Anderton-----------282
MEN'S TIRE FLIP
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Left: Lightweight Scott Hughes     Right: Heavyweight Gene Wainwright

Lightweight Tire Flip
Jeff Preston---------------1 min 19 sec
Tim Howe----------------1 min 23 sec
Scott Hughes-------------1 min 26 sec
Heavyweight Tire Flip
Jesse Marunde------------77 feet 2 inches (all he needed to win)
Grant Higa----------------61 feet 2 inches
Cory St Clair--------------54 feet 11 inches

MEN'S TRUCK PULL
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Left: Lightweight Doug Schurman on the seated truck pull.
Right: Heavyweight Andy Medak is assisted by veteran strongman Mawr Wallace.
Special hand signals had to be given to Andy because he is deaf.
Lightweight Truck Pull
Tim Howe----------------25 sec
Scott Hughes-------------27
Steve Spellman-----------32
Doug Schurman-----------38
Heavyweight Truck Pull
Jesse Marunde-------------25.5 sec
Grant Higa-----------------30.5
Cory St Clair---------------31.5
Arron Anderton------------35.5
Lightweight Keg Toss
Jeff Theorell-----------------15 feet (3 way tie)
Scott Hughes----------------15
Tim Howe-------------------15
Heavyweight Keg Toss
Jesse Marunde---------------16 feet (2 way tie)
Arron Anderton--------------16
Cory St Clair-----------------15
MEN'S LOADING MEDLEY
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Left: Heavweight Jay Ball with a rough stone.
Right: Tim Howe lifts the 160 lb keg for loading.
Lightweight Loading Medley
Tim Howe---------------------23.4 sec
Jeff Theorell-------------------24.3
Scott Hughes------------------26.6
Shawn Miller------------------26.8
Heavyweight Loading Medley
Gene Wainwright----------------45 sec
Jesse Marunde------------------54
Grant Higa----------------------54.6
Jay Ball-------------------------57.12
Cory St Clair--------------------1 minute
The remaining five contestants were all given ties for failing the load the fifth item, the round stone.

This contest started at approximately 9:30 AM and by mid day a nice crowd of approximately 500 to 1000 spectators assembled at the contest site. However, by the fifth men's event, The Keg Toss, the crowd started to drift away. The contest finished up about 8:30 PM, and the stress of such a long day definitely started show on promoter Bull Stewart and his wife Flo. I apologize if any of my suggestions added to their stress!

Up front, I have to take some blame for interfering with Bull's original game plan, which was to contest all four women's events before the men's contests started! Because of my suggestion to split the women's events, to give them more rest, the continuity of the start of the contest may have been disturbed.

However, this contest could have still run a lot quicker had two tires had been flipped simultaneously in two lanes. Also an extra set of farmers walk handles should have been available for two lanes on that events.

As for the Keg Toss, IMO, because of the time factor, promoters should think twice about how this event will affect the fluidity of their contests. This Keg Toss event took about 2 hours and made no real difference in the overall standings.

Also, I feel have to mention one of the most illogical things I've seen in a SMC! That was allowing the contestants to roll the round stone along the ground up to the truck before loading it. IMO, this really tainted the Loading Medley for the heavyweights! I've always thought that the idea behind "round" stones is to make them more difficult to lift, not easier to move across the ground. However, my hats off to both Grant Higa and Jesse Marunde for maintaining some integrity to this event by lifting and carrying the stone.

THE COMPETITORS
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Standing left to right: Mawr Wallace with round stone, Jay Ball, Andy Medak, Jeff Preston,
Jesse Marunde, Tim Howe, Aaron Anderton holding child, Scott Hughes,
Todd Christiansen, Ron West.
Kneeling left to right: Jeff Theorell with rough stone, Shawn Miller, Steve Spellman

Special thanks to GRANT HIGA for lending his strongman implements to the promoter.

Finally, there will be a video available of this contest, and from the looks of the equipment that the crew was using it should be professionally done. Anyone interested should contact:
Randy A. Adams
Studio-- 888-624-1328
Fax----- 206-772-2849
Mobile-425-260-3489
E mail mailto:%20randya@mere-image.com

FINAL RESULTS
Women
Patty Smith---------12.5 points
Kelly Hernardez----10.5
Courteney Schurman-7
Tamara Tennison-----6
 

Lightweight Men
Tim Howe------------46
Scott Hughes---------46
Jeff Theorell----------40
Jeff Preston-----------33
Steve Spellman-------28.5
Shawn Miller---------26
Doug Schurman------23.5
Jeff Hoiby------------18.5
Jon Stombers---------7

Heavyweight Men
Jesse Marunde---------58.5
Grant Higa-------------48.5
Cory St Clair-----------43.5
Aaron Anderton--------39.5
Gene Wainwright-------30
Jay Ball-----------------30
Todd Christiansen-------22.5
Joe Mona---------------21
Ron West---------------17
Andy Medak------------16

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