Despite the first snow of the year, the recent arm-wrestling tournament in Estevan was a resounding success, drawing about 75 entries and competitors from across the region. Saskatchewan emerged victorious in the highly anticipated Manitoba versus Saskatchewan competition, securing the coveted "Man-Sask" trophy.
"Every year we have a Manitoba versus Saskatchewan tournament, and it consists of super matches, where we put a Saskatchewan player against a Manitoba player," said Desiree De Silva, an organizer with Southern Impact Arm Wrestling. "They do a best-of-five super match, and the first to win three out of five matches takes the win. We also tally up all the matches won. So even if I won two and you won three, I still get two points for my team and you get three." Saskatchewan’s overall performance earned them the title. "Saskatchewan came out with 28 points, and Manitoba finished with five. So we won the trophy."
The event had several standout moments beyond Saskatchewan’s win. "I would honestly say the amount of kids that turned out was a great highlight," said De Silva. Local support also played a big role in the event’s success. "Fired Up Grill sponsored the restaurants and provided it to us for free, which was wonderful."
The tournament attracted participants from outside the province as well. "We had people from Montana and North Dakota come to compete at our event," she added.
Interest in arm wrestling has seen significant growth in Estevan over the past two years. "When I first moved here, nobody knew what arm wrestling was. But now, after two years of hosting tournaments, more people are showing up. I constantly get messages asking, 'When do you practice? Can I join? How much does it cost?' And people are surprised to learn that unless you're competing in tournaments, it’s free to come and train."
Although the sport is beginning to gain traction with younger participants, it remains most popular with adults. "It’s starting to grow among youth, but I would say people between 25 and 50 are the biggest group."
Plans are already underway for the next tournament. "We’re going to hold another Armageddon tournament, which we held last March. We’ll be hosting it again on March 1st of next year," De Silva confirmed.
The tournament highlighted the growing enthusiasm for arm wrestling in Estevan and the surrounding region, setting the stage for even more success in the future.
The results from the matches are as follows.
Right Arm Matches
- Youth Mixed: Scarlett Dow (Estevan) led the category, with Aria Krzeminski and Lexton Cassin rounding out the podium.
- Senior Girls: Kayla Lee (Portage) topped the category, followed by Autumn Dow (Estevan).
- Junior Boys: Phillip Gellner (Estevan) secured first, ahead of Kody Tucker (Estevan).
- Senior Boys: Cowan Ludtke (Estevan) claimed victory, with Tyson Klashinsky (Saskatoon) and Parker Squires (Winnipeg) completing the top three.
Women’s Divisions:
- 0-154 lbs: Peyton Pickering (Saskatoon) swept to victory.
- 155+ lbs: Pickering also dominated this class, with Monica Oeschger (Indian Head) in second.
Men’s Divisions:
- 0-176 lbs: Brandt Schick (Bienfait) earned first place.
- 177-199 lbs: Michael Geib (Westby) took the top spot.
- 200-242 lbs: Miles Hutton (Shaunavon) led the pack.
- 242+ lbs: Joel Hanson (Saskatoon) emerged victorious.
Left Arm Matches
- Youth Mixed: Scarlett Dow once again triumphed, followed by Krzeminski and Cassin.
- Senior Girls: Kayla Lee secured first place, with Alyssa Lee (Portage) in second.
- Junior Boys: Kody Tucker (Estevan) led, with Phillip Gellner as runner-up.
- Senior Boys: Cowan Ludtke (Estevan) added another win.
Women’s Divisions:
- 0-154 lbs: Desiree DaSilva (Estevan) won, edging out Peyton Pickering.
- 155+ lbs: Pickering reclaimed dominance in this category.
Men’s Divisions:
- 0-176 lbs: Tim Geib (Dagmar) secured the title.
- 177-199 lbs: Michael Geib added another first-place finish.
- 200-242 lbs: Miles Hutton repeated his right-arm victory.
- 242+ lbs: Joel Hanson remained the top competitor.