Ryan Espey, president of the Canadian Arm Wrestling Federation and a master-level referee, recently returned from the Canadian National Arm Wrestling Championships in Regina, where he served as one of the referees for the finals. He notes the event has grown significantly, with a record 950 competitors at the 2024 nationals in Quebec.
“There’s a set rule set that we follow and then we try to make sure that everyone is fair leading up to before they go,” Espey says. “The main job is of course keeping everyone safe, but also that the competitors receive a fair shake when it comes to their match.”
He explains key rules include keeping the shoulder square, wrist straight, and thumb knuckle visible. Espey adds there are “lots of attempts to manipulate that during the course of the match.”
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Espey has competed at a high level for decades, starting in 1997 after winning a tournament at Sociables nightclub in Portage la Prairie.
He remarks, “I won that tournament and went to the Nationals a couple months later and got absolutely smoked, but it kind of made me fall in love with it. If it was easy, probably I wouldn’t have.”
Recent competitions and future plans
After taking some time off and dropping significant weight, Espey competed at the Arnold Classic last February.
“I tipped the scales over 400 lbs,” he notes, “but I made it to the finals and then got violently ill in my hotel room and wasn’t able to compete.”
Before that, he won two super matches in sweeps, 5-0, against opponents from New Zealand and Brazil.
Espey plans to compete in a lighter weight class at the Arnold Qualifier on October 4, 2025, in Headingley, a tournament he is organizing himself.
He adds, “As I turn 50, that also gives me access to the Grand Masters plus which I intend to compete at both the Canadian Championships and the World Championships,” which will take place in New Brunswick and Tokyo, Japan, respectively in 2026.
Training and local club growth
Espey continues to train consistently, combining overall body strengthening with specialized hand and wrist exercises.
Locally, Espey has been instrumental in growing arm wrestling through the Portage Armwrestling Club, which he started in 1997. He mentions the club is thriving with enthusiastic members traveling from across the province to practice every couple of weeks.
The club continues to recruit new members, and Espey invites interested athletes to follow their activities online.
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