The first professional show for Alberta's Strongest Man was held Saturday in Red Deer.
Spectators bundled up in hats, mitts, extra layers, and chairs to witness the feats of strength as the competitors vied for the title of Strongest Man in Alberta. The event took place at Fire & Flood Emergency Services Ltd., where Dan Hagan was crowned the champion after competing in the events.
“This is the coldest show I've ever done, and I've done lots of rain shows and do good, but this and the snow it's an interesting - obstacle” said Brad Shepard, a local Red Deer competitor. “We're trying to dress and stay warm, and a sweater is a lot different than no shirt or T-shirt. So yeah, it complicates things a little bit because we're so used to training in controlled environments”
The competitors braved the cooler weather to compete in events such as the Press Medley, Side Handle Car Deadlift, Keg Toss (five kegs ranging up to 50 pounds), Yoke to Frame Medley (over 800 pounds), Crucifix Hold (25 pounds in each hand), and Natural Stone Load.
Nick Ris, co-organizer of the event, said more than 100 cars were in attendance. Although the event was free, donations were collected for the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre, raising nearly $400.
“It’s a very different sport, and it’s really exciting to have such a strong presence for strongman,” Ris said. He’s already looking forward to next year’s competition and getting the women involved. “There’s the Strongest Woman in the West competition happening in August in Calgary, and we’re going to be a part of that too.”
For those wanting to eat like a strongman, Shepard shared his big breakfast tip.
“Today was a whole bunch of pancakes, but I have my own usual breakfast, which is a weird spaghetti concoction. You take your al dente spaghetti, fry it up in olive oil with some eggs and parmesan cheese,” he said. “It is fantastic. I stole it from Star Trek. Watched the captain on Star Trek cook it and one day it was like I'm going to try that. and then I ate it the day before I squatted 1000 lbs and took the Canadian record”.
Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon.
Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@centralalbertaonline.com.
CentralAlbertaOnline encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the CentralAlbertaOnline app.