It’s been two years since arm wrestlers have been able to attend a major tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But they finally got to flex their muscles Saturday, as the Lethbridge Arm Wrestling Club (LAWC) hosted its second annual classic that welcomed teams from all over Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan.
The event was held at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club and more than 200 people attended, with teams of all ages competing in a round-robin competition, pinning opponents to earn the most points.
LAWC came out on top and won the team trophy.
Head referee Stew Foster is from Airdrie, Alta. and has been arm wrestling since 1980. He is considered to be the longest-serving “puller”, or competitive arm wrestler, in Alberta history.
“It goes to show these younger guys that when you get to be our age, we’ve still got some fire in the chimney,” Foster said. “This arm-wrestling family is second to none.”
Stew now coaches his champion wife Stacey who started arm wrestling in 2015 after retiring from bodybuilding.
“After 10 months, I went to my first nationals and came home with a gold, two silvers and a bronze, and I’ve stuck with it since,” she said.
The grandmother of eight holds a four-time national masters championship for both her right and left arm.
Ethwyn Penton, a member of LAWC, started wrestling a few years ago to continue his passion for strength training.
“It’s not just how strong your arm is. There is so much little technique that goes into it,” said Penton.
He’s excited to return to the competitive zone and hopes to make provincials in Grand Prairie this spring.
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