THE INAUGURAL EVENT

On Saturday, May 7, 2022 the Village of Hopkins hosted the 1st Annual West Michigan Strongman Competition at the corner of Franklin St. & Wise St. The 1st, outdoor competition of its kind held on the West Side of the State was designed to highlight the agricultural and industrial culture that is so common to individuals in this area and embodied in our Headline Sponsor, Hopkins-based industrial compactor maker Sebright Products.

It was a modest event with 11 sponsors and 11 registered strength athletes across 5 divisions. The crowd consisted largely of family and friends of the contestants and travelers that just happened to look south to view this curious thing while passing the Village Park. The weather was a crisp 70 degrees with nary a cloud in the sky and the competition in the Men’s 175, 200, and 231 classes heated up quickly.

EVENT #1 LOG PRESS              

The Log Press is a staple of every Strongman Competition and is carried up through Regional and National competitions.  “Ladies First” was the motto and Jules Bochenek of Oxford, MI did not disappoint, easily handling the 12”, 140 lb log for 5 reps. Jules’ 5 reps were later matched at 250 lbs by Chance Smith of Wyoming, MI in the Men’s 200 division and by Josh Swisher of Manchester, MI moving 270 lbs in the Men’s 231 division. Aaron Hahn of Alma, MI showed out with an impressive 4 reps at 230 lbs in the 175 Class.

 EVENT #2—DEADLIFT

  Sponsored by Hopkins-based Rite Way Body Shop and Allegan-based Waanders Concrete Co, the other mandated included in every Strongman Competition is the Deadlift. Strongman Corporation mandates a thick, Axle Bar without knurling and no rotating component like an Olympic Barbell found in most workout facilities.  Here again Jules Bochenek set the bar high in Women’s Division by banging out 7 reps at 315 lbs.  Notable performances from the Men’s Divisions are seen in the table below:

EVENT #3 KEG TOSS

The 3rd Event in the 2022 West Michigan Strongman Competition involved throwing three half-kegs (20 lb; 25 lb; and 30 lb) for distance.  Sponsored by Hopkins-based retailer CD’s Quik Mart and Holland-based beverage distributor Mervenne Beverage.  Impressively, six of our eleven competitors launched the kegs over 30 feet highlighted by Chance Smith’s launch of 35.2’ with the heaviest, 30 lb half keg.  Notable performances from the Men’s divisions are shown below:

EVENT #4 CARRY & LOAD MEDLEY                                                                   

Event #4 was meant to challenge the athlete’s mobility and lower body strength with a three-

 event combination to be completed in 90 seconds. 

o    Portion #1-- required the lifting and carrying of a large hydraulic cylinder (top weight of 252 lbs) across the course (30ft) and racking the arm provided by Hopkins industrial compactor provider Bright Technologies.

o    Portion #2 – immediately after racking the cylinder arm, contestants were required to drag over 500 lbs of chain over a 25ft course up a 5% asphalt grade.

o    Portion #3 – immediately after pulling the chain bundle across the line, contestants were to use their remaining time to perform as many tire flips as possible.  Men’s 175 and 200 Classes used a 420 lb tire up the 5% grade while Men’s 231 and 265 Classes were to flip a 1,080 lb tire uphill. 

Notable performances in the Medley are shown below:

 EVENT #5 VEHICLE PULL

Unquestionably, the Vehicle Pull was to be the highlight of the Inaugural event, but Jake Schut delivered more than we could have ever imagined.  JW Schut is based just a few miles west of Hopkins and is one of the country’s premier makers of horse-drawn hitch wagons—blending the industrial and agricultural with tremendous artisanship--with corporate customers, hobbyists, and dignitaries all over the world.  The reaction of the contestants and those gathered was priceless when Jake rolled out one the original Budweiser hitch wagons pulled by the famous Clydesdales to be used in our Strongman Event.

Contestants were to pull the 2,500 lb wagon from a dead start down a 50 ft course with an arm-over-arm movement.  75 lb grain bags provided by sponsor Hopkins Elevator brought the pull weight up to 3,250 lbs for higher weight classes.  Notable performances are seen in the table below: