The 8th annual Cariboo's Strongest competition was held in Williams Lake on Saturday, May 10.
With just under 40 competitors from across B.C participating, it was the first strongman show in B.C. to host six events in one day, as well as the first to have a car squat event.
"Pretty friggin' rad" is how Tyson Delay, an organizer of the competition, described the day.
Delay said a large number of the participants were local to the Williams Lake area and B.C., though the competition also attracted a few Albertans.
Leighton Fehr of Fort Saint John broke the national record in the lightweight hummer tire deadlift event by lifting 680 pounds, 180 pounds over the previous 500-pound record.
Alex Lorincz, also from Fort Saint John, broke the national record in the open weight class hummer tire deadlift event by lifting 810 pounds; the previous record was 800 pounds.
Dan Ursino of Williams Lake told the Tribune this was his second year competing in strongman events, which he does for his daughters. His daughter Blake wanted a big hug after Ursino finished lifting in the log ladder event. He was the only local to compete in the open weight which he said he's just getting into. Ursino came third in his class.
Delay, who himself has been competing in strongman events for almost 10 years, coaches many of the local competitors.
"I'm super grateful to the local Cairboo team...it's a great group of local athletes," Delay said, noting they all helped with set up and tear down.
He also thanked all of the show's sponsors, with main ones being Stefan Hall from Rebel Fit, Steve Rose from Bolster Builders, Trevor Bigg from eXp Realty and Andrea Moleschi with the Wholesale Club whose parking lot the event was held in.
Delay, Ursino and Stefan Hall will be competing at Kelowna's Strongest on June 7 and Delay will also be competing at the provincials in Alberta on June 22. The whole team will then be competing at the Twin Rivers Strength festival in Kamloops July 12-13.
