Some bouts were over in a matter of a second or two. Others were a war of attrition, the contestants locked hand-in-hand, sweat beading, neither willing to concede.
It was the first ACT Arm Wrestling Championships, held in a packed room at the Hotel Queanbeyan on Sunday, and another sign COVID lockdowns were a distant memory.
Canberra Arm Wrestling Club president Oscar Curtis and fellow member Hans Tapsell started the club only in October last year as the ACT started to emerge from the pandemic.
In just 12 months, they have attracted 25 members, training each week in Wright. And, now, they have staged their first state-level championships.
"I'd been into arm wrestling for a few years prior to that and I used to train in Sydney and there just weren't the clubs down here," Oscar, 22, said.
The championship on Sunday attracted competitors in three divisions - under 80kg, under 95kg and 95kg - in both right and left-hand categories.
"We had planned to do a women's event but unfortunately we only got one entrant," Oscar said.
"It's unfortunately not as popular with women but it's definitely growing.
"In the NSW state championships, which is a larger, they have been getting more and more women."
Oscar, who competes in the 95kg-plus division, is a gentle giant, who is currently working as an aluminium welder but also almost finished his nursing degree.
Arm wrestling was a great way to build strength.
"I just love it," he said. "As soon as I started doing it, I was hooked. Everyone's super-friendly and gets along and teaches you whatever you want to know."
And a tip from someone who knows?
"You've got to be fast and strong and have endurance. You've got to have it all, really," Oscar said.
During the bouts, like the ones you probably did with your siblings, you can't let your elbow off the pad. There is also a pin in the competition for added stabilisation.
"The great thing about arm wrestling is that everyone has slightly different arms and some people are better at some positions and some are better than others so they can kind of find their own lane," Oscar said.
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The club hopes to hold the championships every year.
"We're absolutely stoked with the turnout," Oscar said.
"We got about 40 competitors over the three weight categories."
- And the 2022 ACT STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS WINNERS were:
-
Right Hand:
- - Under 80kg
- 1st Gary Koshnitsky
- 2nd Ryan Fairweather
- 3rd Simon Appleby
-
Under 95kg
- 1st Josh Barker
- 2nd Rhett Downward
- 3rd Gary Koshnitsky
-
Over 95kg
- 1st Malo Tupai
- 2nd Josh Barker
- 3rd Leo Marcus
- Left Hand:
-
Under 80kg
- 1st Jacob Jhonston
- 2nd Leo Marcus
- 3rd Ryan Fairweather
-
Under 95kg
- 1st Josh Barker
- 2nd Rhett Downward
- 3rd Jacob Jhonston
-
Over 95kgs
- 1st Christian Bozinovski
- 2nd Hans Tapsell
- 3rd Jacob Jhonston
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