Now that we know who is competing at the North American Championships and how they stack up, we’re taking a deeper dive: What needs to happen for your favorite strongman to grab a podium spot and qualify for World Strongest Man™?

In Part 1 of the two-part event breakdown, we will look at the max log lift, car deadlift, and super yoke.

Slater Giant Max Log Lift

This first event is a classic. The implement is a giant, handmade wooden log with parallel handles cut into the bottom. The task? Hoist it from the ground and get it over above your head any way possible; log is for max weight. The log will weigh in just over 300lbs.

The top contenders in this event are storied rivals: Robert Oberst and Dimitar Savatinov, who tied at America’s Strongest Man in 2014 with a 460-pound lift. Look for them to fight for the event win. After those two, Jerry Pritchett, Stan Carradine, and Bryan Benzel are all capable of 400-plus-pound lifts, and will likely round out the top placings. This is a key event for Robert Ostlund, Mark Felix, and Nick Best to hit big PRs and not lose too many points.

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Car Deadlift

The side-handle car deadlift is a crowd favorite—what looks cooler than picking up the back end of a CAR?! While it is a deadlift by name, it is a different test of strength than a conventional barbell deadlift, and often favors shorter competitors. But at the end of the day, strength is key, and this group has no shortage of that.

Pritchett is the first American to deadlift 1,000lbs, and also holds the American deadlift record in powerlifting. Training for the world deadlift championships a few weeks later, his deadlift strength is looking monstrous. In a recent interview, Pritchett said he deadlifts 800-plus pounds EVERY WEEK! Will the strongest barbell deadlifter of the bunch be able to translate his skill into deadlifting a Chevy Equinox (with the rear end lift loaded with plates) for reps?

Felix is also renowned for his deadlifting ability, especially in deadlift-for-reps events. Look for him to be toward the top:


Last year at America’s Strongest Man, many of these athletes went head-to-head. One of the events was an insanely heavy car deadlift featuring a rear-wheel drive Dodge Challenger. More than half the field zeroed, but a few were successful: Savatino and Carradine completed two reps, and Best had one, so look for them to pick up some points here. Thompson, the 5-6 Canadian, is relatively unknown, but the word in the north is he’s practically unbeatable in the car deadlift! We will see how he fares against high-caliber competition.

This is a crucial event for some of the taller athletes, including Oberst, Benzel, and Derek DeVaughn. A zero in this event would likely kill their chances at a podium spot.

Super Yoke

Carrying just over 900lbs for 60 feet is a feat in itself. But having to also drop it, then carry it BACK is just brutal. It changes the event from a test of strength and foot speed to one of endurance and attrition. Once you drop over 900lbs off your back, nothing in your body wants to pick it back up and do it again, but that is what the strongmen will have to do in the third event.

The top dogs entering this event include Pritchett and Best. Many of the others have done this sort of weight before, but the extra distance will prove challenging.

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Continue to Part 2. And if you sign up this weekend, you'll not only get all the action at OSM and Giants Live North America, you'll also get to watch Europe's Strongest Man on July 9th, featuring Hafthor "The Mountain" Bjornsson, Eddie "The Beast" Hall, Zydrunas "Big Z" Savickas, and more!


By Kalle Beck