Chopper and I met in the seaside town of Westward Ho! (the only UK town with an exclamation mark in its name.) I’d been here in ‘80 and ‘81 so recounted fond memories as we walked the cliffs to a deserted rocky beach. A few years ago Strongman David Horne built an elaborate Conan the Barbarian style throne on a beach in Anglesey in Wales. It inspired me to build four of my own on visits to the coast. I also follow Martin Gallagher’s adventures in Ireland seeking out and lifting ancient stones that have appeared in myths and legends. With uphill treks through picturesque landscapes to find them, the age old trope that strongmen lack cardio vascular conditioning can soon be put to bed. As he says, “What else would you be at?”
Having gained the overall bronze medal at the Devastating Devon Armwrestling Tournament the day before, Chopper had some soreness in his arm. Not surprising given that it took sixteen pins to get it. In contrast I lost three matches, won two and took no damage. Chopper is explosive, I am not. I plod along with slow twitch force whilst he takes a few sharp breaths and explodes into motion.
I had an unrealistic expectation of what size stone I would be able to lift in the South West. The rocks are much denser than the chalk blocks of the South East – as I discovered on the first attempt to move a rounded lump lying in a shallow rock pool. It led to more rolling and sliding than initially planned.
It’s ephemeral art. I like to build below the tide line so the crashing waves will claim the work. One I built last year got covered with half a meter of sand on the next spring tide.
It’s worth appealing to the eager not to build thrones with named stones that the historic lifters use and revere – there are millions of others which have no significance to play with. The wild hunt might come for you else.
It took about an hour for Chopper and I to lift, carry, drag, slide and roll Sisyphus style the stones into something resembling a throne as the tide marched in towards us. With ten meters before being overran, I sat facing the sea whilst Chopper reminded the world that I’m the PAA President. In turn, I heralded him as King Chopper of Westward Ho! The potential courtiers who had been watching kept their distance and did not shower us with gifts and tribute as we might have expected. Nevermind, peasants and serfs the lot of them!
We departed before the tide lapped our feet and talked all things strength as we surveyed our kingdom from the cliffs. King Chopper agreed that the exercise value for muscles and tendons was considerable. He’s going to build more, so am I. Coming soon to a beach near you maybe.
See you down the road.
