Viking Stonelifting Challenge

[Bill Crawford]

Hi guys and sorry this didn't go out earlier but here is a quick report on the trip to Iceland. As most of you guessed a detailed account of the trip will be in the September Milo.
We traveled 1000 miles in 4 days and we lifted 13 named stones. I have assigned numbers to each of the 7 stone sites.
Day 1) 1) Dritvik Stones (4 stones) up to the 160 kg stone. I was happy to lift the largest of the Dritvik stones again. Roger was able to shoulder the 100kg #3 stone. Petur lifted the stone with his fingers locked in the old Icelandic way and that was very impressive.
Day 2) 2) Stones of Latra (4stones 97 to 177 kg). You have to lift them up to a plinthe (that is Roger's fancy word so ask him what that means) and carefully stack the stones. I was happy to complete the task however gingerly due to some pain in my left bicep. One of the highlights of the trip was to see Roger fight the 140kg stone for 20 minutes and lift it onto the stone platform, uh I mean plinthe. 3) Judas Stone - 130 kg stone lifted to chest. 4) Brynjolfstak - 281 kg stone lifted off the ground. Happy to get that one up but lift of the day with that stone was to see Tony Aitchison quickly and easily pull the stone up a foot off the ground, truly impressive.
Day 3) My favorite day. 5) Petursstein - 200+ kg block of slate lifted by Petur and myself. Roger found the stone after we climbed a cliff up to one of Iceland's great waterfalls, the Fjallfoss. We lifted the stone onto a plinthe (I like that word) in the most dramatic scenery. 6) Leggstein (Tombstone) in Heydalur. A 220 kg, smooth beast that I thought my arms would come out of the sockets but was able to make a full lap with the stone around the farmers grave.
Day 4) 7) Husafell - cold and rainy but we were ready. Stefan Solvi Petursson made fullsterkur with the stone. Congratulations. I was feeling good and cruising at about the 3/4 mark when I heard an audible sound from my left arm, like velcro. I dropped the stone and then lifted it two more times but was unable to bear weight on the arm.
In the end this was more epic than imagined. I think if you talk to any of the team we truly made The Brotherhood of Stone proud. I know the others feel what I have been talking about, the bond comes from lifting stones and particularly going to these great stone sites.
I will be having surgery to repair my torn left biceps tomorrow. A small price to pay to be part of history. So I will be out of stonelifting commission for a while. Plus, I will consider my scar a tattoo courtesy of Kviahellan.
Fullsterkur, Bill

[Regan Bridge]

Hi Bill
That sounded like you had a great adventure. Thanks for the write up and I look forward to the Milo article.
Some of those stones are of some serious weight. Make sure that there are pictures in Milo.
Sorry to hear about your bicep but what a cool way to have it go, it’s like a war story you can tell the grand kids.
It’s given me some inspiration to get out and lift more stones and who knows maybe I can create my own manhood stone down here in New Zealand
Later
Regan

[Bill Crawford]

Hi Regan, I would love to travel to New Zealand some day and lift the Regan Stone. Every named stone has to have a story. Yes, those stones in Iceland are giant. I was there to lift the stones I had not seen and to meet new Brothers. I will be back but I will train a little differently. Locking the fingers around a stone as you do will be something I have to learn to use more. The Dritvik Stone and the Husafell Stone are to be lifted or carried with locked fingers as the Icelanders do but I didn't do that this year or the last 2 years and those are the stones that I injured myself with. Keep up the training to keep me focused on my rehab. Bill

[jbrookfield]

Great job Bill, you made us all proud with your trip and go for it attitude. You demonstrated the ability to grasp ahold of a vision and goal and go for it. This of course is the same attributes that it takes to hoist those great stones. Thanks.

[chip]

Hello Bill and congratulations on your journey and success. I was wondering if the stones you tackled looked bigger in real life than you imagined. I have been reading your posts and articles and know you have paid visits to some of the stones. However, the stones that you seeked out that you have heard of and met for the first time. Were they bigger than you thought they would be?

[Bill Crawford]

Hi Chip, Yes, those Icelandic stones are mammoth. Can you imagine what a 281 kg stone looks like in person (the Brynjolfstak)? The Leggstein is 220 kg and is smooth. Icelandic stones are massive and smooth, very smooth. Bill

[Regan Bridge]

Do some of these stones come with traditional ways to lift?? ie technique and equipment. For example the Dritvik Stones where you said Petur lifted the stone with his fingers locked in the old Icelandic way and also using tacky on these smooth stones would take away half the challenge.
The reason I ask is I am trying to find out where tacky has emerged into the stone lifting scene. Was it something they use in the days of old or have we introduced it in the last 20+ years when strongman started.

[Bill Crawford]

Well as for tacky, The Viking Stonelifting Challenge obviously had a strict ban on tacky. We tried to use chalk but that was worthless as it rainrd most of the time. The Dritvik Stone is like a huge pancake, so traditionally it is turned on it's edge and lifted with the arms around it and fingers locked. Frankly, I could not get down in this position so I just reach down and lift it with the stone flat on the ground...of course, no tacky. See my article in last Septembers' Milo that has a picture of Robert Troupe lifting the stone from the standing on edge position. I will lift it that way the next time as lifting it the way I do requires alot of arm and back strength as opposed to more flexibility and athleticism, putting less strain on the biceps. I did begin the injury to my arm at Dritvik and likely due to my technique. I personally enjoyed seeing Petur lift it the traditional way.

As for the tacky issue, that has to be a recent turn of events with the strongman scene. Traditional stonelifting that we enjoy is void of tacky. Lifting without tacky allows you to be proud of a real accomplishment. I know you do not use tacky on your great smooth stones and I can only imagine if someone tried!

[Regan Bridge]

Quote from Bill - As for the tacky issue, that has to be a recent turn of events with the strongman scene. Traditional stonelifting that we enjoy is void of tacky. Lifting without tacky allows you to be proud of a real accomplishment. I know you do not use tacky on your great smooth stones and I can only imagine if someone tried!

Funny you should say that...
I have recently (start of this year) started using tacky because I have been trying to shoulder bigger and bigger stones and have been unable to get them to grip my stomach and chest on the way up to the shoulder. I even tried CRC belt grip for engines as a tacky. Even though I have been lifting bigger stones this use of tacky has not sat well with me as I use to be totally against it.
Well yesterday I said stuff it, this is not why I lift stones, I am a raw stone lifter who needs nothing but my bare hands. So after loading one of my river stones with nothing, not even my shirt I finally felt at home again.
My wife and I are off to Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand (you might know it as Middle Earth from a popular movie) for a week to relax and of course lift stones, the way the Vikings did - RAW!!
I've never lifted in snow before.
Thanks again for your write-up it has inspired me to start being true to myself and my passion for stone lifting again.
Regan
Old time stonelifter

[Fianna Clansman]

Guys,

Great to see that the Viking Stonelifting challenge has caused so much interest, I can assure you that it will cause even more when Bill publishes his article and these stones are seen for the first time.

If the article can capture even half of the sprit of camraderie, beauty of the scenery and pure drama of the stones then it will leave people breathless.

In that vein Bill, I know I have said it privately, but it also needs saying publicly.

Thank you so much for conceiving, arranging and partaking in what I feel was the stonelifting trip of the century, people often speak about the things that they are going to do, but very few people act upon their words.

12 months ago , you generously offered up the idea up this trip , at this point in time there are a number of people made better because you followed it through , and I thank you for that experiance, and the advancement of " The Brotherhood of the stone "

OK ...... ahem ..... gushey stuff over !


Regan,

I find your comments on tacky very interesting.

I do think that using tacky would make a difference, I remember watching Jon Pall Sigmasson being the first to lift the 130kg Atlas stones in the very early years, now everybody is lifting 150 - 160kg plus, specific training has helped, but I also think that tacky has made a difference.

Its my view that Tacky shouldn't be used on natural stones lifted for personal achievement , but if you are in a strongman competition I guess you would be a fool to handicap yourself by making a gesture.

The Icelanders did not allow tacky to be used on the lifting stones, they said it would mark them, and dishonour them.

In theory, I am sure that the ancients may have used tree resin or some such thing to help them with grip, and this may have carried over to feats of strength.

If I was you Regan I would not get too concerned as to what other people may think , that is good advise that you gave me some time back.

Lift with or without tacky, your choice.

The monster stones that you have been lifting are down to you alone, if you covered most of us in this forum from head to toe in tacky , and made us drink a pint for good measure , we still couldn't move the stones that you are shouldering, so the lifts are still awesome.

Enjoy middle earth , and hurry back soon with some more stone lifting tales.

regards

Roger