HARPER STRONGEST MAN IN PEI Harper strongest man in P.E.I. Faces of competition By ERIC MCCARTHY The Journal-Pioneer Brian Arsenault was the defending champion in the Prince County Exhibition’s Strongest Man in P.E.I. competition but Thursday night he had to settle for second over all as well as second in the stone lift. ERIC MCCARTHY/THE JOURNAL- PIONEER Having won a Canada Day weekend strongman contest in Charlottetown, Chris Harper said he was feeling the pressure competing at home Thursday night. He made it look easy, though, winning the first four events of the five-event Prince County Exhibition Strongman competition in Alberton. The Tignish resident finished with 27 out of a possible 30 points to dethrone Richmond resident Brian Arsenault as the strongest man in P.E.I. Arsenault finished second with 24 points, placing first in the car lift; second in the stone lift and medley events and third place finishes in the truck pull and tire flip events. Until now, the Prince County Exhibition is the only strongman competition Arsenault has ever entered but, having qualified for the Atlantic championship with his second place finish in Alberton, he said he is now thinking about training hard and competing there. The Alberton events were grueling and exhaustion was evident on the faces of the six competitors. Still they pushed forward from one event to the next, each time pushing their bodies to the very limit. By the time he stepped u p for the final event of the competition, the car deadlift, Harper had already assured himself first place. He had a six-point lead and no one could catch him. Still, he said he felt the pressure going into that final event. His back had been tight for the past week and a half and he knew that event would put it to the test. He held the back wheels of the car off the ground for 35.31 seconds, good enough for fourth place. Arsenault had held on for 45.72 seconds. Harper was the only competitor to pull a truck the required 75 feet in the 90-second time limit, finishing with time to spare. He was one of three competitors to lift five rocks into place in the stone lift, and one of three to flip all four tires in the progressive tire flip, the heaviest weighing 1,200 pounds. In the medley, where competitors carried a yoke 50 feet and then proceeded right into the farmers walk, Harper practically ran across the finish line. The Prince County Exhition continues in Alberton all weekend. 1. CHRIS HARPER Stone lift - 6 pts Tire flip - 6 pts Medley - 6 pts Truck pull - 6 pts Car deadlift - 3 pts Total- 27 pts 2. BRIAN ASENAULT Stones- 5 pts Tire flip - 4 pts Medley - 5 pts Truck pull - 4 pts Car dead lift - 6 pts Total - 24 pts 3. DANNY FRAME Stone lift - 3 pts Tire flip - 3 pts Medley - 3 pts Truck pull - 2 pts Car lift - 5 pts Total - 16 pts 4. ALEX WALLACE Stone lift - 4 pts Tire flip - 2 pts Medley - 1 pt Truck pull - 3 pts Car deadlift - 4 pts TOTAL - 14 pts 5. JAY SMITH Stone lift - 2 pts Tire flip - 1 pt Medley - 4 pts Truck pull - 5 pts Car deadlift - 1 pts Total - 13 pts 6. Jeff Lundberg Stone lift - 1 pt Tire flip - 5 pts Medley - 2 pts Truck pull - 1 pts Car deadlift - 2 pts Total - 11 pts |
