Where’s the beef? In Sacramento this week for World’s Strongest Man competition

Hooper, from Barrie, Ont., won in 2023 and was runner-up last year in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Derwinsky, from Thorold, Ont., was sixth last year while Boudreault, from Kapuskasing, Ont., was third in 2021.

Together, the four Canadians tip the scales at more than 1,300 pounds.

It’s the kind of bulk that’s needed to hoist balls weighing 100 to 160 kilograms (in the Atlas Stones event), deadlift 350 kilograms as many times as possible in one minute (Hoath hopes to do it eight to 10 times) or, using chains, see how long you can keep two 160-kilogram pillars upright (Hercules Hold).

Unlike past competitions, this year’s schedule does not include the Vehicle Pull (pulling a tram, boxcar, bus or plane down a 100-foot course) or the Car Walk (climbing inside a hollowed-out car and carrying it down a 25-metre course).

The field includes big men from Australia, Britain, Czechia, Ghana, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Ukraine and the United States.

The 25 competitors have been split into five groups for qualifying Thursday and Friday, with the top two from each pool advancing to the weekend final.

Derwinsky and Hooper are in a group with New Zealand’s Matt Ragg, American Bryce Jonson and Britain’s Paddy Haynes.

Hoath and Boudreault are grouped with Czechia’s Ondrej Fojtu, American Trey Mitchell and Britain’s Luke Richardson. Hoath won his group at last year’s competition.

Scotland’s Tom Stoltman, a man-mountain at 6-8 and 408 pounds, won the event in 2021, ’22 and ’24 and was runner-up in 2020 and ’23, when Hooper won. He is known as “The Albatross” due to his 82-inch wingspan.

Stoltman’s older brother Luke, the runt of the family at 6-3 and 364 pounds, is also taking part this year.

The competition debuted in 1977 at Universal Studios in California and has since taken place in Bahamas, Botswana, China, Finland, France, Hungary, Iceland, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Morocco, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Zambia, as well as the U.S.

The 48th edition of the competition is taking place at Sacramento’s California State Railroad Museum.

American big men have won the contest a record 12 times with nine second-place finishes and 11 third places. Iceland is next at 9-7-5.

Canadian Tom Magee was runner-up in 1982 and Dominic Filiou third in 2005. Hoath and Derwinsky are both coached by Quebec’s J.F. Caron, who finished third in 2020.

Training is a challenge in itself, given the tournament props. But the 29-year-old Derwinsky, who stands 6-3 and weighs 320 pounds, has it covered.

“I’ve been fortunate that through the 13 years that I’ve been competing I’ve collected just about every piece of equipment that we deal with in Strongman,” he said. “At home, at my parents’ house and at my in-laws’ house, I have a bunch of equipment scattered between them. And then I use a bunch of local gyms and things like that to fill in the gaps.”

His favourite event this weekend involves tossing either 30-pound kegs or sandbags over a 12-feet bar from a variety of distances.

At his gym, Hoath gets a helping hand from members who are welders or work in a metal shop.

“They’re more than willing to kind of help build some of the implements that I need and make sure my training goes properly,” he said.

Hoath’s favourite event is the deadlift. His best lift is 925 pounds.

Hoath says the Edmonton Police Service and Police Association have both been very supportive of his sporting endeavours.

Derwinsky trains full time.

“Currently I’m just living the dream as a professional Strongman (for) this last year and a half,” he said.

Strongman competition runs in the Derwinsky family. His fiancée, Paige Muileboom, also competes.

Derwinsky got involved in the sport after watching it on TV back in 2010.

“I thought to myself ‘I could do that.’ And from then on the dream has been to make it to World’ Strongest Man and thankfully I’m here now for my second time.”

He grew up playing a variety of sports including football, wrestling, volleyball, basketball and hockey, continuing on the ice until he was 18 or 19. He then played two years of lacrosse for the St. Catharines Athletics Junior ‘A’ team.

Hoath, 33, used to watch Strongman competitions with his late father and started training in 2018.

Both say the sport takes a toll on their bodies.

“You kind of usually feel like you’re in a bit of a car wreck,” said Derwinsky.

Added Hoath: “I can push the body as much as I want for the competition, because afterwards I can sit with Band-Aids and Tensor wraps just to relax.”

“A cold beverage or two definitely goes a long way,” he added with a laugh.

The competition is sponsored by SBD Apparel.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2025.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Where’s the beef? In Sacramento this week for World’s Strongest Man competition

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