CRYSTAL FALLS -- What comes with the Humongous Fungus Fest? The U.P. strongman competition of course. The 4th annual strongman competition started Saturday afternoon with the farmers walk and stone carry. By the way, men weren't the only competitors Saturday.
Next came the overhead lift, then the Conan wheel, the Tractor Tire flip, and finally the Medley event.
Strongmen, and women came from all across the U.P. and parts of Wisconsin to take on the homemade challenges.
"Each year we pattern our events off of the events you see on TV, World's Strongest Man Competition," said competition Co-Director Bill Santilli. "Jim Butler builds everything himself, and he sets these things up on what he'd like to see each year."
Santilli says that in just four short years, this competition has grown. "Word's traveling fast, and the feedback from the lifters that have done this and in other competitions is they like Jim's competition here, they like the equipment that he's made."
One of those lifters who participated for the first time this year was former Lake Superior State track star Dana Skytta. "It's awesome, it's the only one in the U.P., and it's what got me into this (competitive lifting). I don't know what I'd be training for it I didn't find it," said Skytta. "It's a good competition, there's a couple guys that really pushed me today, which is why I came here. It was a lot of fun and the competition atmosphere is something I needed."
Skytta finished second to Crystal Falls native Ryan Martin in the Heavyweight division. Crystal Falls had plenty other native sons winning division titles: Robert Semke was the Middleweight champ while Ian Bender won the Lightweight title.
The women's champ was Vanessa McKoy, a Texas native from the USOEC weightlifting program at Northern Michigan University.
WOMENS:
1 Vanessa McKoy Marquette 28
2 Kendra Miller Marquette 23
3 Kaylyn Bernard Escanaba18
4 Jenny Jarvis Niagara16
5 Jane Clifford Marquette 13
6 Vicky Hering Florence 8
FEATHERWEIGHTS:
1 Kevin Anderson Iron Mountain 37
2 Andy Vrabel 31 Marquette (won on tiebreaker)
3 Max Crethcher Marquette 31
4 Doug Wallis Sault Ste. Marie 31
5 Randy Greiner Marquette14
6 and 7 Adam Eli Marquette and James Lucas Iron Mountain 13
8 Andy Simon 10
LIGHTWEIGHTS:
1 Ian Bender c.f.70
2 James Wahoviak Iron Mountain 58 (won on tiebreaker)
3 Jason Nixon Escanaba 58
4 Nate Steber Florence 55
5 Matthew Fraser Marquette 53
6 Tim Martin Crystal Falls 48
7 Scott Blyly Niagara 46
8 Justin Kirschner Escanaba 34
9 Chad Childs Dunbar 32
10 Brandon Eis Escanaba 28
11 Lee Jobelius Green Bay 28
12 Chasz Jonet Iron River23
13 Dan Challe Green Bay 19
14 Joe Varney Iron River 17
15 Mitch Buchanan 6
MIDDLEWEIGHTS
1 Rob Semke Crystal Falls 21.5
2 Nick Behling Sault Ste. Marie 21.0
3 Brent Caswell Escanaba 13.5
4 Michael Wilbee Rapid River 12
5 Bryant Wheeler Crystal Falls 12
HEAVYWEIGHTS
1 Ryan Martin Crystal Falls 37
2 Dana Skytta Republic 35
3 Mark Beauchamp Escanaba 27
4 Kyle Frisk Escanaba 27
5 Steven Andrews Marquette 19
6 Joel Mott Niagara 19
7 Jake Kobasic Escanaba 9
8 Matt Delveaux 5
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC