Strongman Super Series

World Strongman Super Series

The official logo of World Strongman Super Series 2010
Tournament information
Location Various
Established 2001
Final year 2010
Format Multi-event competition
Final champion
United States Brian Shaw

The Strongman Super Series, known from 2001 to 2004 as the IFSA World Strongman Super Series, from 2005 to 2008 as the World's Strongest Man Super Series, and reverting in 2009 to the World Strongman Super Series, is a sequence of grand prix events in the sport of strength athletics. It was introduced in 2001 in response to concerns that, unlike other individual sports such as golf or tennis, there was no recognized international "tour" in strength athletics. The Strongman Super Series ensures that there are a number of high-profile, professionally run contests during the year, with competitors' placings being used to decide the overall Super Series Champion.

Typically, ten to twelve athletes take part in each GP, comprising the top six in the international rankings and at least four qualifiers or wildcard entries. The winner of each grand prix receives ten series points, the second placed, nine, and so on. The highest scoring competitor at the end of the series is named World Champion.

World Class Events ("WCE") ran the Super Series in co-operation with the International Federation of Strength Athletes ("IFSA")from 2001 to 2004 until IFSA cut ties with WCE and World's Strongest Man and began promoting their own grand prix events and world championships. In 2005, WCE signed a deal with Trans World International ("TWI"), the world’s largest independent producer and distributor of sports programming, to have the exclusive rights worldwide to be the only qualifying tour to the MET-Rx World's Strongest Man event for 2005-2008.[1] The top four athletes from each Grand Prix competition receive an automatic invitation to WSM.

On April 27, 2009 Giants Live, an arena-based series of live strongman competitions, was named the Official World's Strongest Man Qualifying Tour for 2009–2011, thus taking over from the Strongman Super Series in this regard. The first 2009 qualifying event took place on May 17 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, and the second event being the Viking Power competition in Norway, and finishing off the 2009 season in Poland.[2]

Super Series World Champions

Year Athlete Nationality
2001 Magnus Samuelsson  Sweden
2002 Hugo Girard  Canada
2003/4 Mariusz Pudzianowski  Poland
2004 Žydrūnas Savickas  Lithuania
2005* Mariusz Pudzianowski  Poland
2006* Mariusz Pudzianowski  Poland
2007* Mariusz Pudzianowski  Poland
2008* Derek Poundstone  United States
2009 Brian Shaw  United States
2010 Brian Shaw  United States

*WSM Super Series

2001

The International Federation of Strength Athletes co-produced the Strongman Super Series events from 2001-2004 along with World Class Events (WCE)/Ulf Bengtsson.

The official logo of IFSA World Strongman Super Series from 2001 to 2004
Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Location
Holland Grand Prix 2001 Netherlands Wout Zijlstra Sweden Magnus Samuelsson Norway Svend Karlsen Netherlands Netherlands
Czech Grand Prix 2001[3] Canada Hugo Girard Norway Svend Karlsen Sweden Magnus Samuelsson Czech Republic Prague, Czech Republic
Sweden Grand Prix 20012001 Super Series Finals Sweden Magnus Samuelsson Canada Hugo Girard Norway Svend Karlsen Sweden Älvsjö, Stockholm
Overall placings Sweden Magnus Samuelsson (15pts) Canada Hugo Girard (13pts) Norway Svend Karlsen (13pts)

2002

Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Location
Scotland Grand Prix (World Muscle Power 2002) Norway Svend Karlsen Canada Hugo Girard Finland Janne Virtanen Scotland Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Sweden Grand Prix 2002 (Hammer Strength) Canada Hugo Girard Norway Svend Karlsen Lithuania Zydrunas Savickas Sweden Stockholm, Sweden
Hawaii Grand Prix 2002 2002 Super Series Finals Canada Hugo Girard Lithuania Zydrunas Savickas Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski United States Honolulu, Hawaii
Overall placings Canada Hugo Girard Norway Svend Karlsen Lithuania Zydrunas Savickas

2003/04

Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Location
Hawaii Grand Prix 2003 Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski Latvia Raimonds Bergmanis Lithuania Zydrunas Savickas United States Honolulu, Hawaii
Holland Grand Prix 2003 Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski Lithuania Zydrunas Savickas Netherlands Jarno Hams Netherlands Netherlands
Canada Grand Prix 2003 Canada Hugo Girard Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski Norway Svend Karlsen Canada North Bay, Ontario Canada
Finland Grand Prix 2003 Canada Hugo Girard Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski Latvia Raimonds Bergmanis Finland Finland
2004 Arnold Strongman Classic 2003/04 Super Series Finals Lithuania Zydrunas Savickas Norway Svend Karlsen Latvia Raimonds Bergmanis United States Columbus, Ohio
Overall placings Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski Lithuania Zydrunas Savickas Latvia Raimonds Bergmanis

2004

Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Location
Moscow Grand Prix Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski Lithuania Zydrunas Savickas Ukraine Vasyl Virastyuk Russia Moscow, Russia
Sweden Grand Prix Sweden Magnus Samuelsson Lithuania Zydrunas Savickas Norway Svend Karlsen Sweden Gothenburg, Sweden
Overall placings Lithuania Zydrunas Savickas Ukraine Vasyl Virastyuk Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski/
Sweden Magnus Samuelsson

2005

Beginning in 2005, WSM/WCE cut all ties with IFSA, who had begun promoting their own separate grand prix events and world championships. The Strongman Super Series then became known as the World's Strongest Man Super Series and was the official qualifying tour for World's Strongest Man from 2005-2008.

The official logo of World's Strongest Man Super Series from 2005 to 2008
Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Location
Met-Rx Grand Prix Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski United States Jesse Marunde Finland Janne Virtanen United States Muscle Beach, California
Nautilus Grand Prix Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski Poland Slawomir Toczek United States Jesse Marunde Poland Poland
Vulkan Grand Prix Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski Finland Janne Virtanen United States Jesse Marunde Sweden Varberg, Sweden
Mohegan Sun Grand Prix Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski Canada Jessen Paulin United States Don Pope United States Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, Connecticut
Overall placings Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski United States Jesse Marunde Finland Janne Virtanen

2006

Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Location
Mohegan Sun Grand Prix Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski United States Jesse Marunde United States Josh Thigpen United States Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, Connecticut
Arnold Strongman Classic 2006 Lithuania Žydrūnas Savickas Ukraine Vasyl Virastyuk Russia Mikhail Koklyaev United States Columbus, Ohio
Moscow Grand Prix Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski Russia Elbrus Nigmatullin Canada Jessen Paulin Russia Moscow, Russia
Poland Grand Prix Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski Poland Jarek Dymek Poland Sebastian Wenta Poland Poland
Overall placings Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski

2007

Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Location
Mohegan Sun Grand Prix Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski United States Kevin Nee United Kingdom Mark Felix United States Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, Connecticut
Venice Beach Super Series United States Dave Ostlund Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski United States Jesse Marunde United States Venice Beach, California
Viking Power Super Series 2007 Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski Poland Jarek Dymek Sweden Magnus Samuelsson Norway Norway
Overall placings Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski

2008

Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Location
Mohegan Sun Grand Prix United States Derek Poundstone Poland Mariusz Pudzianowski United Kingdom Terry Hollands United States Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, Connecticut
Madison Square Garden Super Series United States Travis Ortmayer United States Derek Poundstone United States Dave Ostlund United States Madison Square Garden
Viking Power Super Series 2008 Norway Arild Haugen Poland Sebastian Wenta Norway Richard Skog Norway Storefjell Resort Hotel, Norway
Sweden Super Series Sweden Magnus Samuelsson Estonia Tarmo Mitt Norway Richard Skog Sweden Lysekil, Sweden
Overall placings United States Derek Poundstone

2009

Giants Live replaced the World's Strongest Man Super Series beginning in 2009 as the official qualifying tour for the World's Strongest Man. However, Strongman Super Series continued to hold events under the new title of World Strongman Super Series in 2009 & 2010.[4]

The official logo of World Strongman Super Series from 2009 to 2010
Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Location
Bucharest Grand Prix
July 4, 2009 		United States Marshall White United States Nick Best Sweden Johannes Arsjo Romania Bucharest, Romania
Venice Beach Grand PrixNov 14 2009[5] United States Brian Shaw Bulgaria Stoyan Todorchev United States Jason Bergmann United States Venice Beach, California
Sweden Grand Prix2009 Super Series Finals
Dec 5th 2009[6] 		United States Brian Shaw Bulgaria Stoyan Todorchev United States Jason BergmannSweden Gothenburg, Sweden
Overall placings[6] United States Brian Shaw (27pts) Bulgaria Stoyan Todorchev (24pts)United States Nick Best (21pts)

Events from 2001 to 2006 from Archive of www.super-series.com

2010

Event Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place Location
Mohegan Sun Grand Prix[7]
April 25, 2010 		United States Derek Poundstone United States Brian Shaw Bulgaria Stoyan Todorchev United States Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, Connecticut
Svend Karlsen Viking Power Challenge[8]
June 26, 2010 		United States Brian Shaw Sweden Johannes Arsjo United Kingdom Laurence ShahlaeiNorway Storefjell Resort Hotel, Norway
Swedish Grand Prix
Dec. 17, 2010[9] 2010 Super Series Finals 		United States Brian Shaw United States Nick Best United Kingdom Laurence ShahlaeiSweden Gothenburg, Sweden
Overall placings[9] United States Brian Shaw (33 pts.) United States Dave Ostlund (19.5 pts.) United Kingdom Laurence Shahlaei (16 pts.)

See also

References

  1. ↑ WCE AND TWI SHOW STRENGTH IN PARTNERSHIP
  2. ↑ GIANTS LIVE NAMED OFFICIAL QUALIFYING TOUR FOR WORLD'S STRONGEST MAN COMPETITION
  3. ↑ Girard Wins IFSA Prague Super Series by Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. | ©2008 IronMind
  4. ↑ Official site breaking news
  5. ↑ Brian Shaw: Strong Showing at World Strongman Super Series by Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D., IronMind
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Brian Shaw Wins Big at World Strongman Super Series: Takes Swedish Grand Prix and Overall Title by Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D., IronMind
  7. ↑ Randall J. Strossen, Derek Poundstone Three-Peats at the Mohegan Sun: World Strongman Series Grand Prix Winner, Ironmind, Sunday, April 25, 2010
  8. ↑ Randall J. Strossen, Brian Shaw Wins Viking Power Challenge, Ironmind, June 26, 2010
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/opencms/Articles/2010/Dec/Brian_Shaw_Wins_World_Strongman_Super_Series_Swedish_Grand_Prix_and_Overall_Title.html

External links