Derek Boyer
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the entertainer and athlete. For the American musician, see Suffocation (band)Suffocation (band)Suffocation is an American death metal band that was formed in 1989 in Long Island, New York. The band comprises vocalist Frank Mullen, guitarists Terrance Hobbs and Guy Marchais, drummer Mike Smith and bassist Derek Boyer. Suffocation rose to prominence of death metal and created a blueprint for...
.
Derek Boyer (born 14 June 1969 in Lautoka
Lautoka
Lautoka is the second largest city of Fiji and the second largest in the South Pacific. It is in the west of the island of Viti Levu, 24 kilometres north of Nadi, and is the second port of entry in Fiji, after Suva. Lying in the heart of Fiji's sugar cane growing region, it is known as the Sugar...
, Fiji Islands) is a Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an-Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, powerlifter
Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
, and strongman
Strongman (strength athlete)
In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or circus performers of similar ilk who displayed feats of strength such as the bent press , supporting large amounts of...
competitor.
Strongman/Powerlifting
Derek has competed 7 times in the World's Strongest ManWorld's Strongest Man
The World's Strongest Man is a well recognised event in strength athletics and has been described by a number of highly respected authorities in the sport as the premier event in strongman. Organized by TWI, an IMG Media company, it is broadcast around the end of December each year...
contest, reaching the finals in 1997. Derek is the reigning 12 time Australia's Strongest Man
Australia's Strongest Man
Australia's Strongest Man is an annual strongman competition held in the Australia and featuring predominantly Australian athletes, although notably 12 time winner Derek Boyer is originally from Fiji. The contest was established in 1993, with Bill Lyndon winning the inaugural contest.-Official...
, winning from 2000–2011.
Derek goes by the nickname "The Island Warrior". Derek has won numerous powerlifting
Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
titles in Australia.
Derek currently holds the Guinness World Record for heaviest truck pulled, after he pulled a Kenworth K104 truck weighing 51,840 kg (114,287 lb - 51.84 metric tons) over a level 100 ft (30.48 m) course in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, on 6 March 2005. Derek captured his 11th straight Australia's Strongest Man title on 5 June 2010.
Acting/television
Derek has portrayed Bayman in DOA: Dead or AliveDOA: Dead or Alive
DOA: Dead or Alive is a 2006 ensemble martial arts film loosely based on the Tecmo/Team Ninja fighting game series of the same name. Directed by Corey Yuen and written by J. F. Lawton, Adam and Seth Gross....
and promoted the steel products company Orcon, as Orcon's "Man of Steel", featuring Orcon's trackside promotional efforts at V8 Supercars events where Orcon has been a sponsor of race teams, Larkham Motor Sport
Larkham Motor Sport
Larkham Motor Sport was a motorsport team contesting the V8 Supercar Championship. The team ceased operations at the end of 2005, with the owner Mark Larkham selling the team to WPS Racing.- History :...
, WPS Racing
WPS Racing
WPS Racing was a motorsport team that participated in the V8 Supercars competition in Australia sponsored by Wright Patton Shakespeare, a financial management company. The team was founded in early 2004 by Queensland-based businessman Craig Gore, who bought the embattled 00 Motorsport and...
and Ford Performance Racing
Ford Performance Racing
Ford Performance Racing is a British-owned Australian-based motor racing team that contests the Australian International V8 Supercars Championship...
. Derek has recently taken on the role of 'Thunder' in the revived version of the Australian television sports entertainment series Gladiators
Gladiators (2008 Australian TV series)
Gladiators was an Australian television series which aired on the Seven Network in 2008. It was a revival of the earlier series of the same name, and was based on the American version of the show, which was also revived in 2008....
. He specializes in strength events like Duel, Whiplash and Sumo Ball, where he can use his weight advantage ideally.
Derek appeared on Channel nine's The Footy Show (AFL) on 19 August 2010 and with Shane Crawford attempted the world record for the most bench presses (weight had to be over 100 kg) in a minute. With no practice at all he achieved 116 with the record standing at 121. In a later attempt on the record on 23 September on The Footy Show, Boyer managed to break the record completing 126 bench presses.
Boyer is currently performing on the SBS program "Housos
Housos
Housos is an Australian comedy television series created by Paul Fenech for SBS, that screens on SBS One. The series is a satirical parody of low income Australian residents, who are living in Housing Commission public housing.-Cast:...
" as a prisoner who takes a shine to the "white meat" of Dazza Jones.
Retirement/return to competition
On 14 Sept. 2010, Derek temporarily retired from strongman competition in a letter sent to Federation of Australian Strength Competitors (FASC) president Bill LyndonBill Lyndon
Bill Lyndon is a former Australian strongman competitor. Lyndon is a 5 time winner of Australia's Strongest Man, and a 4 time entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition.-Early years:...
. He stated that he will be focusing on powerlifting and sumo wrestling in the future, although he quickly came out of retirement just 6 months later.
Derek came out of retirement and won the Australian Fit X Strongman CHampionships on 12 March 2011.
Recently, Derek won the 2011 Australia's Strongest Man
Australia's Strongest Man
Australia's Strongest Man is an annual strongman competition held in the Australia and featuring predominantly Australian athletes, although notably 12 time winner Derek Boyer is originally from Fiji. The contest was established in 1993, with Bill Lyndon winning the inaugural contest.-Official...
and earned an invite to compete at the 2011 World's Strongest Man
2011 World's Strongest Man
The 2011 World's Strongest Man was the 34th edition of World's Strongest Man and was held on the campus grounds of Wingate University in Wingate, North Carolina, USA. The event was sponsored by MET-Rx. The qualifying heats were scheduled for September 15th-18th, and the finals on Sept...
contest in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, USA. This will mark Derek's eighth appearance in WSM.