Pure Strength was a
strongmanIn 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...
competition held from 1987 to 1990 which was created by
Tjalling van den BoschTjalling van den Bosch or "Charlie" as he was often called, was a competitive Dutch powerlifter, strongman, and Highland Games athlete. He competed only once in World's Strongest Man in 1990 finishing 7th, however, he was scheduled to compete in 1989 but had to withdraw due to an injury...
.
Event History
The first year of the event was known as "Pure Strength Challenge" and was a single man competition featuring only
Bill KazmaierBill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...
,
Geoff CapesGeoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...
and
Jon Pall SigmarssonJón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...
. The event was held at
Huntly CastleHuntly Castle is a ruined castle in Huntly in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was the ancestral home of the chief of Clan Gordon, Earl of Huntly.-History:...
in
AberdeenshireAberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Jon Pall won 8 out of 10 events to become the 1987 champion. In 1988, the event became a 2-man team competition held at
Allington CastleAllington Castle is a stone-built moated castle in Allington, just north of Maidstone, Kent in England.-History:Allington Castle is a Grade I listed building. Much of the stonework was laid in an intricate herringbone pattern which is still visible today...
in
Allington, KentAllington is an almost entirely modern village situated alongside the sides of the A20 road west of Maidstone in Kent. It is part of the built-up area of Maidstone. It has 2 primary schools; Allington Primary and Palace Wood...
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The teams were from
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
,
Great BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
,
Holland and
AustraliaAustralia , 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...
. Team USA would eventually win in 1988, with team members
Bill KazmaierBill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...
and Stuart Thompson. In 1989, Team
IcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
claimed victory with team members
Hjalti ArnasonHjalti Árnason is a former Icelandic strongman competitor and world champion powerlifter. Hjalti was known by the nickname "The Great Ursus". He first began in strength sports by competing as a junior powerlifter representing Iceland in 1983...
and
Magnus Ver MagnussonMagnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....
. Kazmaier would win again in 1990 for Team USA along with team mate
O.D. WilsonO.D. Wilson was a powerlifter and professional strongman competitor.-Strongman/Powerlifting:...
.
Event Placings
| Year |
Champion |
Runner-Up |
3rd Place |
Location |
| Pure Strength '87 |
 Jon Pall SigmarssonJón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, a powerlifter , and a bodybuilder from Iceland who won the World's Strongest Man Competition four times . In 1984 Jón won the Icelandic bodybuilding title in the +90 kg. class...
|
 Bill KazmaierBill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...
|
Geoff Capes Geoffrey Lewis Capes is a former athlete, strongman and professional Highland Games competitor...
|
 Huntly CastleHuntly Castle is a ruined castle in Huntly in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was the ancestral home of the chief of Clan Gordon, Earl of Huntly.-History:...
AberdeenshireAberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
, ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
|
| Pure Strength II 1988 |
Bill Kazmaier Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...
/Stuart Thompson |
 Jamie ReevesJamie Reeves is a former coal miner, strongman and professional wrestler. As a strongman, he won the 1989 World's Strongest Man, was World Muscle Power champion, and also had numerous other titles including Europe's Strongest Man and Britain's Strongest Man...
/Mark HigginsMark Higgins was one of the world's leading strongman competitors, having won the World Strongman Challenge on two occasions, and was the British Muscle Power Champion on four occasions...
|
 Ab WoldersAb Wolders is a former strongman and world champion Powerlifter from the Netherlands. He was runner-up at the World's Strongest Man competition on two occasions, placing second to Jón Páll Sigmarsson in 1984 and to Jamie Reeves in 1989...
/Tjalling van den BoschTjalling van den Bosch or "Charlie" as he was often called, was a competitive Dutch powerlifter, strongman, and Highland Games athlete. He competed only once in World's Strongest Man in 1990 finishing 7th, however, he was scheduled to compete in 1989 but had to withdraw due to an injury...
|
 Allington CastleAllington Castle is a stone-built moated castle in Allington, just north of Maidstone, Kent in England.-History:Allington Castle is a Grade I listed building. Much of the stonework was laid in an intricate herringbone pattern which is still visible today...
KentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
|
| Pure Strength III 1989 |
Hjalti Arnason Hjalti Árnason is a former Icelandic strongman competitor and world champion powerlifter. Hjalti was known by the nickname "The Great Ursus". He first began in strength sports by competing as a junior powerlifter representing Iceland in 1983...
/Magnus Ver MagnussonMagnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....
|
Bill Kazmaier Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...
/O.D. WilsonO.D. Wilson was a powerlifter and professional strongman competitor.-Strongman/Powerlifting:...
|
Jamie Reeves Jamie Reeves is a former coal miner, strongman and professional wrestler. As a strongman, he won the 1989 World's Strongest Man, was World Muscle Power champion, and also had numerous other titles including Europe's Strongest Man and Britain's Strongest Man...
/Mark HigginsMark Higgins was one of the world's leading strongman competitors, having won the World Strongman Challenge on two occasions, and was the British Muscle Power Champion on four occasions...
|
Stirling CastleStirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
StirlingStirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
, ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
|
| Pure Strength IV 1990 |
Bill Kazmaier Bill Kazmaier is a former powerlifter, strongman and professional wrestler from the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions...
/O.D. WilsonO.D. Wilson was a powerlifter and professional strongman competitor.-Strongman/Powerlifting:...
|
Hjalti Arnason Hjalti Árnason is a former Icelandic strongman competitor and world champion powerlifter. Hjalti was known by the nickname "The Great Ursus". He first began in strength sports by competing as a junior powerlifter representing Iceland in 1983...
/Magnus Ver MagnussonMagnús Ver Magnússon is a former powerlifter and strongman competitor from Egilsstaðir, Iceland. Magnus won the title of World's Strongest Man four times ....
|
Tjalling van den Bosch Tjalling van den Bosch or "Charlie" as he was often called, was a competitive Dutch powerlifter, strongman, and Highland Games athlete. He competed only once in World's Strongest Man in 1990 finishing 7th, however, he was scheduled to compete in 1989 but had to withdraw due to an injury...
/Ted van der ParreTed van der Parre is a former strongman from the Netherlands who won the World's Strongest Man contest in 1992 and was 4th in 1991. He also participated in 1994 when he finished 8th, having to drop out after the second event due to a calf injury...
|
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
|
- All results courtesy of David Horne's World of Grip http://www.davidhorne-gripmaster.com/strongmanresults.html