Strongman summer continues with the 2021 Shaw Classic set for Aug. 27-28, 2021, in Estes Park, CO. It will feature 16 of the top strongmen on the planet clashing in eight events for a prize pool of over $50,000. Notably, this event will feature the four-time World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion, Brian Shaw, who won the inaugural Shaw Classic in 2020, and four-time WSM Žydrūnas Savickas competing against each other for the first time since their last battle at the 2016 Arnold Strongman Classic.
Fans will be able to view coverage of the 2021 Shaw Classic by becoming a member of the Shaw Elite Club (packages are $8.99 per month or $89.99 per year) via shawstrength.com. General admission tickets to watch the event live cost a total of $250 for access to both days of competition and are available on Ovation Tix via theshawclassic.com.
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Compared to the 2020 Shaw Classic roster, which featured 10 athletes, the 2021 Shaw Classic roster is made up of the following 16 strongmen:
2021 Shaw Classic Roster
- Brian Shaw, USA
- JF Caron, Canada
- Gabriel Rhéaume, Canada
- Trey Mitchell, USA
- Jerry Pritchett, USA
- Adam Bishop, UK
- Žydrūnas Savickas, Lithuania
- Gabriel Peña, USA
- Evan Singleton, USA
- Graham Hicks, UK
- Kevin Faires, USA
- Aivars Smaukstelis, Latvia
- Maxime Boudreault, Canada
- Konstantine Janashia, Georgia
- Bobby Thompson, USA
- Mikhail Shivlyakov, Russia
Luke Richardson, Luke Stoltman, and 2021 WSM champion Tom Stoltman were originally part of the 2021 Shaw Classic roster. Richardson had to withdraw due to a biceps injury he suffered at the 2021 WSM contest. The Stoltman brothers will instead attend their sister’s wedding scheduled for the same weekend. On August 23, 2021, Shaw announced that Oleksii Novikov and Robert Oberst also had to withdraw — Oberst because of a shoulder injury and Novikov due to a concussion. The two strongmen are replaced by Gabriel Peña and Gabriel Rhéaume.
Early rumors were that two-time WSM runner-up Mateusz Keiliszkowski might compete at this event as he has recovered from surgery on his injured triceps. However, his return to the strongman stage will wait until the 2021 Rogue Invitational in October.
2021 Shaw Classic Events
There will be eight events at the 2021 Shaw Classic — two more than in 2020 — split over two days.
- Max Log Press
- Super Yoke Carry
- Bag Toss — sandbags, 15-foot bar
- Car Squat
- Max Hummer Tire Deadlift
- Wheel Barrow and Arm-Over-Arm Medley
- Circus Dumbbell
- Atlas Stones
Shaw recently shared a video on his YouTube channel that gave a behind-the-scenes look at his acquisition of the vehicles that will be used in the car squat. The weight ranged from 600-pound squats to just shy of 800 pounds:
At the 2020 Shaw Classic, JF Caron set the Hummer tire deadlift world record as the lone athlete to successfully lockout 545 kilograms (1,202 pounds). The veteran will aim to match or beat that feat after his fifth-place finish at the 2021 WSM contest.
In recent months, several athletes on the 2021 roster have built momentum heading into the Shaw Classic. Evan Singleton won the 2021 Giants Live World Open — the first major event win of his young career. 2020 WSM champion Oleksii Novikov finished second at that event and won the World’s Ultimate Strongman “Strength Island” contest and the 2021 Strongman Classic. Similarly, Maxime Boudreault scored his best career finish at the 2021 WSM with a bronze medal.
We’ll see if Singleton, Novikov, or Beaudreault can fend off the rest of the field to claim the majority of the $50,000 prize pool up for grabs. Of note, Shaw will not be keeping any prize money he might win to raise the payouts for the rest of the roster.
Watch the Show
Will Shaw be able to win his namesake strongman competition for the second year in a row, or will he be dethroned by one of the likes of Singleton and Novikov, who are crushing the strongman circuit? Will the return of Žydrūnas Savickas result in a podium finish, or will he need to get his sea legs back, so to speak, competing against the best in the world?
Watch the 2021 Shaw Classic by becoming a member of the Shaw Elite Club or purchasing the one-time pass. Lightly edited coverage of the event will be released within 24 hours of the event’s conclusion.
Feature image: @shawstrength on Instagram
