Athletes and fans alike have been gearing up for the third annual Shaw Classic, set to be held at the Budweiser Event Center in Loveland, CO, on Aug. 13-14, 2022. This is the biggest venue to ever host the contest, and 2022’s competition will feature athletes like 2021 Britain’s Strongest Man Tom Stoltman, 2021 Europe’s Strongest Man Luke Stoltman, and returning Shaw Classic champion Trey Mitchell. On May 19, 2022, Brian Shaw took to his YouTube channel to announce the line-up of events for the 2022 Shaw Classic.
The contest will have four events on both days, for a total of eight. It will feature a brand new event for the Classic, as well as shifting around some events from the contest’s first two years.
In addition to the events, Shaw made two other notable announcements:
- 2020 World’s Strongest Man Oleksii Novikov will be competing at the 2022 Shaw Classic.
- He teased a livestream, though Shaw neglected to reveal further details.
2022 Shaw Classic Events
Here’s the full line-up for both days of the 2022 Shaw Classic.
Day One
- Max Hummer Tire Deadlift
- Super Yoke Event
- Circus Dumbbell
- Throwing Event (Bag or Keg)
Day Two
- Log Press
- Frame Carry Arm-Over-Arm Medley
- Car Leg Press for Reps
- Atlas Stones
Many of these events are repeats from previous years, but some are going to be twists on the Classic’s classics.
Max Hummer Tire Deadlift
In the first two Shaw Classics, the Max Hummer Tire Deadlift was held at the start of day two of competition. Shaw explained during his announcement that he’s hoping the athletes will be less beat up with the event now kicking off day one.
In 2021, JF Caron set the Hummer tire deadlift world record by pulling 545 kilograms (1,202 pounds). But he wasn’t the only one who pulled big. Out of the 16 competitors, seven athletes pulled over 1,000 pounds.
Super Yoke Event
Shaw says that it’s likely he’ll keep last year’s weight for the super yoke event. In 2021, the athletes carried a 506.5-kilogram (1,117-pound) yoke for time across 80 meters. Evan Singleton, who will also be competing at the Classic this year, finished the 80-meter course in 30.61 seconds.
Circus Dumbbell
Competitors will press a circus dumbbell for reps once again in the 2022 Shaw Classic. In his announcement, Shaw said that the athletes will go head-to-head, and that he’ll likely stick to the 242-pound (110-kilogram) dumbbells from last year.
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In 2021, Singleton hoisted the bell seven times in the allotted 75 seconds, with Mitchell swooping into second place with six reps.
Throwing Event
Shaw expressed that he’s not certain whether athletes will be tossing a bag or a keg to finish off day one of this year. However, last year competitors tossed bags over the 15-foot bar, with Canada’s Maxime Boudreault successfully tossing all eight bags over the bar in 28.25 seconds.
Log Press
Day two will kick off with a log press, Shaw said. But it won’t be a simple max event as in previous years. This year, Shaw explained, athletes will have to strategically accumulate reps across three different logs, potentially weighing in at 200 kilograms (441 pounds), 186 kilograms (410 pounds), and 172 kilograms (380 pounds).
Last year, Bobby Thompson — the American Log Press Record holder — and Mitchell both successfully pressed 206.3 kilograms (455 pounds) successfully during this event. Thompson will also be competing this year.
Frame Carry Arm-Over-Arm Medley
This event will also be head-to-head style. It will feature a straight frame carry that goes into the giant arm-over-arm tower. Last year’s medley also featured an arm-over-arm pull, but began with sandbags instead of a frame carry.
Car Leg Press for Reps
Perhaps the most exciting addition to this year’s event calendar is that competitors will be leg pressing a car. Shaw said that there is still work going on behind the scenes to figure out the actual set-up, but he says that there will be strict rules about the set-up for the athletes. But the basics? The car will be on top of the leg press, and the athletes will… press.
Atlas Stones
As they did at 2021’s Shaw Classic, athletes will hoist five stones — ranging from 158.7 to 204 kilograms (350 to 450 pounds) — onto their respective podiums. They’ll have 60 seconds to do so. As this type of event is a centerpiece of so many strongman competitions, Shaw says the event will be run with the same weights and set-up as last year.
Shaw Classic Open
The Shaw Classic weekend will also feature an open class for both women and men. The top 16 competitors who submitted their feats of strength online have received invitations via email.
The women’s open events will feature:
- Log Press for Reps
- Deadlift for Reps
- Yoke Carry
- Frame Carry
- Bag Toss Over Bar
The first four events will be structured head-to-head, and the Bag Toss Over Bar will be in front of the crowd at the Budweiser Event Center.
The men’s open events will feature:
- Log Press for Reps
- Deadlift for Reps
- Yoke Carry
- Frame Carry
- Atlas Stones
As with the women’s open, the men will be doing the first four events head-to-head. On day two, the men will perform the same heavy stone run as the pro class, in front of the Event Center audience. The winner of the Men’s Open Class will qualify for the 2023 Shaw Classic.
What’s Next in Strongman 2022?
The Shaw Classic events were announced just days before the 2022 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) contest, which will take place May 24-29, 2022 in Sacramento, CA. Thirty of the strongest men in the world — including Brian Shaw — will be competing. That event will feature a car walk, deadlift ladder, and log lift, as well as Atlas stones and a bus pull.
Featured Image: @theshawclassic / Instagram
