Although 2019 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) champion Martins Licis has not been active on the strongman circuit recently, he has been as focused on strength as ever. Licis has been traveling the world, soaking up knowledge of all things strength from different cultures, and sharing his experiences on his YouTube series, Strength Unknown.
Licis recently put on his promoter hat, leading a team of organizers to create the inaugural Santa Monica Classic (SMC) contest. The contest will be held June 28-29, 2025, on the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, CA, as part of the annual Santa Monica Pier Festival.
Licis recently spoke with BarBend to update the audience on his series, travels, competition, and future competitive plans.
Note: This interview has been lightly edited for readability.
BarBend (BB): What have you learned from your travels for Strength Unknown? What experiences stand out?
Martins Licis (ML): I have been blown away by many countries and cultures with a stone-lifting history. We’ve regularly seen Iceland and Scotland as the true stone-lifting powerhouses, but I have discovered this is very far from true.
From Pakistan to Spain and Japan, there are far more stone-lifting cultures, and it has raised the question of how much more stone-lifting is out there that would blow our minds.
Beyond that, so many people around the world are infatuated with strength, but are not strongman competitors. A lot of strength is out there, but not displayed internationally.
BB: What have your travels and experiences done for you as an athlete?
ML: As an athlete, I have improved my stone-lifting technique and been more involved with jiu-jitsu and sumo wrestling while traveling. I have developed a much deeper appreciation for grappling sports. That has been a part of my growing passion for jiu-jitsu.
BB: You have entered the promoting world with the inaugural Santa Monica Classic. Why start organizing a contest?
ML: Noah Justin, Romark Weiss, and I have all wanted to put on a show for a while. We have a lot of equipment through Wreck It Gym. There was no reason why we couldn’t use it in a competition.
We wanted to put on a small local show for amateurs for fun. We didn’t think it would be big and wanted to keep it low-key. As we were putting it together, more people got interested. Some big-name athletes wanted to come out, and more organizations wanted to get involved, which made it an international matter.
BB: What can you tell us about the Official Strongman Games connection?
ML: The 2025 Santa Monica Classic will be a qualifier for the 2025 Official Strongman Games (OSG), which is exciting. That has made this much bigger than we ever thought or intended, which is fun. I welcome it.
BB: It is fitting to hold this contest on the same site as your first Arnold Strongman USA win in 2019. Was that intentional?
ML: This is a callback moment. Being at the Arnold USA on the Pier was one of my favorite competitions, if not my favorite. Romark and I have talked about that for years, wanting to recreate that atmosphere.
We were right by the beach; you could hear the waves and seagulls. Hundreds of people watched and could get close. Strongman belongs in a space like this; to bring it back is incredible. It is nostalgic to win my favorite competition and then put one on myself that I hope can be comparable in size.
BB: How has this new promoter role been?
ML: It has been fun. This thing went from 0 to 100 overnight. This contest will have a larger international representation than WSM.
The biggest challenge so far has been getting more women involved. No heavyweight women signed up, but all other classes held strong.
Another challenge is determining the weights that will challenge the athletes while keeping the competition running efficiently. We don’t want fans and athletes waiting around too long.
BB: What is SMC’s long-term goal?
ML: We got inspiration from what Brian Shaw has done with [Strongest Man on Earth and Shaw Classic] and Giants Live. We had no intention of reaching for that, but after seeing the reception we have going, I have an itch to see if we can make it bigger and yearly.
I will reach out to those promoters to pick their brains more. I would like to talk to Lynn from OSG as well.
BB: What will the SMC events be?
ML: We will have a car deadlift for reps, a log clean and press, a heavy dumbbell, a yoke carry for 20 feet, a farmer’s carry for max distance, and a keg carry to lift over bar.
BB: Will there be an SMC livestream?
ML: Yes, we encourage everyone to see this live, but a live stream will be available for those who can’t attend. Details should be coming soon. Follow us on Instagram to learn the latest information we have as quickly as possible.
BB: You have not officially announced your retirement yet. When will you compete again?
ML: I have been letting injuries heal. If all goes according to plan, the show I am aiming for is the 2026 Arnold Strongman Classic. I am not ready to stop competing just yet.
More Strongman Content
- 2025 Strongman Champions League Latvia Results
- World’s Strongest Man Makes Significant Changes
- Eddie Hall Defeats Mariusz Pudzianowski in MMA Bout by TKO
Featured Image: @martinslicis on Instagram
