At the beginning of February, Rogue Fitness announced its first online contest of 2021 — the Bear Hug Challenge. It called for athletes to hold a sandbag for the longest period of time possible without dropping it. Well, the contest took place from February 12-15, 2021, and Rogue announced the official winners of the challenge on their Instagram on Feb. 19, 2021. Check out the post below:
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Roge Bear Hug Challenge Winners
You’ve probably seen strongmen and strongwomen competitors use sandbags in their medleys or other carrying events. Rogue’s sandbag challenge is more of a test of isometric strength, as participants need to stand still while gripping the bag for as long as possible. Though coordination isn’t a factor, hugging a sandbag requires a strong grip, arms, back, legs, and core for stability. It’s also a test of mental strength, as simply standing there with the bag allows you more time to think about the challenge. Here’s who won in each division.
Men’s Winners
The male participants had to hold a bag that weighed 200 pounds (90.7 kilograms) and stood 14 to 17 inches tall when sitting on the ground. The bag’s diameter at the top and bottom must be between 14 and 18 inches while the center circumference must measure between 48 and 55 inches.
The winner of this event was Canada’s Nani Ourique who held his sandbag for over 12 minutes. He won $2,500 and a full strongman bag set from Rogue. Rounding out the top three were two Americans. David Harrison came in just over one minute less than Ourique, while Joel Moore finished in just under nine minutes.
- Winner: Nani Ourique – 12:18
- Second Place: David Harrison – 11:17
- Third Place: Joel Moore – 08:59
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Women’s Winners
As for the ladies, their sandbag had their own requirements. It must weigh 150 pounds (68 kilograms) while standing 11 to 14 inches tall. The circumference requirements must be the same as the men’s version.
The top three women were all from the USA. Champion Taylor Williamson managed to maintain control for over 19 minutes, making her the top overall competitor in this contest. Williamson is actually now 2-0 in Rogue contests.Sshe was also the top female athlete in the 50 Cal Challenge from late 2020. She also will receive a $2,500 prize as well as a Rogue strongman bag set. The silver and bronze finishers were Kristy Bauer and Hannah Linzay.
- Winner: Taylor Williamson – 19:04
- Second Place: Kristy Bauer – 15:09
- Third Place: Hannah Linzay – 09:07
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Gym Winners
Like the Rogue 50 Cal Challenge — another brutal challenge that had competitors burn 50 calories on a Rogue Echo Bike in the quickest time possible — there was also a competition among gyms for who could get the most participants. The gym with the most participants won a strongman bag set as well. The winning gym was CrossFit Saint-Maur in Saint-Maur-Des-Fossés, France. They had 39 athletes show up to take part in the Bear Hug Challenge and, as they told BarBend over email, they completed the challenge outdoors since gyms are closed due to COVID-19 and no one could wear sleeves (per the rules).
- Winner: CrossFit Saint-Maur
- Second Place: KJ CrossFit
- Third Place: CrossFit For The People
Featured Image: @roguefitness on Instagram
