Okay now you are going to think I'm totally crazy but read on. The other day I received a letter from an old friend (she lives in midwest now) and she mentioned one of our more mischievous pranks with "fire sauce" that we pulled off. And well one thing led to another and the result is this LIST you are about to read. What does "fire sauce" and this list have in common? Not a damn thing, my mind works in mysterious ways. So anyways read on and laugh a lot, I sure did while recalling my experience in Nevada. Let me know what you think too. And remember this list is purely for fun and memories so please don't take it too seriously. Here goes nothing:

most awesome competitor: 1-Riku Kiri, 2-Svend Karlsen, 3-Magnus Ver Magnusson (really what more needs to be said)

most impressive: 1-Jouko Ahola, 2-Svend Karlsen, 3-Derek Boyer (I was very much impressed with Jouko because he was consistent in almost every event. And was nicely surprised with Svend & Derek's efforts)

competitor most people came to see: 1-Magnus Ver Magnusson, 2-Gerrit Badenhorst & Riku Kiri (tie) (yes I actually did an informal field survey!)

friendliest: 1-Bill Kazmaier & Manfred Hoeberl (tie), 2-Michael Abdullah (LOL!)

biggest flirt: 1-Michael Abdullah, 2-Michael Abdullah, 3-Michael Abdullah

best tattooes: 1-Svend Karlsen, 2-Bill Lyndon, 3-Joe Onosai

sexiest legs: 1-Gerrit Badenhorst, 2-Riku Kiri, 3-Magnus Samuelsson

cutest smile: 1-Flemming Rasmussen, 2-Gerrit Badenhorst, 3-Svend Karlsen

prettiest eyes: 1-Manfred Hoeberl, 2-Gerrit Badenhorst, 3-Bill Kazmaier

best buns: 1-Riku Kiri, 2-Magnus Ver Magnusson, 3-Bill Lyndon (yes I was looking and taking pictures)

(IC.)

Smiling here- yeah well I am sure you would be doing the same say had it been a beauty pageant, am I right?

best biceps: 1-Riku Kiri, 2-Gerrit Badenhorst, 3-Jouko Ahola

I was not really looking at the size but more the visual beauty or ? I'm not really sure myself- lol.

best chest: 1-Magnus Ver Magnusson, 2-Heinz Ollesch, 3-Riku Kiri (had to see MVM walking around with no shirt on-ooo baby!)

best shoulders: 1-Flemming Rasmussen, 2-Jouko Ahola, 3-Magnus Ver Magnusson

best abs: 1-Peter, 2-Jouko & Svend (Peter should be competing he's got the looks, the bod!, and the strength. Not that the first 2 are prerequisites but they sure help!).

best hair: 1-Christina Samuelsson, 2-Derek Boyer, 3-Ginuad Depuis (I thought Christina's hair was nice).

sexiest accent: 1-Bill Lyndon, 2-Gerrit Badenhorst, 3-Manfred Hoeberl

best personality: 1-Magnus Ver Magnusson (as Björn would say he's a bad ass!), 2-Svend Karlsen (he just cracks me up), 3-Riku Kiri (Still waters run very deep and sometimes the less said the better which couldn't be truer in this case- kinda gives him an air of mystery. But I am curious to all hell wondering what's going on inside that head of his as I'm sure everyone else is too).

happiest: 1-Raimonds Bergmanis, 2-Gerrit Badenhorst, 3-Flemming Rasmussen (Raimonds always had a smile on his face)

worst temper: 1-Berend Veneberg, 2-Berend Veneberg, 3-Berend Veneberg(shame on him)

best footwear: 1-Chief Iron Bear, 2-Svend Karlsen, 3-Flemming Rasmussen(I've got pictures)

(What? Sports socks?)

Laughing- no. Chief had these hi-top athletic shoes (leather-handmade) with little bells (?) on them that tingled everytime he moved and I absolutely loved them. If I could afford it I would get me a pair as he/his organization sells them for charity. Svend had these cool neon yellow sneakers and also a similar red/black pair- he wore them while competing so try and see them if you can. Flemming had these slipper type sandals that he wore when not competing and he looked real cute in them- so comfy looking. Joe Onosai wore them too perhaps he borrowed them from Flemming on that one day(1st day of heats).

best headwear: 1-Randall Strossen & David Webster (tie), 2-Joe Onosai (can't argue with the sensible hats RS & DW wore even if they didn't make fashion sense)

best sunglasses: 1-Svend Karlsen, 2-Riku Kiri, 3-Bill Lyndon (Svend is so-o cool!)

best autograph: 1-Bill Kazmaier, 2-Raimonds Bergmanis, 3-Svend Karlsen

most exciting to watch: 1-Derek Boyer, 2-Magnus Ver Magnusson, 3-Svend Karlsen. (MVM would have won had Derek not ripped off his shirt!)

quietest competitor: 1-Riku Kiri without a doubt, 2-Brian Bell, 3-Jan-Luc Moalli

loudest competitor: 1-Magnus Samuelsson, 2-Svend Karlsen, 3-Berend Veneberg (for some reason I only really remember Magnus making some really loud grunts in the limo pull)

bravest: 1-Peter (tester) who tried to act like it didn't really hurt when he was injured, 2-Chief Iron Bear, 3-Svend Karlsen (Chief & Svend for making attempts in later events after they were both injured)

(Huh. How did the tester get injured?)

Peter did the test run for the power stairs and dropped one of the weights on his foot on the way up. He actually injured the ankle too and was on crutches the rest of the time there all through the finals. Those weights are pretty heavy and you just know that hurt real bad.

most fun to be around: 1-Bill Kazmaier, 2-Michael Abdullah & Bill Lyndon(tie). (you just had to be there)

most vocal supporter: 1-Nanna Karlsen anytime Svend was up, 2-Bill Kazmaier during Mark Phillipi's deadlifts, 3-my friend Pat during the incline press with Joe Onosai and Magnus Ver Magnusson.

most interesting to chat with: 1-Chief Iron Bear, 2-Manfred Hoeberl, 3-Derek Boyer (I will never ever forget the conversation that my friend Dave and I had with the Chief, it was really kind of inspirational and spiritual in a way)

best events to watch as a spectator:

worst events to watch as a spectator:

heats: 1-loglift & flintstone lift (tie) because of the setup, 2-any event on day one of the heats because of the sand blowing.
finals: 1,2,&3 -squat. Again because of the setup it was hard to view.

most exciting moments of the competition: 1-When Derek Boyer ripped off his shirt in the super yoke, 2-Raimonds Bergmanis jumping into the pool after one of his lifts, 3-I thought when Jouko Ahola carried the Finnish flag after his win was pretty cool because it was just a reaction to his happiness at that moment in victory.

funniest moments: 1-When Gerrit Badenhorst kissed Regin Vagadal on the power stairs! 2-When Raimonds jumped in the pool, 3-When one of the cameramen almost fell over the weight in the medley.

best overall performance:

heats: 1-Riku Kiri, 2-Gerrit Badenhorst & Magnus Ver Magnusson tied for 2nd (anytime you see the "big three" in action it is truly something magnificent)
finals: 1-Jouko Ahola, 2-Flemming Rasmussen, 3-Magnus Samuelsson (these guys were great)

Chris' biggest thrills at WSM'97: (note: these aren't in any kind of order)

1-When Manfred Hoeberl kissed me!!!
2-When KAZ gave me a bicep pose - twice(there's a story to that).
3-Getting my picture taken with Riku Kiri!!!
4-Bill Lyndon doing part of the Haka!
5-Chatting with Chief Iron Bear Collins was very unique.
6-Showing up 1 1/2 hours late to the cask circle event and finding out that it had not even started.
7-Finally getting one of those ever elusive strongman posters- YEAH!
8-Riding on the bus with the strongman competitors after the events in downtown Las Vegas- way kewl even though I acted like nothing.
9-When Jermaine gave me his t-shirt with the logo on it-thanx!
10-Getting invited to the strongman party even though I decided not to go- people will think I'm crazy huh?
And last but certainly not least: Well we've all heard about the saying that the size of a mans hands & feet is comparable to the size of another part of the male anatomy well I made my own observations and have drawn my own conclusions but I'm not saying - HA! Sneaky little devil aren't I - he,he. Hey I'm only human and it's only natural ;-)

Okay Sami so now if I haven't totally offended you by that last one what did you think? Remember it's just for fun. It's weird too because those categories just popped into my mind from out of nowhere, kinda scary.

I will send my friend Dean that list too and get his opinion and maybe he'll make one also. I suspect all the answers to best chest, buns etc. would be Phillipa Forrester or Nanna Karlsen though.