ALBERTON
Even a bump to the head from a 300-pound log couldn’t derail Tyne Valley’s Mitch Kinch at last weekend’s Atlantic Canada’s Strongest Man competition at Tidefest in East Hants, Nova Scotia.
Kinch had the overhead press all but locked in when his foot caught the edge of the platform, sending him and the log tumbling.
The sight of the log bonking him in the heat and the arm on the way down sent a shudder through the crowd at the East Hants Sports Centre, but Kinch was far from done.
The tumble came during the third event in the seven-event, two-day competition. Kinch ended up tying for fifth in the log press, an event he thought he had potential of winning. “I got that lots of times before,” he insisted. He went on to place second in the final event of the day, the atlas stones, to sit second overall in the field of nine competitors.
Kinch held onto that position through the second day, winning the final event as he was the only competitor to complete the flip-carry-push event within the 90-second time limit. Even if he had won the log press and had managed that final quarter-inch of clearance on the largest atlas stone, it wouldn’t have been enough to overtake the eventual champion but it would have brought him close. He finished with 49.5 points, 10 back of the champion, Joey LaVallee. The stumble, he admits has him looking for redemption in the overhead medley during the Prince County Exhibition’s Strongest Man in P.EIL competition July 26 in Alberton. He’s also hoping to conquer all of Alberton’s Atlas stones.
Kinch’s Strongest Man in Atlantic Canada results:
- Truck pull, second; 2. Farmer’s Carry, third; 3 Log press, fifth; 4. Atlas Stones, second; 5. 750-pound super yoke, fourth; 6. Car deadlift, third; 7. Flip-carry-push, first.
Overall, second, 49.5 points.
