World’s Strongest Man…preparations

World’s Strongest Man is a TV franchise and athletic competition that has existed in some form since 1977.

I had never heard of it.

However, on a recent walk to the park in Old Sacramento, I was greeted by this sign:

At first, I thought it was a competition sort of like the Olympics. But it isn’t. It is filmed like a TV “adventure” series, in line with many other similar shows that have sprung up, particularly since cable TV got all its channels. There are about 25 guys – really big muscular dudes – who operate basically as paid actors, even though they are also competing to win the annual title.

On Monday the 14th I came back to see what was going on, as the actual competition was scheduled to start the next day. I was surprised by the extended perimeter and all the camera equipment, as I hadn’t fully read up on it yet.

They had already placed the main “prop” for the weight lifting event to happen the next day.

There was lots of equipment and people moving around.

I went around to the back, as I had read they were going to use some train cars for some of the events.

They had parked several engines in a manner that seemed to be aimed at blocking the view from the rear.

However, there was one beautiful old engine on the turntable, which they were planning to use in one of the strength contests.

People who want to be in the audience that gets filmed have to sign up in advance, as there is a lot of paperwork involved in being an “extra” on a film set. There were only so many slots available, so they filled quickly (I was not aiming to be an extra).

The contest then started in the morning of the next day. As it is predicted to be over 105º F on Thursday and Friday afternoon, they may adjust their shooting schedule a bit on those days. I am putting together some photos for a report on the contest proper, to appear later.

Tags: athletics, competition, entertainment, politics, sports, television