The 2019 Norse Highlander erupted like a volcano in Concord, NC this past Saturday with lava-hot performances from top to bottom in every division. With an incredibly fun mix of Highland Games inspired events and more traditional strongman challenges, the Norse Highlander has become one of my absolute favorite competitions of the year. How did things go in the 2019 edition? Read on!

Six tasks were set forth before our mighty Highlanders: 1 – The Weight Over Bar, a Highland Games classic, and a favorite amongst strongman athletes because it is easy to learn and largely a brute strength event, 2 – The Dinnie Carry, which consisted of plates on vertical pins to simulate the giant Dinnie Stones, with extremely well crafted replica ring handles to truly make it a “Dinnie” experience, 3 – Stones of the North, an homage to Kazmaier’s fateful encounter with the Inver Stone, 4 – The Hercules Hold, my favorite grip event of all-time, 5 – The Celtics Pole Push, which pitted our warriors head to head against one another, and 6 – The Claymore Front Hold, where the athletes held a sword loadedwith weight out at arms’ length.

Our 62 registered athletes battled tremendously through the entire line up of challenges, and voted the Celtic Pole Push and Weight Over Bar as the favorites after it was all said and done. The Dinnie Carry was less celebrated because of the way it beats up the legs, and the running gag was requests to never book that one again (all in good fun)! With the popularity of this contest, as well as events like Magnus Mayhem, the Holiday Highlander, and the Viking Highlander, I predict that more Highlander style events will be popping up on the Strongman Corporation calendar in the years to come.

Happy training,

– Paul Mouser