Sean Hayes

Heavy Iron Returns to Quebec The strongman landscape is littered with competitions that favor track stars over true titans. That is not what JF Caron is building. Ahead of the upcoming North America's Strongest Man and Woman competition in Quebec, Caron sat down with retired strongman legend Laurence Shahlaei to break down the mechanics, the athletes, and the uncompromising philosophy behind this year's brutal eight-event lineup. This is not a speed contest. This is a deliberate, bruising test of raw horsepower. Caron, a veteran of the sport known for his legendary static strength and unbreakable mindset, has engineered a two-day gauntlet designed to expose anyone relying on momentum or slick equipment tricks. From farm tractors replacing traditional truck pulls to a massive final medley that finishes atop the power stairs, this event demands heavy, functional power. The Eight-Event Gauntlet and Event Mechanics Designing a balanced strongman competition requires a delicate understanding of physics and athlete limits. Caron has laid out a punishing schedule that spans two days, testing maximum overhead press, endurance, grip strength, and loading capabilities. The core events include: * **Max Log Lift** * **Viking Press** * **Car Deadlift for Reps** (utilizing a traditional, unforgiving front bar rather than side handles) * **Atlas Stones** * **Truck Pull** (featuring heavy farm tractors of varying sizes) * **Hercules Hold** * **Super Medley** (two fingers, a three-rep tire flip, and a 500-pound power stair finish for the men) Caron and his team did the testing themselves. Without a top-tier female athlete available due to a last-minute bicep injury, Caron and Gabriel tested the logistics. To calibrate the women's truck pull, they pulled the tractor without a rope. If a heavy-weight male can pull the tractor with leg power alone, the top-tier women can handle it with the aid of a rope. The Hercules Hold tension has been calibrated via scale to roughly 275 pounds per hand. It is a weight that ensures no competitor, male or female, will cruise past the one-minute mark comfortably. Singleton and Mitchell Lead the American Charge The American contingent enters as the clear favorites. Despite some high-profile dropouts, the roster features heavy hitters who thrive when the weights get stupidly heavy. Evan Singleton is the man to beat. Despite a recent scare at Giants Live where he had to withdraw due to severe cramping, Singleton is healthy and possesses the specific tools needed for this arena. He has massive shoulder power, a devastating deadlift, and a grip that does not quit. Then there is Trey Mitchell. A two-time champion of this event, Mitchell is the modern standard for static power. When the competition is heavy, Mitchell starts with an automatic psychological advantage. He is expected to dominate both overhead press events and is arguably the premier stone lifter on the planet. The final stone sits at a massive 445 pounds. It requires loading onto a small, elevated podium where athletes cannot cheat by rolling the stone over the lip. They must place it cleanly. In hot, humid summer conditions where tacky becomes slick and unreliable, Mitchell’s raw squeezing power makes him immune to environmental excuses. The Canadian Underdogs and the Price of Local Logistics While the Americans hold the global spotlight, the Canadian roster is packed with local specialists who know this equipment inside and out. James Jeffers is the prime candidate to disrupt the American podium sweep. Jeffers has put together a dominant season, dramatically improving his static lifts while maintaining a highly competitive grip and stone capability. However, organizing a continental championship in Canada comes with unique promotional hurdles. Caron revealed the surprising financial realities of booking domestic travel. Flying a competitor like Sean Hayes from Vancouver Island to Quebec costs nearly $2,000 due to Canada’s vast geography and limited flight routes. In contrast, flying elite athletes out of the United States often costs a mere $500. This logistical tax is a constant battle for independent promoters striving to keep the sport alive without compromising on prize money, which stands at $25,000 for the men and $10,000 for the women. Inez Resescu Targets the Overhead Record On the women's side, the focus shifts to the dominant Inez Carrasquillo, competing under the Puerto Rican flag. Inez is operating on an entirely different plane of strength right now. Caron and Shahlaei expect her to not just win the opening log lift, but to actively hunt a new world record. Having previously hit 310 pounds, Inez is targeting higher numbers in Quebec. Because the log lift is positioned as the very first event on the schedule, she will have fresh shoulders and a packed arena backing her. Her presence elevates the entire women's division, forcing competitors like Angelica Jordan and Jackie Rhodes to push their limits just to stay within striking distance. The Dangerous Setup of Modern Strongman Medleys Beyond their own event, Caron and Shahlaei discussed the controversial event selections emerging globally, specifically targeting the newly announced Official Strongman Games medley featuring a massive 370-kilogram (815-pound) Zercher carry into the power stairs. Caron was blunt about the risks. Heavy Zercher carries are isometric nightmares. The risk to the biceps is obvious, but the real danger lies in the knees and spine. A single false step under a swinging, unstable 370-kilogram yoke frame can end a career instantly. Caron referenced the infamous 2014 event in Warwick where the weight was set to 750 pounds, resulting in Christian S. breaking both of his knees. From a fan perspective, super-heavy carries are also a logistical disaster. With over 400 athletes competing at the Official Strongman Games, resetting a 370-kilogram yoke and power stair implement after dozens of failed runs will drag the pace of the show to a halt. High weight is impressive, but not when it turns a dynamic athletic spectacle into a tedious waiting game. The Mindset of a True Champion Reflecting on his legendary career, Caron shared a vital lesson for the next generation of athletes: strongman is not about being the strongest in a single lift; it is about collecting the most points. When asked if he had any lingering regrets about his competitive career—specifically the 2020 World's Strongest Man where he finished third—Caron admitted to frustration over a botched log lift. Yet, he refuses to dwell on it or watch the footage on YouTube. At the elite level, the winner is simply the athlete who makes the fewest mistakes. Brilliant specialists often fail because they chase spectacular individual lifts at the expense of consistent, disciplined placements across all eight events. True functional strength is resilient, consistent, and relentless.