Hall of Fame: A History of Strength

Canada has raised some of the strongest men that have ever lived. Some argue that among these legends lays the greatest strongman of all time. Here is a pictorial look at a history of one of the strongest Nations in the World.

 

 Louis Cyr and the turn of the century strongmen

Louis Cyr: October 18th 1863 - November 10th 1912

 

There can be no discussion of the strongest men of all time and not start with Louis Cyr. In 1880, at the age of 17, Louis won a strongman competition by lifting a full grown male horse. The horse was on a platform with two iron rods for Cyr to grip. Cyr toured the World openly challenging any strongman from any Nation. He took on many challengers, but would retire undefeated.

 

A poster promoting a Louis Cyr strongman show. It shows his legendary back lift.

 Cyr crushed the best every other country could offer, and set records that were out of reach to his competition. He is widely regarded as perhaps the strongest human who ever lived. It should also be noted he is from a time that had no performance enhancing supplements (both banned and not banned).

 

Louis Cyr finally meets his match in the much hyped contest against Hector Decarie in 1906

In 1906 Louis Cyr met fellow Canadian Hector Decarie in a challenge match. There was 8 lifts in the match, and each man won 4 of the events apiece making it a draw. Still, Louis Cyr decided it was a good time to retire having finally found his equal. He handed over his title as World Champion to Hector Decarie. Louis was 44 years old. There is a statue in honor of the Great Louis Cyr that still stands today in Quebec.
The Great Hector Decarie in his prime

The Great Hector Decarie in his prime

Hector Decarie was not just a man who was lucky enough to catch Louis Cyr on the decline. He was a worthy Champion who like his predecessor had a phenomenal backlift. Hector’s record for a back lift was a devastating 3640 pounds. As Champion, Hector would go on to match many of Louis Cyr’s records, and come close to others.
One of the Strongest men pound for pound in history

Arhtur Dandurand: One of the Strongest men pound for pound in history. Note the size of his forearms, which enabled him to set untouchable reverse curl records.

Arthur Dandurand came into his prime the same time that Hector Decarie came onto the scene to replace Louis Cyr. He weighed in the 180 pound range, and would be a middleweight by today’s standards. Arthur was a master of the reverse curl, setting a record of 177 pounds. A hundred years later most middleweights cannot powercurl 177 pounds, let alone reverse curl that weight. Nicknamed “the Canadian Sandow”, Arthur could one arm press 115 pounds, two hand press 220 pounds, and in a contest in 1908 pushed a wheel borrow with 4300 pounds 23 feet.
Arthur at the age of 48

Arthur at the age of 48

Arthur retained his strength and physique past the half century mark of his life at a time when men his age were resembling a grandpa.

 

 Doug Hepburn and the new breed of strongmen

 

Doug Hepburn was the undisputed strongest man in the World in the early 1950\'s.

Doug Hepburn was the undisputed strongest man in the World in the early 1950's.

 

How dominate was Doug Hepburn in his prime? At the same point in time Doug held the bench press record, the squat record, the two hand curl record, the dumbbell crucifix hold record, the Olympic clean and press record, the Olympic clean and jerk record, and the Olympic total record. To sum it up, he was the strongest man on the planet in pretty much any feat of strength you’d like to test him in.
To become the World Champion in Olympic weightlifting Doug dethroned the most dominate Olympic weightlifting Champion the sport had ever seen in John Davis. Davis had been the World Champion, and undefeated in competition, from 1938 up until he met Doug Hepburn at the World Championships in 1953 in Sweden.
In his prime Hepburn pushed the limits of what was thought of as conceivable for his day

In his prime Hepburn pushed the limits of what was thought of as conceivable for his day

 After becoming World Champion Doug began re-writing the record books. No other man had been so dominate in the powerlifting lifts (squat, bench press and deadlift) the Olympic lifts (clean and jerk, snatch, and at the time clean and press) and strong man feats. Among some of his greatest victories (like handing John Davis his first defeat) is a win over the all time great Paul Anderson. Below is a picture of Doug performing the famous backlift.

Hepburn performing the legendary strongman backlift
Although great, Doug’s prime would be cut short due to his battle with alcoholism. By the late 1950′s Doug was already past his prime. Paul Anderson would then replace him as the strongest man in the World. However, he would launch a comeback in the 1960′s, and re-establish himself as a credible contender to the title.
The Great Benoit Cote in competition against Doug Hepburn

The Great Benoit Cote in competition against Doug Hepburn

The fiesty French Canadian met a slightly faded come-backing Doug Hepburn in a 1961 match. The two battled in a four event competition. The events were the bench press, the over head press from the racks, squat, and deadlift. Like the legendary match between a faded Louis Cyr and Hector Decarie, the two split the events. Doug won 2 of the events (the bench press and the overhead press) and Cote won 2 events (the squat and the deadlift). While they were even, having won two events each, Cote had a higher total and claimed victory.

It set up a match against Paul Anderson of USA, who was still widely considered the strongest man in the World. A head to head match up between the two never come to pass. Still his match against Doug Hepburn is remembered as a historic meeting.

 

Hugo Girard and the strongmen of today

 

Hugo Girard showing what a modern strongman looks like

Hugo Girard showing what a modern strongman looks like

By Hugo Girard’s time Strongman feats were not just challenge matches, and events that took place in traveling shows. Strongman competitions had become more orgazined, and had National champions that progressed to the World Championships. Having grew up hearing the mythical stories of Luis Cyr and visiting his statue, Hugo set a goal early on in life that he wanted to be like his childhood heroe. As only a boy he declared to his mother he would one day be “The Strongest man in the World”.

In 2002 Hugo became the Grand Prix World Champion in Strongman. His over-head pressing power was head and shoulders above the rest of the competition, and he set many records on his way to numerous victories. He held his promise to his mother, and no doubt had Louis Cyr smiling down on him.