Ok, when was the last time you engaged in a good old-fashioned arm wrestling match? There is an art form to it ya know, it's not just bulk and muscle, the men and women that excel in this sport have the best technique without a doubt. Of course, strength does help, just a little.
Up until the late 1960s, few tournaments were organized to help answer the question: Who are the best pullers in the state? However once wristwrestling was exposed to the masses through national television coverage of the Petaluma World Wristwrestling Championships, the sport quickly started to become organized across the country.
While only a handful of states had held a state championship prior to 1970, by 1980 almost all had held one, and many were holding them on an annual basis. The following is a list of the first known armwrestling or wristwrestling championship held for each state. Two things must be noted. First, the year of the first state championship is not necessarily the first year an organized tournament was held in the state.
In many cases, regional, county, or city championships were held for several years before a “state championship” was first organized. Heck, some states were even holding "national" or "world" championships before they first held a state championship. Second, this list is based on information I’ve been able to find in old newspaper articles, newsletters, and personal accounts. I am certain that it is not completely accurate.
Here's a glimpse at some of the early state championships across the U.S.:
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- North Dakota: February 5th, 1976
- Colorado: May 29th, 1976
- Nebraska: September 5th, 1976
- Wisconsin: October 10th, 1976
- Tennessee: Jackson, TN
- Indiana: February 12th, 1977
- Louisiana: March 12th, 1977
- South Dakota: April 16th, 1977
- Arkansas: Date missing
- Florida: August 6th, 1977
- Mississippi: August 13th, 1977
- Hawaii: Date missing
- Missouri: November 26th, 1977
In the small town of Stacy, Minnesota ( population of 1,987 ) tucked away in a farm, sits a gentle giant. A 58-year-old arm wrestling machine, Jeff Dabe holds court at his farm in Stacy, Minnesota. Talking about the sport he loves so much, a painful activity if you are not armed with the knowledge of just how it's done. "One of the most common injuries is a fracture of the humerus, or upper arm...." according to abc.net.
Jeff Dabe has always had unnaturally large arms. Boasting oversized limbs since birth, some wondered if perhaps he was born with gigantism or elephantiasis. Doctors at the U of M even ran tests to see if he was born with gigantism or elephantitis, but Dabe says they didn't find any disease or abnormalities. "I can do everything just fine like everyone else. There's no way I can work on cars. I used to work on cars on the side - I liked to do it, it was relaxing to me," Dabe said. "Other than that I haven't found much I can't do… The one thing I can't do is find good gloves."
From the beginning Dabe's life story is a tale of epic proportions. He was born with over-sized limbs, and he used his natural assets to help out on his family's farm. His wedding ring is a stunning 5 inches around, and he can hold a basketball in each hand. Dabe says people usually have an extreme reaction to his huge hands, which dwarf just about everything else they come into contact with. "Some are kind of amazed, shocked. But the people who know me for a while, they think oh, it’s just Jeff," he said.
By the time he was in high school, he started wrestling and fans gave him the nickname "Popeye." "The fans way back then were the ones that named me Popeye." When Jeff was in high school, his nickname was "Popeye", and when you see a picture of Dabe, you'll see why the name fits. Check out these stats - Fox9.com reports that "...his forearm already measures 20 inches in circumference..." His ring size is a whopping 5-inches around.
But it wasn't until his senior year when his coaches took the team to a local charity benefit that Dabe took part in, and won, his first arm wrestling tournament. "I beat all the kids and then all the adults, and I kind of got hooked on it… Talked me into going to all the tournaments," said Dabe. He arm wrestled until 1986 when he popped his right arm during a contest.
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For the next few years Dabe had a firm grip on the local arm wrestling scene - until an injury to his right elbow forced him to put his ambitions on hold. Check this out, an injury years ago to his right elbow halted his career for a bit, until he started clobbering people with his left arm. It wasn't until 2012 when Minnesota armwrestling champion Josh Handelland came to town that Dabe decided to start competing again. This time, though, he began using his left arm.
He picked it up again about 10 years ago after he entered an arm wrestling tournament at a local bar, but now he uses his left arm. "I wasn't sure about getting back into it at 48 [years old]. They ended up talking me into competing. I ended up winning and beating the guy who had the Minnesota title, so I was drawn right back into it," Dabe said. This huge man has won both State and National arm wrestling titles.
According to Give Me Sport, Dabe won the state championship for Minnesota, going on to compete in the World Armwrestling League (WAL). His WAL bio states that Dabe is a WAL 2014 Finalist; WAL 2015 Northern Region: 3rd Place Left-hand and WAL 2015 Championships Finalist. He stand 5' 9", weighs 250 lbs, his forearms are 19 inches in circumference, and his favorite armwrestling technique is the Hook. Jeff's guns have earned him the nicknames "Popeye" and "Anaconda."
Since then Dabe has won state and national arm wrestling titles, and competes on the world arm wrestling league circuit. "Last fall he became a world champion after winning at the International Federation of Arm Wrestling's Grandmaster Tournament in Florida" Fox9.com reported. Last fall he became a world champion after winning at the International Federation of Arm Wrestling's Grandmaster Tournament in Florida. "It was a very satisfying moment for me," Dabe said. "Me and my wife Gina enjoy the traveling part and meeting nice people… We are hooked into the traveling part as much as the arm wrestling."
"My favorite is this one and the belt I won from Canada, but ended up losing - that was a good belt too," Dabe told FOX 9’s Maury Glover. But you don't have to twist his arm to see Dabe is a big deal. "It's kind of cool, kind of fun. I never really worried about the titles before - it was just fun to do, but to have it and say I have a world title is kind of nice," Dabe said.
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Several times a week Dabe trains at his practice table to strengthen his left arm. Not that his forearm needs to get any bigger - it already measures 20 inches in circumference, which comes in handy for his hobby: arm wrestling. "I like the one-on-one. When you win, it’s on you. When you lose, it's on you too. You get that adrenaline, pumped up feeling, nervousness. Everyone has their thing - I like arm wrestling, I suppose," Dabe admits.
Even though his nickname is Popeye, Dabe says he often gets compared to a more recent animated character - Wreck It Ralph. "I have no problem with that. I don't mind. I think it’s kind of a compliment," Dabe. "I am who I am."
And for everything he's accomplished, you have to give this gentle giant a hand. "I'll keep going as long as I'm able," Dabe said. "If I can't keep up with the young guys, I'll just go pull with the old guys. Or still pull with the young guys and get beat up, but it’s still enjoyable."
I think I'm going to go home and rest my arms now.