Meet Simon Berriochoa
Hi Simon, how long have you
been armwrestling?
I started back in 1987 I pulled for several years and then
I left the sport for quite some time, I just recently returned in the summer of
2000.
How did you get started?
I was at a state fair one summer Saturday for a bench press competition, after I
won the bench press event in my class an individual approached me about
competing in his armwrestling event the next day, so I came back the next day
and ended up winning the 144 and under class. At that event I met several local
pullers that helped me get into the sport, one being Mr. Bob Howell.
Then what direction did you take?
In the next few years I pulled every event anywhere I could get to by car, many
events were held in bars that I was not old enough to be in. The last year I
pulled before my break from the sport I pulled Dave Patton at the Sands, I am
sure our match was insignificant to him but to me it was then that I found out
that there was far more to armwrestling than what I knew. After returning to the
sport I have tried to compete as often as possible
anywhere at any weight.
How have you been doing in the actual
competitions?
Most significantly since returning to the sport I have finished with a first at
both the 2002 Unified Nationals and the Petaluma World Championships at 60
kilos, and a fourth at the World Armwrestling Federation World Championships also at 60 kilos. In 2003 I
took a first at 60 kilos and a third at 70 kilos at the USAA National Pro/Am
held at Lake Tahoe, the third at 70 kilos qualified me for a trip to the Arnold
Classic in 2004.
Tell us about your training.
I train daily, I am a firm believer in the better conditioned athlete, this
approach has helped me avoid many of the nagging injuries that often prevents
pullers from being able to compete when they want to and I find that I can
recover from events very quickly. More specifically I train purely with
tension, I cannot tell you the last I time I picked up weight or
a dumbbell for training.
Your philosophy regarding the sport?
Pull everybody, regardless of skill or weight, it is the
single best training tool you can get, be aggressive and confident never worry
about losing only think about winning, (I stole this philosophy from a far
better puller than I, JB). Last but not least protect yourself at all times,
people that are new to the sport have a tendency to end up in some bad positions
because they are not yet experienced, take the time to educate your arm, it
takes about 2 years to really start to be able to feel what is going on in your
match, do not mimic other pullers, certainly learn from them but make sure what
you are doing on the table suits you, your strengths and weaknesses, no match is
worth a serious injury.
What do you enjoy the most about armwrestling?
I love the competition, the brilliant mix of speed, skill, power, technique and
intellect it requires. Without question though it is the people I have met in
this sport, I have played almost every manner of major competitive sport there
is and the quality of people I have met within the sport of armwrestling are
without equal, fiercely competitive on the table but off the table simply the
best group of people I have ever been associated with.
Amen!
Thank you Simon.
