Fingal’s Fingers

Fingal’s Fingers, in comparison to some of the WSM staples such as the deadlift, vehicle pull and overhead lift for example, is a comparatively new event. It was first seen in the heats of WSM in Sun City in 2000 and since its debut, Fingal’s Fingers has been frequently used in both heats and finals. As such, it has featured in nine editions of WSM between 2000 and 2010, including six outings in the final.

In terms of the event itself, there are five steel ‘Fingers’, each of which have to be flipped from their staring point at ground level, through 180 degrees, via a pivoted base. The aim is to turn all five Fingers in the fastest time possible. In 2000 and 2001, the Fingers were laid parallel to each other, with competitors having to lift them in ascending order. The weight of the first Finger in 2000 was 200kgs, followed by 225kgs, 250kgs, 275kgs and finally the fifth Finger at 300kgs.  Coupled to the increase in weight per Finger, so too the length of the Fingers increased as they got heavier.

Fingal’s Fingers had, however, been used earlier in 2000 at the Britain’s Strongest Man contest. At that time, on the grass at Alton Towers Theme park, only one man, Graham Mullins, was able to flip four, let alone five, Fingers. A few months later in South Africa, however, would be a different matter. At WSM, and though the difficulty was evident, five Fingers were indeed flipped. In fact, in the very first pairing to ever attempt the Fingal’s Fingers at WSM, the American Johnny Perry turned all five Fingers in 52.70 seconds. The 1998 WSM winner Magnus Samuelsson also managed five, but in 55.3 seconds. Samuelsson again completed five Fingers in the final, but his time was eclipsed by  both Phil Pfister (43.8 seconds), and the winner of the discipline, Svend Karlsen. The Norwegian registered a time of 42.6 seconds, on his way to second place overall that year.

One year later and with WSM returning to Africa, this time in Zambia, Pfister was the only competitor to turn all the Fingers, and in a time of 40.35 seconds, over 3 seconds faster than he managed the previous year.

Kuala Lumpur in 2002 saw a change to the layout of the course, which has subsequently been retained. The Fingers remained the same weights, but their arrangement was altered. Consequently, they were no longer laid parallel, but in the manner seen today where the implements are arranged along a course running lengthways, in a staggered formation. The objective of the most Fingers turned in the fastest time still applied. Eleven competitors were able to complete every Finger in the 2002 heats including Samulesson and his younger brother Torbjorn,  Karlsen,  Jesse Marunde, Hugo Girard, Zydrunas Savickas and Brian Schoonveld. Showing once again that he was a man to watch in the event, it was Johnny Perry who  posted the fasted time of all the heats, 41.9 seconds.

2004 in The Bahamas saw the event being held on sand for the first time. Beforehand many competitors were unsure what impact the sand would have, expressing reservations about the soft surface.  However, six WSM heavyweights turned all five, including eventual winner Vasyl Virastyuk, Karlsen, Magnus Samuelsson, Mariusz  Pudzianowski, Girard and Savickas.

One year later, and Fingal’s was used in both the heats and the final. In the heats, giant Canadian Dominc Filiou posted the quickest time of all, registering 39.17 seconds, narrowly ahead of the American Don Pope (39.47) and the Pole Jarek Dymek  (39.5). Other competitors who completed the course were Americans Josh Thigpen (73.08) and Dave Ostlund (43.49), Elbrus Nigmatulin of Russia (46.59), Pudzianowski  (43.08), another Canadian, Jessin Paulin (44.30), and Janne Virtanen (48.24). The days of competitors fearing the fifth Finger was now a distant memory, and in the final every competitor, except Ralf Ber, was equal to the task. Year on year, the times were getting increasingly quicker, as evidenced by Jesse Marunde, who posted a quite remarkable 34.27 seconds in the final.

WSM remained in China in 2006, but the location changed from Chengdu to Sanya. Once again, a host of competitors managed all five Fingers during the heats, the pick of whom were 2006 WSM winner Phil Pfister in 32.44 seconds, 2007 runner-up Sebastian Wenta (36.30), Marunde (37.87), and Ostlund (39.01). Moving into the final, Pfister was the man in pole position, with a blistering time of 31.92 seconds, followed by Don Pope (34.17), and Wenta  (39.13). Always a strong event for the American, his win here helped Pfister continue to overturn an 8.5 point deficit on the leader after two events. It was to be Pfister’s  second of five consecutive event wins , ultimately fulfilling his promise of five years earlier to take the title back to the USA.

The 2007 edition of WSM in Anaheim saw Pfister once again post the fastest time in the heats, clocking 32.29 seconds. In the final, Pfister’s rapid time of 31.78 seconds was, almost unbelievably, only enough to take third place.  Second place went to Pudzianowski in 31.15 seconds, whose celebrations afterwards showed a man who had mastered an event that he had readily admitted was a weakness for him. It was another Pole who took first place, with Wenta stopping the watch at a jaw-dropping 30.92 seconds.

In 2008 in Phil Pfister’s home town of Charleston, West Virginia, the weight of Fingal’s Fingers was changed slightly for the first time since the introduction of the event in 2000. Consequently, the fifth Finger now tipped the scales at 320kgs, as opposed to 300kgs. 2010 WSM runner-up Brian Shaw led the field during the heats, with a time of 37.27 seconds.  The depth of talent in the final saw nine out of ten competitors completing all five Fingers, with Dave Ostlund managing the feat in 34.91 seconds. Hometown favourite Pfister was next (36.01), just over a second quicker than Wenta (37.02).

Returning to Malta in 2009 after a ten year absence  it was Zydrunas  Savickas (31.06) and Brian  Shaw (31.34) who racked up the quickest times in the heats. Eight finalists completed all five Fingers, and Savickas was the fastest of all, breaking the 30 second barrier to post 28.69 seconds, trailed by Ostlund (32.08) and Shaw (32.37).

As with so many events, strength alone will not bring success in Fingal’s Fingers. Without the technique to accompany it, the task of not only flipping each Finger, but doing so in a competitive time will elude the athletes. It is a testament to the WSM competitors that their technical expertise, endurance, strength and event preparation has brought them to the point where the issue of whether five Fingers will be completed is now almost an afterthought for the WSM contenders. The focus is not on whether it will happen, but how quickly it can be done.