A visit to NYC and the New York Arm Wrestling Championship

I took the kids to NYC for a long weekend. Teenager looked at a few colleges, Young Teenager went to some parties with camp friends and Boy was stuck with me. Boy refused to go to junk stores or flea markets or shoe shops or museums and didn't want to randomly walk the city streets (another favorite of mine) so I had to find something that we could do together. The Auto Show was going on at the Javits Center and as a plus, in the basement they had an Arm Wrestling competition. I want you to know that I tussled with major professional photographers to get these pictures - ESPN, The Daily News, Hunter College. There was drama when the Georgian (country, not the state, this event had an international flavor) grappler was disqualified for moving (?) and his coach had a fit.
I believe this is Gene Camp receiving a lifetime achievement award for building this event over the past 30 plus years.


The dude with the glasses looked like Elvis Costello, not your typical grappler


Rosin? Sweaty palms are a problem, and will often lead to being strapped onto your opponent



Meet Ron Klemba, one of the top grapplers in his weight class. Ron's the dude with the ponytail and I believe he hails from Connecticut. Ron looks like people I went to high school with...he was fierce.



I didn't get this fella's name but he's an actor and has been on OZ.


Great way to spend a few hours with your son. We then took a stroll across 42 Street...what the hell happened? I know it was a hellhole 30 years ago, what with all that urine smell and XXX movie theaters, but I think I liked it better then. I avoided it like the plague, but when you happened upon the Times Square area you knew you weren't in Kansas anymore. I hate it now. Where's Ratso Rizzo? Travis Bickle?