Steinholding puts Mass. beer lovers' arms to the test
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What began as a friend's wedding activity in Nashville turned Jessica Gravel into a three-time state champion in steinholding.
The intrigue: Gravel is among hundreds in Massachusetts who are competing in the Bavarian endurance sport this year.
State of play: Gravel, a Canton resident, will compete for her fourth consecutive title at the Massachusetts Steinholding State Championships Saturday at Samuel Adams Boston Beer Co. in Jamaica Plain.
- The winner of the men's and women's divisions will have a chance to compete in the national competition on Nov. 21 in Cincinnati, which comes with a $4,000 prize.
How it works: Steinholding, in some ways, is as simple as it looks.
- The goal is to hold a 1-liter, dimpled glass stein filled with water for as long as possible.
- But the wrong form could lead to a strike, and three strikes get you booted.
- What gets a strike? Anything from letting the arm dip or veer to the side, to leaning too far back, to placing the thumb on the stein handle instead of on the side. (Jim Banko, founder and commissioner of the U.S. Steinholding Association, breaks it down in this video.)
By the numbers: Massachusetts saw its biggest steinholding season yet with close to 500 competitors, says Banko.
- The rise in interest comes as the 11-year-old association expands its footprint, from contests in four states in 2021 to 18 state championships and wild card competitions this year.
Zoom in: Gravel finished in third place at nationals last year. Her time was 4 minutes and 51 seconds.
- She's been training at the gym and at home in hopes of clinching that first-place title.
What they're saying: "It's also a mental game," she tells Axios. "I feel like you can go a lot longer than your body is telling you to go if you're able to tap into that mentally."
What we're watching: Saturday's championship could lead to a new record. Gravel's hoping to break five minutes.