MARCH 22 &23

Minimum $5000 Prize Pool

Welcome to the 2025 Southeast Heritage Games! 

Location: Apalachee Regional Park 7550 Apalachee Pkwy Tallahassee Fl

Event Hotels and blocks:

Anyone booking a hotel, airbnb, or vrbo please let us know how many nights and how many people. This helps us secure more grant funding which means better events and amenities for the athletes! *****

Weigh ins

Friday form 8am-5pm in the main building at Apalachee Regional Park 7550 Apalachee Pkwy Tallahassee Fl

Saturday  weigh ins will occur in the same building before 9am 

This event is a USS sanctioned strongman event, meaning that ALL competitors are required to have an active USS membership. 

The Competition will start at 9am on both Saturday and Sunday and run till 5pm in the afternoon. We will run 4 events on both days. There will be two lanes running 2 events at a time then we will switch events, then proceed to the next 2 and run them the same way.

Saturday

Budkar Stone Press

This is a trump style event where any number of reps on the heavy option beats any number of reps on the lighter option. The athlete has :60 to clean and press the stone for as many reps as possible. Solid lockout with head through will be required. All supportive equipment is allowed.

This is a historic block press from India. The original stones were shaped like our modern blocks but chiseled into shape and had hand holds cut into them . We will be using Will Development to make our stones and have some form of hand holds made into them. 

Xavante Log Carry

Athlete will start 5' back from the implement and run to the log lifting it to one shoulder then carrying it 100'. Fastest Time wins. Unlimited drops but the log must cross the line on the shoulder if it rolls across or is dropped before it crosses the line it will incur a :02 second penalty. all equipment allowed

This a slight twist on an cultural event of the Xavante, one of the indigenous tribes in Brazil. In their culture they would carry logs up to 80kg for miles. Our logs will range in diameter as the weight increases but all will be able to be gripped from the ends to in the traditional way. 

Edo Ladder Deadlift

Athlete will start strapped in on a modified car deadlift frame. After each successful lift a keg will be dropped into a basket on the implement and increase the weight by 50lbs. If the athlete reaches the max load he will then have :60 to complete as many reps as possible. The athlete with the most reps wins.

This event ties in with a folklore story from the Edo tribe of Nigeria and Benin city. The story is a lesson on over reaching.

Mas Wrestling 

Athletes will start both feet on the block and reach down to take their grip on the stick. Both athletes must use a double overhand grip! Once the grip is set and both athletes' arms are both locked out, the judge will give you the signal to begin. each match will be best of 3. Belt and sleeves allowed. no straps

This event will have a unique scoring system allowing athletes to score more points towards their total score on this event. Also allowing athletes from different classes to go head to head.

This event has ties back to the Sakh, Inuit, and Viking cultures. We are using a mix of the rules from the various cultures for this event. 

Sunday

Mast Carry 

Athlete will have 3 heights to choose for their pick height. The athlete will start under the mast and use the chains and rope on the mast to get their position. On the start command the athlete will carry the mast down the 60' course for the fastest time. There are unlimited drops but sliding will incur a :02 penalty. all equipment allowed

The mast carry legend is about Orm Stórolfsson, an Icelandic strongman who is said to have carried the mast of a Viking longship for three steps. 

Basque Anvil Lifting

Athlete will take their anvil and lift from the bottom plate and touch the top plate for as many reps as possible in 2:00 . The height of the top bar will be adjusted to 18" above the head. no equipment allowed

This is a traditional Basque strength event where the anvil has the shape of an elongated T and is traditionally used in shoeing horses. Champions manage some 80 lifts in 2 minutes.

Celtic Cross Carry

Athlete will pick the stone and carry for max distance turns every 50' . The lighter stone option will be picked from a platform due to its shape while the heavy stone will be lifted from the ground. no tacky allowed all other equipment allowed

This event is a blend of a traditional husafel and fefor carry with ours being made into a wonderful art piece by Will Development. 

Sherpa Sandbag Power Stairs

The athlete starts hands on the first of 3 sandbags and has 2:30 to get all three bags up the stairs and over the crossbar at the top. The athlete has the option to move them to the top in whatever fashion they want shouldering or lapping and dropping on each subsequent stair. 

Sherpa are renowned for their ability to transport large quantities of gear and supplies over challenging terrain, sometimes exceeding their own body weight; this is deeply ingrained in their culture and lifestyle due to their mountainous environment and reliance on carrying goods for trade and survival