By Barry Decker, Intelligencer Journal Correspondent
Intelligencer Journal
LANCASTER COUNTY, PA – Sweat, sand and salt air are the ingredients of a popular new sport that Brad Strubel not only tried, but did so successfully.
Strubel finished third out of 26 competitors in the 180-pounds-and-over division at the 2005 ASICS East Coast National Beach Wrestling Championships held in Long Beach, N.Y.
“It was a lot of fun wrestling in a bathing suit, through the five matches, “said Strubel, a Drumore Township resident.
There were 218 wrestlers from 11 states and four countries taking part in the event, which was Aug. 13.
It was the first beach wrestling championship recognized by the U.S. Wrestling Association.
Being the first, according to Strubel, there were a hundreds of spectators watching from the boardwalk.
“It was a lot harder moving around in the 20-foot diameter circle. Every time I took a step, my feet would sink a five inches into the sand, “he said.
Strubel, who is six-foot, 200-pounds added that the big guys in the division he wrestled found the circle to be a bit small. The circle was a piece of rope on top of the sand.
“If you backed up to get a good position, you could find yourself out of the circle, “he said.
Strubel, 37, said that beach wrestling rules were pretty simple. The matches consist of one three-minute period.
To win, a competitor must score two takedowns, two push outs, two throws, or any combination of them.
With no rule for overtime, ties are broken by a referee’s decision.
Unless a takedown is completed in a relatively short time, the referee brings the wrestlers immediately back to the starting position.
According to Strubel, the spectators and athletes enjoyed the “fast and furious “matches, with most lasting only a minute or two.
Although Strubel wrestled five matches on a 95-degree day, the biggest problem wasn’t exhaustion. “Your sweat would make the sand stick to you and between matches you had to clean the sand out of your shorts, “he said.
Strubel lost his match in the semi-finals to Carlos Doimo of New York Athletic Club, who went on to claim the championship.
“Even after 22 years of wrestling, you still get butterflies when you get into the ring, “Strubel said.
The local grappler took the champion down for one point and then was beaten 2 -1.
Strubel, a 1986 Solanco graduate who has wrestled since high school, said that 20 years of experience has helped him to be a better wrestler.
“I didn’t hit my stride in the sport until I was 24. I didn’t begin wrestling until I was in10th grade, so it took me about 10 years to really understand the skills of wrestling, “he said.
Since 10th grade, his passion for the sport hasn’t changed.
Strubel won the Middle Atlantic Wrestling Association Eastern Nationals about 10 years ago, then returned periodically, placing second, third and fourth. Last year, he returned to the tournament and placed second, once again.
Between his three to five tournaments each year, he even wrestled 2000 Olympic gold medalist Ruland Gardner.
Strubel said that he had Gardner on his back for a second, but lost to him.
In the past 10 years of AAU tournaments, he routinely finishes in the top three positions.
Strubel shared his wrestling skills as a volunteer coach at Lampeter-Strasburg High School and was a full-time junior varsity coach at Pequea Valley. This year, he plans to help at Manheim Township High School.
“I love wrestling and like to instill that same love in kids, “he said.
He noted that he recalls the sport was a motivator for him to do well in school and he wants to do the same for others.
Strubel, who operates his own business, can count on at least three cheerleaders in many of his competitions – his wife, Lea, and two children, Tara and Tori.
Most of Strubel’s training takes place in his home weight room, where he practices strength endurance.
His proficiency in lifting has propelled him to two championships in the annual Fall Strength Classic Strongman Challenge in Quarryville over the last five years.
According to this Strubel, he plans to wrestle as long as he can, including returning to the sandy mats of beach wrestling next year.
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