Thanks for the 2017 Starting Strength Challenge

[Bestafter60]

Nick, I want to thank you and your team of hardworking spotters and judges for putting on the 2017 Starting Strength Challenge.
The briefing was easy to follow. Your presentation style was comfortable, which took the edge off the first-timer nervousness.
Instructions were clear, but as many of us proved, nervous people tend to forget instructions and instinctively exit to the side of the platform from which they entered. My suggestion for preventing this is to switch the judging lights to the judges side of the platform, so the lifter performs his lift, looks to the lights, and keeps going in that direction to sign up for his next lift weight.
Rip kept the process moving smoothly with his announcements of the next five lifters. We all had plenty of time to move to the staging area, chalk up, and be ready to enter the stage on cue.
I found a strong sense of community among locals (about 20% of the group), coaches and their cohorts of trainees, first timers and repeat competitors. All seemed to be interested in talking about their goals and motivations between lifts. Matt Reynolds even gave me a tip and improved my deadlift. Got a great tee shirt which I’m proud to wear.
This was an impressive, well conducted event, made possible by a hardworking team of judges, spotters and other support staff.
Thank you all for that!
Can't wait for the next one.

[Mark Rippetoe]

How did you get Reynolds to talk to you? He won't talk to me.

[cutlet#]

<nice things to say to another human>

How did you get Reynolds to talk to you? He won't talk to me.

Duh.

[Bestafter60]

The trick was to exhibit such massively incorrect form that he could not help himself. I started chumming the waters with my Squat and Press, but he was able to hold back. My Deadlift, however, was overwhelming.
Rip, clearly for you this technique is impracticable.

[Tom Campitelli]

The results are now ready:

2017 Starting Strength Challenge Results | US Strengthlifting Federation

[Marenghi]

First, thanks and congrats for putting up a great (re)evolution of strength competition.

Reading the results, I wondered if you want to go for the trifecta in the future: Press instead of bench is great and annoys people. Kilos instead of lbs is great and annoys people. And allometric scaling instead of Wilks is great and annoys people.

[risepmj]

Too late to express how appreciated i was.I had a SS challenge at Oakland.Meet was greatly well organized and athmosphere of the meet was real awesome.
So much appreciated to all of the spotters,loaders,judges and a meet organizers for the hard works.Also appreciated to the people whom does cheered for a dumb tall guy to make him lift more.It was awesome..can't wait next one.
Thank you very much.