Queens Arms Itself For 39th Annual Tabletop Tussling Title

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Armed and dangerous: Arm wrestling competitors grapple for last year’s title. The 2019 championships are Sunday. Photo courtesy of the Queens Tourism Council.

Armed and dangerous: Arm wrestling competitors grapple for last year’s title. The 2019 championships are Sunday. Photo courtesy of the Queens Tourism Council.

By Jonathan Sperling

May the best arm win.

More than 100 armed athletes will flock to Kew Gardens Hills on March 24 to compete in the 39th Annual New York Arm Wrestling Championships, hosted by the New York Arm Wrestling Association.

Bicep bullies will compete for thousands of dollars in prizes and bragging rights at Cheap Shots Sports Bar & Lounge, located at 149-05 Union Turnpike. The competition begins at 1 p.m and registration starts at 9 a.m.

“The arm wrestling community in Queens is where we have our practice every week, in Queens Village so I would say Queens has got a lot of arm wrestlers, but they come from all over,”  NYAWA founder and President Gene Camp told the Eagle in a phone interview. “They come from New Jersey and upstate New York.”

Camp said that the format of the event — competitors will do a sit-down preliminary match and a stand-up finals — was something that the organization had never done before.

A variety of competition categories will be available, in order to ensure that matches are completely fair. Contestants will be separated into male and female, pro and amateur, and left hand and right hand groups

First place winners of the right and left-handed overall male competition will receive $250 and women competitors will receive $100. First, second and third place winners will be given engraved medallions with NYAWA plaques, as well as certificates.                                   

When asked if he planned to participate, Camp said he’d stick with organizing.

“I don’t want to participate and beat everybody,” he said.

“As usual we’re looking for a nice turnout,” he added.

Admission for the event is $5 for spectators. There is a $35 entry fee for pros, $25 for male amateurs and $15 for female amateurs. More information about the competition is available at www.newyorkarmwrestling.com or on the New York Arm Wrestling Facebook page.