The countdown to the 2027 World Armwrestling Qualifier in Sudbury has begun, in earnest.

With some 800 athletes from across the country expected to gather in the nickel city next April, the much smaller steps of gathering a little momentum in the months leading up to the competition are now taking place.

The monthly Cortina 64 Armwrestling Series kicked off at the end of May, with the next gathering slated for the eatery and bar on Notre Dame Avenue on Saturday, June 27th.

While numbers were modest, the initial event drew competitors from as far away as Temiscaming (Québec), with three teenagers attending École Gilbert Théberge and one of the mothers making the trip to Sudbury to take part.

Fourteen year-old Abby Crawford picked up the sport in 2024, beginning very much with the basics, as one might expect.

"How to set-up, with your hand on the peg, elbow on the pad the whole time, things like that," said Crawford. "You have to get in the mindset that it's not just your arm you need to do armwrestling. It's not just strength; it can be speed too."

"That's what I use."

When it comes right down to it, gaining an early advantage in this one on one showdown is often enough to ensure an ultimate victory.

"I worked a lot on quickly gaining the hook - which is bending your wrist really quickly," said Crawford. "If I just used strength, I would never win."

Though removed from the sport he once practiced in his youth, 61 year-old long-time Sudbury resident Robin Gaudreau suggested the key to his success remains, as it always has been, not to fall victim of the move that Crawford continues to perfect.

"Beginners like myself, we always end up being in a hook," said the one-time student at CVDCS (Chelmsford Valley District Composite School) who competed both in Sudbury and around the north in his much younger days.

"Over the years, you continue learning how to avoid being hooked. There's a lot of technique to it. You have to work on your wrist, your hand, your pronation to get away from their offense, which is usually very strong for them."

Having last competed in roughly 1993, by his estimation, Gaudreau was more than happy to ease his way back into the scene that has always held an interest.

"I just showed up," said Gaudreau. "Younger guys typically excel at this and I was hoping to see someone in my age group, just to see where I am at. I never followed it to anything really serious, but I competed and won a few times - and lost a lot of times."

Going more than 30 years between matches, of course, did not help the reaction time that is key as the official releases the combatants from his grip.

"If you lose the start by even half a second, it's such a disadvantage," said Gaudreau. "You're on defense. It's hard to move to offense when you are always on defense."

Anyone seeking more information on upcoming Cortina 64 Series gatherings is asked to contact Joanne Lachance at joannelachance10@gmail.com.