{{Short description|Strongman event}} '''Bar bending''' or '''iron bending''' is a display of physical strength derived from early circus strongman performers, which was used in a sporting context in strength competitions such as the World's Strongest Man.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-i-learned-to-bend-steel?ref=scroll |title=How I Learned to Bend Steel |publisher=thedailybeast.com |access-date=2023-07-09 |date=2015-08-09 |archive-date=2023-07-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709130403/https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-i-learned-to-bend-steel?ref=scroll |url-status=live }}</ref> It requires the strongmen to grip long iron rods from their edges, use their arm and grip strength, and bend until the two ends come closer to each other.<ref name="Bending Steel">{{Cite news|first=Bending Steel (2013)|title=A documentary by Dave Carroll and Ryan Scafuro|website=Tribeca Film Festival|author=Chris Schoeck|date=20 April 2013}}</ref>
== Early influence to strongman competitions == From eighteenth century through the age of vaudeville strongmen of nineteenth century<ref name="David">{{cite web|title=BENDING SHORT STEEL BARS, BOLTS AND NAILS by David Horne|url=http://www.davidhorne-gripmaster.com/bending.html|access-date=9 July 2023|work=www.davidhorne-gripmaster.com|date=3 October 2006|archive-date=20 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120194136/https://davidhorne-gripmaster.com/bending.html|url-status=live}}</ref> until around mid twentieth century, traditional strongmen like Thomas Topham, Louis 'Apollon' Uni, Warren Lincoln Travis, Hermann Görner,<ref name=mighty>''Goerner the Mighty'', Edgar Mueller, Vulcan Publishing, Leeds, 1951</ref> Joe 'Mighty Atom' Greenstein,<ref name="LLC1974">{{cite journal|publisher=New York Media, LLC|journal=New York Magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OGdBYxVLBhIC&pg=PA68|date=3 June 1974|title=Mighty Joe Old|page=68|issn=0028-7369}}</ref> Zishe Breitbart, Arthur Saxon, John B. Gagnon and Joe Rollino<ref name=obit>{{cite news |title=At a Mighty 104, Gone While Still Going Strong |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/nyregion/12ironman.html |newspaper=New York Times |date=January 11, 2010 |access-date=2010-01-12 |first1=Manny |last1=Fernandez |first2=Michael S. |last2=Schmidt |archive-date=2019-04-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425191516/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/nyregion/12ironman.html |url-status=live }}</ref> experimented with different techniques and variations on how to bend the iron in the most impressive ways.<ref name="Bending Steel"/>
When bar bending was featured at the inaugural World's Strongest Man competition in 1977, with Lou Ferrigno winning the event while Franco Columbu emerging second, it became a fan favourite event.<ref>{{cite web|title=1977 World's Strongest Man|url=https://strongmanarchives.com/viewContest.php?id=1|access-date=8 July 2023|work=Strongman Archives|date=17 May 1977|archive-date=3 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203031900/https://strongmanarchives.com/viewContest.php?id=1|url-status=live}}</ref> Its popularity led bar bending to be continued for six more years until 1983.<ref>{{cite web|title=1983 World's Strongest Man|url=https://strongmanarchives.com/viewContest.php?id=7|access-date=8 July 2023|work=Strongman Archives|date=19 May 1983|archive-date=9 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709130403/https://strongmanarchives.com/viewContest.php?id=7|url-status=live}}</ref> One of the most notorious moments of strongman occurred during 1981 World's Strongest Man competition when Bill Kazmaier and Geoff Capes injured themselves<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsZMI59OY1I |title=Twelve of the WORST Strongman Injuries - 12:51 Bar bending |website=Big Loz Official |access-date=19 January 2021 |archive-date=31 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131145454/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsZMI59OY1I |url-status=live }}</ref> while attempting to bend the final iron bar of the event.<ref>{{cite web|title=1981 World's Strongest Man|url=https://strongmanarchives.com/viewContest.php?id=5|access-date=8 July 2023|work=Strongman Archives|date=10 May 1981|archive-date=9 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709131958/https://strongmanarchives.com/viewContest.php?id=5|url-status=live}}</ref> Grip strength and bar bending specialists like Richard Sorin, John Brookfield, Greg Matonick, Reuben Hughes, David Horne, Tom Morris, David Wigren, Don Cummings, Shawn Kapusta, Austin Seitter and Dan Dring continued to experiment with more variations and along with strength advocates like Randall J. Strossen diversified the gamut of bar bending.<ref>{{cite web|title=2005 World Steel Bending Championships|url=https://ironmind.com/news/2005-World-Steel-Bending-Championships|access-date=9 July 2023|work=Randall J. Strossen for IronMind Enterprises, Inc.|date=18 June 2004|archive-date=9 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709133437/https://ironmind.com/news/2005-World-Steel-Bending-Championships|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="David"/> In 2013, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson established a new Guinness World Record by bending 4 × iron rods (each with a {{Fraction|5|8}} inch (1.6 cm) diameter) in only 30 seconds<ref name="srgrip">{{cite web|url=https://strengthrecord.com/strongman-world-records/#S14 |title=STRENGTH RECORD, Section 14 - Grip |website=www.strengthrecord.com |access-date=12 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN6JDwldD2E |title=Hafthor Julius Bjornsson sets World Record bending cast iron |website=YouTube |access-date=21 October 2022 |archive-date=22 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022090352/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN6JDwldD2E |url-status=live }}</ref> and in 2022, Mikhail Shivlyakov established another Guinness World Record by bending 14 × iron rods (each with a {{Fraction|9|20}} inch (1.2 cm) diameter) in only 45 seconds.<ref name="srgrip"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:Strongmen competitions