Masskrugstemmen
Steinholding is a traditional Bavarian strength contest in which competitors hold a full one-liter beer stein (or Masskrug/Mass in German) out in front of their bodies with a straight arm, parallel to the ground. You go as long as you can and the last person holding with good form is the winner.
Hofbräuhaus Cleveland holds a Masskrugstemmen (stein holding) contest every Friday at 8:00pm. Participants may sign-up by 7:30pm to compete and have the chance to win a Gift Certificate or even a trip to New York to complete in the National Competition!
Masskrugstemmen Rules
A 1L dimpled glass stein with handle must be used. The stein itself should weigh approximately 3 lbs. Steins used for any given competition should be of the same brand and style, and should be provided by the establishment hosting the competition to ensure consistency.
The stein must be filled with liquid to the 1L lip.
The stein must be gripped by the handle.
The thumb may not rest on top of the stein handle; it must rest on the other fingers.
The pinkie finger may be held outside of the handle. If the pinkie is outside the handle, it may only touch the handle, not the main body of the stein.
The stein must be gripped such that the front of the stein faces away from the competitor. The stein may not be gripped sideways.
Limited arching of the back is tolerable, however only minimal leaning is acceptable. In the vertical plane, the competitor's elbow must never cross behind the front of the hips or the front of the ankle of either foot.
Leaning to the left or right side is unacceptable; the upper torso may not be noticeably angled to the left or right side and the line between a competitor's shoulder blades should remain close to parallel to the ground.
The stein must be held out directly in front of the competitor, not out to the side. The line between a competitor's shoulders should remain close to perpendicular with the arm holding the stein.
The arm holding the stein must remain close to parallel with the ground and should be extended straight with no bending at the elbow.
The arm holding the stein must remain separated from the chest of the competitor. The chest may not be used as a shelf to support the arm.
The off-hand should remain at the competitor's side or back and may not touch or support the arm holding the stein.
Competitors may not contact any other structures, objects, or people during the competition.
Competitors must stand within their personal area and may not move more than is necessary to make adjustments ensuring proper form during the competition.
If any amount of beer spills or drips off of the stein, the competitor is disqualified, regardless of the number of strikes previously assigned.
