History
The Strongman Champions League was developed by Ilkka Kinnunen and Marcel Mostert, longtime strongman promoters, with major contests to their credit worldwide, and was launched in 2008. Kinnunen & Mostert described SCL as "a new episode in strongman". Initially, it appeared that the league was heavily driven by IFSA. It had negotiated with IFSA to use its athletes only, rather than those used on the World's Strongest Man circuit. In an official statement released by Marcel Mostert and Ilkka Kinnunen the format was described:
"A complete series of 10–12 competitions, that will take place all over the world, but most of the competitions will be held in Europe. The very best IFSA champions, referees and their organizers will be the guarantee of a great new, fresh excitement in Strongman sport. The competition venues are the best which each country can offer and it will include the country's own traditional elements." As well as citing that all points will be accumulated for a Champions League Winner at the end of the year, the organisers also explicitly stated that "Rules will be done officially as usual in all IFSA competitions" and that "The top 3 will be directly placed in the IFSA World Championships". Mostert also said "All together we think that this is a perfect platform of competitions that will lead to another great World Championship.".
Thus, IFSA were inextricably linked at the inception of the league. IFSA, however, were in reportedly dire financial straits towards the end of that year. By December, Mostert distanced the league from the ailing governing body and explicitly said that the Strongman Champions League had nothing to do with IFSA. He told IronMind "We have our own logo, we have our own brand, we do our own competitions." Its own website was launched shortly afterwards.
The league organisers had originally reported that Champions League competitions "will be televised and spread all over the world and they released a list of venues that had been organised in advance. In the harsh economic climate of 2008, the league was not immune to the effects, and the league did have to cancel some venues, but unlike with the IFSA, the vast majority of the competitions still took place. In 2008, the SCL had 45 top strength athletes competing, representing more than 20 countries.
Read more about this topic: Strongman Champions League
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