Húsafell Stone

The Húsafell Stone is a lifting stone located in Húsafell, Iceland.[1] The stone weighs 186 kg (409 lbs)[1] and was kept near a sheep pen built by reverend Snorri Björnsson over two hundred years ago.[1]

The Húsafell Stone.

The stone has been used as a test of strength by either simply lifting the stone, or by lifting and carrying the stone around the goat pen where it is located. The Húsafell Stone is known as pen slab (Kvíahellan) in Iceland, as it was used as a door to the sheep pens.[1] Someone who could only lift the stone up to their knees would be lazybones,[lower-alpha 1] those who could lift it up to the waist would be considered half-strong,[lower-alpha 2] and a full-strong[lower-alpha 3] could lift it up to the breast and walk with it around the perimeter of the sheep pen.[2]

In strongmen competitions
An athlete carrying a replica of the Húsafell Stone at Brodick Highland Games.

When the event was featured at the 1992 World's Strongest Man competition held in Iceland and using the actual Húsafell Stone, it proved to be a very popular and influential event in the sport of strongman.[3] Canadian strongman Gregg Ernst set a record at the 1992 WSM by carrying the Húsafell Stone 70 metres.[4] The record was broken during Iceland's Strongest Man 2017, where Hafþór Björnsson carried the stone for 90 metres.[5]

In recent years, replicas are created (of varying weights and sizes) and used in events at strongman competitions all over the world.[6][3]

Notes
  1. Icelandic: amlóði
  2. Icelandic: hálfsterkur
  3. Icelandic: fullsterkur
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References
  1. "The historic walk through Húsafell". Húsafell Tourist Services. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  2. Sigmundsson, Svavar (June 2006). "Aflraunasteinar" [Icelandic Lifting Stones] (in Icelandic). Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  3. The Husafell Stone Challenge (16 September 2010). "Diesel Crew – Muscle Building, Athletic Development, Strength Training, Grip Strength » Blog Archive » The Husafell Stone Challenge". Dieselcrew.com. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  4. Williams, Justin (1 July 2017). "The Cincinnati Strongman Is Here To Pump You Up". Cincinnati Magazine. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  5. "Iceland's Strongest Man 2017" (video). 2017.
  6. Rogue Fitness (28 February 2019). "Road to the Arnold – 2019 – The Húsafell Stone". Retrieved 4 March 2019.
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