Burns Lake was represented well at the 2025 International Federation of Armwrestling North American Armwrestling Championship in Las Vegas on March 8.
Richard Whitehead, 46, a heavy-duty mechanic from Burns Lake, came in first place in the 95 kilogram weight class using his right arm, and he placed third in the same category using his left arm. Whitehead also competed in the masters category, which was for competitors over 40 years old and included professional arm wrestlers as well as amateurs like Whitehead. He placed second in his masters weight class.
"I really enjoyed it. Met a lot of cool guys," he said.
The passion for arm wrestling came to Whitehead when he met a pipeline worker in Burns Lake who invited him to an informal competition at home, which turned into Whitehead and others meeting regularly to practice and have fun. When the pipeline worker left town, practices moved to Whitehead's home.
As his interest in the sport grew, Whitehead travelled to other places in Canada where he found other enthusiasts, including Vern Martel in Prince George, where Whitehead now often visits to arm wrestle. Martel travelled to Las Vegas for the championship with Whitehead.
The sport is growing rapidly in popularity, Whitehead said. "It's getting huge."
Martel organizes a Prince-George-based group of arm wrestlers around which Northwestern interest in the sport is coalescing. The group has a Facebook page called the Prince George Iron Arms.
