Strongman Spectacular Clusterf---

Last Sunday we decided to go check out the Coney Island Strongman Spectacular. Daring escapes, dudes bending/lifting/towing ridiculous things with insane feats of strength - where else can you see that on a Sunday afternoon?

The Amazing Cardone

Well, apparently you cannot see these things at Coney Island unless you are one of a few lucky people because the event is so disorganized. The first event, Cardone's milk can escape (previously made famous by Houdini) took place on a 5' x 5' stage (if it was that big) in front of the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, which meant that all the people were trying to crowd around 3 sides of this small platform.

Getting Shackled by a Boy Scout

 

A Curtain is Key to Cardone's Illusion

By standing far back, I was able to hold my camera over my head and grab a few decent pictures out of about 100 attempts (lots of sky, backs of random bald heads, wall shots, etc.)  

Spoiler alert: he escaped.

Next up, a guy was going to tow a full-size pickup truck with his teeth. Now, after being a huge fan of those old ESPN World's Strongest Man competitions that aired late nights back in my college days (Magnus ver Magnusson 4-ever!!!), I was incredibly excited about this one. Plus, this event was being held on a long stretch of roadway, so there would be plenty of room for spectators to spread out along the sidewalks on either side so everyone would be able to see.

Wrong! The entire throng of people were crowded in a tiny clump right in front of the truck. We waited around for 15-20 minutes, in which time, numerous pleas were made for spectators to step back onto the sidewalks. Several guys were walking with arms fully spread to try to nudge people backwards, but every time their backs were turned, the crowds filled back in. Even despite people being told there was a safety issue (hello, giant pickup truck being towed in neutral) and that they may be run over if they did not get back onto the sidewalks, people STILL crowded around the front of the truck.

Finally, I gave up. It was clear that we would not be able to actually see anything and I was so incredibly annoyed that the organizers of the event didn't bother setting up any police barriers or ropes or anything to try to control and protect the crowds. Incredibly disappointed, we just decided to leave. If anyone knows where I can buy or learn some patience, please let me know.

We did wander around and take some pictures of the famous Coney Island landmarks, though. This was only my second time there (the first was in 1998) and I had the same impression I had before - Coney Island is sad. The first impression is how incredibly filthy it is compared to many other areas of New York. The second impression is, where are all the people? It was a gorgeous spring Sunday, but there were no lines for the rides and almost no one playing the midway games in spite of, or maybe because of the aggressive carnies (small hands, smell of cabbage).

It just makes me wonder what's going on there. Coney Island could be such a great place, but for some reason, it's just . . . sad. I don't know how else to describe it. As I type this blog post, the local news is reporting about how Mayor Bloomberg was at Coney Island today to announce several new attractions.

Sadly, I'm not sure those are going to help whatever the underlying problem may be with this historic area that's so full of potential.

Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs

Wonder Wheel

Cyclone

Coney Island Circus Sideshow Attraction