Icelandic Fishermen & The Stone Lifting Tradition – FULLSTERKUR

For a country of just 300,000, Iceland has produced an unusually high number of superior strongmen and strength athletes. For many, the explanation goes back through countless generations of local fishermen, who used to determine their share of a ship’s haul by proving how much strength they brought to a crew. To do this, men would lift heavy stones, starting from the manageable hálfdrættingur (“weak”) to the Hálfsterkur (“half-strength”) and finally, for the few who could manage it, the Fullsterkur (“full strength”). Every fisherman still knows of these old challenges, and the traditions they inspired continue to affect the culture and the national identity to this day.

Releasing live on Facebook, Sunday, August 26 at 8PM EST, FULLSTERKUR is the third documentary in a collection of films produced by Rogue Fitness, exploring strength culture around the world, connected specifically by the ancient tradition of stone lifting.

The film features some of the modern stars of Iceland strength, including Magnus Ver Magnuson, Hafthor Bjornsson, and Annie Thorisdottir. But it also sheds light on strength culture’s early roots in the region, from the traditions of the Vikings and Sagas to the lives of farmers and fishermen.

Watch the trailer here: https://www.roguefitness.com/theindex/video/fullsterkur-trailer-a-documentary-film