WATCH: Think you can lift more than these men and women?

• Competitors lifted everything from rocks to cars
• This event is a qualifier for B.C.’s Strongest

Kelowna’s strongest men and women descended on City Park to lift objects so heavy, the task is usually reserved for industrial machinery.

A crowd cheered as competitors lifted logs, stones, and even cars for the first ever Kelowna's Strongest competition.

“[Today was all about] finding out who’s the strongest in town, in the Okanagan, whoever came out,” Organizer Hans Fuhrmann told Kelowna10.

Among the action was the stone to shoulder, and the truck deadlift.

For the stone to shoulder, volunteers used a dolly and worked as a team to bring the boulders to a lifting platform.

Competitors lifted the rock, some exceeding 200 lbs, over one shoulder then outstretched the other arm to demonstrate control.

Once the judge confirmed the lift was complete, the lifters dropped it onto a tire before repeating the process as many times as possible.

But for Fuhrmann, he said the toughest lift is the truck deadlift, due to the sheer weight of the vehicle.

Women were challenged to lift the back end of a Mazda 3 hatchback sitting atop a metal apparatus with handles.

Men had to lift the back end of an FJ Cruiser using the same structure, with more weight being added for the larger competitors.

Throughout the event, a strong sense of comradery was on display as lifters hugged and cheered each other.

“Everyone knows the challenges going through each of these events and they’re going to support each other 100 per cent,” Fuhrmann said. “We’re, kind of, united through strength.”

These athletes have a different relationship to pain and discomfort than most, he said.

Before each lift, some asked their peers to slap their chest or back as hard as they could. People would sniff smelling salts and one man even cut the top of his forehead before the truck lift.

The skin across one lifter’s palms were torn from the friction of lifting and gripping a bar holding so much weight.

“This sport puts your body and soul under incredible pressure,” competitor Tyson Delay said. “It is not for the faint of heart if you’re afraid of pain. If you’re afraid of pushing your limits, this is not for you.”

Last year, Delay placed fourth at the national level and aspires to be one of the Top 10 strongmen, globally. At Kelowna’s even, he struck gold in his weight category.

He recommends everyone try the sport for fun but said you need patience if you want to persevere. If you push too hard, you’ll ‘bust yourself’ so it’s important to focus on health, mobility, and diet, he explained.

The event was a qualifier for B.C.’s Strongest Man, which qualifies lifters on the national level.

Before Kelowna, the event was held either in Vancouver or Victoria, Fuhrmann said. And while it was the first time it was hosted in Kelowna, his goal is to keep it here.

The organizers encourage anyone interested in testing their metal next year by reaching out on social media.