Response To Kieran Kidder's Statements About Seniors

The APF Outlaws forum has reaction and comments on Kieran Kidders recent criticism of the running of the APF Senior Nationals. Kidder accused meet director Mark Swank and other officials of not providing acceptable lifting conditions, of being rude to lifters, and selectively strict judging. Kidder said that "this past weekend in Vegas our slogan that the APF was built on seemed nonexistent." However, most of the comments about and reaction to the meet has been filled with nothing but praise. Where is the disconnect?

Is this in reference to Mark Swank saying he would cancel the meet if people didn't have their extra handlers leave the warmup area? Or something else?
Although there were a few things about the meet that werent perfect, for such a large competition it went fairly smoothly. Judging did not seem selectively strict at all, fair across the board with minimal gifts given.

Your right, instead of him going back to the warmup area and getting on those guys about the problem where the problem actually was occuring, he got on the microphone and was yelling at the audiance about it. I'm sure the lifters in the back weren't paying a bit of attention to it.

If you say you witnessed all the crap first hand, why don't you say something while it is happening? I mean you are the owner of the federation. I like your idead of the three holding the National Meets as I have been to meets put on by all three and agree they are great meets. Garry puts on the best bar none. When you go to an APF National Meet you even have powerlifting groupies. I'm getting off point. I like you thinking on the meets. I often wonder how some of the chaimen ever get to be chairmen when the don't have there own equipment? I think the APF is the best federation I just wonder why I go to some meets and they have calibrated plates and some have old rusty miss matched plates. I think if you are going to hold a meet the equipment at every meet should be the same weather it be state or national level.

i can't beleive the shit that's come from this meet.it all seem to stem from the squat those that coulnd make depth.look i'm not scared to use my name . i do this shit for fun so what ever happens it's cool .to everyone bitching shout up hit depth on your squat and your good don't whine to mommy like little children .

His post has nothing to do with the squat judging....and everything to do with the way the lifters were treated at the meet otherwise...

I lifted in a Mark Swank meet in 2006. The guy was a class act, paid attention to details, crap lifts weren't passed and he was very nice. Seemed to have a genuine interest in the lifter. You can't go wrong with Garry, he is very detail oriented and doesn't take short cuts, he will be up for a week straight if that is what it takes to do things right.

I hear Russ Barlow and Garry Frank run good meet's.So is it safe to assume that the A.P.F Senior National's will be held in Maine one year and Louisanna the following?

word on the street is that the judging was very fair and consistant this year but didn't give gifts to anyone regardless of name recognition.

hmmm...seems like this years APF seniors finally got it right (or was at the very least, a vast improvement from the last few years) and now you want to change things because a few lifters got their ego's hurt?

I didn't get that he was complaining about strict judging. In fact, I thought he said that didn't bother him. He said he didn't like lifters receiving "special" treatment, or directors with bad attitudes. I read on Go Heavy that there was no organization and the spotting was terrible. Maybe that is what KK is referring to and not specifically the tighter judging.

But I have witnessed KK pull good judges and replace them with his hand picked crew when the heavies come out.

I have to admit I thought this years Srs was one of the best judged meets I have seen.

Are you referring to Mendelbomb wanting special treatment? Team Bomb was told they were not special and then he was still given five minutes for an attempt. Meanwhile Ryan got timed out while he was actually on the bench. What a fucking joke.

Oh yeah, and Heaven forbid the lifters be held to depth in one of your big meets (like it was in Vegas). Keep the judging strict and everyone will have to adapt.

You don't like that the rules were enforced this year? Go back to handing out gifts and watch your federation implode.

I don’t know anything about all that goes along with putting on am event but I thought this one was done better than most. I was treated with respect and judged fairly. The question of some being treated better than others always happens at every level that’s life deal with it. I didn’t see a problem with the referees that’s how a meet should be judged.

I thought the whole idea of a federation for lifters is that we have a say in what goes on in the federation. The fact that the choice of Franks,Bourlow and KK and only those from now on is not lifter friendly .we are a national federation from east to west and all meet director should be given a chance to bid and host a national level meet. Unless the success and cash made at these meet are becoming to big to resist I don’t know.

This is crazy there is to much bullshit I mean all we do is lift heavy weight why is it so complicated. The rule book says parallel it even has a diagram use it that’s how easy it is .

I thought this was a well run meet and had the time of my life. I'm from the Dakotas so maybe I"m not used of the huge meets in Ohio, Penn, Florida etc. To me it didn't seem like the time issue was a big deal to anyone. The meet was already behind for the 275lbs I couldn't imagine how far it would have been behind if they allowed the 308lbs benchers to take as long as they wanted. Mark Swank and the judges were always good to me but I guess since I'm still a nobody my opinion doesn't matter. The roped off area was a small area and if they allowed the lifter and 5 coaches up there other lifters never would have been able to wrap or even move to the door. I thought a big city like Vegas was the best place to have the meet because it had cheap flights and hotel rooms for the lifters. I'd rather see Nationals in L.A. or Orlando than Louisiana or Maine. I'm pretty sure if you have Nationals in Maine than it will become a local meet like the ones from the past where 30 guys show up.

If the super stars are complaining about depth than i'm shocked because the judges called it like it was. I know when I was watching the meet everyone could always tell if someone was high from anywhere they were watching. I heard guys around me say, "high" and they judges thought the same thing. If they were complaining about not getting enough between lifts than you now know what the rest of us always feel like.

I agree w/Anthony. This was my first Sr.'s so I didn't know what to expect. If the "NAME" lifters seem to be the only ones bitching then let em' bitch. It gives em something to do with thier time since thier not polishing a new trophy. Maybe Swank went overboard backstage, but I remember being at the rules meeting when all things were explained.The spotting was bad but the BAG guys stepped in just fine.Mark was in the back immediately after I got hurt and made sure things were taken care of.The judges did thier job,and for the most part the actual LIFTERS weren't the ones yelling. It's been said over and over that they were cosistant so why all the controversy?
Why can't we just have a couple new winners and people accept it? How about patting the guys/girls that DID win on the back and let it go? NOBODY WILL EVER AGREE BECAUSE EVERYBODY WANTS TO WIN.

Kidder:

Stirct is fine. Rude isn't!! I have no problem with the judging at APF Seniors. It was great!! You can be strict without being rude/domineering. "It's easier to catch a bee with honey than vinegar."

Respect goes both ways. What happened to lifters respecting the officials? Are we expected to have lifters or handlers yell and scream or cuss at us and not respond? I know that I lost my cool a couple of times during the weekend, and I do regret that. My husband and I made the five hour drive from Bakersfield, let our brand-new monolift be used, and helped run the meet. Yes, we got our hotel rooms reimbursed, and our monolift is being delivered back to us. I became an official to give back to the sport that I love. But I'm not sure if it is worth it anymore when we have to continually put up with the attitudes, comments, and ego trips from lifters, handlers, and spectators. I really do appreciate all the positive comments we've received about the judging. It certainly was refreshing to come home and see some positive posts. Thanks!!

I hope when you are refering to someone being rude you are talking about Mendleson, I feel the lifters need to represent themselves in public as decent human beings not rude assholes.

What exactly is KK talking about. The meet directors are getting tainted whether they deserve it or not.